Microphytobenthos (MPB) or benthic microalgae are recognized as the dominant flora in shallow neritic ecosystems such as mangroves. The diversity, biomass and community composition of microphytobenthos in selected mangrove ecosystems along the southwest coast of India were assessed. A total of 110 species of microphytobenthos classified under 49 genera were identified during the study. Nine subclasses of MPB were identified—subclass Bacillariophycidae, Fragilariophycidae, Urneidophycidae, Coscinodiscophycidae, Melosirophycidae, Thalassiosirophycidae, Biddulphiophycidae, Oscillatoriophycidae and Nostocophycidae. Division Heterokontophyta (diatoms) was the best-represented division followed by division Cyanophyta. Diatoms comprised 81% of the microphytobenthic community in the selected mangrove ecosystems, and among these, the pennate diatoms (93%) dominated the total diatom population. The major diatom genera observed during the study were Amphora, Navicula, Pleurosigma, Gyrosigma, Mastoglia, Diploneis, Cocconeis, Lyrella, Entomoneis, Caloneis, Bacillaria and Nitzschia. Episammic and epipelic diatoms were observed (Cocconeis sp., Pleurosigma sp.) along Kollam and Kannur, whereas at Kochi, epipelic diatoms were dominant (Nitzschia sp., Navicula sp.). The study also provides a spatial comparison between the microphytobenthic communities within the study area and can act as a baseline data for the trophodynamic studies of the highly diverse ecologically and economically significant mangrove ecosystems.

微型底栖动物（MPB）或底栖微藻被认为是浅红壤性生态系统（例如红树林）中的优势菌群。评估了印度西南沿海红树林生态系统中微底栖动物的多样性，生物量和群落组成。在研究过程中，共鉴定出归类于49属的共110种微底栖细菌。鉴定出MPB的9个亚类-芽孢杆菌科，脆藻科，泌尿科，粘膜藻科，杂菌科，藻类，拟杆菌科，比虫科、,科和细菌科。杂种植物科（硅藻）是代表性最强的科，其次是蓝藻科。在选定的红树林生态系统中，硅藻占微藻类底栖动物群落的81％，其中，最终的硅藻（93％）占据了硅藻的总数。研究期间观察到的主要硅藻属为安菲拉，Navicula，侧耳，Gyrosigma，Mastoglia，Diploneis，Cocconis，Lyrella，Entomoneis，Caloneis，Bacillaria和Nitzschia。沿科拉姆和坎努尔发现了表观硅藻和表皮硅藻（Cocconeis sp。，Pleurosigma sp。），而在高知，表皮硅藻占主导（Nitzschia sp。，Navicula sp。）。这项研究还提供了研究区域内微底栖动物群落之间的空间比较，并可以作为生态和经济意义重大的红树林生态系统营养动力学研究的基准数据。