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Freely-draining sandy beaches, particularly on the upper and mid shore, which lack a macrofaunal community due to their continual mobility. Trial excavations are unlikely to reveal any macrofauna in these typically steep beaches on exposed coasts. Oligochaetes, probably mainly enchytraeids, and the isopod Eurydice pulchra may be found in extremely low abundances, but if present in any quantity should be classed as Ol or AmSco.Eur. Burrowing amphipods (Bathyporeia spp.) may be present on very rare occasions. Occasionally, other species may be left behind in low abundance by the ebbing tide.

Mobile clean sandy beaches on exposed and moderately exposed shores, with sediment grain sizes ranging from medium to fine, often with a fraction of coarser sediment. The sediment contains little or no organic matter, and usually no anoxic layer is present at all. It tends to be well-drained, retaining little water at low tide, though the sediment of the AmSco.Pon sub-biotope may remain damp throughout the tidal cycle. These beaches usually occur under fully marine conditions, though the AmSco.Eur sub-biotope may occur under moderately exposed lower estuarine conditions. The mobility of the sediment leads to a species-poor community, dominated by polychaetes, isopods and burrowing amphipods. Scolelepis spp. can tolerate well-drained conditions, and are often present in well-draining, coarser sand. Burrowing amphipods that often occur in this biotope include Bathyporeia spp., Pontocrates arenarius, and Haustorius arenarius. The isopod Eurydice pulchra is also often present. On semi-exposed beaches with a moderate tide range where there is a marked high-shore berm, there can be a marked seepage at the foot of the berm that probably carries the products of the organic matter derived from strand line breakdown. Here in a narrow zone, exceptionally high populations of Bathyporeia pilosa, sometimes above 10000 per square metre, may occur. The zone may be narrower than the strandline and could easily be missed on surveys were only a few levels are sampled. Three sub-biotopes are described for this biotope, based principally on differences in infaunal species composition.

A species-poor community of oligochaetes occurring in estuarine conditions where sands and gravel are associated with the lower shore river channel in estuaries. The sediment is relatively coarse and mobile due to strong river flow and subject to variable salinity. The biotope also occurs in fully marine conditions on open shores with mobile, medium to fine, usually clean, sand. Oligochaetes, including enchytraeid oligochaetes, constitute the infaunal assemblage. This biotope has been split into two sub-biotopes, based on the physical environment (a full-salinity and a variable salinity type).

Shores consisting of clean mobile sands (coarse, medium and some fine-grained), with little very fine sand, and no mud present. Shells and stones may occasionally be present on the surface. The sand may be duned or rippled as a result of wave action or tidal currents. The sands are non-cohesive, with low water retention, and thus subject to drying out between tides, especially on the upper shore and where the shore profile is steep. Most of these shores support a limited range of species, ranging from barren, highly mobile sands to more stable clean sands supporting communities of isopods, amphipods and a limited range of polychaetes. Species which can characterise mobile sand communities include Scolelepis (Scolelepis) squamata, Pontocrates arenarius, Bathyporeia pelagica, B. pilosa, Haustorius arenarius and Eurydice pulchra.

Mainly on the mid and lower shore on wave-exposed or moderately wave-exposed coasts of medium and fine sand, sometimes with a fraction of coarse sand, which remains damp throughout the tidal cycle and contains little organic matter. The sediment is often rippled and typically lacks an anoxic sub-surface layer. The infauna is dominated by burrowing amphipods, most notably Pontocrates arenarius, as well as Bathyporeia pelagica, Haustorius arenarius and the isopod Eurydice pulchra. The polychaete fauna is poor, dominated by Scolelepis (Scolelepis) squamata, which tolerates the exposed and mobile sediment conditions. The presence of polychaetes may be seen as coloured burrows running down from the surface of the sediment.

Exposed and moderately exposed shores of fully marine mobile clean sand, with particle sizes ranging from coarse to very fine. The sediment is not always well sorted, and may contain a subsurface layer of gravel or shell debris. Usually no anoxic layer is present. The mobility of the sediment leads to a species-poor community, dominated by the polychaetes Scolelepis (Scolelepis) squamata and S. foliosa. The amphipod Bathyporeia pilosa may be present. Further species that may be present in this sub-biotope include the amphipods B. pelagica and Haustorius arenarius, and the isopod Eurydice pulchra. The lugworm Arenicola marina may also occur.

A species-poor community of oligochaetes occurring in estuarine conditions where sands and gravel are associated with the lower shore river channel in estuaries. The sediment is relatively coarse and mobile due to strong river flow and subject to variable salinity. There is usually very little mud in the sediment. Oligochaetes, including enchytraeid oligochaetes, constitute the infaunal assemblage. Nemerteans may be present, and nematodes may be frequent.

A species-poor community of oligochaetes occurring in fully marine conditions on open shores with mobile, medium to fine, usually clean, sand. Oligochaetes, including enchytraeid oligochaetes, constitute the infaunal assemblage. On rare occasions individuals of polychaete or crustacean species may be encountered (e.g. Nephtys spp., Eurydice pulchra, Bathyporeia spp.), though these are not characterising for the biotope and if present in any significant abundance, the area should be classed as AmSco.

Well-draining beaches of medium- to fine-grained mobile sand, often (but not always) well sorted. Occasionally, a small fraction of coarse sand may be present. The biotope generally occurs on exposed open coasts, but sometimes in estuarine conditions, supporting populations of the isopod Eurydice pulchra and burrowing amphipods which frequently include Bathyporeia pilosa and Haustorius arenarius. The degree of drainage appears to be a critical factor in determining the presence of polychaetes, with only Scolelepis (Scolelepis) squamata capable of tolerating the well-drained sediments of this biotope. This biotope has two facies: drying upper and mid shore sands, and highly mobile lower shore and shallow sublittoral sand bars. Where this biotope occurs in estuarine conditions, H. arenarius is often highly abundant.