Abstract
On the moderately exposed tropical SW coast of Curaqao (Netherlands Antilles) the encrusting brown alga Lobophora variegata (Lamouroux) Womersley occurs in a narrow belt in the intertidal zone just above the mean sea level. We studied seasonal fluctuations in cover, the influence of grazers, recovery from storm damage and competitive interactions with other algae. Near the upper Limit of distribution, fluctuations in cover were observed whlch paralleled seasonal fluctuations in tidal levels, but lower down, cover remained more or less constant. Grazing did not affect cover or vertical distribution, nor were the L. variegata crusts being overgrown by upright algae in the absence of grazers. L. variegata recovered quickly from denudation after a storm, and competition with other algae was slight. Dominance of this species over upright algae is attributed to successful adaptation to physical stress (dessication, wave force).
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