Biodiversity & Conservation

Barnacles and Patella spp. on exposed or moderately exposed, or vertical sheltered, eulittoral rock

LR.HLR.MusB.Cht

ELR.Bpat

Image Jon Davies - View of vertical bedrock shore. Image width ca XX cm.
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Distribution map

LR.HLR.MusB.Cht recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

  • EC_Habitats

Marine natural heritage importance

Listed under EC Habitats Directive
National importance Widespread
Habitat Directive feature (Annex 1) Reefs
Large shallow inlets and bays
Estuaries
Lagoons

Biotope importance

Fish and crustaceans migrating into the intertidal zone to feed as the tide rises, are important predators of rocky shore species. Corkwing wrasse Crenilabrus melops rely heavily on the intertidal. Nucella lapillus is preyed on by numerous sea birds and wildfowl, however, the dog whelk is not considered to be an important food source, except where alternative food sources are absent (Crothers, 1985). However, there is not the diversity of species in ELR.BPat to provide the rich pickings for birds that are seen in some rocky shore biotopes.

Exploitation

There are no species present that are likely to be harvested from the ELR.BPat biotope. Fucoid plants are not present in high enough abundance for exploitation to be viable. However, rocky shores are widely exploited for a range of recreational uses including rock pooling, angling and as a resource for students and scientific researchers. Trampling has been shown to have a significant impact on community structure.

Additional information icon Additional information

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This review can be cited as follows:

Hill, J.M. 2001. Barnacles and Patella spp. on exposed or moderately exposed, or vertical sheltered, eulittoral rock. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 20/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatimportance.php?habitatid=199&code=2004>