Fabulous but Forgotten Fucoid Forests.

Area of Science:

• Marine Ecology
• Phycology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Fucoid forests, dominated by Fucales brown seaweeds, are crucial marine foundation species.
• Like corals and kelps, fucoid forests provide essential ecological functions and ecosystem services.
• These vital habitats are threatened by anthropogenic stressors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the global recognition of fucoid forests in scientific literature and education.
• To highlight the ecological and societal importance of fucoid forests.
• To propose strategies for reducing the knowledge gap between fucoid forests and other well-known marine foundation species.

Main Methods:

• Citation analysis of scientific literature, textbooks, and databases (Google Scholar, Scopus).
• Review of recent reports and scientific reviews on seaweed forests.
• Comparative assessment of fucoid forest descriptions versus other marine foundation species.

Main Results:

• Fucoid forests are significantly underrepresented in scientific literature, textbooks, and reviews compared to other foundation species.
• This underrepresentation indicates a global "forgetting" of their ecological significance.
• Despite their importance, fucoid forests receive disproportionately less attention.

Conclusions:

• Fucoid forests are critically important marine ecosystems that are currently overlooked.
• There is a need to equate the importance of fucoid forests with better-known foundation species.
• Collaboration between researchers and communicators is essential to increase awareness and bridge the knowledge gap.