Maerl beds: living gravel and why it matters

Maerl looks like pink gravel but is a living habitat that grows a fraction of a millimetre a year.

By Sample content (demo) October 20, 2026

See Celtic Sea in the geoportal Then switch on: Group 4: Maerl beds

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Living gravel

Maerl is made of free-living coralline red algae. The beds they form are a nursery for fish and shellfish and a refuge for many small invertebrates.

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Chapter

Scientific Insights

Level

Introductory · 5 min read

On the map

See Celtic Sea in the geoportal ↗

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