Association with Sargassum vulgare

Description (English)

This association is characterised by the brown alga Sargassum vulgare, living in pure waters with strong luminosity. The Sargassum vulgare association, described for the first time in Syria, achieves maximum development in rough, shady biotopes, up to 3 meters down. It grows on substrata whose slopes vary from the subvertical to the horizontal. At surface level, it forms, with Cystoseira compressa or Cystoseira amentacea, a dense belt whose substratum is made up of sciaphilous flora. At about 3 meters deep, it is accompanied by Cystoseira barbatula and Cystoseira crinita. In the eastern Mediterranean Sargassum trichocarpum is also found, going down into the lower infralittoral and the circalittoral. This association replaces the association with Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta in areas with moderately strong wave action.

Source: EUNIS habitat classification