Biodiversity & Conservation

Little information on the importance of this biotope was found. However, rockpool environments, especially with macroalgal cover in the mid to lower shore, probably provide refuges for juvenile fish species, and juvenile and moulting crabs (e.g. Cancer pagurus). Low shore pools provide additional habitat for some sublittoral or sublittoral fringe species, notably the anemones Urticina felina, Corynactis viridis, Sagartia elegans and Metridium senile, and the limpet Patella ulyssiponensis (Lewis, 1964). Rockpools also allow some sublittoral fringe or lower shore species to extend their range upshore due to the removal of desiccation stress, although not as many species as might be expected, e.g. barnacles are a notably exception (Lewis, 1964). Lewis (1964) noted that deep pools in the lower shore, especially in the southwest, are rich areas for collecting the rarer species of algae. The presence of sediment in this biotope provides a small amount of sedimentary habitat in an otherwise hard substratum environment.

Rockpools are attractive mesocosms, allowing easy investigation of the resident species. Therefore, rockpools receive considerable attention from the public, environmental education schemes and scientists. Inappropriate boulder turning, netting and trampling within the pools may be detrimental (see sensitivity).

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