The assemblages of groynes in relation to substratum age, aspect and microhabitat

Despite the long history of urbanisation of the coastal environment, there remains very little understanding of the impact of such construction on the ecology of intertidal habitats. Rock rubble groynes are becoming the favoured approach to reduce beach erosion in Dorset, England. This study investigated the assemblages of 10 rock rubble groynes over a 2-year period, taking four factors into account: age of the groyne (<1 year, 2 years, 6 years and 7 years old), tidal height (high shore versus low shore), groyne aspect (east versus west side) and microhabitat (open rock versus rockpool). The age of the groyne, tidal height and microhabitat were significant factors in the composition of the assemblage. The groyne aspect, however, did not significantly influence community composition. These findings are discussed and related to succession and community development theory.