Southern maerl (Lithothamnion corallioides)
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: | Coral Maërl |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Lithothamnion corallioides |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (P.L.Crouan & H.M.Crouan) P.L.Crouan & H.M.Crouan, 1867 |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | In GB this species seems robustly delineated although In Europe other maerl species are observed. 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 VU. 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: | No |
| Justification: | This species needs habitat protection as a principal component of maerl beds so we agree it fails to meet the criteria |
| 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: | By protection of maerl beds to ensure their structural integrity |
Species Assessment
Not relevant as no Key Actions defined.
Key Actions
No Key Actions Defined
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.