Seasonality of standing crop of a Sargassum (Fucales, Phaeophyta) bed in Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines

Abstract

The seasonality of standing crop of a Sargassum bed was investigated by conducting monthly sampling from February 1988 to July 1989. Environmental parameters of water movement, salinity, number of daytime minus tides, and water temperature were also measured. An intra-annual pattern of variation in standing crop of Sargassum crassifolium, S. cristaefolium, S. oligocystum, and S. polycystum was observed. Standing crop was generally lowest in February, March, April, or May, and highest in November through January. Sargassum accounted for about 35 to 85% of the monthly algal standing crop of the bed, and the observed variation in overall standing crop of the bed generally reflected the standing crop of Sargassum. The seasonality of the standing crops of the associated algal divisions also followed an annual cycle, but their maximum and minimum standing crops did not coincide with those of Sargassum. Individually, as well as collectively, the standing crops of the Sargassum spp. were poorly correlated with the environmental factors observed.