Rockpooling destination: Dorset April 2017

The rocky shore comprises shelving bedrock that forms a series of ridges that extend into the sea. Fucoids and ephemeral greens lace the ridges, whilst in between, seaweed covered gravel and shingle dominate the channels. 

The rocky shore is comprised of shelving bed rock

Washed up fucoids form a strand line

Seaweeds exhibit zonation across the shore

Ephemeral green seaweeds form patches on the shore 

Barnacles and ephemeral green seaweed 

Fucus serratus and Fucus vesiculosus co-occur on sections of the shore

Beneath which are found understorey seaweeds such as the green seaweed, Cladophora sp, Corallinacea crusts and turf forming red seaweeds.

Fauna and seaweeds beneath the fucoid canopy

Coralline algae are found beneath the fucoid canopy within rockpools.

Rockpooling Destination: Revisit to Lands End Peninsula Sept 2015

Below are images of some of the organisms seen whilst rockpooling around the Land's End peninsula in September 2015:

Small and rough periwinkles together with sparse barnacles on the larger boulders of the upper shore.

Springtails investigate a crack in the shell of a rough periwinkle. 

Thick topshells (Osilinus lineatus) among the boulders  and cobbles.

Osilinus lineatus

Osilinus lineatus

The habitats of the shore are influenced by wave exposure, sand scour, fresh water run off and desiccation. The result is a patchwork of biotopes that are not distributed evenly down the shore. In general boulder tops are covered  by fucoids and/or barnacles, whilst ephemeral green seaweed lace the diluted sandy rockpools and lastly sand scour tolerant seaweeds occur in scoured rockpools and boulders of the lower shore. Habitat classification: LR.MLR.BF (Barnacles and fucoids on moderately exposed shores) EUNIS: A1.21, LR.FLR.Eph (Ephemeral green or, red seaweeds (Fresh water or sand influenced) EUNIS: A1.45 and LR.FLR.Rkp (Rockpools) EUNIS: A1.41.

Porphyra spp

Ulva spp

 LR.MLR.BF (Barnacles and fucoids on moderately exposed shores) EUNIS: A1.21.

Some areas of the shore are showing seasonal die back of fucoids.

Fucus spp (Fucus vesiculosus var. nana?)

Fucus spp (Fucus vesiculosus var. nana?)

Understory reds.

A dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) 

Verrucaria mucosa

Limpets (Patella sp) and beadlet anemones (Actinia equina)

The seaweed communities on the lower shore  are comprised of fucoids, robust reds and sand tolerant seaweeds. Habitat classification: LR.MLR.BF.Fser.R (Fucus serratus and red seaweeds on moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock) EUNIS: A1.2141.

Fucus serratus, Mastrocarpus stellatus and ephemeral greens.

Fucus serratus, Mastrocarpus stellatus, Rhodothaminiella floridula and ephemeral greens.

Mastrocarpus stellatus

Gigartinales

Cladophora rupestris

Ulva spp in a sediment filled rockpool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.RKP.SwSed (Seaweeds in sediment floored eullitoral rockpools) EUNIS: A1.413.

Sand tolerant seaweeds in a sediment filled rockpool.

Phyllophoracea

Hypoglossum hypoglossoides

Rhodothaminiella floridula

Porphyra spp

Black scour weed (Ahnfeltia plicata)

Gigartinales

Gigartinales

Gigartinales

Gigartinales

Gigartinales

Cystoclonium purpureum

Ceramium spp

Asparagopsis armata

Corallina sp form turf in the lower shore rockpools.

Corallina officinalis

Corallina spp

There were no signs of the tube dwelling amphipods among the seaweeds of the sediment filled pools, only the cases of thier tubes remained.

In June, 2015 there were a number of amphipods encased within tubes that were in turn enveloped among the green seaweed.

Asteria rubens

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Barnacle communities cover more exposed rocks of the lower shore. Habitat classification: LR.HLR.MusB (Mussel and/or barnacle communities).

Barnacles