RHODOPHYTA OF OMAN GULF (SOUTH EAST OF IRAN)

About 600 Km. coastal lines of the Gulf of Oman occur in southeast of Iran. The Rhodophyta of intertidal regions of Chabahar area (25º 10 to 25º 21 N / 59º 52 to 61º 31 E) were studied from 1999 to 2003. Samples of algae were collected from 8 sites including Gavater, Beris, Ramin, Kachu, Chabhar, Pozm, Joud and Tang. In this study 74 species of 19 families of Rhodophyta was identified. Rhodomelaceae has higher number of genera and Gracilaria has higher number of species in studied areas. Nineteen species were new records for algal flora of Iran and 45 species were not recorded in Catalogue of Benthic marine algae of Indian Ocean. The specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Agriculture and Natural Resources Researches Centre of Hormozgan province, Iran.