Checklist of the marine macroalgae of Iran

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Botanica Marina 2015; 58(4): 307–320
*Corresponding author: Morteza Yousefzadi, Faculty of Marine
Science and Technology, Department of Marine Biology, Hormozgan
University, Bandar Abbas, Iran, e-mail: Morteza110110@gmail.com
Maryam Kokabi: Young Researchers and Elite Club, Mashhad
Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
Maryam Kokabi and Morteza Yousefzadi*
Checklist of the marine macroalgae of Iran
DOI 10.1515/bot-2015-0001
Received 1 January, 2015; accepted 16 June, 2015; online first 10 July,
2015
Abstract: In this study, a revised checklist of macroalgae
of Iran with an updated nomenclature and taxonomy has
been compiled based on published records. Using cur-
rently accepted names, 309 species and infraspecific taxa
of macroalgae have been identified to date, including 78
Chlorophyta (within 15 families), 70 Ochrophyta (Phaeo-
phyceae; within 7 families) and 161 Rhodophyta (within
30 families). The brown alga Sargassum with 25 taxa was
the most diverse genus, and the Rhodomelaceae (Rhodo-
phyta) with 36 taxa was the most species-rich family. The
Cheney ratio of 3.4 and the species composition of brown
seaweeds suggest that the Iranian marine algal flora is
warm-temperate. Sørensen similarity indices were used to
compare the marine algal flora of Iran with that of Saudi
Arabia within the Persian Gulf and the Sultanate of Oman
within the Gulf of Oman. The algal diversity of the Iranian
coast within the Gulf of Oman is less than that within the
Persian Gulf, and this difference is attributed to under-
collecting. Given that this is the first inclusive checklist
of macroalgae of Iran, covering the coast lying within
the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, it could serve as
a foundation for future phycological and biogeographical
studies of the taxa in the country and the region.
Keywords: Gulf of Oman; Iran; macroalgae; Persian Gulf;
Sørensen similarity index.
Introduction
Iran is a semi-arid country in southwestern Asia, extend-
ing from latitude 25° to 40° North and longitude 44° to 63°
East, with a large variation in climate from north to south
(Abbaspour etal. 2009). To the north, Iran borders the
largest closed body of water in the world, the Caspian Sea,
with a shoreline approximately 800 km long. In the south,
Iran has a coastline of approximately 5000 km lying
within the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman (Dibajnia
etal. 2012), to which it is connected through the narrow
Strait of Hormuz. The Persian Gulf is a semi-enclosed and
evaporative marginal sea with a mean depth of about 35m
and dotted by many small islands (Hassanzadeh et al.
2011, Kourosh Niya etal. 2013). In comparison, the Gulf
of Oman is connected to the Indian Ocean and provides
direct access to open seas (Pak and Farajzadeh 2007).
Compared with those in the north, the water boundaries
in the south of Iran lie within the sub-tropical high-pres-
sure zone, and thus are characterized by low precipitation
and high aridity. Along this coastal area a variety of eco-
systems, such as mangrove forests, rocky shores and coral
reefs (Pak and Farajzadeh 2007, Abuzinada etal. 2008),
provide suitable habitats for seaweed growth (Figure 1).
Seaweeds or marine benthic macroalgae form a rather
heterogeneous group of primary producers, including
three major divisions based on the nature of their pig-
ments and other fundamental characteristics: Chloro-
phyta (green algae), Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae; brown
algae) and Rhodophyta (red algae). Seaweeds are recog-
nized to be resources of high ecological and economic
value because they provide a wide assortment of bioactive
compounds that could be added to food, medicine, and to
biofertilizers (Hong et al. 2007, Dhargalkar and Verlecar
2009, Koch etal. 2013). However, there is no comprehen-
sive listing of the seaweed species that have been recorded
in Iran. Furthermore, knowledge of the marine seaweed
diversity of Iran is largely inaccessible to researchers
because most data are scattered in regional papers or
reports (often in Persian), and the recent checklist of the
Persian Gulf by John and Al-Thani (2014) covers only the
Persian Gulf coast of Iran. Therefore, the objective of this
study was to collect and update all the information on
macroalgal diversity in Iran in a comprehensive checklist
accessible to the international community.
History of seaweed study in Iran
The history of seaweed study in Iran dates back to 1845,
when Endlicher and Diesing reported the names of six
species of brown and red algae from Khark (also Kharg)
and Kish Islands in the Persian Gulf. In 1939, Børgesen
reported 77 species of marine algae from Kish Island and
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308M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran
Figure 1:Coastline of Iran and neighbouring countries, showing the islands and areas mentioned in the text.
Bushehr province. Several papers were published in the
20th century on species of marine algae in the Persian
Gulf, but most of them covered the Arabian side of the
Gulf (e.g. Nizamuddin and Gessner 1970, Basson 1978, De
Clerck and Coppejans 1996). Consequently, there was a
wide gap in records of Iranian marine macroalgae between
1939 and 1996, when Sohrabipour and Rabiei (1996, 1999)
published the very first checklist on the marine algae of
the Hormozgan province of Iran. They listed 144 species
of seaweeds, including 36 Chlorophyta, 33 Ochrophyta
(Phaeophyceae) and 75 Rhodophyta in the Persian Gulf
(Sohrabipour and Rabiei 1999). In 2004, Sohrabipour
et al. reported 119 species of seaweeds, including 29
Chlorophyta, 31 Phaeophyceae and 59 Rhodophyta in
the Persian Gulf, Lengeh area of Iran. Sohrabipour and
Rabiei (2007, 2008b) also published a checklist of 62 Chlo-
rophyta and 74 Rhodophyta from the Iranian coast of the
Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. In 2011, Gharanjik and
Rohani-Ghadikolaei reported 150 species of Iranian sea-
weeds, including 39 Chlorophyta, 40 Phaeophyceae and
71 Rhodophyta.
Recent taxonomic studies on the seaweeds of Iran
have been conducted by Sohrabipour and Rabiei, on
Gracilaria (Rabiei etal. 2008) and Gracilariopsis (Bellorin
etal. 2008, Sohrabipour and Rabiei 2008a). In addition,
Shams etal. (2013) made the first reports of five species of
Sargassum from Iran.
