A DESCRIPTIVE APPROACH TO THE FLOATING MASSES OF ALGAE OF A MEXICAN CARIBBEAN COASTAL LAGOON

A descriptive study of the floating masses of algae of Bojorquez Lagoo n, Cancun, Mexico, was based on the external features of the masses, t heir species composition and the morphological features of the species . Masses were described in terms of their external features such as co lor, thickness, species composition and degree of compactness. The spe cies were analyzed according to their morphology and the role played b y each species in the mass. Species were classified according to the t wo roles they play in the construction of the masses: species which gi ve structure to the mass and species which intertwine around the struc tural ones and are responsible for characteristics of the mass such as color, compactness and texture. Observations were made on the tempora l fluctuations of some species and their impact on the fluctuations of the types of masses.