New Species of Algae Found in Guam
Posted on October 14, 2012
Research have discovered a new species of algae in the waters of Guam that resembles turtle weed. The algae, Rhipilia coppejansii, forms green tufts at the base of coral colonies. The new species was described in a paper published in the Journal of Phycology by University of Guam Marine Lab scientist, Tom Shils and co-author Heroen Verbruggen of the University of Melbourne.
Shils said in a statement, "The molecular tools that aided its identification also reveal that previously undetected biodiversity abounds in the marine algal flora of Guam, which is an integral part of the island's natural heritage in which its people and their culture are deeply rooted."
Shils also said, "Our paper exemplifies the large amount of hidden (cryptic) diversity that we've recently been discovering in our marine flora. Molecular tools reveal that the species diversity of algae has been greatly underestimated for our islands."
