Distribution Patterns of Benthic Microalgae Across Differently Exposed Rocky Shore Habitats

In other words, the importance of the benthic microalgae as components of rock shore ecosystems functioning, nutrient cycles, photosynthesis, and food webs can hardly be overestimated. On the other hand, there are great differences in the distribution patterns of these species in the rocky shore environments subjected to different degrees of wave exposure, tides, desiccation, and other factors. The importance of the investigation of these processes for the understanding of coastal ecosystem health and ecological changes caused by environmental factors cannot be underestimated. The necessity of the research appears because of the lack of knowledge about the effect of contrasting exposure conditions on the abundance, diversity, and structure of benthic microalgal communities. The originality of this study is connected with the comprehensive investigation of habitat exposure, physicochemical properties, and microalgal community distribution in the ecological comparison. The suggested research method implies the selection of the rocky shore habitats characterized by high, moderate, and low exposure. Statistical techniques, such as diversity indices, correlation studies, and multivariate analyses, will be employed to explore possible connections between environmental factors and the distribution of microalgae. The study is anticipated to show variations between exposure groups in terms of microalgal density, richness, and communities. This discussion will consider the impact of waves, moisture, substratum stability, and nutrient availability from an ecological perspective. This research is going to serve as a baseline for further ecological exploration of microalgae on rocky shores.