A biological study of Durvillaea antarctica (Chamisso) Hariot and D ...

9
four sites: Areas 5b and 6b at 'fautuku, Ohau Poinl-, and Oaro Reef.
Although efforts were made to r0Tr10VC all small plants on the
cleared areas at Tautuku, some were undoubtedly missed, as were any
microscopic stages. Therefore it was difficult to tell whethey.
:t'egrowth was caused by recolonisation or by rapid gr0\1th of small
sporelings that, had previously been dormant beneath the thick canopy
of blades, The areas were 'coo large to tt"eat the rock sur face in such
a IJJay tha.t any small stages would be destroyed. Paine (pers, conUfl.)
approached this sor'c of problem by
experinlent:ally
cleared cuc'eas toli th petroL 'l'his ",as considered but, dismiss ed for
fear of leaving an oily deposit Oll the surface. Instead, much
smaller areas Nere cleared a"c Ohau Point. Strips 0.5 in wide were
cleared through -the D. antarctica band on the steep seaward face of
a large greywacke boulder (Figs 2.2; 9.14f). Each strip was scrubbed
down to the bare rock \