Phenology and Floristics of Seaweeds from the Offshore Waters of Georgia

Seaweeds were studied from rock outcrops in two areas on the Georgia continental shelf, Gray\u27s Reef National Marine Sanctuary on the inner shelf and an area known as the Snapper Banks on the outer shelf. The seaweeds observed are seasonal; only a few plant persist through the winter. In this study a gradual increase in number and size of plants and number of species was observed through June; by July-early August, when all 68 species reported were present, the quantity of plants also appeared maximal. Of the 68 species, 43 are species not previously reported from Georgia; eight additional taxa are identified only to genus, but are also new to the region. Sixty-five of the species were collected at Gray\u27s Reef and 22 at the Snapper Banks; three of the latter did not occur at Gray\u27s Reef. In late August and September, when water temperatures were still near the seasonal high, there was a rapid decline in number of species and algal cover