Kimberley marine biota. Historical data: marine plants

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 8 years ago

ABSTRACT – Here, we document 308 species of marine flora from the Kimberley region of Western Australia based on collections held in the Western Australian Herbarium and on reports on marine biodiversity surveys to the region. Included are 12 species of seagrasses, 18 species of mangrove and 278 species of marine algae. Seagrasses and mangroves in the region have been comparatively well surveyed and their taxonomy is stable, so it is unlikely that further species will be recorded. However, the marine algae have been collected and documented only more recently and it is estimated that further surveys will increase the number of recorded species to over 400. The bulk of the marine flora comprised widespread Indo-West Pacifi c species, but there were also many endemic species with more endemics reported from the inshore areas than the offshore atolls. This number also will increase with the description of new species from the region. Collecting across the region has been highly variable due to the remote location, logistical difficulties and resource limitations. Consequently, large portions of the region remain inadequately sampled, and within the Western Australian Herbarium collections much material awaits identifi cation.