The ecological features of Iranian seaweeds have been
studied to a small extent. In 2012, Fatemi etal. studied the
seaweed biomass from intertidal rocky shores of Qeshm
Island. The authors collected and identified a total of 73
species of marine algae from the southern and the north-
ern parts of the island. Dadolahi-Sohrab etal. (2012) noted
seasonal changes in seaweed diversity on the northern
coast of the Persian Gulf (Bushehr Province). Seasonal
variation in macroalgal assemblages was also observed
along the eastern coasts of Qeshm Island (Persian Gulf;
authors’ unpublished data).
Interest in studies of the potential economic impor-
tance of seaweeds has significantly increased in recent
years. The agarophyte taxa, especially the Iranian
endemic species Gracilariopsis persica, has received
more attention than other local seaweeds (Salehi etal.
2011, Saeidniaa etal. 2012, Matinfar etal. 2013, Yousefi
etal. 2013, Heydari etal. 2014). Aside from studies focus-
ing on the commercial potential of Iranian seaweeds,
some researchers have investigated the pharmaceutical
features of Iranian seaweeds to find novel medicines
(Zandi et al. 2007, Derakhshesh et al. 2011, Ghannadi
etal. 2013, Jassbi etal. 2013, Kokabi etal. 2013, Yousefzadi
etal. 2014).
Methods of checklist production
This checklist of the seaweed species of Iran is based
on an exhaustive bibliographical search in which both
local reports and international publications were con-
sulted for species records. All taxon names and their
classification were verified by reference to AlgaeBase
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M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran309
Table 1:Species names and authorities of Chlorophyta of Iran.
Boodleaceae
  Cladophoropsis fasciculata (Kjellman) Wille = Cladophoropsis sundanensis Reinbold [b, c, d, g]
  Cladophoropsis membranacea (C. Agardh) Børgesen [a, b, c, d, e, g]
Bryopsidaceae
  Bryopsis corymbosa J. Agardh = Bryopsis implexa De Notaris [a, d, g]
  Bryopsis hypnoides J.V. Lamouroux [a, d, g]
  Bryopsis pennata J.V. Lamouroux [c, d, e, g]
  Bryopsis pennata var. minor J. Agardh = Bryopsis pennatula J. Agardh [b, d, e, g]
  Bryopsis pennata var. secunda (Harvey) Collins et Hervey [b, c, d, g]
  Bryopsis plumosa (Hudson) C. Agardh [b, c, d, e, f, g]
Caulerpaceae
  Caulerpa brachypus Harvey [d]
 Caulerpa chemnitzia (Esper) J.V. Lamououx= Caulerpa peltata J. V. Lamouroux [b, c, d, e, g]
 Caulerpa cupressoides (Vahl) C. Agardh [e]
 Caulerpa faridii Nizamuddin [e]
 Caulerpa fastigiata Montagne [c, d, g]
 Caulerpa manorensis Nizamuddin [a, b, d, g]
 Caulerpa mexicana Sonder ex Kützing = Caulerpa crassifolia (C. Agardh) J. Agardh [a, d, g]
 Caulerpa racemosa var. macrophysa (Sonder ex Kützing) W.R. Taylor [b, c, d, g]
 Caulerpa scalpelliformis (Turner) C. Agardh [d, e]
 Caulerpa sertularioides (S.G. Gmelin) M. Howe [a, b, c, d, e, f, g]
 Caulerpa sertularioides (S.G. Gmelin) M. Howe forma farlowii (Weber-Van Bosse) Børgesen [b, c, d, f, g]
 Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh [b, c, d, e, f, g]
Cladophoraceae
 Chaetomorpha aerea (Dillwyn) Kützing [a, b, c, d, g]
 Chaetomorpha antennina (Bory) Kützing [d, e, g]
 Chaetomorpha brachygona Harvey [b, d, g]
 Chaetomorpha californica F.S. Collins [b, c, d, g]
 Chaetomorpha vieillardii (Kützing) M.J. Wynne = Chaetomorpha crassa sensu auctorum (C. Agardh) Kützing [d]
 Chaetomorpha gracilis (Kützing) Kützing [b, e, g]
 Chaetomorpha linum (O.F. Muller) Kützing [a, c, d, g]
 Chaetomorpha spiralis Okamura [e]
 Cladophora albida (Nees) Kützing = Cladophora magdalenae Harvey [b, d, g]
 Cladophora aokii Yamada [e]
 Cladophora oligoclada Harvey [e]
 Cladophora coelothrix Kützing [a, d, g]
 Cladophora echinus (Biasoletto) Kützing [a, c, d, g]
 Cladophora flexuosa (O.F. Müller) Kützing = Cladophora gracilis (Griffiths) Kützing [c, d, g]
 Cladophora herpestica (Montagne) Kützing = Cladophoropsis javanica (Kützing) P.C. Silva = Cladophoropsis zollingerii (Kützing)
Reinbold [a, d, g]
 Cladophora koeiei Børgesen [b, c, d, g]
 Cladophora nitellopsis Børgesen [a, b, c, d, g]
 Cladophora radiosa (Suhr) Kützing [a, b, d, g]
 Cladophora rugulosa G. Martens [e]
 Cladophora sericioides Børgesen [a, b, d, g]
 Cladophora vagabunda (Linnaeus) van den Hoek = Cladophora fascicularis (Mertens ex C. Agardh) Kützing [b, d, e, g]
 Rhizoclonium riparium (Roth) Harvey = Rhizoclonium implexum (Dillwyn) Kützing [b, d, e, g]
 Rhizoclonium tortuosum (Dillwyn) Kützing = Chaetomorpha capillaris (Kützing) Børgesen [a, c, d, g]
