Seagrass species in the Municipality of Tangalan, Aklan

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the sea grass species present in the three coastal barangays of Tangalan, Aklan namely; Brgy. Afga, Dumatad and Jawili on September 2018. The one shot survey design was used in assessing the three coastal barangays with the assistance of the Tangalan Local Government Unit (LGU). Nine species of sea grass were found in the area. This included four Hydrocharitaceae species, four Cymodoceaceae species and one of which cannot be identified. Generally, the most dominant species are Cymodocea rotundata (Cr) 40.20% followed by Cymodocea serrulata (Cs)-17.8%, Halodule pinifolia (Hp)-14.07%, Thalassia hemprichii (Th)-10.18%, Syringodium isoetifolium (Si)-7.84%, cannot be distinguished (Hx)-5.37%, Halophila ovalis (Ho)-3.39%, Enhalus acoroides (Ea),0.87% and Halophila minor (Hm)-0.26%.The extent of coverage of sea grass beds in three coastal Barangays of Tangalan, Aklan namely; Afga, Dumatad and Jawili are 13.08 hectares, 25.86 hectares and 14.84 hectares, respectively and a total of 53.78 hectares. Cymodocea rotundata specie was the most abundant sea grass specie thriving in Barangay Jawili and Afga and Cymodocea serrulata species in Brgy. Dumatad. Moreover, among the 3 barangays of Tangalan, Aklan, Afga had the highest number of sea grass species found in the area with seven sea grass species and one unidentified while Brgy. Dumatad had the highest extent of coverage of sea grass beds.