Description of biotope or habitat type
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Submerged fucoids, green or red seaweeds (low salinity infralittoral rock)
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Reduced (18-30ppt), Low (<18ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Bedrock, boulders, cobbles, pebbles |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m |
| Other Features |
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
Very shallow submerged rocky habitats in lagoons, subject to reduced or permanently low salinity conditions. These particular conditions lead to a variety of seaweed-dominated communities, which include fucoids and green filamentous species. The fucoids, more typical of intertidal habitats, penetrate into the subtidal under the reduced salinity conditions which are not tolerated by kelps.
Situation
No situation data available.
Temporal variation
Unknown
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fucus ceranoides | 14 | Common | 21-40% |
| Fucus serratus | 13 | Common | 41-60% |
| Ulva intestinalis | 12 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Ectocarpaceae | 8 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Fucus vesiculosus | 7 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Mysidae | 5 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Carcinus maenas | 4 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Ascophyllum nodosum | 3 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Chorda filum | 3 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Cladophora rupestris | 3 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Littorina littorea | 3 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Corallinaceae | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Mytilus edulis | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Polyides rotunda | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Chondrus crispus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Mastocarpus stellatus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
Not applicable or unknown.