ormocerpohjaiset

Ormorcerpokset refers to a type of undersea ecosystem in the Baltic Sea, characterized by a distinctive arrangement of smooth surfaces and adherence to rock substrates. This ecosystem is home to various species of coralline algae, together forming a hard, layered structure often interpreted as a coral reef structure in a Baltic context.

The features found in ormorcerpokset communities result from the cooperative efforts of epiphytic algae adhering to and competing over smooth rock surfaces. In some systems the dominant algae may produce a rich epiphytic layer covering 80-100% of available surface: such a landscape setting is dense and extremely restricted in terms of current flow and nutrient access. The rock's surface orientation, composition and available amount of footing support intricate structures consisting of bent and very densely packed orchilla material centres, which generally border inaccessible crevices.

Ormorcerpokset dynamics embody several features critical for understanding coral-reef-like biodiversity growth, control and management at regional scale, since these may be used to estimate an improved change scenario over seasonal to centennial scale integration paradigms, such as predicting secondary geographical setting.