Sea grass surveys in the Eastern part of Lampi Island, in Myanmar

Abstract

Sea grass surveys were conducted in Lampi Island (Marine National Park), Taninthayi Region from 7th Novemver to 9th November 2018. A total of 5 species of sea grasses, namely Cymodocea rotundata Ehrenberg et Hemprich ex Ascherson, Halodule uninervis (Forsskal) Ascherson, H. pinifolia (Miki) den Hartog, Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenberg) Ascherson, Halophila ovalis(R. Brown) Hooker f. were recorded from the survey sites. Thalassia hemprichii represented as a dominant species along the 3 cross-transects in Wa Kyun Island but not the other 2 study sites, Bo Cho Island and Nyaung Pin Aw on which Cymodocea rotudata predominantly occurred. A total of mean coverage of sea grasses were higher in Bo Cho Island (62.64%) than the other 2 study sites, Wa kyun (43.47%) and Nyaung Pin Aw (54.5%). Due to the dominance of the species of Thalassia hemprichii with thick rhizomes, the biomass of the below ground of the seagrasses in Wa Kyun Island (70.43 gm dry.wt m‾²) was much more higher than those of the other 2 study sites, Bo Cho Island (38.49gm dry.wtm‾²) and Nyaung Pin Aw (59.63gm dry.wtm‾²).