Bast, FelixJohn, Aijaz AhmadBhushan, Satej2017-12-292024-08-132017-12-292024-08-132016Bast, F., John, A. A., & Bhushan, S. (2016). Molecular assessment of invasive Carrageenophyte Kappaphycus alvarezii from India based on ITS-1 sequences. Webbia, 71(2), 287-292. doi: 10.1080/00837792.2016.122118783779210.1080/00837792.2016.1221187http://10.2.3.109/handle/32116/409This is the first report on the molecular systematic characterization of the invasive red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii in India. Cultivated for the production of carrageenan around the Gulf of Mannar, southeast India, this exotic alga is causing havoc in coastal ecosystems by invading the habitats of a number of endemic species, especially soft corals. We have sequenced the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 1 barcode of this introduced species. In our phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood, this alga clustered within a well-supported clade of K.?alvarezii of mixed geographic origin. Phylogenetic analyses were congruent in their separation of K.?alvarezii and Kappaphycus striatum. Analyses also suggest that this species might have originated in the Malay Archipelago and spread elsewhere. Our results provide insights into the evolutionary and biogeographic patterns of this alga around the world. ? 2016 Dipartimento di Biologia, Universit? di Firenze.enArticlehttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00837792.2016.1221187?journalCode=tweb20