Unveiling the Macrofouling Communities of the Lakshadweep Archipelago, Indian Ocean: A Preliminary Study

Siyad, Mohammed and Nihal, Davood and Alex, M Divya and Prabhakaran, M P (2025) Unveiling the Macrofouling Communities of the Lakshadweep Archipelago, Indian Ocean: A Preliminary Study. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 41. ISSN 2366-1674

Text Thalassas An International Journal of Marine Sciences_2025_Md Siyad.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (2MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

The accumulation and colonization of fouling organisms pose significant challenges to submerged structures in the Arabian Sea, leading to economic losses and reduced operational lifespans. Lakshadweep, situated in the southeastern Arabian Sea, harbors diverse marine flora and fauna but remains underexplored for biofouling studies. This study examined macrofouling communities across five islands of Lakshadweep (Kavaratti, Agatti, Minicoy, Bitra, and Andrott) in three habitats, viz., tetrapod, boat jetty, and rocky intertidal regions between December 2021 and May 2022 using the random quadrat method. Diversity and distribution were analyzed using indices such as Shannon-Weiner (H’), Pielou's evenness (J’), Margalef index (D’), Bray–Curtis similarity, and NMDS. A total of 7 phyla, 40 orders, 59 families, and 99 species of macrofoulers were identified. The highest Shannon-Weiner index (H’ = 4.56) and Margalef index (D’ = 20.81) were recorded at Kavaratti, while Bitra showed the lowest values (H’ = 4.17, D’ = 15.33). Among habitats, species was highest in the rocky intertidal region (74 species), followed by the jetty (55 species) and tetrapod (37 species). Hierarchical clustering revealed the highest similarity between Kavaratti and Agatti (94.6%) and the lowest between Minicoy and Bitra (7%). Notably, Bunodosoma cf. goanense was newly recorded from four islands. This study provides the first assessment of macrofouling diversity on artificial structures in the southeastern Arabian Sea, offering valuable insights into biofouling communities in this region.

Actions (login required)

View Item