Description of biotope or habitat type
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Offshore circalittoral coarse sediment
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Moderately exposed, Sheltered, Very sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Gravel and coarse sand. |
| Zone | Circalittoral |
| Depth Band | 20-30 m, 30-50 m, 50-100 m, 100-200 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | Infauna |
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
Offshore (deep) circalittoral habitats with coarse sands and gravel or shell. This habitat may cover large areas of the offshore continental shelf although there is relatively little quantitative data available. Such habitats are quite diverse compared to shallower versions of this habitat and generally characterised by robust infaunal polychaete and bivalve species. Animal communities in this habitat are closely related to offshore mixed sediments and in some areas settlement of Modiolus modiolus larvae may occur and consequently these habitats may occasionally have large numbers of juvenile M. modiolus. In areas where the mussels reach maturity their byssus threads bind the sediment together, increasing stability and allowing an increased deposition of silt leading to the development of the biotope SS.SBR.SMus.ModMx.
Situation
No situation data available.
Temporal variation
No temporal data available.
Characterising species
Characterising species data not applicable.
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.SCS.OCS | Offshore circalittoral coarse sediment |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SCS.OCS | Offshore circalittoral coarse sediment |
| 1997 (97.06) | Part of SS.COS | Circalittoral offshore sediments |