Description of biotope or habitat type
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Sublittoral seagrass beds
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt), Variable (18-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Sheltered, Very sheltered, Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Medium to fine sandy muds |
| Zone | Infralittoral, Sublittoral fringe |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | Epifauna |
Download comparative physical and biological data. The comparative tables enable a rapid comparison of the species composition and principal physical characteristics between a given set of biotopes.
- Records used to define the biotope (core records)
- Other records assigned to this biotope, marked as 'certain'
- Other records assigned to this biotope, marked as 'uncertain'
- Predicted extent of the level 3 (for sublittoral rock & deep sea) or 4 (for sublittoral sediment) habitat
Point data based on records in the UK Marine Recorder Snapshot. Predicted habitat extent is from UKSeaMap.
Description
Beds of seagrass (Zostera subg. Zostera marina or Ruppia spp.) in shallow sublittoral sediments. These communities are generally found in extremely sheltered embayments, marine inlets, estuaries and lagoons, with very weak tidal currents. They may inhabit low, variable and full salinity marine habitats. Whilst generally found on muds and muddy sands they may also occur in coarser sediments, particularly marine examples of Zostera communities.
Situation
No situation data available.
Temporal variation
No temporal data available.
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zostera marina | 35 | Abundant | 61-80% |
| Chironomidae | 28 | Abundant | 41-60% |
| Baltidrilus costatus | 19 | Super abundant | 21-40% |
| Ruppia | 13 | Common | 21-40% |
| Mysidae | 6 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Arenicola marina | 5 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Carcinus maenas | 5 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Pygospio elegans | 4 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Idotea balthica | 3 | 21-40% | |
| Enchytraeidae | 3 | Common | 21-40% |
| Chorda filum | 3 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Tubificoides benedii | 3 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Capitella capitata | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Ectocarpaceae | 2 | Frequent | 1-20% |
| Ulva | 2 | Occasional | 1-20% |
| Hediste diversicolor | 2 | Super abundant | 1-20% |
| Lanice conchilega | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Nematoda | 1 | Common | 1-20% |
| Anemonia viridis | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Asterias rubens | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Saccharina latissima | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Nemertea | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 1 | Occasional | 1-20% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
Not applicable or unknown.
Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMp.SSgr | Sublittoral seagrass beds |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMp.SSgr | Sublittoral seagrass beds |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.IMS.Sgr | Seagrass beds (sublittoral / lower shore) |