The shore at Seapalling is influenced by a series of artificial sea defences that have changed the dynamics of the shore to produce multiple bays comprised of mobile sands with shingle berms in between.
The hard substrate is characterised by a barnacle community with periwinkles, limpets, dog whelks and beadlet anemones. The lower edges of the breakwater harbour occasional seaweeds, whilst beneath the sea defences are a network of tidal pools.
Since April certain features of the shore have changed, namely increased ephemeral algae growth.
Habitat classifications:
Substrate
|
LR (Littoral rock)
|
LS (Littoral substrate)
|
Habitat
|
HLR (High energy littoral rock)
|
FLR (Features of littoral rock)
|
LS.LSa (Littoral sand)
|
Biotope complex
|
LR.HLR. MusB (Mussel and/or barnacle communities)
|
Rkp (Rockpools)
|
Eph.FLR.Eph (Ephemeral green or red seaweed communities
|
LS.LSa.sh (Shingle and gravel shores)
|
LS.LSa.MoSa.BarSa (Barren littoral coarse sand)
|
Biotope
|
|
|
LR.FLR.Eph.EntPor (Porphyra purpurea and Entomorpha spp. on sand scoured lower eulittoral rock)
|
|
|
Below are images of organisms you may see whilst rock pooling in this location:
 |
| The sea defences provide an artificial hard substrate amongst the
littoral sediments of the shore.
Habitat classification: LR.HLR (High energy littoral rock) and LS.LSa.MoSa (Barren littoral coarse sand). |
 |
| The littoral sediments surrounding the sea defences continually
experience the dynamic forces of erosion and deposition. At this time sand has been eroded from the base of the defences leaving coarser sediment comprised of sand, shingle and razor shells. |
 |
The same
location as above but in April 2014,shows how sediment levels have decreased in height and have changed from sand to shingle, sand and razor shells.
|
 |
| The same location as above but in October 2013,shows a sediment type of sand and shingle which is more similar to that observed in July 2014. |
 |
| Rocky shore communities have formed on
the artificial sea defences; barnacles, limpets and periwinkles
occur throughout the shore and characterise the biotope complex LR.HLR.MusB (Mussels
and/or barnacles in high energy littoral rock). |
 |
| Barnacles and periwinkles (Littorina sp) |
 |
| Barnacles and periwinkles (Littorina sp) |
 |
| During the summer months ephemeral green algae grows over the barnacles of the lower shore |
 |
| Barnacles, ephemeral green algae and periwinkles (Littorina sp) |
 |
| A limpet |
 |
| Common limpets (Patella vulgata), barnacles and periwinkle (Littorina sp) |
 |
| Ephemeral algae, including Porphyra sp fringe the sand scoured rock of the lower shore LR.FLR.Eph.EntPor (Porphyra purpurea and Entomorpha spp. on sand scoured lower eulittoral rock) |
 |
| It appears that the erosion of sediments and subsequent increase in available rock substrate that was observed in April 2014, has facilitated the growth of ephemeral seaweeds. |
 |
| These rocks photographed in April 2014, have bare bases, caused by recent erosion and it was this event that provided additional surface areas for fast growing ephemeral seaweeds to exploit, as seen in the photograph above from July 2014. |
 |
| A small rockpool beneath a boulder overhang supports a variety of seaweed species, including Coralline crusts, Ulva sp and reds. Since April there has been an increase in the growth of all species, especially the Ulva sp. |
 |
| The same rock pool but in April, demonstrates the prolific growth of the green seaweeds in summer. |
No comments:
Post a Comment