SURVEY OF THE BENTHIC ALGAL VEGETATION OF THE STEINGRIMSFJORDUR (HUNAFLOI, NORTH ICELAND)

The benthic algal vegetation of the Steingrimsfjordur, Hunafloi, North Iceland, was investigated from the innermost estuary to the mouth of the fjord. The main zonation patterns and leading algal associations w ere established for the inner, middle and outer fjord areas. Along the coast of this fjord there are numerous sandy inlets and bays, which i nterrupt the benthic vegetation. On moderate rocky slopes there are al so wide rocky and sand-covered lagoons, which exhibit a particular veg etation. An inventory of the recorded species is given. The number of recorded species increased from the head to the mouth of the fjord and green algae dominated in the inner fjord area. In the middle and oute r fjord areas brown algae dominated numerically over the red algae, in contrast to conditions found in Atlantic-water influenced fjords of t he opposite side of the NW peninsula. In general, Atlantic and typical North Icelandic vegetation features were found side by side in this f jord, both in the tide pools and on low-eulittoral slopes viz. associa tions of Corallina officinalis, Ceramium species, Devaleraea ramentace a and Chordaria flagelliformis. The Atlantic character of the vegetati on was more accentuated than along the open Hornstrandir coast in the extreme Northwest of Iceland.