Abstract
The increasing importance of coastal management created the need for a systematic classification and characterization of marine communities. Accurate quantitative methodologies for rocky shore algae-based biotope definition, were developed and tested on the Islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria (Azores). Shores of both islands were surveyed, covering all rocky substrate types. Biotopes were defined by assessing the associated habitat and species characteristics, using ANOSIM and SIMPER analysis, respectively. A total of ten biotopes were identified. Generally both islands’ biotopes are characterized by the same taxa/ecological categories, in summer and in winter. However, association between these taxa/ecological categories and the shore height at which they occur differs geographically and temporally. There is a generalized gradual succession of taxa/ecological categories from upper intertidal down to deepest subtidal, although geographical differences occur. Diversity is highest at the land–water interface and decreases towards both extremes (upper intertidal and deepest subtidal level). The strongest evidence of seasonal variation occurs at the upper intertidal. The methodology used proves to be effective in broad scale shoreline assessment of biological communities in warm-temperate coastal marine environments, and thus suitable for the purpose it was developed for. As a consequence it should be applied to the remaining islands of the Azorean archipelago as well as to other macaronesian islands, e.g. Madeira and the Canaries.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartsch I, Tittley I (2004) The rocky intertidal biotopes of Helgoland: present and past. Helgol Mar Res 58:289–302
Bianchi CN, Morri C, Sartoni G, Wirtz P (1999) Benthic community zonation on shallow subtidal rocks around Funchal (Ilha da Madeira, NE Atlantic): an update of previous information and comparison with the Mediterranean Sea. Bol Mus Munic Funchal Sup 5:59–80
Borges P (2004) Ambientes litorais nos grupos Central e Oriental do arquipélago dos Açores, conteúdos e dinâmica de microescala. PhD Thesis. Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Unpublished
Braun-Blanquet J (1928) Pflanzensoziologie. Grundzüge der Vegetationskunde. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Chapman G (1955) Aspects of the fauna and flora of the Azores. VI. The density of animal life in the coralline algae zone. Ann Mag Nat Hist 12:398–400
Clarke KR, Warwick RM (2001) Change in marine communities: an approach to statistical analysis and interpretation, 2nd edn. PRIMER-E, Plymouth
Connell JH (1972) Community interactions on marine rocky intertidal shores. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 3:169–192
Connor D, Brazier DP, Hill TO, Northen KO (1997) Marine nature conservation review: marine biotope classification for Britain and Ireland, vol 1, Littoral biotopes, version 97.06. JNCC, Peterborough
Connor DW, Allen JH, Golding N, Howell KL, Lieberknecht LM, Northen KO, Reker JB (2004) The marine habitat classification for Britain and Ireland, version 04.05. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, UK. www.jncc.gov.uk/MarineHabitatClassification (May 6, 2006)
den Hartog C (1959) The epilithic algal communities occurring along the coast of the Netherlands. Wentia 1:1–241
den Hartog C, Segal S (1964) A new classification of the water-plant communities. Acta Bot Neerl 13:367–393
Ducrotoy JP, Simpson SD (2001) Developments in the application of photography to ecological monitoring, with reference to algal beds. Aquatic Conserv Mar Freshw Ecosyst 11:123–135
Elejabeita Y, Reyes J, Afonso-Carrillo J (1992) Algas marinas bentónicas de Punta del Hidalgo, Tenerife (Islas Canarias). Vieraea 21:1–28
Hawkins SJ, Hartnoll RG (1983) Grazing of intertidal algae by marine invertebrates. Oceanogr Mar Biol 21:195–282
Hawkins SJ, Jones HD (1992) Marine field course guide, 1. Rocky shores. Marine Conservation Society, Immel Publishers, London
Hawkins SJ, Burnay LP, Neto AI, Cunha RT, Martins AMF (1990) A description of the zonation patterns of molluscs and other important biota on the south coast of São Miguel, Azores. Açoreana (suppl):21–38
Hiscock K (1983) Water movement. In: Earl R, Erwin DG (eds) The ecology of the shallow sublittoral benthos. Clarendon Press, Oxford
Hiscock K (ed) (1995) Classification of benthic marine biotopes of the north-east Atlantic. In Proceedings of a BioMar-Life workshop held in Cambridge, 16–18 November 1994. JNCC, Peterborough
Instituto Hidrográfico (1981) Roteiro do Arquipélago dos Açores. PUB. (N)-IH-128-SN, Lisbon
Koehl MAR (1986) Seaweeds in moving water: form and mechanical function. In: Givnish, TJ (ed) On the economy of plant form and function. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Lawson GW, Norton TA (1971) Some observations on the littoral and sublittoral zonation of Teneriffe (Canary Isles). Bot Mar 14:116–120
