Species assemblages of the rocky intertidal at Helgoland (German Bight, North Sea), semi-exposed shore

• Main Author: Reichert, Katharina
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science 2008
• Subjects: DATE/TIME; DEPTH, sediment/rock; Habitat; Sample code/label; Ulva spp., cover; Ulva lactuca, cover; Spongomorpha arcta, cover; Spongomorpha aeruginosa, cover; Cladophora sericea, cover; Cladophora rupestris, cover; Cladophora albida, cover; Rhizoclonium tortuosum, cover; Chaetomorpha aerea, cover; Monostroma grevillei/arcticum complex, cover; Ulothrix spp./Urospora spp. complex, cover; Fucus serratus, cover; Fucus vesiculosus, cover; Fucus spiralis, cover; Sphacelaria radicans/rigidula complex, cover; Ectocarpaceae, cover; Cladostephus spongiosus, cover; Elachista fucicola, cover; Punctaria plantaginea, cover; Petalonia fascia, cover; Petalonia zosterifola, cover; Scytosiphon lomentaria, cover; Ralfsia verrucosa, cover; Laminaria digitata, cover; Sargassum muticum, cover; Halidrys siliquosa, cover; Porphyra spp., cover; Porphyra umbilicalis, cover; Porphyra leucosticta, cover; Porphyra purpurea, cover; Mastocarpus stellatus, cover; Chondrus crispus, cover; Rhodothamniella floridula, cover; Corallina officinalis, cover; Ceramium rubrum, cover; Ceramium deslongchampsii, cover; Dumontia contorta, cover; Polysiphonia spp., cover; Polysiphonia fibrillosa, cover; Polysiphonia fucoides, cover; Ahnfeltia plicata, cover; Cystoclonium purpureum, cover; Plumaria plumosa, cover; Aglaothamnion hookeri, cover; Erythrodermis traillii, cover; Membranoptera alata, cover; Plocamium cartilagineum, cover; Bonnemaisonia hamifera, cover; Rhodomela confervoides, cover; Rhodophysema elegans, cover; Haemescharia hennedyi, cover; Phymatolithon lenormandii, cover; Hildenbrandia rubra, cover; Mytilus edulis, cover; Crassostrea gigas, cover; Pholas dactylus, cover; Hiatella arctica/striata complex, cover; Lanice conchilega, cover; Organisms, tube-building, cover; Pomatoceros triqueter, cover; Spirorbidae, cover; Leucosolenia botryoides, cover; Halisarca dujardini, cover; Dysidea fragilis, cover; Halichondria panicea, cover; Sycon ciliatum, cover; Laomedea flexuosa, cover; Dynamena pumila, cover; Kirchenpaueria pinnata/similis complex, cover; Halecium spp., cover; Coryne pusilla, cover; Coryne muscoides, cover; Actiniaria, cover; Sagartia troglodytes, cover; Sagartiogeton undatus, cover; Craterolophus convolvulus, cover; Thoracica, cover; Electra pilosa, cover; Cryptosula pallasiana, cover; Membranipora membranacea, cover; Flustrellidra hispida, cover; Alcyonidium gelatinosum/mytili complex, cover; Bowerbankia imbricata, cover; Bowerbankia gracilis, cover; Walkeria uva, cover; Didemnum maculosum, cover; Sidnyum turbinatum, cover; Botryllus schlosseri, cover; Clavelina lepadiformis, cover; Molgula complanata, cover; Lineus ruber, cover; Oerstedia dorsalis, cover; Nymphon rubrum, cover; Lepidochitona cinerea, cover; Lacuna pallidula, cover; Lacuna vincta, cover; Gibbula cineraria, cover; Littorina littorea, cover; Littorina mariae/obtusata complex, cover; Littorina saxatilis complex, cover; Rissoa parva, cover; Onoba aculeus, cover; Epitonium clathrum, cover; Buccinum undatum, cover; Nucella lapillus, cover; Crepidula fornicata, cover; Elysia viridis, cover; Limapontia senestra, cover; Tergipes tergipes, cover; Aeolidia papillosa, cover; Pycnogonum littorale, cover; Amphipholis squamata, cover; Asterias rubens, cover; Sampling by hand; Estimated; Helgoland; Meeresstation Helgoland; Long-term Ecological Research at AWI LTER; Shelf Seas Systems Ecology @ AWI former Biologische Anstalt Helgoland BAH; Crassostrea gigas; Nucella lapillus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.733549; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.733549

Environmental variables Semi-exposed (erosion rates of gypsum blocks reaches 0.14 g/h; de Kluijver, 1991). Mostly relative natural red sandstone; gently sloping substratra; average tidal range: ca. 2.5 m; geomorphological structure: channels (mean height: ca. -1.00 m refer to the height Normal Null (NN) of the German height reference system; width: ca. 3-5 m) and ridges (mean height to NN: ca. -0.60 m; width: ca. 5-15 m) alternating alongshore. The species assemblages showed three distinct vertical zones (high-, mid-, low-shore).Sampling design At each study location all plots were sampled at 3-month intervals over 2 years (summer 2004 - spring 2006). All plots at each location were sampled at each 3-month interval within a period of a few days.Transect: 2 transects (25-40 m long, 65 m apart); plot: 6 and 7 plots respectively (5-40 m apart) along each transect; quadrat: 5 quadrats (50x50 cm, < 1 m apart) within each plot.one transect was established at high-shore, the other at low-shore.Species list1. Structural layersTop layer (TL) , i.e. a structural layer usually consisted of thalli of large brown algae (e.g. Fucus spp., Laminaria spp.); encrusting layer (EL) , i.e. a structural layer which is formed by epilithic organisms adhering directly to the substratum (e.g. Phymatolithon spp., Ralfsia spp. or bryozoans). All other species which are not labelled with TL or EL be part of the middle layer, i.e. a structural layer which is represented by epiphytic, epizoic and endozoic species growing erect from the substrate, but not reaching the top layer.2. Species complexSome species were combined into a complex if the taxonomic position was tentative or if the morphological distinctions between two species were difficult to quantify (e.g. Monostroma grevillei/articum complex) tube-building organisms = a complex of polychaetes (mostly Polydora ciliata, Fabricia sabella). Sometimes higher taxa are listed, e.g. Ulva spp. or Actiniaria. All other species are identified to species level (full names are listed in the data sheet).