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Cornish Red Data (2009)

The descriptive text, below the map, is from the Cornish Red Data Book (2009). The map on this web page depicts the organisms distribution and shows the records made pre-2000 and those made since.

Lithothamnion corallioides - Common Maerl



Range & Status

Commonly found as unattached, profusely-branching, pinkish-red rhodoliths with blunttipped branches and as small fragments. More rarely found as attached, protuberant thalli on shells. Quite common in some locations in southern Britain and western Ireland. Large amounts of intact rhodoliths are present on the St. Mawes ' bank' side of the Falmouth Harbour and equally large amounts of fragmented thalli in Falmouth Bay. Smaller amounts have been recorded in the Helford Estuary, off Pedngwinian on the west side of The Lizard and at Porthgwarra and Sennen Coves in West Penwith. This species has suffered from ma\'ebrl\endash dredging operations in the Falmouth area in the past. It requires clean, clear, warm and sheltered water and is found in the lower intertidal to shallow subtidal. This species is on the UK List of Priority Species (2007).

Source:

I.J. Bennallick, S. Board, C.N. French, P.A. Gainey, C. Neil, R. Parslow, A. Spalding and P.E. Tompsett. eds. 2009. Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 2nd Edition.Croceago Press.

The Cornish Red Data Book Project was led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders (CISFBR). The full text and species accounts (minus the maps) are available on the CISFBR website.