Species richness in macroalgae and macrofauna assemblages on Fucus serratus L. (Phaeophyceae) and Zostera marina L. (Angiospermae) in Skagerrak, Norway

Abstract

The macrophytes Fucus serratus and Zostera marina form similar substrates for associated flora and fauna in shallow waters in Norway. While F. serratus forms a more or less continuous belt on rocky substrate along the coast, Z. marina forms disjunct populations on sandy or muddy bottoms. This study focused on the organisms associated with these two macrophytes in two localities in the Skagerrak region. In total, 130 taxa of epiphytic organisms were identified: 22 green algae, 41 red algae, 32 brown algae, eight diatoms and 27 sessile animals. One hundred and twenty-seven taxa of mobile macrofauna were registered. The dominant group was crustaceans, with amphipods as the order containing most species. Many species of both plants and animals preferred one or the other habitat. It is concluded that coastal macrophyte systems have high species diversity.

Keywords:

• Biodiversity
• epiphytes
• Fucus serratus
• mobile macrofauna
• Norway
• Skagerrak
• Zostera marina

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Research Council of Norway. We are grateful to N. M. Jørgensen for help with the identification of mobile macrofauna, M. Walday for help with the epiphytic animals, K. M. Norderhaug for help with the multivariate analysis, and to the staff at the Marine Research Institute, Flødevigen, for assistance during the field sampling. We are also grateful to T. Brattegaard and G. Edgar for valuable suggestions to improve the manuscript.

Notes

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Editorial responsibility: Kjersti Sjøtun