Britain's important seaweed hotspots identified

Paul Eccleston, The Telegraph 30 Jan 08;

Britain's seaweed hotspots have been identified for the first time. Scientists have pinpointed the most important sites for different native species of seaweeds and freshwater algae.

Dismissed as weed and slime by most people they are used extensively in fertilisers and cosmetics and have the potential to help in the treatment of human illnesses including cancer.

Because of its position on the Atlantic the UK's seashores have a variety of species which in turn support a rich communities of wildlife.

A joint report from Plantlife, the British Phycological Society and the Natural History Museum is the first step in identifying the prime sites so they can be protected and conserved.

The report's authors, Dr Juliet Brodie and Dr David John from the Natural History Museum, say the UK is home to very rare species and unusual algal habitats and more needs to be known about them.

"This report brings together an immense wealth of knowledge from the UK's algal experts, some of which has not been documented before," said Dr Brodie. "Identifying and then recognising the importance of these important algal sites is crucial."

Dr John said: "Our position on the Atlantic seaboard makes the UK one of the richest areas in Europe for seaweeds and freshwater algae.

However, the algae in freshwater sites are often vulnerable to degradation by nutrient enrichment and other pollutants, while threats to marine habitats include coastal development, dredging and fish farming, so there is a need to safeguard the diversity of all these special algal sites."

"For seaweeds, nine sites around the UK are listed as being of international importance, with sites including Falmouth and Helford in Cornwall, Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire, the Isle of Cumbrae off the Scottish coast and Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. These seaweed diversity hotspots are also included in a longer list of 55 sites nominated as being of national importance.

There are six sites of international importance for the freshwater green algae known as desmids - four in the Lake District, one in the St Just area of Cornwall, and one in Sutherland. A further 12 sites are nominated as being of national importance for desmids, and another 27 potential sites for desmids and freshwater algae in general are listed as needing additional data.

"Whilst it is important to conserve these sites for their biodiversity value alone, they also have potential for future human exploitation," said Dr Brodie.

"Seaweeds are used commercially as food and have many other uses, including in fertilisers, cosmetics, as biofuels and potentially as treatments for human ailments such as cancer and high cholesterol."

"Desmids - beautiful microscopic green algae - are characteristic of acidic standing water bodies that abound in northerly and westerly parts of the British Isles," said Dr John. "They often dominate the plankton in these habitats and are therefore important as the base of the food web."

Dr Deborah Long, Plantlife Scotland's Conservation Officer, said: "This new report is a great tool. We now know where the really important sites are and why they are important. This is the sort of information that helps us identify appropriate site management and also to recognise when activities could be detrimental.

"The UK is hugely rich in algae, both the seaweeds around the coast and the algae in our freshwater pools and lochs, and we hope this report will make more people aware of this."