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Abundance and Diversity of Seagrass and Macrofauna in the Intertidal Areas with and Without Seaweed Farming Activities in the East Coast of Zanzibar

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dc.creator Lyimo, Thomas J.
dc.creator Mvungi, Esther F.
dc.creator Mgaya, Yunus D.
dc.date 2016-09-21T13:03:02Z
dc.date 2016-09-21T13:03:02Z
dc.date 2009-07
dc.date.accessioned 2018-03-27T08:55:40Z
dc.date.available 2018-03-27T08:55:40Z
dc.identifier Lyimo, T., Mvungi, E. and Mgaya, Y. (2009). abundance and diversity of seagrass and macrofauna in the intertidal areas with and without seaweed farming activities in the east coast of Zanzibar. Tanz. J. Sci., 34(1).
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/3864
dc.identifier 10.4314/tjs.v34i1.44287
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/3864
dc.description The diversity and abundance of seagrass and associated macrofauna were studied in transects with and without seaweed farms at Chwaka Bay and Jambiani, in the East Coast of Zanzibar. Eight seagrass species, namely Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Thalassia hemprichii,Thalassodendron ciliatum, Syringodium isoetifolium, Halodule uninervis, Halophila ovalis and Enhalus acoroides were recorded in the transects. The mean total biomass of seagrass at Chwaka Bay ranged from 142.4 ± 70.71 to 1652 ± 772.7 g dw/m2 and 212.9 ± 146.2 to 1829 ± 1692 gdw/m2 in station with and without seaweed farms, respectively. At Jambiani, the mean total biomass ranged from 880.4 ± 336.8 to 3467 ± 549.9 and 203.4 ± 102.4 to 3810 ± 2770 g dw/m2 in station with and without seaweed farms, respectively. The overall total biomass of seagrasswas significantly lower (KW = 108.7, p < 0.0001) in station with seaweed farms than in stations without seaweed farms. A total of 93 macrofauna species representing 60 families were encountered and the mean density ranged from 910 to 6990 individuals/m2 at Chwaka Bay andJambiani in stations with and without seaweed farms respectively. The most common macrofauna species were Codakia punctata, Meropesta nicobarica, Echinometra mathaei, Pinna muricata and Clibanarius emystemus. It was shown that the macrofauna abundance and diversity was higher in stations without seaweed farms than in the stations with seaweed farms, which could be due to activities associated with seaweed farming which contributed to the loss of diversity and biomass of flora and macrofauna of the seagrass meadows.
dc.language en
dc.publisher Tanzania Journal of Science
dc.subject Seagrass
dc.subject macrofauna
dc.subject seaweed farming
dc.subject Zanzibar
dc.title Abundance and Diversity of Seagrass and Macrofauna in the Intertidal Areas with and Without Seaweed Farming Activities in the East Coast of Zanzibar
dc.type Journal Article, Peer Reviewed


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