Marine photosynthetic research in Zanzibar

The species richness of marine macroalgae and, especially, seagrasses in Eastern Africa, in combination with its variable (e.g. high-amplitude intertidal) environments, provides an excellent background for basic functional studies of marine macrophytes. Such studies have so far contributed significantly to the understanding of seagrass photosynthesis (both inorganic carbon uptake mechanisms and adaptations to environmental factors such as irradiance), productivity and desiccation physiology. A recent, yet unpublished, study has also highlighted the importance of photosymbiotic associations with invertebrates in the area. This paper reviews works carried out in Zanzibar this far, and suggests topics for future research in the region.