Island treasures: Macroalgae from a marine national park in the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau)

A pioneering survey of marine macroalgae in the João Vieira e Poilão Marine National Park, a UNESCO-listed site within Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagós Archipelago, reveals 16 species, including 11 new to the country. The study, leveraging morphological and molecular analysis (plastid LSU UPA barcode), highlights the park’s biodiversity richness, particularly among mangrove-associated red algae of the genus Bostrychia, which accounted for five identified species. These findings suggest that the archipelago’s macroalgal diversity is significantly higher than previously documented, with newly recorded taxa representing approximately 25% of Guinea-Bissau’s known macroalgae. The research underscores the ecological importance of this protected marine area and provides a foundation for future biodiversity assessments.

de Sousa, F., Sebastiana, M., Veloso, M., Barbosa, C., Indjai, B., & Catarino, L. (2026). Island treasures: Macroalgae from a marine national park in the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau). Regional Studies in Marine Science, 98, 105064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2026.105064