Journal of The School of Marine Science and Technology,Vol.1 No.1
Drifted Seaweed on a Miho Beach in the Innermost Part of Suruga Bay, Central Japan
Koji IKEHARA and Fumio HAYASHIDA
Abstract
In the present study,we surveyed the number of species and the amount of seaweed washed ashore on Miho beach,in
the innermost part of Suruga Bay,on the Pacific coast of central Japan. Samplings were conducted from May 1997 to April
1998. Forty-eight species, including 1 species of Chlorophyta, 29 species of Phaeophyta, 16 species of Rhodophyta and 2
species of Zosteraceous plants were identified. Among these species of seaweed, Sargassaceous algae were found most
commonly. Twenty-five species of Sargassaceous algae were collected in one year. These algae were found abundantly
from spring to early summer and accounted for 52％ of the total species number. The amount of drifted seaweed was
highest from March to June,and was 96％ of the total amount of drifted seaweed collected in one year. Deduced from the
direction of a water current in Suruga Bay and the abundance of Sargassum yamamotoi, which occurs only in the eastern
coastal region of this Bay, the majority of Sargassaceous algae likely drifted from the eastern part of Suruga Bay.