Studies of foraminifera associated with gelidium pristoides (turner) keutzing (gelidiales: rhodophyta)

Abstract

Our understanding of the macrofauna of hard intertidal substrata around South Africa is fairly comprehensive, and we have a good understanding of the environmental factors responsible for structuring macrofaunal communities (McQuaid & Branch, 1985; Bustamante et al., 1996; Emanuel et al., 1992). The same cannot be said for meiofaunal communities of rocky shores, which despite their neglect are known to play an important role in the functioning of many intertidal systems (Gibbons & Griffiths, 1986). While macrofauna may dominate rocky shores in terms of biomass, meiofauna are generally more abundant, and because they have faster turnover rates they make an important contribution to secondary production (Gibbons & Griffiths, 1986).