Grateloup's Tiny Weed (Grateloupia montagnei)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Non-vascular plant (incl. chromists) > alga > Alga |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | Dermocorynus montagnei |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Grateloupia montagnei |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (P.L.Crouan & H.M.Crouan) R.J.Wilkes, L.M.McIvor & Guiry, 2005 |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | Valid species and taxonomy is robust. Red listing not yet accepted, still being reviewed by JNCC. The publication is Brodie et al. (2023). |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Our red listing process shows it as DD but it is restricted to shallow subtidal gravel beds where its distribution is poorly known but vulnerable. JNCC required minor changes so it has not been officially accepted yet. The publication is Brodie et al., 2023. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Because this species is confined to shallow subtidal gravel beds, a vulnerable habitat type, and the range is not well known, research on range would be useful |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Because this species is confined to shallow subtidal gravel beds the habitat conservation to stop scallop dredging, mussel aquaculture and dredge spoil dumping would be beneficial |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 5. Remedial action identified |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Combination or other (detail in comments) |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | this species occurs in species-rich shallow gravel beds |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Research to establish english distribution would be beneficial
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Shallow sheltered gravel beds
Comments: The full distribution is still unknown but it is expected to be found where suitable habitat is found e.g. Studland. Costs potentially high
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.