XVI International Botanical Congess

With a coastline of 1,800 km Oman remains relatively little explored in terms of its marine algae. The sublittoral and littoral shoreline of southern Oman is greatly impacted by the summertime monsoon with an accompanying upwelling of relatively colder, nutrient-rich waters and high energy conditions, resulting in a conspicuous growth of algae. The ecology of the kelp (Ecklonia radiata) beds has been studied by Barratt et al. (1984). Wynne & Jupp's (1998) report of 74 species previously unknown for Oman is an indication of how much is to be learned from basic survey and inventory studies. Ongoing floristic work has shown the presence of a rich assemblage of species showing affinities with the floras of South Africa (Ecklonia, Pseudocodium devriesii), Japan (Bryopsis maxima, Hypnea boergesenii), Europe (Sporochnus pedunculatus), and Brazil (Jolyna). Codium is well represented by many species, including foliose ones. New taxa have also been described: Champia gigantea and Lomentaria strumosa (Wynne, 1998), Pseudogrinnellia barrattiae gen. & sp. nov. (Wynne, 1999a), and Cryptopleura robusta (Wynne, 1999b). Descriptions of new taxa in the families Dasyaceae, Gelidiaceae, and Rhodymeniaceae are being prepared.