MEPS 309:67-73 (2006)  -  doi:10.3354/meps309067

ABSTRACT: A survey was conducted at 6 bimonthly intervals on tidepools along the rocky shores of Zhifu Tombolo on the north-west coast of the Yellow Sea to determine if the size of tidepools (large, medium and small) determines their macroalgal richness, biomass, and species diversity. Larger tidal pools supported higher macroalgal richness, biomass, and species diversity (H’), and had well distributed macroalgal composition. The seasonal variation in Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta composition was similar in large and medium pools, but irregular in small pools, especially with respect to Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta. Patterns of variation in biomass of most macroalgal and total macroalgae taxa were similar in all 3 pool sizes with a peak in August. There was a common pattern of seasonal variation in the number of macroalgal species in all 3 pool sizes, with a peak in the number from April to June, but the number of Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta among pool sizes were different. Rhodophyta was the most common group across all pool sizes, and formed the largest biomass, followed by Phaeophyta, and lastly Chlorophyta. This study demonstrated that both pool size and season exert significant impacts on macroalgal species richness, biomass, and species diversity of tidepools.

KEY WORDS: Rocky intertidal · Tidepool · Macroalgae · China · Yellow Sea · Zhifu Tombolo