Monday 5 January 2015

Lerwick, Shetland 2014 - Supralittoral to upper shore...


The exposed to moderately exposed shore is comprised of sloping bed rock and boulders with crevices, gullies and rock pools. There is freshwater influx from a small waterfall at the base of the cliffs. Lichens characterise the supralittoral and littoral fringe. Whilst limpets and sparse barnacles charecterise the upper shore with periwinkles throughout both the littoral fringe and upper shore.

Habitat classification:

Substrate
LR (Littoral rock)
Habitat
LR.FLR (Features of lilttoral rock)
Biotope
LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria Maura on littoral fringe rock)
LR.FLR.Lic.YG (Yellow and grey lichens on supralittoral rock)




The shore is comprised of sloping bed rock and boulders with crevices, gullies and rock pools.


Fresh water flows onto the shore via a small water fall at the cliff edge.

Grey and yellow lichens cover the sheer rocks of the cliff s in the supralittoral zone. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Lic.YG (Yellow and grey lichens on supralittoral rock).

A variety of lichens cover the rocks of supralittoral.


As the littoral fringe is reached the abundance of  black tar lichen (Verrucaria maura) increases and periwinkles can be found within the crevices. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria maura on littoral fringe rock). 





Periwinkles seek refuge within crevices.



Small and rough periwinkles (Melarhaphe neritoides , Littorina saxatilis agg).

Rough periwinkles (L. saxatilis agg) and sparse barnacles on upper shore boulders.



L. saxatilis agg





L. saxatilis agg and sparse barnacles on upper shore boulders.

An edible periwinkle (Littorina litorea) on the upper shore boulders.
Barnacles in the upper shore.

Common limpets (Patella vulgata) and periwinkles 


Limpets (P. vulgata) seek refuge from desiccation in the shade of an overhang. 

Limpets, barnacles and shallow coralline rockpools of the upper shore. The distribution of the limpets is aggregated against the leeward side of  the bedrock which provides shelter from the prevailing waves.


P. vulgata and barnacles
















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