Codiaceae
 Codium bartlettii C.K. Tseng et W.J. Gilbert [e]
 Codium cylindricum Holmes [e]
 Codium flabellatum P.C. Silva ex Nizamuddin [e]
 Codium fragile (Suringar) Hariot [d, e, g]
 Codium geppiorum O.C. Schmidt [e]
 Codium indicum S.C. Dixit = Codium iyengarii Børgesen [e]
 Codium papillatum C.K.Tseng et W.J. Gilbert [a, b, c, d, e, g]
 Codium repens P. Crouan et H. Crouan [e]
 Codium subtubulosum Okamura [e]
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310M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran
Derbesiaceae
 Derbesia marina (Lyngbye) Kjellman [d, g, h]
Dichotomosiphonaceae
 Avrainvillea amadelpha (Montagne) A. Gepp et E.S. Gepp [d]
 Avrainvillea calathina Kraft et Olsen-Stojkovich [a, b, c, e, g]
 Avrainvillea erecta (Berkeley) A. Gepp et E.S. Gepp [e]
Halimedaceae
 Halimeda discoidea Decaisne [d]
 Halimeda tuna (Ellis and Solander) Lamouroux [e]
Phaeophilaceae
 Phaeophila dendroides (P.l. Crouan et H.M. Crouan) Batters [a, d, g]
Polyphysaceae
 Acetabularia calyculus J.V. Lamouroux [b, c, d, g]
 Parvocaulis clavatus (Yamada) S. Berger, U. Fettweiss, S. Gleissberg, L.B. Liddle, U. Richter, H. Sawitzky et G.C. Zuccarello =
Acetabularia clavata Yamada [a, b, d, g]
 Parvocaulis parvulus (Solms-laubach) S. Berger, U. Fettweiss, S. Gleissberg, L.B. Liddle, U. Richter, H. Sawitzky et G.C. Zuccarello =
Polyphysa parvula (Solms-laubach) Schnetter et Bule Meyer = Acetabularia parvula Solms-Laubach= Acetabularia moebiii
Solms-laubach [a, b, g]
Siphonocladaceae
 Dictyosphaeria cavernosa (Forskål) Børgesen [a, b, c, d, f, g]
 Siphonocladus feldmannii Børgesen [d, g]
Ulotrichaceae
 Spongomorpha arcta (Dillwyn) Kützing [e]
Ulvaceae
 Ulva californica Wille [a, b, d, g]
 Ulva clathrata (Roth) C. Agardh = Enteromorpha clathrata (Roth) Greville J. Agardh [a, b, c, d, e, g]
 Ulva compressa Linnaeus = Enteromorpha compressa (Linnaeus) Nees [a, b, c, d, g]
 Ulva flexuosa Wulfen = Enteromorpha flexuosa (Wulfen) J. Agardh [a, c, d, e, f, g]
 Ulva intestinalis Linnaeus = Enteromorpha intestinalis (Linnaeus) Link [b, d, f, g]
 Ulva lactuca Linnaeus = Ulva fasciata Delile [a, b, c, d, e, f, g]
 Ulva linza Linnaeus = Enteromorpha linza (Linnaeus) J. Agardh [b, d, g]
 Ulva prolifera O.F. Muller = Enteromorpha prolifera (O.F. Muller) J. Agardh [a, c, d, g]
 Ulva reticulata Forsskål [d, g]
 Ulva rigida C. Agardh [d, e]
Ulvellaceae
 Ulvella viridis (Reinke) R. Nielsen, C.J.O. Kelly et B. Wysor = Entocladia viridis Reinke = Endoderma viride (Reinke) Lagerh =
Acrochaete viridis (Reinke) Nielsen [a, d, g]
Valoniaceae
 Valonia utricularis (Roth) C. Agardh [d]
 Valoniopsis pachynema (G. Martens) Børgesen [e]
References: a: Silva etal. (1996); b: Sohrabipour and Rabiei (1999); c: Sohrabipour etal. (2004); d: Sohrabipour and Rabiei (2007);
e:Gharanjik and Rohani-Ghadikolaei (2011); f: Kokabi etal. (2014); g: John and Al-Thani (2014); h: Sohrabipour and Rabiei (2005).
Table 1(continued)
(www.algaebase.org) and updated when necessary (Guiry
and Guiry 2014). This website contains the latest taxonomic
and floristic publications on algae and the taxonomy and
nomenclature of the entries are updated regularly.
The checklist is arranged in alphabetical order of
families under three different algal groups, the Chloro-
phyta, Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae) and Rhodophyta. The
species are also listed alphabetically under each family.
For some taxa, the taxonomic synonyms are presented
after an equal sign and references to the original publica-
tions are indicated in brackets as follows: Current name
and Author = Synonym and Author [Reference].
To determine the relative tropical or temperate affini-
ties of the algal flora, Cheney’s floristic ratio was applied.
This ratio is (R+C)/P, where R is the number of taxa of
Rhodophyta, C the number of taxa of Chlorophyta, and P
the number of species belonging to the Ochrophyta, Class
Phaeophyceae. The ratio characterizes the geographic
nature of an algal flora (Kaldy etal. 1995, Augytė 2011,
Augytė and Shaughnessy 2014). A ratio of < 3.0 indicates
a cold-water flora, whereas ratios of > 6.0 indicate a tropi-
cal flora; intermediate values represent a mixed floristic
affinity (e.g.warm-temperate; Kaldy etal. 1995, Witman
and Roy 2009).
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M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran311
Table 2:Species names and authorities of Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae) of Iran.
