Maerl

Maerl (also rhodolith) is a collective name for non-geniculate coralline red algae with a certain growth habit.[1] Maerl grows at a rate of c. 1 mm per year.[2] It accumulates as unattached particles and forms extensive beds in suitable sublittoral sites.[3] The term maerl originally refers to the branched growth form of Lemoine (1910)[4] and rhodolith is a sedimentological or genetic term for both the nodular and branched growth forms (Basso et al., 2015).[5]