Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 May 2017
A Description is given of the distribution and zonation of the dominant intertidal plants and animals found in a survey of rocky shores in Argyll, from Clachan Sound southwards to the south end of the Kintyre peninsula, thence northwards along the east side of Kintyre to Loch Fyne. Particular attention is given to two sheltered lochs, Loch Sween and West Loch Tarbert. Features of special interest in the area include: (i) a very small spring tide range (only 2–4 ft.) on much of the west coast of Kintyre, which results in a very compressed littoral zone by British standards; (ii) an unusual abundance of Chthamalus stellatus, often accompanied by a scarcity of Balanus balanoides, at very sheltered sites in Loch Sween and West Loch Tarbert (this problem is considered separately in Part II of the present paper); (iii) rich lower-shore populations in parts of the lochs, and especially associated with the Linne Mhuirich rapids in Loch Sween. In a concluding discussion the lower shore populations found in the survey area are compared with those observed in the rest of the British Isles. It is concluded that the rich lower-shore populations (often associated with rapid systems) that occur in many of the lochs on the west coast of Scotland constitute a major component of the littoral fauna and flora of the British Isles that has been largely unknown and neglected in the past because of the remoteness of many of the sites.