Little C, Kitching JA (1996) The biology of rocky shores. Oxford University Press Inc., New York
Levring T (1974) The marine algae of the archipelago of Madeira. Bol Mus Munic Funchal 28(125):5–111
Lewis JR (ed) (1972) The ecology of rocky shores. The English Universities Press Ltd., London
Littler MM, Littler DS (1980) The evolution of thallus form and survival strategies in benthic marine macroalgae: field and laboratory tests of a functional form model. Am Nat 116:25–44
Macedo FLWFM (2002) Biótopos do intertidal rochoso da ilha de São Miguel (Açores). Bsc Thesis. Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, unpublished
Martins GM, Wallenstein FFMM, Álvaro NV, Neto AI, Costa AC (2005) Sampling strategies for biotope definition: minimal sampling area for selected groups of macroinvertebrates in the rocky subtidal of São Miguel, Azores. Helgol Mar Res 59:219–223
Morton B, Britton JC, Martins AMF (eds) (1998) Coastal ecology of the Azores. Sociedade Afonso Chaves, Ponta Delgada
Mumby PJ, Harborne AR (1999) Development of a systematic classification scheme of marine habitats to facilitate regional management and mapping of Caribbean coral reefs. Biol Conserv 88:155–163
Neto AI (1992) Contribution to the taxonomy and ecology of the Azorean benthic marine algae. Biol J Linn Soc 46:163–176
Neto AI (1997) Studies on algal communities of São Miguel, Azores. PhD Thesis. Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, unpublished
Neto AI (2000a) Ecology and dynamics of two intertidal algal communities on the littoral of the Island of São Miguel (Azores). Hydrobiologia 432:135–147
Neto AI (2000b) Observations on the biology and ecology of selected macroalgae from the littoral of São Miguel (Azores). Bot Mar 43(5):483–498
Neto AI (2001) Macroalgal species diversity and biomass of subtidal communities of São Miguel (Azores). Helgol Mar Res 55:101–111
Neto AI, Tittley I (1995) Structure and zonation of algal turf communities on the Azores: a numerical approach. Bol Mus Munic Funchal Supp 4:487–504
Olenin S, Ducrotoy JP (2006) The concept of biotope in marine ecology and coastal management. Mar Pollut Bull 53:20–29
Pinedo SSM, Afonso-Carrillo J (1992) Algas marinas bentónicas de Puerto de la Cruz (antes Puerto Orotava), Tenerife (Islas Canarias). Vieraea 21:29–60
Pryor J (1967) Intertidal marine algae of São Jorge. Chelsea College Azores Expedition (July–October 1965), Final Report. Chelsea College, London
Reyes JSM, Afonso-Carrillo J (1994) Algas marinas bentónicas de El Médano, S Tenerife (Islas Canarias). Vieraea 23:15–42
Stewart JG (1989) Establisment, persistent and dominance of Corallina (Rhodophyta) in algal turf. J Phycol 25:436–446
Tittley I, Neto AI (2000) A provisional classification of algal-characterised rocky shore biotopes in the Azores. Hydrobiologia 440:19–25
Tittley I, Neto AI, Farnham WF (1998) Marine algae of Flores, Azores: ecology and floristics. Bol Mus Munic Funchal Suppl 5:463–479
Tittley I, Neto AI, Farnham WF, Parente MI (2001) Additions to the marine algal (seaweed) flora of the Azores. Bot Mar 44:215–220
Underwood AJ, Jernakoff P (1981) Effects of interactions between algae and grazing gastropods on the structure of a low-shore intertidal algae community. Oecologia 48:221–233
Wallenstein FFMM, Neto AI (2006) Rocky shore biotopes on the Island of São Miguel, Azores. Helgol Mar Res 60:196–206
Wallenstein FFMM, Neto AI, Álvaro NV, Tittley I (in press) Subtidal rocky shore communities of the Azores: developing a biotope survey methodology. J Coast Res (accepted April 12, 2006)
Zacharias MA, Roff JC (2000) A hierarquical ecological approach to conserving marine biodiversity. Conserv Biol 14:1327–1334
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Dr. Ian Tittley of the Natural History Museum (London), for general discussions, the firm NERUS for supplying a boat, skipper and some scuba gear when necessary, and João Brum and Pedro Raposeiro for helping with field work. This work was funded by the projects “POCTIMGS/54319/2002 – Biotope – Classification, Mapping and Modelling of Azores Littoral Biotopes” and “PARQMAR – Caracterização, ordenamento e gestão de áreas marinhas protegidas na Macaronésia – Os casos do Eco-Parque Marinho do Funchal (Madeira), Gran Canária e Tenerife (Canárias) e Santa Maria (Açores)”, and supported also by CIRN-Centro de Investigação de Recursos Naturais (FCT Portugal). The surveys performed in the present study comply with the current laws of Portugal.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wallenstein, F.M., Neto, A.I., Álvaro, N.V. et al. Algae-based biotopes of the Azores (Portugal): spatial and seasonal variation. Aquat Ecol 42, 547–559 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-007-9134-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-007-9134-y