Table 7.
Mean ± s.d. of abiotic (seawater temperature and salinity) and biotic factors (cockle height and age) and the overall percentage of the presence of epiflora on the cockle shells at each sample site
| Mean ± s.d. | Cork Harbour | Youghal Bay | Dungarvan Harbour | Dundalk Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature (°C) | 11.8 ± 2.6 | 10.7 ± 2.9 | 12.2 ± 3.0 | 10.8 ± 4.2 |
| Salinity (PSU) | 33.6 ± 0.8 | 33.9 ± 0.03 | 33.9 ± 0.2 | 30.4 ± 0.5 |
| Height (mm) | 29.7 ± 7.8 | 27.3 ± 4.8 | 22.0 ± 4.5 | 29.6 ± 5.3 |
| Age (growth rings) | 3.6 ± 1.9 | 2.9 ± 1.7 | 1.7 ± 1.0 | 3.0 ± 1.6 |
| Epiflora (presence/absence) | 10.9% | 7.2% | 4.7% | 1.7% |
The largest value for each factor is highlighted in bold.