48 J. H. PRICE, I. TITTLEY & W. D. RICHARDSON 



North-eastern (landward-facing) coast: Lancelot (1961), from Pointe de la Conche to Pointe de 

 Gilberge occur rocks, bordering the littoral and surrounding small beaches in sheltered circum- 

 stances, with Padina; also recorded at Ker-Chalon, Port-Joinville (common), and Anse de Broches 

 (rather common). 

 South-western (ocean-facing) coast: Lancelot (1961), Anse du [Vieux-] Chateau, common. 



fie de Re : Beauchamp (192 1), south coast, from Pointe des Baleines to Pointe de Chanchardon, 

 wide sheltered intertidal with Padina in very flat hollows formed from the junction of rock layers; 

 Beauchamp (1923), (i) in rocky facies, pools between the higher fucoids, (ii) non-rocky facies, in 

 meadows and mussel beds, just north of Baleines lighthouse, west end of the island, with rich 

 Padina in large F. vesiculosus-\e\Q\ pool, less well-developed population grows just to east of entry 

 to Fier d'Ars, mid-north shore; Hamel (1939) (Lami). 



North-eastern (landward-facing) coast: Lancelot (1961), common along the corridor-traversed 

 rocky foreshore at Pointe du Lizay and along Cote des Portes, in flat pools on the rocky platform. 

 North-western point: Lancelot (1961), common in littoral pools on the long, wide rocky platform 

 below the sands at the Pointe des Baleines, most wave-beaten point of the island, spring, summer, 

 autumn. 



South-western (seaward-facing) coast: Lancelot (1961), large plants common along walls of 

 fish-ponds in slight sand deposit away from outflow points, rocky shore at Pointe de Chanchardon, 

 near southern tip of island, between villages of La Noue and Sainte-Marie. 



lie d' Oleron : 



South-western (seaward-facing) coast: Lancelot (1961), Pointe de Chassiron, Domino, La 

 Cotiniere, rather common. 



Lancelot (1961) described the physical environment of the whole area, including islands, 

 between the estuaries of the Loire and the Gironde. He recognised (i) a northern (crystalline) 

 rocky coast that terminates in the south at the outfall of the Mine, near St-Jean-des-Orbetieres; 

 sandy and muddy deposits occur, mainly in the bay between lie de Noirmoutier and Pornic, and 

 at intervals between St- Jean-de-Monte and St-Jean-des-Orbetieres; (ii) a southern (calcareous) 

 rocky coast, more eroded than area (i), but with many detrital areas abutting rocky shores; (iii) 

 the inshore islands of Noirmoutier, Re, and Oleron, with general shore environment similar to the 

 nearby mainland; and (iv) lie d'Yeu, further from the mainland, which has its own special coastal 

 characteristics. Few of the Padina data derive from the mainland; the usual fascination for islands 

 has resulted in the alga being best known on Noirmoutier, Yeu, Re, and Oleron. Although else- 

 where (in Morbihan and Finistere) records of Padina exist from similar environments to those 

 along Loire Atlantique, in the latter Le Croisic is the only locality for which data are available. 

 Published records from Le Croisic (1883-1975) are clearly all primary; they derive mainly from 

 visits by phycologists to the Laboratoire de Biologic Marine du Croisic, which functioned over 

 many years. On Padina, they are rather cryptic, only Flahault (1889) giving even an idea of the 

 habitat. No real idea of phenology can be gained from the few records, since the collections prob- 

 ably again reflect phycologists' periodicity, not that of the algae. The collection dates suggest 

 similarity to the phenology on adjacent shores to the north. No conclusion is possible on the basis 

 of the even fewer mainland records from Vendee and Charente Maritime. 



Lancelot (op. cit.) indicates that the eastward-facing island coasts are generally more sheltered 

 than the westward-facing; the latter are at least exposed, in the case of the north-western tips very 

 exposed, to strong wave-action. Clearly there is a range of different exposures along both sheltered 

 and exposed coasts, depending on local and overall aspects; Lancelot considers that in detail. 

 Although exceptions exist, the main rocky outcrops and platforms on all the islands are on the 

 northern- and western-facing coasts, which probably explains why Padina records derive mostly 

 from the exposed rocky shores, in shelter of pools, rather than from more sheltered eastern 

 coasts. The cases (lie d' Yeu; lie de Re) where records exist for landward-facing shores both in- 

 volve the northern stretches in unusually rocky conditions. 



