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Characteristics of the Ascophyllum nodosum stands and their associated diversity along the coast of Brittany, France

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2010

Claire Gollety ,
Eric Thiebaut  and
Dominique Davoult
Claire Gollety*
Affiliation:
UPMC Université de Paris 6, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682, Roscoff, France CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682, Roscoff, France Department of Zoology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
Eric Thiebaut
Affiliation:
UPMC Université de Paris 6, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682, Roscoff, France CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682, Roscoff, France
Dominique Davoult
Affiliation:
UPMC Université de Paris 6, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682, Roscoff, France CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682, Roscoff, France
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: C. Golléty, Department of Zoology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland email: claire.gollety@ucd.ie
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Abstract

The present study aimed at estimating the characteristics of the Ascophyllum nodosum stands along the coast of Brittany, France. Although both an ecologically and economically important macroalga on sheltered rocky shores of the North Atlantic, no study has simultaneously dealt with the variability of the densities, lengths and biomasses of A. nodosum together with a description of its associated algal and animal diversity. There were significant differences in mean lengths and variations in the length–population structures between sites. However, the biomasses and densities showed no significant differences. The biomasses are amongst the highest ones estimated over the entire species distribution. The algal and animal assemblages were typical of A. nodosum zones, but only the identity composition of the algal communities seemed to reflect site differences in environmental forces. The biomasses measured in the present study should help improve future macroalgae biomass and metabolism estimates on regional or global scales. Finally, the data will provide a reference state for future studies on the responses of fucoid canopies to environmental changes.

Keywords

Ascophyllum nodosumbiomassdensitylengthsrocky shoresspecies richness
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 91 , Issue 3 , May 2011 , pp. 569 - 577
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2010

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