Seaweeds of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia: neighbouring islands in the South Atlantic on opposite sides of the Antarctic Convergence

Abstract The Falkland Islands and South Georgia can be found at similar latitudes in the South Atlantic, yet they are on opposite sides of the Antarctic Convergence and show distinctly different features in terms of climate and biodiversity. While the Falkland Islands are cold-temperate and located in shallow waters on the southern Patagonian Shelf, South Georgia is a remote Subantarctic island with multiple glaciers that discharge into its bays and fjords. This review addresses the lack of a synopsis in the recent literature. It covers the biogeographic features of both the Falkland Islands and South Georgia as well as the exploration history and current state of knowledge of their seaweed diversity, including alien seaweed species, seaweed ecology, pathogens and potential uses.