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BEN SCHOEMAN DOCK BERTH DEEPENING Specialist ... - Transnet

BEN SCHOEMAN DOCK BERTH DEEPENING Specialist ... - Transnet

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The subtidal rock substratum community - Along the West Coast of South Africa,<br />

kelp beds are the dominant communities on subtidal rocky reefs (= Sublittoral zone,<br />

Figure 4a). The main species in these beds are the kelps Ecklonia maxima and<br />

Laminaria pallida. The more delicate rope-like Macrocystis angustifolia can be found at<br />

more sheltered localities (Branch & Griffiths 1988).<br />

Below the sublittoral fringe, the inshore zone is generally dominated by small E. maxima<br />

plants and supports few animals. At intermediate depths, algal biomass is maximal with<br />

large E. maxima plants forming a canopy, beneath which L. pallida and understorey<br />

algae grow. Animal species diversity and biomass are, however, still low. Further<br />

offshore the kelp plants thin out and give way to a dense faunal community dominated<br />

by sea urchins, filter-feeding mussels, sponges and sea cucumbers (Velimirov et al..<br />

1977, Field et al.. 1980, Branch & Griffiths 1988).<br />

Porphyra capensis<br />

Cymbula granatina<br />

Aeodes orbitosa<br />

Gigartina spp.<br />

Splachnidium rugosum<br />

Gunnarea capensis<br />

2m<br />

Typically found on shores<br />

Scutellastra cochlear<br />

Bunodactis reynaudi<br />

Parechinus angulosus<br />

Found on more exposed shores<br />

Scutellastra granularis<br />

Oxystele variegata<br />

Ulva spp.<br />

0m<br />

Nucella spp.<br />

Burnupena spp.<br />

ROCKY SUBSTRATA<br />

Mytilus galloprovincialis<br />

Choromytilus meridonalis<br />

Pyura stolonifera<br />

Ecklonia maxima<br />

-10m<br />

Laminaria pallida<br />

Epymenia obtusa<br />

Aulacomya ater<br />

Pentacta doliolum<br />

Haliotis midae<br />

Jasus lalandii<br />

Plagusia chabrus<br />

Porifera<br />

Pachmetopon blochii<br />

Supralittoral<br />

Upper Midlittoral Lower Midlittoral Sublittoral Fringe<br />

Sublittoral<br />

-40m<br />

Figure 4a: Typical species zonation patterns on a South African west coast rocky shore<br />

(modified after Lane & Carter 1999).<br />

13

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