Enhancing stocks of the exploited limpet Patella candei d’Orbigny via modifications in coastal engineering

Published source details Martins G.M., Thompson R.C., Neto A.I., Hawkins S.J. & Jenkins S.R. (2010) Enhancing stocks of the exploited limpet Patella candei d’Orbigny via modifications in coastal engineering. Biological Conservation, 143, 203-211.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Create pit habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures Action Link

Create pit habitats (1–50 mm) on intertidal artificial structures

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2006–2007 on an intertidal seawall on open coastline in the Atlantic Ocean, Azores (Martins et al. 2010; same experimental set-up as Martins et al. 2016) found that creating pit habitats on the seawall increased abundances of recently-recruited and juvenile limpets Patella candei at one of two sites, but not adults. After four months, at one of two sites, recruits and juveniles were more abundant on surfaces with pits (3–6 limpets/surface) than without (0–1/surface). At the second site, no recruits were recorded and juvenile abundance was similar on surfaces with and without pits (both 0/surface). At both sites, adult abundance was statistically similar on surfaces with pits (2–8/surface) and without (0–3/surface). At the first site, recruits occupying pits were more abundant in high-density pits (4–6/surface) than low (1–2/surface), while adults occupying pits were more abundant in large pits (9–11/surface) than small (1–2/surface). Pit habitats were created by drilling into a basalt boulder seawall in November 2006. Arrays of large (diameter: 24 mm) and small (12 mm) round pits (depth: 10 mm) were evenly-spaced on 250 × 250 mm seawall surfaces with high (16 pits/array) or low (8/array) densities. There were five surfaces with each size-density combination and five without pits, randomly arranged at midshore in each of two sites along the seawall. Limpets were removed from surfaces when pits were created, then were counted on surfaces with and without pits during low tide after four months.

(Summarised by: Ally Evans)