Marine Plants of Pohnpei and Ant Atoll: Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Magnoliophyta

A study of marine benthic plants collected from Pohnpei Island and Ant Atoll, Federated States of Micronesia, between 1994 and 1997 documented the occurrence of 59 species of green algae (Division Chlorophyta), 16 species of brown algae (Division Phaeophyta), and 3 species of seagrasses (Division Magnoliophyta). Based on these collections and a review of the literature, the marine flora of Pohnpei now comprises 52 Chlorophyta species, 22 Phaeophyta species, and 3 seagrass species; and the list for Ant Atoll currently stands at 60 Chlorophyta species, 11 Phaeophyta species, and 2 seagrasses. New records include 20 species from Pohnpei, and 30 from Ant. Of these, 8 were taxa previously unknown from Micronesia: Caulerpa microphysa (Weber-van Bosse) J. Feldmann, Derbesia fastigiata Taylor, Dictyota acutiloba J. Agardh, Enteromorpha flexuosa (Roth) J. Agardh, Padina boergesenii Allender & Kraft, Percursaria dawsonii Hollenberg & Abbott, Ulothrix flacca (Dillw.) Thuret, and Ulvella setchellii Dangeard. Red algae (Division Rhodophyta) were also collected, and will be reported in a future paper.