Microbial films represent the site at which grazers exert their influence upon the recruitment of settling macroalgae and animals. The overall purpose of this study of seasonal and spatial variation in abundance and composition of epilithic microbial films was to relate such patterns to macrobenthic community dynamics within the Fucus-bar- nacle mosaic characteristic of moderately exposed rocky shores on the Isle of Man. Additionally selective grazing in Patella vulgata was examined by comparing dietary and epilithic microalgal assemblages and how this varied seasonally and spatially within the mosaic. Chlorophyll analysis was used as an index of microalgal standing crop while SEM allowed in situ estimation of microalgal abundance.
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Hill et al. (1991) studied this question.
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