Abstract

• The seagrass meadows, three sites namely, Wa Maw Aw, Myin Khyar Aw and Ta Yaw Kam (North Bay) in the Dawei Township, Tanintharyi Division, were studied during December, 2018. A total of 5 species of seagrasses were recorded including Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule uninervis, Halophila decipiens, H. ovalis and Syringodium isoetifolium from the study areas. The dominant seagrass species of Wa Maw Aw was Halophila ovalis; Halophila decipiens in Myin Khyar Aw and Cymodocea rotundata in Ta Yaw Kam. Four species of seagrass were observed in Ta Yaw Kam however two species in Wa Maw Aw and only one species in Myint Khar Aw. The highest percentage coverage, 53.75% was observed at Wa Maw Aw however the lowest was at Myin Khyar Aw with 35.28% whereas Ta Yaw Kam with 44.56%. At Ta Yaw Kam, the seagrass biomass, most wet weight 11.31 gm wet. wt m-2 (Above ground) and 46.59 gm wet.wt.m-2 (Below ground) and the most dry weight of seagrass 3.28 gm dry.wt m-2 (Above ground) and 21.47 gm dry.wt m-2 were found in the below ground due to the abundance of Cymodocea rotundata. However the lowest wet weight (0.59 gm wet. wt m-2 ) in the above ground and dry weight (0.32 gm dry. wt m-2 ) in the above ground were observed at Myin Khyar Aw d ue to Halophila decipiens. The highest sand-muddy 98.67% was found in Wa Maw Aw but the lowest 90.67% in Myin Khyar Aw. The most transparency 6.10 m was recorded in Wa Maw Aw however the lowest one 2.3 m in Myin Khyar Aw.