Preliminary observations on the seagrasses of Lampi and neighbouring islands of The Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar

Abstract

Nine species of seagrass were found around Lampi and neighbouring islands of the Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar. Those species were Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Enhalus acoroides, Halodule pinifolia, Halodule uninervis, Halophila beccarii, Halophila decipiens, Halophila ovalis and Thalassia hemprichii. Meadows occurred on the east side of islands on flats inshore of coral reefs where they were sheltered from the monsoons. The largest meadows occurred on the eastern sides of Nyaung Wee, Bo Cho and Lampi Islands, and were mixed intertidal meadows with up to six species, not including E. acoroides or H. decipiens. The former was concentrated around the Ko Phawt Island group and the latter occurred in clear water greater than five metres deep on the west side of Nyaung Wee Island. The size of the most significant meadow at Lampi Island was estimated to be 28 hectares. Estimates were made of percent seagrass cover along transects across that meadow. Sampled sites with seagrass averaged 43% cover, including 27% C. rotundata, 11% T. hemprichii, 5% H. ovalis. Dugong feeding trails were found in dense patches of H. ovalis in March 2008 at Lampi, and at both Nyaung Wee and Lampi Islands in November 2008. Those trails are the first concrete evidence of the occurrence of a resident dugong population in the Myeik Archipelago.