Sheltered 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) |
A3.7 |
Circalittoral rock sheltered from wave action & currents
including tidal streams |
| Wadden Sea |
- |
- |
| Britain/Ireland (MNCR BioMar 97.06) |
SCR |
Sheltered circalittoral rock |
| France (ZNIEFF-MER) |
IV.6 |
Part of Fonds durs : cailloutis, galets et roches. |
Description
Circalittoral rock or mixed substrata, sheltered from wave action and from significant
tidal currents. The still nature of the habitat is usually accompanied by silty conditions
and the rock is often well grazed and dominated by encrusting algae (Aglaozonia, Pseudolithoderma
extensum, coralline crusts). The larger solitary ascidians (Ascidia spp., Ascidiella
spp., Corella parallelogramma and Ciona intestinalis) are prominent in many
of the biotopes. The brachiopods Neocrania anomala and Terebratulina retusa
are particularly characteristic of such sheltered rock.
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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