The Ecology Of Marine Algae Of The Kenya Coast

Abstract

The Kenya coastline which is approximately 500 km long is characterised by almost continuous elevated fringing reef plat forms. Wherever breaks occur sandy or muddy beaches are found. Due to the narrow continental shelf the fringing reef~ are affected by the East African Coastal Current which governs the conditions. r n the upper layer of the sea. It is, in turn, affected by the two major alternating monsoons The hy-drography and climate of the coast are reviewed. The marine flora of Kenya is a rich one, comprising approximately 300 species of algae, 12 species of marine angiosperm s and 8 species of mangroves • Among the a1gae. Siphonales pre dominate in the. Chlorophyceae, in the Phaeophyceae the Fucales are a conspicuous part of the flora and of the 300 species of algae, 160 species are Rhodophy-ceae , majority of which are small in size , During the Present study 29 new species of algae were recorded.