Common Maërl (Phymatolithon calcareum)
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: | Celtic Maerl |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Phymatolithon calcareum |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Pallas) W.H.Adey & D.L.McKibbin, 1970 |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | Valid species and taxonomy is robust. Recent molecular study (Jenkins et al 2021) shows Fal population to be genetically distinct. 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: | This species needs habitat protection as a principal component of maerl beds. 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 but 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.