Exposed circalittoral rock
Classification
Description
GB Distribution
Compiled by: Leigh Jones, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City
Road, Peterborough PE1 IJY, UK.
Derived, in part, from: the UK marine biotope classification (Connor et al.
1997b) and a review undertaken for the UK Marine SACs Project (Hartnoll 1998).
Classification
| Classification |
Code |
Biotope(s) |
| Europe (EUNIS Nov. 1999) |
A3.5 |
Circalittoral rock very exposed to wave action or currents
and tidal streams |
| Wadden Sea |
- |
Not present |
| Britain/Ireland (MNCR BioMar 97.06) |
ECR |
Exposed circalittoral rock |
| France (ZNIEFF-MER) |
IV.6 |
Part of Fonds durs : cailloutis, galets et roches. |
Description
Circalittoral rocky habitats subject to strong wave action or tidal currents and
supporting animal communities which are robust enough to survive in such strong water
movement. The fauna is generally low-lying faunal crusts, cushions and turfs but also
includes communities of the large soft coral Alcyonium digitatum. Included here are
habitats which occur in very strong tidal streams (ECR.BS) in tidal channels (sounds,
sealochs) as well as those found on wave exposed coasts (ECR.EFa, ECR.Alc), as there are
strong similarities in species composition in some cases.
GB Distribution
(from MNCR database March 1999)
Habitat requirements
Species composition and biodiversity
Ecological relationships
Sensitivity to human activities
Conservation and protection status
References
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