Epibenthic Assessment of a Renewable Tidal Energy Site

Table 4

The ten taxa from frame grab analysis with the greatest abundance where rock, boulders and cobbles, and sand were the dominant habitat type. Data are percentage of frames containing each taxa for each habitat type (%). Gravel and pebbles were excluded as they did not dominate the habitat in any frame.

Rock		Boulders and Cobbles		Sand
Taxa	Percentage	Taxa	Percentage	Taxa	Percentage
Turf	72.17	Hydroids (grouped)	72.73	Hydroids (grouped)	20.00
Hydroids (grouped)	65.41	Turf	65.16	Red algae	20.00
Encrusting sponge 1	61.77	Pomatoceros triqueter	50.19	Encrusting sponge 4	15.00
Pomatoceros triqueter	51.77	Encrusting sponge 4	31.32	Turf	15.00
Encrusting sponge 2	50.10	Flustra foliacea	28.05	Alcyonium digitatum	5.00
Encrusting sponge 4	33.54	Encrusting sponge 1	26.40	Ammodytes tobianus	5.00
Encrusting sponge 3	33.33	Encrusting sponge 2	25.58	Calliostoma zizyphinum	5.00
Nemertesia antennina	30.00	Nemertesia antennina	24.63	Dendrodoa grossularia	5.00
Alcyonium digitatum	25.20	Pentapora fascialis	20.15	Halecium halecinum	5.00
Red algae	23.74	Alcyonium digitatum	19.71	Nemertesia antennina	5.00