Louise Firth1
1University College Cork, Ireland
Rock pools serve as biodiversity hotspots in intertidal zones, shaping global biogeographic patterns in unexpected ways. This global study examined biodiversity in intertidal microhabitats across 52 sites on six continents and three oceans. Biodiversity peaked at mid-latitudes and was lowest at lower latitudes, with rock pools consistently supporting greater species richness than adjacent emergent rock habitats. Unique taxa richness in rock pools increased with latitude, largely driven by autotrophs, particularly crustose coralline algae—a pattern absent on emergent rock. These findings challenge traditional Latitudinal Diversity Gradient models, highlighting the stabilising role of rock pools in temperate regions and their potential to function as ecological traps in low-latitude environments under extreme environmental conditions. By highlighting the impact of microhabitat-specific characteristics on biodiversity, this study enhances our understanding of biogeographic patterns and offers critical insights for conservation strategies in a rapidly changing world.
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).