Saesonal variation, the ecological index and the potential use of Chlorophyceae and Phaeophyceae of the Moroccan coast Sidi Bouzid Eljadida in the agricultural field

ARTICLE INFO Received May 19,2021 Received in revised form June 28,2021 Accepted June 30,2021 ABSTRACT Marine algae are potentially prolific sources of highly bioactive secondary metabolites that might represent useful leads in the development of agriculture, pharmacy, cosmetic among many other fields. In Morocco, advances in seaweed biotechnology were achieved over the last decade, especially in medical and agricultural fields. However, the algal biodiversity and its ecology tend to be less studied. These two aspects give more information about the availability of each species in each period and help to preserve the algal richness for a sustainable use. Along the Moroccan coast, which extends of over than 3400 km, the algal diversity was studied years ago by some authors. The present study aims to update the green and brown seaweeds species in the intertidal zone of the Atlantic coast of Sidi Bouzid, a seaside resort near El Jadida City (Morocco) ranked each year among the beaches called “blue flag” and thus targeted for its algae good quality. The samples were collected seasonally from October 2016 to July 2018, and transported to the laboratory at 2-4°C. Algal species are identified using different identification keys. The results obtained show a very important diversity (62 species in total) with 29 brown algae and 33 green ones. These seaweeds sustained a seasonal variation and their harvest should respect their dominance period because all the dominant species exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Finally, algal diversity identified in the intertidal and upper subtidal zones of the Atlantic coast of Sidi Bouzid Eljadida don’t reflect all the algal species present along the coast. So, we should also investigate all the subtidal zone where many other algae could be used.