The Composition of Maërl from the Glenan Islands of Southern Brittany

Blunden, Gerald; Farnham, W. F.; Jephson, N. A.; Fenn, R. H.; Plunkett, B.A.

doi:10.1515/botm.1977.20.2.121

Cited by 33 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…Surveys in the British Isles have found over 400 species of associated animals (Scott & Moore, 1996) and around 180 species of macroalgae Blunden et al, 1981;Maggs, 1983;Birkett et al, 1998;BIOMAERL Team, 1999;De Grave & Whittaker, 1999;De Grave et al, 2000). Similar levels of seaweed diversity have been found in Brittany (Cabioch, 1969;Blunden et al, 1977Blunden et al, , 1981Hily et al, 1992;BIOMAERL Team, 1999) and in the Atlantic Spanish maerl beds where more than 230 species have been recorded (Miranda, 1934;Donze, 1968;Seoane-Camba & Campo-Sancho, 1968;Ba´rbara et al 2004;Pen˜a & Ba´rbara, 2006, 2008. Most of these seaweed species are not confined to rhodolith beds as their only habitat.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Along the Atlantic European coast, several Cladophora species have been reported on maerl, including C. albida, C. battersii van den Hoek, C. hutchinsiae (Dillwyn) Ku¨tzing, C. laetevirens (Dillwyn) Ku¨tzing, C. lehmanniana (Lindenberg) Ku¨tzing, C. pellucida (Hudson) Ku¨tzing, C. pygmaea Reinke, C. retroflexa (Bonnemaison ex P.L. Crouan & H.M. Crouan) van den Hoek, C. rupestris (Linnaeus) Ku¨tzing and C. sericea (Donze, 1968;Cabioch, 1969;Blunden et al, 1977;Birkett et al, 1998;BIOMAERL Team, 1999;Mannino et al, 2002;Ba´rbara et al, 2004;Pen˜a & Ba´rbara, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cladophora rhodolithicolasp. nov. (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta), a diminutive species from European maerl beds

Leliaert

Boedeker

Peña

et al. 2009

European Journal of Phycology

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Cladophora rhodolithicola sp. nov., a small green macroalgal epiphyte on rhodoliths, is described from the Atlantic coasts of the British Isles, France and Spain, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Molecular phylogenetic analyses reveal that the rhodolith epiphyte is closely related to C. pygmaea, a dwarf species that also grows on maerl and small stones and whose systematic position was previously uncertain. The fact that both species, along with two other distinct Cladophora species (C. echinus and C. battersii), are resolved among species traditionally assigned to the Cladophora section Longiarticulatae, has implications for our understanding of the evolution of the genus. The section Longi-articulatae is one of the most distinctive groups in Cladophora, being characterized by coarse thalli with conspicuous basal cells, strict acropetal growth and the lack of intercalary rhizoids. Here we show that deviant character states such as reduced and irregular growth, and intercalary rhizoids have evolved independently several times within this clade.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cladophora rhodolithicolasp. nov. (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta), a diminutive species from European maerl beds

Leliaert

Boedeker

Peña

et al. 2009

European Journal of Phycology

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“…Falconetti (1970) later studied the fauna of maerl beds in Algeria while Irish maerl fauna was investigated by Keegan (1974) and Bosence (1979). Other studies focused on particular taxa associated with maerl beds: for example, Blunden et al (1977) and Ballesteros (1989) studied the flora of maerl bottoms in Brittany and Spain, respectively, maerl infauna was studied by Cabioch (1968) in Brittany, Mora (1980) in northwest Spain, and Rowe et al (1990) in southwest England. Hall-Spencer (1998) made a baseline survey of maerl-associated molluscs in Scotland and Ramos-Espl!…”

Section: The Importance Of Maerl Bedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The maerl is marketed mainly for use as an agricultural fertilizer. Other uses include: as an animal food additive, for biological de-nitrification and in neutralization of acidic water in the production of drinking water, aquarium gravel as well as in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, nuclear and medical industries (Blunden et al, 1977;Briand, 1989;De Grave et al, 2000). These uses are all related to the chemical composition of maerl, which is primarily composed of calcium and magnesium carbonates.…”

Section: Human Impacts On Maerl Bedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation and management of northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean maerl beds

Barberá

Bordehore

Borg

et al. 2003

Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst.

