South Florida Benthic Marine Algae: Keys and Comments

Woelkerling, William

This document provides illustrated keys to the genera of green, brown, and red algae and to the genera and species of blue green algae commonly found in marine benthic communities of Florida . It has been designed primarily for student use in short courses and classroom situations, and in no way should it be considered a monographic treatment of Florida marine algae. Species keys have not bee~ provided for the green, brown, and red algae because of their availability elsewhere (e.g. Dawes 1974 and Taylor 1960) and because species concepts in many genera still remain uncertain. The absence of clear cut species concepts coupled with the polymorphic behavior of many marine algae often frustrate inexperienced students who attempt to identify specimens to species, and generic concepts appear to be more readily grasped by individuals at the start. Species reference lists for the green, brown, and red algae recorded from Florida by Dawes (1974) and Taylor (1960) are provided in Tables following the respective generic keys. In addition to the keys, this report also includes a glossary of morphological terms used in the keys and contains a bibliography of important references. The remainder of this general section considers briefly the literature of Florida marine algae, provides brief comments on marine algal habitats and communities, gives instructions for the collection, preservation, and examination of algal material, and makes suggestions for use of the keys .