Acinetosporaceae
Feldmannia indica (Sonder) Womersley et A. Bailey= Hincksia indica (Sonder) J. Tanaka [e]
Feldmannia irregularis (Kützing) Hamel [a, b, c, g]
Feldmannia mitchelliae (Harvey) H.S. Kim = Hincksia mitchelliae (Harvey) P.C. Silve [a, b, c, g]
Bachelotiaceae
Bachelotia antillarum (Grunow) Gerloff [a, b, c, g]
Chordariaceae
Stilophora iranica Børgesen [a, g]
Tinocladia crassa (Suringar) Kylin [e]
Dictyotaceae
Canistrocarpus cervicornis (Kützing) De Paula et De Clerck =Dictyota cervicornis Kuetzing = Dictyota indica Sonder et Kützing =
Dictyota divaricata (J. Agardh) J. Agardh [a, b, c, e, g]
Dictyopteris australis (Sonder) Askenasy [a, e, g]
Dictyota ciliolata Sonder ex Kützing [a, b]
Dictyota dichotoma (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux= Dictyota volubilis Kützing [a, b, c, e, f, g]
Dictyota friabilis Setchell [e, g]
Dictyota implexa (Desfontaines) J.V. Lamouroux [a, b, c, g]
Lobophora variegata (J.V. Lamourax) Womersley ex E.C. Oliveira [a, b, c, e, g]
Padina australis Hauck [a, b, c, e, f, g]
Padina boergesenii Allenderet Kraft [a, b, c, e, g]
Padina boryana Thivy =Padina tenuis Bory [a, b, e, g]
Padina distromatica Hauck [e]
Padina dubia Hauck [e]
Padina glabra Gaillard [e]
Padina gymnospora (Kützing) Sonder= Padina crassa Yamada [a, b, e, g]
Padina minor Yamada [c, g]
Padina pavonica (Linnaeus) Thivy [b, c, e, g]
Padina tetrastromatica Hauck [a, b, c, e, f, g]
Spatoglossum asperum J. Agardh [e]
Spatoglossum dichotomum C.K. Tseng et B. Lu [e]
Spatoglossum variabile Figari et De Notaris [a, b, c, e, g]
Stoechospermum polypodioides (J.V. Lamouroux) J. Agardh = Stoechospermum marginatum (C. Agardh) Kützing [a, b, c, e, g]
Sargassaceae
Hormophysa cuneiformis (J.F. Gmelin) P.C Silva [a, b, c, g]
Nizamuddinia zanardinii (Schiffner) P.C. Silva = Sargassum yemenense forma monstrosum Zanardini [e]
 Polycladia indica (Thivy et Doshi) Draisma, Ballesteros, F. Rousseau et T. Thibaut = Cystoseira indica (Thivy et Doshi) Mairh [e]
 Polycladia myrica (S.G. Gmelin) Draima, Ballesteros, F. Rousseau et T. Thibaut = Cystoseira myrica (S.G. Gmelin) C. Agardh [a, b, c, e, g]
Sargassum acinaciforme Montagne [a, g]
Sargassum angustifolium C. Agardh [a, b, c, e, g]
Sargassum aquifolium (Turner) C. Agardh =Sargassum crassifolium J. Agardh= Sargassum binderi Sonder ex J. Agardh [a, c, g, i]
Sargassum assimile Harvey [e]
Sargassum baccularia (Mertens) C. Agardh [i]
Sargassum boveanum J. Agardh [a, b, c, g]
Sargassum boveanum J. Agardh var. aterrimum Grunow [a, g, i]
Sargassum fluitans (Børgesen) Børgesen [a, b, c, g]
Sargassum gemmiphorum C.K. Tseng et B. Lu [i]
Sargassum glaucescens J. Agardh [e]
Sargassum henslowianum C. Agardh [i]
Sargassum herbaceum Kützing [a, g]
Sargassum ilicifolium (Turner) C. Agardh = Sargassum cristaefolium C. Agardh [e, g]
Sargassum latifolium (Turner) C. Agardh [a, b, c, g]
Sargassum longifructum C.K. Tseng et B. Lu [i]
Sargassum oligocystum Montagne [c, g]
Sargassum persicum Kützing [a, g]
Sargassum spinuligerum Sonder [i]
Sargassum swartzii J. Agardh = Sargassum acutifolium Greville [a, e, g]
Sargassum tenerrimum J. Agardh [e]
Sargassum tenuissimum (Endlicher et Diesing) Grunow= Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh var. tenuissimum Endlicher et Diesing [a, g]
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312M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran
Sargassum virgatum C. Agardh [a, g]
Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh [a, b, c, g]
Sargassum vulgare var. angustifolium (Turner) C. Agardh [a, g]
Sargassum vulgare var. latifolium Endlicher et Diesing [a, g]
Sirophysalis trinodis (Forsskal) Kützing = Cystoseira trinodis (Forskål) C. Agardh [a, b, c, e, g]
Stephanocystis neglecta (Setchell et N.L. Gardner) Draisma, Ballesteros, F. Rousseau et T. Thibaut = Cystoseira neglecta Setchell et
Gardner [a, b, c, g]
Turbinaria conoides (J. Agardh) Kützing [b, e, g]
Turbinaria ornata (Turner) J. Agardh [e]
Scytosiphonaceae
Colpomenia sinuosa (Mertens ex Roth) Derbes et Solier [a, b, c, e, f, g]
Iyengaria stellata (Børgesen) Børgesen [a, b, c, e, f, g]
Jolyna laminarioides S.M. Guimarães [e]
Rosenvingea floridana (W.R. Taylor) W.R. Taylor [a, b, g]
Rosenvingea intricata (J. Agardh) Børgesen [c, e, g]
Rosenvingea orientalis (J. Agardh) Børgesen [e]
Scytosiphon dotyi M.J. Wynne = Scytosiphon lomentaria f. cylindricus nanus Tokida [c, g]
Sphacelariaceae
Sphacelaria novae-hollandiae Sonder [a, b, g]
Sphacelaria rigidula Kützing [a, b, c, g]
Sphacelaria tribuloides Meneghini [a, b, g]
References: a: Silva etal. (1996); b: Sohrabipour and Rabiei (1999); c: Sohrabipour etal. (2004), e: Gharanjik and Rohani-Ghadikolaei
(2011); f: Kokabi etal. (2013), 2014); g: John and Al-Thani (2014); i: Shams etal. (2013).
Using Sørensen similarity indices (Magurran 1988,
Nguyen etal. 2013), the Iranian seaweed flora was compared
with those of the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia and also
the Sultanate of Oman (including the Gulf of Oman and
Arabian Sea coastlines of this country). These two countries
have longer coastlines along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf
of Oman than the other neighbouring countries (Figure 1),
and they are comparable with the Iranian coastlines from
the diversity standpoint. The floristic data for all neighbour-
ing countries were obtained from AlgaeBase and John and
Al-Thani (2014). A Sørensen index of 1.0 indicates complete
similarity (when the two sets of species are identical) and
0 if the sites have no species in common (Magurran 1988).
Results
Chlorophyta
A total of 78 taxa belonging to the Chlorophyta, within 15
families, are presented in this checklist (Table 1). The family
Cladophoraceae contained the most species (23), followed
by the Caulerpaceae with 12 species. Moreover, Cladophora
and Caulerpa were the most diverse genera among the
Chlorophyta with 13 and 12 taxa, respectively (Table 1).
Ochrophyta (Class Phaeophyceae)
To date, a total of 70 taxa of Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae),
from 7 families, have been reported from the Iranian
coastline of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman
(Table2). The most diverse family among brown algae is
the Sargassaceae with 33 taxa, followed by the Dictyo-
taceae with 21 species. Furthermore, the genera Sargas-
sum and Padina have the most taxa (25 and 10 species,
respectively) among the brown algae of Iran (Table 2).
