Morpho-taxonomy and distribution of macrobenthic algae of Talin Bay, Matuod, Lian, Batangas with notes on their economic importance.

A total of 12 species were collected from Talin Bay, Matuod, Lian, Batangas. These were divided into 3 divisions, 3 classes, 4 orders, 5 families and 5 genera. They are named Halimeda opuntia, Halimeda discoidea, Halimeda macrophysa, Padina australis, Sargassum ilicifolium, Sargassum polycystum, Sargassum crassifolium, Sargassum cristaefolium, Gracilaria salicornia, Gracilaria coronopifolia, Gracilaria arcuata, and Acantophora specifera. Economically, 9 of these algae can be used as a human food source, source of carrageenin, source of algin, source of biofertilizer, for medicinal purposes, for phytochemical studies, animal feeds, mariculture, pesticides and as fish bait. Halimeda opuntia was the most abundant (28.6 percent) as well as the most frequently found species (56.7 percent)