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Lookup NU author(s): Hannah Earp, Peter Almond, Harry Catherall, Dr Adam Gouraguine, Professor Pip MooreORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2024 The Authors. Kelp species function as important foundation organisms in coastal marine ecosystems where they provide biogenic habitat and ameliorate environmental conditions, often facilitating the development of diverse understorey assemblages. The structure of kelp forests is influenced by a variety of environmental factors, changes in which can result in profound shifts in ecological structure and functioning. Intense storm-induced wave action in particular, can severely impact kelp forest ecosystems. Given that storms are anticipated to increase in frequency and intensity in response to anthropogenic climate change, it is critical to understand their potential impacts on kelp forest ecosystems. During the 2021/22 northeast Atlantic storm season, the United Kingdom (UK) was subject to several intense storms, of which the first and most severe was Storm Arwen. Due to the unusual northerly wind direction, the greatest impacts of Storm Arwen were felt along the northeast coast of the UK where wind gusts exceeded 90 km/h, and inshore significant wave heights of 7.2 m and wave periods of 9.3 s were recorded. Here, we investigated temporal and spatial variation in the structure of L. hyperborea forests and associated understorey assemblages along the northeast coast of the UK over the 2021/22 storm season. We found significant changes in the cover, density, length, biomass, and age structure of L. hyperborea populations and the composition of understorey assemblages following the storm season, particularly at our most north facing site. We suggest continuous monitoring of these systems to further our understanding of temporal variation and potential recovery trajectories, alongside enhanced management to promote resilience to future perturbations.
Author(s): Earp HS, Smale DA, Almond PM, Catherall HJN, Gouraguine A, Wilding C, Moore PJ
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Marine Environmental Research
Year: 2024
Volume: 200
Print publication date: 01/09/2024
Online publication date: 20/07/2024
Acceptance date: 19/07/2024
Date deposited: 13/08/2024
ISSN (print): 0141-1136
ISSN (electronic): 1879-0291
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106652
DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106652
Data Access Statement: Data will be made available on request.
PubMed id: 39088885
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