The Benthic Marine Algae of the Samoan Archipelago, South Pacific, with emphasis on the Apia District

This richly illustrated book is the first comprehensive treatment of the benthic marine algae of the Samoan Archipelago, South Pacific. Included are 134 species and 83 genera of Rhodophyta, 23 species and 15 genera of Phaeophyceae, and 48 species and 25 genera of Chlorophyta. Taxonomic, nomenclatural and distributional appraisals of all species are presented, accompanied by an iconography of 796 digital images. Sixty-two of the records are additions to the Samoan flora, bringing the total number of species for the Samoan Archipelago to 360. Ninety-five percent of the flora consists of widely distributed species (Western-Central Pacific, Indo-Pacific, pan-tropical/-subtropical, and cosmopolitan), and there is a very low level of endemism (1,3%). The book will be essential reading for all marine plant biologists in the Indo-Pacific and world-wide, and it is an important contribution to our understanding of the biodiversity and biogeography of tropical marine algae in general.