The shore near Eilean Feoir comprises bedrock and boulders with rock pools of varying sizes. Lichens
occur in the splash zone and extend into the upper shore with channel wrack and
periwinkles. The mid to lower shore is covered by fucoids beneath which an
understory community of gastropods, anemones, barnacles, crustaceans and
saeweeds exists. Many of these species also occur within the large rockpools
with the addition of a wider variety of red seaweeds, anemones and encrusting fauna.
Habitats classification:
Substrate
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LR (Littoral rock)
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Habitat
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LLR (Low energy littoral rock)
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FLR (Features of littoral rock)
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Biotope complex
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LR.LLR.F (Fucoids on sheltered marine
shores)
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Rkp (Rockpools)
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LR.FLR.Lic (Lichens on supralittoral
rock)
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Biotope
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LR.LLR.F.Pel (Pelvetia canaliculata
on sheltered littoral fringe rock)
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LR.LLR.F.Fspi (Fucus spiralis on
sheltered upper eulittoral rock)
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LR.LLR.F.Asc (Ascophyllum nodosum on
very sheltered mid eulittoral rock)
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LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria Maura on
littoral fringe rock)
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Below are images of some of the organisms you may encounter
whilst rock pooling in these habitats:
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The rocky shore contains the biotope
complexes LR.FLR.Lic (Lichens on supralittoral rock), LR.LLR.F (Fucoids on
sheltered marine shores) and LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools).
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Lichens occur on supralittoral rock. Habitat
classification: LR.FLR.Lic (Lichens on supralittoral rock).
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Tar lichen (Verrucaria maura) covers the upper
shore and characterises the biotope LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria maura on
littoral fringe rock) that occurs within the broader biotope complex LR.FLR.Lic
(Lichens on supralittoral rock).
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Channel wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata) on the
upper shore. Pelvetia canaliculata characterises the biotope LR.LLR.F.Pel (Pelvetia
canaliculata on sheltered littoral fringe rock) that occurs within the broader biotope
complex of LR.LLR.F (Fucoids on sheltered marine shores).
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The rough periwinkle (Littorina saxatilis) seeks
refuge from the sun in the shade between boulders of the upper shore. Habitat
classification: LR.LLR.F.Pel (Pelvetia canaliculata on sheltered littoral
fringe rock).
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| Channel wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata) and Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis) on the upper-mid shore. Fucus spiralis characterises the biotope LR.LLR.F.Fspi (Fucus spiralis on sheltered upper eulittoral rock) that occurs within the broader biotope complex of LR.LLR.F (Fucoids on sheltered marine shores). |
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Channel wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata) and Spiral
wrack (Fucus spiralis) surround a rock pool of the upper-mid shore. Fucus spiralis
in its reproductive phase with swollen ends to the frond known as receptacles
that contain the conceptacles from which gametes are released. Habitat
classification: LR.LLR.F.Fspi (Fucus spiralis) on sheltered upper eulittoral
rock.
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Regrowth of Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis).
Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Fspi (Fucus spiralis) on sheltered upper
eulittoral rock.
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Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) amongst Spiral
wrack (Fucus spiralis). Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Fspi (Fucus spiralis)
on sheltered upper eulittoral rock.
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Beneath the fronds of Fucus spiralis are common
limpets (Patella vulgata) and barnacles. Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Fspi
(Fucus spiralis) on sheltered upper eulittoral rock.
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Beneath the fronds of Fucus spiralis are beadlet
anemones (Actinia equina) and sparse barnacles. Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Fspi
(Fucus spiralis) on sheltered upper eulittoral rock.
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Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) and the epiphyte
Polysiphonia lanosa occur on the mid shore below the band of Fucus spiralis.
Ascophyllum nodosum charecterises the biotope LR.LLR.F.Asc (Ascophyllum nodosum
on very sheltered mid eulittoral rock) that occurs within the biotope complex
of LR.LLR.F (Fucoids on sheltered marine shores).
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| The transition from the biotope : LR.LLR.F.Fspi (Fucus spiralis on sheltered upper eulittoral rock) to LR.LLR.F.Asc (Ascophyllum nodosum on very sheltered mid eulittoral rock) can clearly be seen. Such a distribution is driven by competition between species and their physiological tolerance to the environmental gradients experienced across the shore. |
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| A juvenile crab, flat periwinkle (Littorina obtusata) and green seaweed, Cladophora rupestris occur beneath the Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum). Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Asc (Ascophyllum nodosum on very sheltered mid eulittoral rock). |
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Seaweed diversity increases within the refuge of
the larger rock pools. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools).
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Pebbles, Cobbles and boulders form the principle
substrate within the rock pools and are colonised by bread crumb sponge (Halichondria
(Halichondria) panicea), seaweeds and a variety of faunal turfs. Habitat
classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools).
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| Juvenile barnacles cover the boulder and extend into the rock pool. The submerged section of the boulder is encrusted by coralline crusts; their upper limit on the boulder marking the lowest water levels experienced by the rock pool. Further down in the pool green algae occur and a beadlet anemone (Actinia equina). Above the water line a common limpet (Patella vulgata) wait motionless for the tide to return. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools). |
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| Coralline crusts cover the submerged boulders of a rock pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools). |
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| An under-boulder community within a rock pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools). |
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| An under-boulder community within a rock pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools). |
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| An under-boulder community within a rock pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools). |
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| Juvenile anomiidae and spirorbidae on the under- side of a boulder within a rock pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools). |
.JPG) |
| Snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis) within a rock pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools). |
.JPG) |
| Snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis) attached to seaweed within a rock pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools). |
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