Dutch Caribbean Species Register

Macroalgae are large algae, also called seaweeds, that are typically divided in three major groups: red macroalgae (Rhodophyta), brown macroalgae (Phaeophyceae), and green macroalgae (Chlorophyta). Over 250 seaweed species are known from Bonaire. They vary tremendously in shape and color and are found in a range of habitats. They flourish in shallow and deep areas on coral reefs all around the island, in seagrass beds, mangrove forests and in the intertidal.

The 2019 Naturalis Biodiversity Center and ANEMOON Foundation expeditions worked, among other things, to catalog the wide variety of seaweeds off the coast of Bonaire. From this and previous reports, nearly 250 species were identified and the most common were highlighted in the “Common Seaweeds of Bonaire” ID cards. Made by Luna van der Loos from the University of Ghent, and available for free download from the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database.