Biodiversity & Conservation

To assess the sensitivity of the biotope, the sensitivity of component species is reviewed. Those species that are considered to be particularly indicative of the sensitivity of the biotope, and for which research has been undertaken in detail are shown below (see selection criteria). The biology of other component species of the biotope is also taken into account wherever information is known to the researcher.

• Himanthalia elongata
• Semibalanus balanoides
• Patella vulgata

Himanthalia elongata is the characterizing brown algae in this biotope as it is more tolerant of wave exposure than Fucus serratus, which would otherwise form a patchy but often dense canopy amongst red algal turfs in the lower eulittoral zone. A turf of red foliose and encrusting algae is particularly characteristic of this biotope and Palmaria palmata and Chondrus crispus are included as important characterizing species representative of themselves and other foliose red algae, such as Mastocarpus stellatus. Corallina officinalis is included as a representative of turf forming calcareous species. Semibalanus balanoides and Patella vulgata are species which typically colonize patches occurring in the turf. Species such as Nucella lapillus, Littorina neglecta and Mytilus edulis are not especially faithful to the biotope but may occasionally occur in the biotope, exploiting damp pits and crevices in the rock, their presence therefore may have some bearing on the sensitivity of the biotope and are included as important others.

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