A taxonomic and geographical catalogue of the seaweeds of the western coast of West Africa and adjacent islands

Viac o knihe

The catalogue documents all species and infraspecific taxa of benthic marine algae, or seaweeds, along the mainland coast of West Africa (from the northern boundary of Western Sahara to Namibia) and the western Atlantic islands, including those near the African mainland. It covers over 32 countries and islands, organizing genera, species, and infraspecific taxa alphabetically within green, brown, and red algae. Each entry includes the currently accepted name along with previously used names from earlier publications, and lists all countries and islands where the species has been recorded, citing recent literature. Taxonomic and nomenclatural details are provided as necessary. A total of 1,195 species are accepted (202 green algae, 200 brown algae, 793 red algae), a decrease from 2,013 recognized in lists over the past 40 years. Despite advancements in understanding West African seaweeds, some areas remain underexplored, with no records for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rio Muni, and Cabinda. The seaweed floras of major island archipelagos, like the Canary Islands with 646 species, are notably more diverse than the mainland coast, which has just under 300 species along a 4,000 km shoreline. One new combination is introduced: Chondrophycus glanduliferis (Kütz.) Prud'homme & D. M. John.