The species Ectocarpus cryptophilus Børgesen is rejected
here because it is recorded only once from Iran in 1970
(John and Al-Thani 2014).
Rhodophyta
A total of 161 taxa belonging to the Rhodophyta, within 30
families, have been reported from the Iranian coastlines
bordering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman (Table 3).
The most species-rich family among the red algae was the
Rhodomelaceae with 36 taxa, followed by the Gracilari-
aceae with 16 species. Furthermore, Gracilaria with 14 and
Hypnea with 10 were the most species-rich genera in the
Rhodophyta of Iran (Table 3).
Table 2(continued)
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M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran313
Table 3:Species names and authorities of Rhodophyta of Iran.
Acrochaetiaceae
Acrochaetium robustum Børgesen [c, g, m]
Acrochaetium savianum (Meneghini) Nägeli= Audouinella saviana (Meneghini) Woelkerling [m]
Ahnfeltiaceae
Ahnfeltia plicata (Hudson) E.M. Fries [a, g]
Bonnemaisoniaceae
Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan [a, g]
Callithamniaceae
Aglaothamnion cordatum (Børgesen) Feldman-Mazoyer = Callithamnion cordatum Børgesen [a, b, c, g, n]
Aglaothamnion hookeri (Dillwyn) Maggs et Hommersand [e]
Crouania attenuata (C. Agardh) J. Agardh [a, b, g]
Ceramiaceae
Antithamnion cruciatum (C. Agardh) Nägeli= Antithamnion cruciatum var. radicans (J. Agardh) F.S. Collins [a, g]
Centroceras clavulatum (C. Agardh) Montagne [a, b, e, f, g, m, n]
 Ceramium cimbricum H.E. Petersen = Ceramium fastigiatum (Wulfen ex Roth) Harvey [a, b, c, g, n]
 Ceramium cimbricum f. flaccidum (H.E. Petersen) G. Funari et Serio= Ceramium fastigiatum f. flaccidum H.E. Petersen [c, g, m]
 Ceramium cruciatum F.S. Collins et Hervey [a, g]
 Ceramium diaphanum (Lightfoot) Roth = Ceramium tenuissimum (Roth) Areschoug [e]
 Ceramium luetzelburgii O.C. Schmidt [a, g]
 Ceramium manorense P. Anand [b, g, m]
 Ceramium maryae Weber-van Bosse [a, g]
 Ceramium tenerrimum (Martens) Okamura [e]
 Ceramium truncatum H.E. Petersen [e]
 Corallophila bella (Setchell et Gardner) R.E. Norris= Centroceras bellum Setchel et Gardner [a, b, c, g, m]
 Corallophila kleiwegii Weber-van Bosse = Corallophila apiculata (Yamada) R. Norris = Centroceras apiculatum Yamada [a, b, c, g, i]
  Gayliella flaccida (Harvey ex Kützing) T.O. Cho et L.J. McIvor =Ceramium flaccidum (Harvey ex Kützing) Ardissone [a, b, c, g]
Champiaceae
 Champia compressa Harvey [c, e, g, m]
 Champia compressa var. scindica Harvey [a, b, e, g]
 Champia globulifera Børgesen [a, b, c, g, m]
 Champia indica Børgesen [a, b, g, m]
 Champia kotschyana (C. Agardh) Harvey [a, e, g]
 Champia parvula (C. Agardh) Harvey [a, b, c, n, g, m]
 Champia zonata (J. Agardh) J. Agardh [e]
Corallinaceae
 Amphiroa fragilissima (Linnaeus) J.V. Lamouroux [b, g, m]
 Hydrolithon boreale (Foslie) Chamberlain [a, g]
 Hydrolithon farinosum (J.V. Lamouroux) D. Penrose et Y.M. Chamberlain= Fosliella farinosa (J.V. Lamouroux) M. Howe [a, b, c, g, m, n]
  Jania adhaerens J.V. Lamouroux [a, b, c, e, g, m]
 Jania pumila J.V. Lamouroux [a, g]
 Jania rubens (Linnaeus) J.V. Lamouroux [a, b, c, g, m]
 Jania tenella (Kützing) Grunow [c]
 Pneophyllum fragile Kützing = Melobesia lejolisii Rosanoff [a, g]
Cystocloniaceae
 Hypnea aspera Kützing = Hypnea boergesenii T. Tanaka [e, m]
 Hypnea charoides J.V. Lamouroux [e, m]
 Hypnea cornuta (Kützing) J. Agardh [a, b, c, e, g, m, n]
 Hypnea ecklonii Suhr [e]
 Hypnea flagelliformis Greville ex J. Agardh [a, b, g]
 Hypnea hamulosa (Esper) Lamouroux [e]
 Hypnea musciformis (Wulfen) J.V. Lamouroux [a, b, e, g, m]
 Hypnea pannosa J. Agardh [a, b, c, e, g, m]
 Hypnea spinella (C. Agardh) Kützing = Hypnea cervicornis J. Agardh [a, b, c, e, f, g, m, n]
 Hypnea valentiae (Turner) Montagne [a, b, e, g, m]
Dasyaceae
 Dasya anastomosans (Weber-van Bosse) M.J. Wynne =Dasya pilosa (Weber-van Bosse) A. Millar [e]
 Dasya baillouviana (S.G. Gmelin) Montagne= Dasya pedicellata (C. Agardh) C. Agardh [a, b, c, g]
 Dasya ocellata (Grateloup) Harvey [a, g]
 Heterosiphonia crispella (C. Agardh) M.J. Wynne = Heterosiphonia crispella var. laxa (Børgesen) M.J. Wynne [a, g, m]
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314M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran
Delesseriaceae
 Apoglossum spathulatum (Sonder) Womersley et Shepley = Hypoglossum spathulatum (Sonder) Kützing [a, g]
 Myriogramme okhaensis Børgesen [a, g]
 Taenioma nanum (Kützing) Papenfuss [a, b, g]
Erythrotrichiaceae
 Erythrotrichia carnea (Dillwyn) J. Agardh [a, b, c, g, m, n]
 Erythrocladia irregularis Rosenvinge [a, b, c, m]
 Sahlingia subintegra (Rosenvinge) Kornmann= Erythrocladia subintegra Rosenvinge [a, g]
