GULF OF MEXICO 



189 



replace other elements near Piinta Delgada, but 

 as one approaches Veracruz sandy beaches appear, 

 with numerous rocky shoals and reefs where 

 Heilprin (1890) long ago confirmed the presence of 

 actively growing corals and coral reefs (as at 

 Gallega and Anegada de Adentro Reefs) , as well as 

 serpulid reefs (Punta Gorda and in part Hornos 

 Reef), the presence of both of which suggests good 

 conditions for algal growth. This had long before 

 been recognized by Liebmann who collected here, 

 from among whose algae Agardh (1847) described 

 five striking species as new. Farther to the east 

 at about longitude 95° W., lava flows account for 

 a rocky coast with cliffs, but the sandy beaches 

 begin again at Punta San Juan and extend until, 

 at the Rio Tonala, mangroves take over and 

 dominate the swampj', rather muddy coast to 

 the Laguna de Terminos, a large body of water 

 with several streams emptying into it and two 

 major passes communicating with the sea. This 

 should support an appropriate algal flora. Hence 

 out the west coast of Yucatan, the presence of 

 underlying limestone rock and the absence of 

 streams substitute an irregular coast with much 

 calcareous sand and mud derived from this rock. 

 It is, curiously, from this unpropitious area that 

 we get most of our few records of Mexican east 

 coast marine algae. Several specimens were col- 

 lected by Steere in 1932 at Progreso and reported 

 by the writer (1935) together with odd specimens 

 from other sources, especially some collected by 

 A. C. V. Schott who visited Progreso, Sisal, and 

 Celestum in 1865 and made very important col- 

 lections, indicating that there was here a sub- 

 stantial vegetation characteristic of the Caribbean 

 flora and of a rocky shore. Liebmann (Agardh 

 1847) had obtained a new Sargassum from the 

 Campeche reefs only a little earlier. The Schott 

 algal collections, of some 40 species, in general 

 remained unknown until the present writer re- 



ported on them (1941b). Shoal water extends 

 far off shore all along the north and west of the 

 peninsula, and 45 miles off Celestum and Sisal in 

 about 32 meters of water Sargassum is sufficiently 

 abundant to appear on the naval charts as a 

 distinctive feature occurring on a coral bottom. 



Of Cuban algae, we know even less than we do 

 about those of Mexico. Most of the island has 

 never been surveyed for these plants. Small col- 

 lections have been made from the Guantanamo 

 area but not reported upon. Fortunately, three 

 considerable lists (Montagne 1842, Howe 1918, 

 Sanchez Alfonso 1930) do apply to the Gulf coast 

 from Habana eastward to Cabo San Antonio. 

 While doubtless only a portion of the flora is 

 represented, it is clear that we have a typical 

 Caribbean tropical assortment in accord with the 

 varied coastline. For example, Mariel, west of 

 Habana, shows a rocky limestone coastline be- 

 yond which sandy beaches alternate with rocky 

 shores along the coast. Serpentine rocks are 

 reported to reach the shore in some places. In 

 many areas broad stretches of shallow water ex- 

 tend far out from the shore, and in such shallows 

 near Habana Thalassia grows over the sandy bot- 

 tom, doubtless with its attendant algae, and 

 doubtless occurring also elsewhere along the 

 northwest coast. Many parts of the shore are 

 marked on charts as being mangrove-bordered, 

 so the algae commonly associated with Rhizophora 

 are to be expected. The western peninsula of 

 Guanahacabibes is generally low on the north 

 shore and mangrove fringed. A few miles off 

 much of the northwest coast lie the Colorado 

 Reefs, commonly at a depth of 2 to 5 meters, 

 which presumably bear the rich tropical reef flora. 

 Of the shores which face the Gulf of Mexico, Cuba 

 has in its relatively small extent the most prom- 

 ising coast line and should rival Florida in the 

 richness of its algal flora when fully explored. 



CITED LITERATURE OF GULF OF MEXICO MARINE ALGAE AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 

 PRINCIPAL WORKS ON COMPARABLE WEST INDIAN MARINE ALGAE 



Because the number of publications dealing di- 

 rectly with the algae of the shores of the Gulf of 

 Mexico is exceedingly small, it is necessary to cite 

 as sources of descriptions of these plants publica- 

 tions dealing with other areas having a similar 

 flora. 



Agardh, J. G. 



1847. Nya Alger fran Mexico. Ofvers. Kongl. Akad. 



Forhandl. 4: 5-17. 

 1872-90. Til Algernes systematik, nya bidrag. Forsta 



afdelingen, Lunds Univ. Arsskr. 9 (8): 1-71, 1872; 



Andra afd., ibid., 17 (4): 1-134, 3 pis., 1881; Tredje 



afd., ibid., 19 (2): 1-177, 4 pis., 1883; Fjerde afd.. 



