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dc.contributor.authorFirth, Louise
dc.contributor.authorThompson, Richard
dc.contributor.authorWhite, FJ
dc.contributor.authorSchofield, M
dc.contributor.authorSkov, MW
dc.contributor.authorHoggart, SPG
dc.contributor.authorJackson, J
dc.contributor.authorKnights, Antony
dc.contributor.authorHawkins, SJ
dc.date.accessioned2015-07-02T07:45:36Z
dc.date.available2015-07-02T07:45:36Z
dc.date.issued2013-10
dc.identifier.issn1366-9516
dc.identifier.issn1472-4642
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/3404
dc.description.abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Aim</jats:title><jats:p>Artificial coastal defence structures are proliferating in response to rising and stormier seas. These structures provide habitat for many species but generally support lower biodiversity than natural habitats. This is primarily due to the absence of environmental heterogeneity and water‐retaining features on artificial structures. We compared the epibiotic communities associated with artificial coastal defence structures and natural habitats to ask the following questions: (1) is species richness on emergent substrata greater in natural than artificial habitats and is the magnitude of this difference greater at mid than upper tidal levels; (2) is species richness greater in rock pools than emergent substrata and is the magnitude of this difference greater in artificial than natural habitats; and (3) in artificial habitats, is species richness in rock pools greater at mid than upper tidal levels?</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Location</jats:title><jats:p>British <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>sles.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Standard non‐destructive random sampling compared the effect of habitat type and tidal height on epibiota on natural rocky shores and artificial coastal defence structures.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Natural emergent substrata supported greater species richness than artificial substrata. Species richness was greater at mid than upper tidal levels, particularly in artificial habitats. Rock pools supported greater species richness than emergent substrata, and this difference was more pronounced in artificial than natural habitats. Rock pools in artificial habitats supported greater species richness at mid than upper tidal levels.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Main conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Artificial structures support lower biodiversity than natural habitats. This is primarily due to the lack of habitat heterogeneity in artificial habitats. Artificial structures can be modified to provide rock pools that promote biodiversity. The effect of rock pool creation will be more pronounced at mid than upper tidal levels. The challenge now is to establish at what tidal height the effect of pools becomes negligible and to determine the rock pool dimensions for optimum habitat enhancement.</jats:p></jats:sec>

dc.format.extent1275-1283
dc.languageen
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.subjectArtificial coastal defence structures
dc.subjectbiodiversity
dc.subjectclimate change
dc.subjectenvironmental heterogeneity
dc.subjectrock pool
dc.subjecttidal height
dc.titleThe importance of water‐retaining features for biodiversity on artificial intertidal coastal defence structures
dc.typejournal-article
plymouth.author-urlhttps://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000324019000006&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=11bb513d99f797142bcfeffcc58ea008
plymouth.issue10
plymouth.volume19
plymouth.publication-statusPublished
plymouth.journalDiversity and Distributions
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/ddi.12079
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Faculty of Science and Engineering
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Faculty of Science and Engineering/School of Biological and Marine Sciences
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA/UoA07 Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Research Groups
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Research Groups/Marine Institute
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Users by role
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Users by role/Academics
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Users by role/Researchers in ResearchFish submission
dc.identifier.eissn1472-4642
dc.rights.embargoperiodNot known
rioxxterms.versionofrecord10.1111/ddi.12079
rioxxterms.licenseref.urihttp://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Review


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