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Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences

Year: 2004 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 10 | Page No.: 1801-1807
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Research Article

A Preliminary Study of the Biological Aspects of an Intertidal Seagrass Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenberg) Ascherson in Port Dickson, Malaysia

M. K. Abu Hena, K. Misri, B. Japar Sidik, O. Hishamuddin and H. Hidir

ABSTRACT

Seagrass is a valuable component contributing significantly to coastal productivity and stabilising sea floor sediments in the shallow coastal marine ecosystems. The present field case study was conducted in a monospecific patch in an intertidal seagrass bed in Port Dickson, Malaysia. Shoot density and biomass of Thalassia hemprichii were measured using 20×20 cm quadrats. Leaf growth and productivity of T. hemprichii were studied using leaf-marking method. During low tide period the habitat of this species was observed by snorkeling. The mean shoot density of T. hemprichii was 632.14×113.77 shoots/m2, with mean above ground biomass measured at 13.87×1.17 g AFDW (ash free dry weight)/m2 and mean below ground biomass 40.19±7.93 g AFDW/m2. The mean leaf growth was 7.04×1.35 mm/shoot, where maximum leaf growth was recorded 11.45 mm/shoot. The mean leaf production was 0.56×0.17 g AFDW/m2/day, where the maximum leaf production was measured at 1.00 g AFDW/m2/day. Turnover rate and relative production rate (RPR) were measured at 3.68×0.79 percent/day and 0.07×0.03 g/g AFDW/day, respectively. Plastochrone interval of T. hemprichii leaf (PIL) during the study  period  was 12.03×1.01 days. Leaves of T. hemprichii beneath the shading of macro-algae (Sargassum sp.) were comparatively longer than those existing without such shading condition. There are 8-19 horizontal rhizome nodes within two shoots and this indication that two shoots of T. hemprichii were separated at this distance.
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