180

139

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ABSTRACT1. Maerl beds occur worldwide and are formed by an accumulation of unattached calcareous red algae (Rhodophyta).2. Maerl-forming algae grow in a superficial living layer on sediments within the photic zone. 3. Maerl beds are spatially complex habitats with a high degree of species and trophic group diversity.4. The European Commission's 'Habitats Directive' mandates the conservation management of two of the main European maerl-forming species, Phymatolithon calcareum and Lithothamnion corallioides.5. Mediterranean maerl beds are to be considered for inclusion in national inventories of sites of conservation interest, as required by the SPABIM Protocol of the Barcelona Convention.6. In spite of their importance, and the requirement for their conservation management, European maerl grounds suffer a variety of anthropogenic perturbations including direct exploitation through extraction, fishing impacts and chemical pollution by organic matter and excess nutrients.7. The ecology of northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean maerl beds has received little attention, in contrast to other marine communities (e.g. kelp forests, sea-grass meadows). * Correspondence to: P.G. Moore, University Marine Biological Station Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, KA28 0EG, UK. E-mail: pmoore@udcf.gla.ac.uk y Authorship alphabetical: cite as BIOMAERL team z Coordinator 8. Key conservation and management measures proposed include: the recognition that maerl beds are non-renewable resources and cannot sustain direct exploitation; prohibitions on the use of towed gear on maerl grounds; moratoria on the issue of further permits for the siting of aquaculture units above maerl grounds; monitoring of existing exploited or impacted maerl beds; the designation of 'no-take' reserves; measures to limit the impacts that might affect water quality above maerl beds; a programme of monitoring of the 'health' of European maerl beds; an awareness campaign on the biological importance of maerl beds; a higher conservation status for maerl habitats and maerlforming species in European legislation; and further research on maerl ecosystems.

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“…BIRKETT et al, 1998;BARBERA et al, 2003;STELLER et al, 2003;HINOJOSA-ARANGO;RIOSMENA-RODRÍGUEZ 2004;KAMENOS et al, 2004;PEÑA;BÁRBARA, 2008;RIUL et al, 2008), 2) their structures have the potential to provide information on past oceanic conditions (FRANTZ et al, 2000) and 3) they contribute to maintaining the pH of seawater (CANALS;BALLESTEROS 1997). In addition, they are exploited as a source of calcium carbonate for a wide variety of human uses (e.g., as agricultural and horticultural fertilizer, soil conditioner, toxin eliminator, drinking water purification, biological denitrification and animal fodder additive as well as in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors, in bone surgery and even in the nuclear industry) (LÓPEZ-BENITO, 1963;BLUNDEN et al, 1977;BLUNDEN et al, 1981;GRAY et al, 2000;BARBERA et al, 2003;GRALL, 2003;GRALL;RIUL et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A preliminary evaluation of shallow-water rhodolith beds in Bahia Magdalena, Mexico

Ávila

Riosmena‐Rodríguez²

2011

Braz. j. oceanogr.

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The aim of the present study was to describe the structure of shallow-water rhodolith beds from Bahia Magdalena, one of the most productive estuarine systems of the Mexican Pacific coasts. From September 2008 to May 2009 four rhodolith beds were found (between 1 and 3 m depth) and population descriptors such as rhodolith density, size classes, branch density, volume and weight were determined. The dominant rhodolith forming species was Lithophyllum margaritae. The size of beds ranged from 7,600 to 17,800 m2 approximately with densities from 42.2 to 215.9 ind.m-2. In these beds, L. margaritae shows fruticose and foliose growth forms, from which spherical forms were predominant (81-99%). Branch density (from 3.0 to 13.3 branches.cm-2) varied significantly (p < 0.05) among beds. The average volume (from 2.0 to 400 mL) and wet weight (from 32.4 to 84.8 g) was not significantly different among sites, but a significant positive correlation (r = 0.95, p < 0.05) was found between these parameters. The size of plants ranged from 2.0 to 11.5 cm with predominant size classes of 40.1-60 mm. Differences in rhodolith density, branch density and sphericity were attributed to possible differences in hydrodynamic conditions among sites. These beds were also a suitable habitat for high diversity of associated sponges. A non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis using sponge species data revealed variability in the distribution of sponge assemblages among sites, which is likely the result of differences in environmental conditions. Although these rhodolith beds are not as extensive as those of other regions, our preliminary surveys revealed that they are a common habitat in Bahía Magdalena and likely have an important role in the productivity of this estuarine system.

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The Composition of Maërl from the Glenan Islands of Southern Brittany

Cited by 33 publications

References 5 publications

Cladophora rhodolithicolasp. nov. (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta), a diminutive species from European maerl beds

Cladophora rhodolithicolasp. nov. (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta), a diminutive species from European maerl beds

Conservation and management of northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean maerl beds

A preliminary evaluation of shallow-water rhodolith beds in Bahia Magdalena, Mexico

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