1989 Natural History Museum, Dorset sites only, Macrobenthos intertidal survey of chalk shores

All these records relate to "George, Tittley, Price (1989) Macrobenthos of chalk shores in the Isle of Wight, Dorset and Devon" A copy of the report is held at English Nature (Dorset Team). The British Museum (Natural History) was contracted by the Nature Conservancy Council to carry out a survey of the macrobenthos of chalk shores in the Isle of Wight, Dorset and Devon as part of a review of intertidal marine chalk exposures around the British coast. The fauna and flora present on open rock surfaces were recorded by direct observation, particular attention being given to patterns of zonation and biological assemblages. Many species were identified on site, with problematic material being preserved for later determination by specialists at the museum. A quantitative assessment was not made, although general observations on relative abundance were noted. Voucher specimens were collected for each of the species encountered, including algae. N.B. In the report, 11 chalk sites were studied in detail but only 4 of these were in Dorset. Only the 4 Dorset sites have been entered onto the Dorset Marine Biodiversity Database. Species records have been extracted from Table 2 (fauna) and Table 4 (flora) in the main report and then compared to the raw data sheets in the Appendix of the report to give the final species list. Any discrepancies between the two lists have been flagged up in the description section on the sample screen. Fauna have been attributed to zones, for further descriptions of these zones please refer back to paper report.