Journal of Marine Science: Research & Development
Open Access

Abstract

Among the seagrass genera, the Halophila section is known as the most complex taxonomic challenges. Comparison of morphological traits is the key method in describing and naming species within the field of taxonomy. However, the wide morphological plasticity causes misidentification of species due to overlapping of morphological characteristics. Genetic markers and/or DNA fingerprinting may be an advantaged tool to resolve at species level. In Viet Nam, seagrass species identification of Halophila has not been fully resolved. Hence, this led to the hypothesis that phylogenetic analysis on the molecular level may resolve taxonomic classification. The aim of this study is to re-assess the status of the species composition in the Halophila section. Sequences of genetic markers including plastidic rbcL, matK and nuclear ITS were analyzed to reveal the genetic relation within the genus. Results indicated that putative H. johnsonii was identified as H. ovalis ; the species H. major was clearly relocated and recorded as a new species in Viet Nam.

Biography

Nguyen is Ph.D. student at Institute of Botany, Leibniz University, Germany. He is team leader of Department of Marine Botany, Institute of Oceanography, Viet Nam. He has published more than 10 papers marine botany.