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Aspects of intertidal ecology with reference to conservation of Scottish seashores

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

Martin Wilkinson
Martin Wilkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, Scotland, U.K.
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Synopsis

Some of the more basic features of intertidal rocky shore communities are reviewed in order to point out the biological variability of this habitat type. This means that biological survey of them could be very detailed or could alternatively be based on physical features combined with basic community data. A previous conservation survey of Northern Ireland has shown that habitats and their communities can be classified without as much data as is customarily collected in transect surveys. In the Scottish context there is a particular variety of shores meriting conservation on the west coast sealochs. So far no intertidal effects of fish fanning have been demonstrated on them. Seaweed harvesting is localised although it may need control in the longer term. It is suggested that a change in the approach to protect areas might enable such habitats to be given protection without necessarily pursuing all the biological survey possible in such diverse habitats. East coast shores and those of the Solway area are less well-known but merit further study.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 100: Marine Conservation in Scotland , 1992 , pp. 77 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1992

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