Furcellariaceae
 Furcellaria lumbricalis (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux = Furcelaria fastigiata (Turner) J.V. Lamouroux [b, g]
Galaxauraceae
 Actinotrichia fragilis (Forsskål) Børgesen [e]
 Dichotomaria obtusata (J. Ellis et Solander) Lamarck [m]
 Galaxaura rugosa (Ellis et Solander) J.V. Lamouroux = Galaxaura lapidescens (Ellis et Solander) J.V. Lamouroux [a, b, c, g]
Gelidiaceae
 Gelidium chilense (Montagne) Santelices et Montalva [a, b, e, g, m]
 Gelidium crinale (Hare ex Turner) Gaillon [a, c, g, m]
 Gelidium micropterum Kützing [e]
 Gelidium pusillum (Stackhouse) Le Jolis [a, b, c, e, g, m, n]
 Gelidium pusillum var. pulvinatum (C. Agardh) Feldmann [a, g]
Gelidiellaceae
 Gelidiella acerosa (Forsskål) Feldmann et G. Hamel [a, b, c, e, g, m, n]
 Gelidiella myrioclada (Børgesen) Feldmann et G. Hamel [c, e, g]
 Gelidiella ramellosa (Kützing) Feldmann et G.Hamel [e]
Gigartinaceae
 Chondracanthus acicularis (Roth) Fredericq = Gigartina acicularis (Roth) J.V. Lamouroux [b, e, g]
 Chondrus ocellatus Holmes [e]
Gracilariaceae
 Gracilaria arcuata Zanardini [e, m]
 Gracilaria armata (C. Agardh) Greville [m]
 Gracilaria canaliculata Sonder = Gracilaria crassa Harvey ex J. Agardh [a, b, c, n, g, m]
 Gracilaria corticata (J. Agardh) J. Agardh [a, b, c, e, n, g, m]
  Gracilaria foliifera (Forskål) Børgesen [a, b, c, e, n, g, m]
 Gracilaria gracilis (Stackhouse) Steentoft, L.M. Irvine et W.F Farnham [e]
 Gracilaria mammillaris (Montagne) Howe = Gracilaria veleroae Dawson [m]
 Gracilaria millardetii (Montagne) J. Agardh [e]
 Gracilaria pulvinata Skottsberg = Gracilaria pygmaea V.J. Chapman [e, m]
 Gracilaria robusta Setchell [m]
  Gracilaria salicornia (C. Agardh) Dawson= Corallopsis cacalia J. Agardh [a, b, c, n, g, m]
 Gracilaria spinulosa (Okamura) C.F. Chang et B.M. Xia [e]
 Gracilaria textorii (Suringar) De Toni [e, m]
 Gracilaria vieillardii P.C. Silva [m]
 Gracilariopsis longissima (S.G. Gmelin) M. Steentoft, L.M. Irvine et W.F. Farnham [a, b, c, n, g, l]
 Gracilariopsis persica A.M. Bellorin, J. Sohrabipour et E.C. Oliveira [f, g, j]
Halymeniaceae
 Corynomorpha prismatica (J. Agardh) J. Agardh [g, o]
 Grateloupia comorinii Børgesen [a, g]
 Grateloupia filicina (J.V. Lamouroux) C. Agardh [m]
 Grateloupia somalensis Hauck [e, m]
 Halymenia dilatata Zanardini [e]
 Halymenia porphyraeformis Parkinson [e, m]
Liagoraceae
 Dermonema pulvinatum (Grunow ex Holmes) K.C. Fan [e]
 Dermonema virens (J. Agardh) Pedroche et Avila Ortiz [e]
 Helminthocladia australis Harvey [e, m]
 Liagora distenta (Mertens ex Roth) J.V. Lamouroux [c, g]
 Liagora filiformis K.C. Fan et W.H. Li [e]
Table 3(continued)
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M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran315
Lomentariaceae
 Ceratodictyon variabile (J. Agardh) R.E. Norris = Gelidiopsis variabilis (Greville ex J. Agardh) F. Schmitz [m]
 Lomentaria corallicola Børgesen [a, g]
Lomentaria divaricata (Durant) M.J. Wynne = Lomentaria baileyana (Harvey) Farlow [a, b, g]
Phyllophoraceae
Ahnfeltiopsis pygmaea (J. Agardh) P.C. Silva et DeCew [e]
Rhodomelaceae
Acanthophora muscoides (Linnaeus) Bory [a, b, e, g, m]
Acanthophora nayadiformis (Delile) Papenfuss [a, e, g]
Acanthophora spicifera (M. Vahl) Børgesen [a, b, c, e, g, m, n]
Chondria arcuata Hollenberg [c, g]
Chondria bernardii P. Dangeard [a, b, c, g, n]
Chondria cornuta Børgesen [a, b, e, g, m]
Chondria dasyphylla (Woodward) C. Agardh [a, b, c, g, m]
Chondria nidifica Harvey [a, b, g]
Chondria oppositiclada E.Y. Dawson [a, b, g]
Chondria seticulosa (Forsskål) C. Agardh = Chondria hypnoides Børgesen [a, g]
Chondrophycus glandulifer (Kützing) Lipkin et P.C. Silva = Laurencia glandulifera (Kützing) Kützing [a, g]
Chondrophycus undulatus (Yamada) Garbary et Harper = Laurencia undulata Yamada [e]
Digenea simplex (Wulfen) C. Agardh [a, b, c, g, m]
Herposiphonia secunda (C.Agardh) Ambronn [c, g, m]
Herposiphonia secunda f. tenella (C. Agardh) M.J. Wynne [a, b, c, g]
Laurencia dendroidea J. Agardh =Laurencia majuscula (Harvey) A.H.S. Lucas [a, c, g, m]
Laurencia filiformis (C. Agardh) Montagne [e, m]
Laurencia intricata J.V. Lamouroux [a, b, c, g, m]
Laurencia obtusa (Hudson) Lamouroux [a, c, e, g, n]
Laurencia platyclada Børgesen [e]
Laurencia snyderae E.Y. Dawson [b, c, e, g, m, n]
Leveillea jungermannioides (Hering et Martens) Harvey [a, b, c, e, f, g, m]
Lophocladia lallemandii (Montagne) F. Schmitz [a, g]
Lophosiphonia obscura (C. Agardh) Falkenberg = Lophosiphonia subadunca (Kützing) Falkenberg [a, g]
Melanothamnus somalensis Bornet et Falkenberg [e]
Neosiphonia ferulacea (Suhr ex J. Agardh) S.M. Guimaräes et M.T. Fujii = Polysiphonia ferulacea Suhr ex J. Agardh [a, g]
