Algal Collections from Funafuti Atoll 
V. J. Chapman 1 
In September, 1951, H.M.S. “Challenger” 
visited Funafuti Atoll in the Ellice Islands in 
connection with seismic experiments. Bio- 
logical materials were collected from the reef 
and samples were dredged from the floor of 
the lagoon. No algal material was collected 
in the latter but some was obtained from the 
reef stations, the location of which is shown 
in Figure 1. In the report accompanying the 
material (Challenger 2320/12/3) it is stated 
that the, seaweed samples are good random 
ones. Considerable differences in respect to 
both abundance and proportions of species 
are evident at the various stations. No algal 
collections appear to have been made on 
previous visits, not even during the celebrated 
visit to put down the bore through the reef 
in order to determine the depth of coral 
(Finckh, 1904). Recently an extensive treat- 
ment of the algae of Bikini Atoll has been 
published (Taylor, 1950) and this has proved 
very helpful in the present study. The list of 
species from Funafuti is not as extensive as 
one might have expected but this may be a 
result of the lack of a trained botanist among 
the collectors. 
I am grateful to Dr. Drouet for checking 
one or two doubtful species among the 
Myxophyceae and to Dr. Yale Dawson for 
1 Auckland University College, Auckland, New 
Zealand. Manuscript received November 29, 1954. 
the identification of Wurdemannia miniata. 
The collection has been deposited at the 
Auckland Institute and Museum, Auckland, 
New Zealand. 
MYXOPHYCEAE 
OSCILLATORIACEAE : 
Lyngbya majuscula (Dill.) Harv. Sta. 1 (la- 
goon side; seaward side); Sta. 2 (seaward 
side); Sta. 3 (seaward side). 
Lyngbya confervoides C A g. Sta. 2 (seaward 
side); Sta. 4 (seaward side); Sta. 5. 
Lyngbya semiplena (C Ag.) J. A g. Sta, 5. 
Oscillatoria nigro-viridis Thw. Sta. 1 (seaward 
side) . 
Phormidium corium (Ag.) Gom. Sta. 4 (sea- 
ward side). 
Hydrocoleus lyngbyaceus Kutz. Sta. 4 (sea- 
ward side). 
Hydrocoleus coccineus Gom. Sta. 4. 
Rivulariaceae: 
Calotbrix confervkola Kutz. Sta. 4 (lagoon 
side). 
CHLOROPHYCEAE 
Ulvaceae: 
Enteromorpha procera (Ahl.) f. minuta Chap. 
Sta. 5. 
Siphonocladaceae : 
Cladophoropsis membranacea (Ag.) Borg. Sta. 
2 (seaward). 
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