Louise B. Firth1, Charlotte Clubley2, Alex McGrath2, Paul Gribben3, Stephen J. Hawkins2,4, Antony M. Knights1
1University College Cork, Ireland - 2University of Plymouth, UK - 3University of New South Wales, Australia - 4University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, UK
Limpets are often recognised as important players in shaping benthic ecosystems through their grazing. However, their shells are much more than simple shelters—they serve as microhabitats for a diverse community of algae and other species. This poster explores how limpets, especially Patella ulyssiponensis, not only consume algae but also facilitate their growth by providing refuge for algae from their grazing competitors. In this "Beauty and the Beast" inspired poster, I reveal how the shells of limpets are island ecosystems for algal epibionts—essentially hosting guests that thrive in the protection of their "castle." When limpets are abundant on rocky shores, they often graze away the majority of algae, leaving only the most resistant species behind. However, in the presence of P. ulyssiponensis, algae flourish on their shells, as a result of aggressive behaviour by the limpet, which limits mutual grazing on their shells by other individuals - a form of associational defence. In contrast, other limpet species like Patella vulgata and Patella depressa are less important in facilitating algae, but shells of P. vulgata provide crucial refuge for smaller limpets from competitive pressures on the primary rock substrate. This creates unique "limpet islands" that support diverse algal communities. These findings challenge our understanding of limpets as mere grazers and instead position them as habitat-forming ecosystem engineers that host and protect diverse communities. The implications of these interactions go beyond theoretical ecology, shedding light on how habitat modifications by mobile organisms can shape ecosystems in unexpected ways, with potential impacts on wildlife management in a rapidly changing world.
Come visit my poster and discover the hidden life of limpet shells and the fascinating role they play on temperate reefs - just like the castle of a Disney classic, these shells are more than they appear!
Biography
Louise Firth is a marine ecologist who works in both natural and artificial coastal environments. She is interested in the relationship between humans and coastal ecosystems (Marine Community Ecology) and how this relationship has changed over time (Historical Ecology). She is particularly interested in developing novel ways of making space for nature in human-dominated environments (Eco-Engineering).