Osmundea pedicularioides (Børgesen) G. Funari, Serio et Cormaci = Laurencia pedicularioides Børgesen [a, b, g]
Palisada perforata (Bory) K.W. Nam = Chondrophycus papillosus
 (C. Agardh) Garbary et Harper = Laurencia papillosa (C. Agardh) Greville [a, b, c, e, f, g, m]
Palisada thuyoides (Kützing) Cassano, Sentíes, Gil-Rodríguez et M.T. Fujii = Laurencia paniculata (C. Agardh) J. Agardh [e]
Polysiphonia brodiei (Dillwyn) Sprengel [a, g]
Polysiphonia codicola Zanardini ex Frauenfeld [c, g, n]
Polysiphonia crassicollis Børgesen [a, c, g]
Polysiphonia denudata (Dillwyn) Greville ex Harvey =Polysiphonia variegata
(C. Agardh) Zanardini [a, b, g, m]
Polysiphonia kampsaxii Børgesen [a, g]
Polysiphonia scopulorum var. villum (J. Agardh) Hollenberg = Lophosiphonia villum (J. Agardh) Setchell et Gardner [a, b, c, g, m]
Tolypiocladia glomerulata (C. Agardh) F. Schmitz= Roschera glomerulata (C. Agardh) Weber-van Bosse [a, b, g, m]
Rhodymeniaceae
Botryocladia leptopoda (J. Agardh) Kylin [b, e, g, m]
Rhodymenia sp. [b, c, g]
Sarcomeniaceae
Cottoniella filamentosa (M.A. Howe) Børgesen [e]
Platysiphonia delicata (Clemente) Cremades = Platysiphonia miniata (C. Agardh) Børgesen [b, g, m]
Scinaiaceae
Scinaia carnosa (Kützing) J. Agardh [e]
Scinaia fascicularis (Børgesen) Huisman [e]
Scinaia furcellata (Turner) J. Agardh [e]
Scinaia hatei Børgesen [m]
Scinaia moniliformis J. Agardh [e]
Scinaia tsinglanensis C.K. Tseng [b, c, g, m]
Table 3(continued)
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316M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran
Sebdeniaceae
Sebdenia flabellata (J. Agardh) P.G. Parkinson [e, m]
Solieriaceae
Sarconema filiforme (Sonder) Kylin [a, b, c, n, e, f, g, m]
Solieria anastomosa P.W. Gabrielson et Kraft [b, c, g]
Solieria dura (Zanardini) F. Schmitz [e]
Solieria filiformis (Kützing) Gabrielson [b, c, n, g, m]
Solieria robusta (Greville) Kylin [a, b, c, n, e, g, m]
 Solieria tenuis J. Zhang et E. Xia [e]
Wurdemannia miniata (Sprengel) Feldmann et G. Hamel [c, g, m]
Spyridiaceae
Spyridia filamentosa (Wulfen) Harvey [a, b, c, g, m]
Stylonemataceae
Chroodactylon ornatum (C. Agardh) Basson= Asterocytis ornata (C. Agardh) Hamel [a, b, c, n, g]
Stylonema alsidii (Zanardini) K. Drew [a, b, c, g]
Wrangeliaceae
Anotrichium tenue (C. Agardh) Nägeli = Griffithsia tenuis C. Agardh [a, b, g, m]
Griffithsia globulifera Harvey ex Kützing [a, g]
Gymnophycus sp. [g]
References: a: Silva etal. (1996); b: Sohrabipour and Rabiei (1999); c: Sohrabipour etal. (2004); e: Gharanjik and Rohani-Ghadikolaei
(2011); f: Kokabi etal. (2014); g: John and Al-Thani (2014); j: Bellorin etal. (2008); k: Rabiei etal. (2008); l: Sohrabipour and Rabiei (2008a);
m: Sohrabipour and Rabiei (2008b); n: Rabiei etal. (2005); o: Sohrabipour and Rabiei (2006).
350
300
250
Rhodophyta
Ochrophyta
Chlorophyta
200
150
50
0
Iran
Persian Gulf (Iran)
Gulf of Oman (Iran)
Saudi Arabia
Sultanate of Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
Qatar
UAE
100
Region
Numbers of species
Figure 2:Numbers of species of green, brown and red seaweeds in
Iran, on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman coasts of Iran, and in
neighbouring countries.
Table 4:Comparison of the species composition of the seaweed
flora of Iran on the Persian Gulf coasts with that on the Gulf of Oman
coasts.
Iranian coastlinesNumber of
taxa
CommonSørensen
similarity index
Persian Gulf .
Gulf of Oman  
Diversity of marine macroalgae in Iran
compared to the neighbouring countries
Iran, with a total of 309 taxa, appears to be the most
diverse among the countries surrounding the Persian Gulf
and the Gulf of Oman (Figure 2). The Sørensen similarity
index was applied to examine the similarity of seaweeds
along the Iranian coasts of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of
Oman (Table 4). Furthermore, the diversity of the Iranian
seaweeds was compared with those of the Persian Gulf
Table 5:Comparison of species composition of the seaweed flora of
Iran with those of two neighbouring countries.
Neighbouring countries

Na=
NbNa+bCs
Saudi Arabia .
Sultanate of Oman .
Na, number of species in Iran; Nb, number of species in each
neighbouring country; Na+b, number of species in common with
Iran; Cs, Sørensen similarity index = (2 Na+b)/(Na+Nb).
coast of Saudi Arabia and also the Sultanate of Oman
(including the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea coastlines
of this country; Table 5). The indices were lower than 0.5
(Cs < 0.5) for all of these comparisons, but comparing the
Persian Gulf coast of Iran with Saudi Arabia resulted in a
higher coefficient (Cs = 0.57; Table 6).
