Marine communities at Lundy - origins, longevity and change

• Published in: Biological journal of the Linnean Society Vol. 51; no. 1; pp. 183 - 188
• Main Author: Hiscock, Keith
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Science Ltd 1994; Blackwell
• Subjects: algae and seaweeds; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; community ecology; conservation areas; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; longevity; macroalgae; Marine; marine environment; Marine Nature Reserve - recruitment stability; marine science; northwest atlantic; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; recruitment; south west england; United Kingdom; Great Britain; North Atlantic; Europe; Atlantic Ocean; British Isles; Marine Nature Reserve - recruitment stability; Marine environment; Biocenosis; Algae; Population recruitment; Nature reserve; Population dynamics; Longevity; Invertebrata; Coastal zone; Thallophyta; Protected species
• ISSN: 0024-4066; 1095-8312
• DOI: 10.1006/bijl.1994.1015

The rich marine communities around Lundy, which include several species rarely encountered as far north as Britain, together with the isolated position of the island, led to its establishment as Britain's first statutory Marine Nature Reserve. Management of the reserve depends, in part, on knowledge about recruitment and longevity in the species of conservation importance. Preliminary results suggest many of the most interesting species are very long-lived, but recruit intermittently. Overall trends in their abundance are downwards. Whether this is part of a long-term pattern or a temporary downturn requires further study.