Survey method and objective / List of species

Objective and method

Our initiatives

Our initiatives

Okinawa Churashima Research Center is a leading institution in the study of the coastal ecosystem in Okinawa, and established the Seaweed and Seagrass survey program in 2009. Since then, we have been conducting seasonal field surveys of the benthic flora of coral reefs in the northern parts of Okinawa.

By means of an inventory survey, we have determined the contemporary state of seaweed and seagrass.

We wish to contribute to the research concerning the health of coral reefs and how they change over the long-term. We also believe that these activities will help to improve our understanding on how to protect their ecosystem.

Quadrat survey

Data from quadrat surveys can help to reveal the changes of seaweed and seagrass vegetation within a permanently marked area (2 square-meters) over long periods of time.
Analyzing data from these surveys enables us to reveal the long-term changes in the benthic flora.

List of species
  division class order family genus species
1 CHLOROPHYTA CHLOROPHYCEAE ULVALES Ulvaceae Ulva Ulva sp.(section Enteromorpha
2 SIPHONOCLADALES Siphonocladaceae Boergesenia Boergesenia forbesii
3 Cladophoropsis Cladophoropsis vaucheriaeformis
4 Valoniaceae Dictyosphaeria Dictyosphaeria cavernosa
5 Ventricaria Ventricaria ventricosa
6 CAULERPALES Caulerpaceae Caulerpa Caulerpa racemosa var.clavifera f. macrophysa
7 Udoteaceae Avrainvillea Avrainvillea erecta
8 Chlorodesmis Chlorodesmis fastigiata
9 Halimeda Halimeda discoidea
10 Udotea Udotea orientalis
11 CODIALES Codiaceae Codium Codium sp.
12 DASYCLADALES Dasycladaceae Bornetella Bornetella sphaerica
13 NeomerisNeomeris Neomeris annulata
14 Polyphysaceae Acetabularia Acetabularia dentata
15 Acetabularia ryukyuensis
16 Halicoryne Halicoryne wrightii
17 HETEROKONTOPHYTA PHAEOPHYCEAE DICTYOTALES Dictyotaceae Dictyopteris Dictyopteris polypodioides
18 Lobophora Lobophora sp.
19 Padina  Padina melemele
20 Padina sp.
21 CHORDARIALES Chordariaceae Cladosiphon Cladosiphon okamuranus
22 SCYTOSIPHONALES Chnoosporaceae Chnoospora Chnoospora implexa
23 Scytosiphonaceae Colpomenia Colpomenia sinuosa
24 Hydroclathrus Hydroclathrus clathratus
25 FUCALES Sargassaceae Hormophysa Hormophysa cuneiformis
26 Sargassum Sargassum sp.
27 Turbinaria Turbinaria ornata
28 RHODOPHYTA RHODOPHYCEAE NEMALIALES Dermonemataceae Yamadaella Yamadaella caenomyce
29 Galaxauraceae Dichotomaria Dichotomaria sp.
30 Tricleocarpa Tricleocarpa cylindrica
31 Nemaliaceae Trichogloea Trichogloea requienii
32 CORALLINALES Corallinaceae Jania Jania sp.
33 - - CORALLINALES (non-geniculate coralline)
34 BONNEMAISONIALES Bonnemaisoniaceae Asparagopsis Asparagopsis taxiformis
35 Dumontiaceae Dudresnaya Dudresnaya sp.(cf.hawaiiensis)
36 Gibsmithia Gibsmithia hawaiiensis
37 GIGARTINALES Hypneaceae Hypnea  Hypnea pannosa
38 Hypnea sp.
39 Rhizophyllidaceae Portieria Portieria hornemannii
40 GRACILARIALES Gracilariaceae Hydropuntia Hydropuntia edulis
41 RHODYMENIALES Lomentariaceae Ceratodictyon Ceratodictyon spongiosum
42 CERAMIALES  Rhodomelaceae Acrocystis Acrocystis nana
43 Digenea Digenea simplex