Picture taken on the 1st July 2007 at Aiguablava Club privat beach, Girona, Catalonia, on a granodiorite rock, close the sea, North oriented, vertical position, 0,4 m. altitude.
This lichen could be considered a maritime lichen living among cyanophiceae and Verrucaria amphibia.
Tephromela atra has different varieties. Tephromela atra var. atra is saxicolous and lives on siliceous rocks. Tephromela atra var. calcarea is calcicolous and Tephromela atra var. torulosa is epiphytal with very small apothecia (looking like a Lecanora o Rinodina sp).
See in "Italic" the different varieties.
Do not confuse Tephromela atra var. atra with Dirina massiliensis or Diplotomma alboatrum, sometimes present in the same areas.