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The distribution and environmental requirements of large brown seaweeds in the British Isles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2015

Chris Yesson ,
Laura E. Bush ,
Andrew J. Davies ,
Christine A. Maggs  and
Juliet Brodie
Chris Yesson*
Affiliation:
Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK Now at Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
Laura E. Bush
Affiliation:
School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
Andrew J. Davies
Affiliation:
School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
Christine A. Maggs
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
Juliet Brodie
Affiliation:
Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: C. Yesson, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Kelps, fucoids and other large brown seaweeds are common and important features of temperate coastal zones. The British Isles is a centre for seaweed diversity in the NE Atlantic, but, despite numerous surveys, an incomplete picture of the distribution remains. Survey data and herbarium specimens were used to examine the environmental preference of 15 species of large brown seaweeds, covering the orders Laminariales (kelps), Fucales (wracks) and one species of Tilopteridales. Habitat suitability models were developed to estimate broad-scale distribution and area of habitat created by these species around the British Isles. Topographic parameters were important factors limiting distributions. Generally, temperature did not appear to be a limiting factor, probably because the British Isles lies in the centre of the NE Atlantic distribution for most species, and not at climatic tolerance limits. However, for the recent migrant Laminaria ochroleuca, temperature was found to be important for the model, thus range expansion could continue northwards provided dispersal is possible. In contrast, the widespread Alaria esculenta showed a negative association with warmer summer temperatures. The total potential habitat around the British and Irish coastline is more than 19,000 km2 for kelps and 11,000 km2 for wracks, which represents a significant habitat area similar in scale to British broadleaf forest. We conclude that large brown algal species need to be managed and conserved in a manner that reflects their scale and importance.

Keywords

Phaeophyceaemacroalgaespecies distribution modellingkelpwracks
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 4 , June 2015 , pp. 669 - 680
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2015 

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