Table 3(continued)
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M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran317
Table 6:Comparison of species composition of the seaweed flora
of the Persian Gulf coasts of Iran with the seaweed flora of Saudi
Arabia, and that of the Gulf of Oman coast of Iran with the seaweed
flora of the Sultanate of Oman.
Neighbouring countriesNaNbNa+bCs
Saudi Arabia .
Sultanate of Oman .
Na, number of species on the corresponding coast of Iran; Nb,
number of species in each neighbouring country; Na+b, number
of species in common with Iran; Cs, Sørensen similarity index =
(2Na+b)/(Na+Nb).
Discussion
In a changing world in which anthropogenic impacts are
dramatically altering the biota of the Earth, the task of
discovering and documenting biodiversity has been given
an increased sense of urgency (De Clerck etal. 2013). This
paper is the most comprehensive checklist of marine
macroalgae for the biogeographic region that includes
the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman coastlines of Iran.
A total of 309 taxa (78 Chlorophyta, 70 Phaeophyceae
and 161 Rhodophyta) are listed in this paper, compiled
from both regional and international publications on the
macroalgae from the coastal waters of Iran. The results
indicate that Sargassum (Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae)
with 25 taxa was the most diverse genus, and that the
Rhodomelaceae (Rhodophyta) with 36 taxa was the most
species-rich family among the macroalgae of Iran.
Globally, the relative abundance of species of red,
brown and green algae varies depending on latitude
linked to sea temperature. The species richness of brown
seaweeds increases toward higher latitudes and colder
regions, whereas green and red seaweeds increase from
the polar regions to the tropics (in the northern hemi-
sphere; Lee 2008, Witman and Roy 2009). Based on this
information, the ratio of (R+C)/P and other similar ratios
(e.g. C/P) (Witman and Roy 2009) change with latitude.
In this study, the Cheney’s ratio of 3.4 for the Iranian
seaweed flora indicates a mixed algal flora with strong
cold-water affinity, but classifying the seaweed flora of
Iran as cold-temperate might be misleading. It is clear
that the reduction of species diversity of brown algae in
warm waters does not apply to all groups. The Dictyotales
(e.g. the genus Padina) (Witman and Roy 2009, Ni-Ni-Win
etal. 2011, Silberfeld etal. 2013) and some genera belong-
ing to the Fucales, such as Sargassum, are more species-
rich in the tropics, whereas the Laminariales, many other
members of the Fucales, and other brown algal groups
are generally more diverse in temperate or cold waters
(Witman and Roy 2009). Given this information, it is
important to consider the composition of brown seaweeds
when determining the climatic affinities of an algal flora
based on Cheney’s ratio. Given that 50% of the brown
algae reported from Iran belong to the genera Sargassum
and Padina (Table 2), we suggest that the seaweed flora of
this coastal region should be regarded as warm-temperate.
Because Iran has a longer coastline along the Persian
Gulf and the Gulf of Oman (5000 km) than its neighbour-
ing countries surrounding these two water bodies, it was
not surprising that the number of taxa reported for the
entire northern coastlines of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf
of Oman would be greater than that for the neighbour-
ing countries (Figure 2). However, the total number of
seaweeds reported from the Sultanate of Oman (223 taxa;
AlgaeBase) is greater than that of the northern coastline of
the Gulf of Oman (192 taxa). The Sørensen similarity index
between these two floras is also low (Cs < 0.5; Table 6).
These results indicate that the species composition of the
two areas is different, and this may be because the Sultan-
ate of Oman also has a shoreline on the northern Arabian
Sea. If it was possible to compare the seaweed flora of only
the Gulf of Oman coastline of the Sultanate of Oman, the
results might be different.
Although we cannot ignore the fact that the shore-
line of the Sultanate of Oman on the northern Arabian
Sea probably accounts for the higher seaweed diversity
in this country than in Iran (Wynne 2000), we are of the
opinion that the lower number of seaweed species on
the Iranian coastline of the Gulf of Oman and the low
similarity to neighbouring countries (Cs = 0.38) are prob-
ably the result of the relatively low number of taxonomic
studies, especially along the northern coast of the Gulf
of Oman. The lower number of species along this coast
than along the Persian Gulf coast of Iran (215 taxa) sup-
ports this idea. The Iranian coastline of the Persian Gulf
is bordered by three provinces (Khuzestan, Bushehr and
Hormozgan from west to east) with many academic and
research centres studying marine algae and other marine
organisms. In comparison, the Iranian coastline of the
Gulf of Oman is bordered by only one province (Sistan and
Baluchestan) with few research centres. After comparing
the number of publications on Iranian seaweeds along
these two coasts, it becomes evident that the marine algal
flora of the Persian Gulf coast of Iran is more intensively
studied than the coast of the Gulf of Oman. Considering
the less extreme oceanological conditions along the Gulf
of Oman coast of Iran and less urbanization (in contrast
to the Persian Gulf), it is very probable that many more
species are waiting to be discovered in this area.
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318M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran
As far as we are aware, this is the first inclusive list
of Iran’s macroalgal flora, and publishing it improves its
accessibility to the international community. Further-
more, the checklist provides some valuable regional infor-
mation about seaweed diversity, which could serve as a
foundation for future phycological and biogeographical
studies of the taxa in the country and the region.
Acknowledgments: The authors wish to thank the Ministry
of Science, Research and Technology of the Iranian Gov-
ernment for providing financial support for the research
(No. 3/221617).
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Bionotes
Maryam Kokabi
Young Researchers and Elite Club, Mashhad
Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad,
Iran
Maryam Kokabi graduated with an MSc in Marine Ecology from the
Hormozgan University, Bandar Abbas, Iran. Her research interests
include seaweed ecology, seaweed culturing and the secondary
metabolites of seaweeds.
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320M. Kokabi and M. Yousefzadi: Marine macroalgae of Iran
Morteza Yousefzadi
Faculty of Marine Science and Technology,
Department of Marine Biology, Hormozgan
University, Bandar Abbas, Iran,
Morteza110110@gmail.com
Morteza Yousefzadi is an Associate Professor of Plant Biology at
Hormozgan University, Bandar Abbas, Iran. His recent research
has concentrated on aquaculture and identification of seaweeds to
provide raw material for applications in nanoscience, discovery of
anticancer and antifouling properties, and bioremediation.
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