| Biotope definition and code |
Environmental Characteristics |
Characterising species |
| Sparse fauna in infralittoral mobile clean sand (IGS.Mob) |
Full salinity Very exposed- Exposed
Moderately strong-weak tidal stream
Coarse sand
Infralittoral
0-10m depth range |
•Sparse infauna •Opportunistic
amphipods
•Sandeel Ammodytes spp.
•Epifauna e.g. Asterias rubens |
| Nephtys cirrosa and Bathyporeia spp.
in infralittoral sand (IGS.NcirBat) |
Full salinity Very exposed-Sheltered
Strong-weak tidal stream
Medium-fine sand
Infralittoral
0-30m depth range |
•Nephtys cirrosa •Bathyporeia
spp.
•Pontocrates spp.
(occasionally)
• Sandeel Ammodytes spp. |
| Dense Lanice conchilega and other
polychaetes in tide swept infralittoral sand (IGS.Lcon)
|
Full salinity Sheltered-extremely sheltered
Strong-moderately strong tidal stream
Coarse sand
Infralittoral
0-20m |
•Lanice conchilega •Scoloplos
conchilega
•Chaetozone setosa
•Arenicola marina |
| Fabulina fabula and Magelona mirabilis
with venerid bivalves in infralittoral compacted fine sand (IGS.FabMag) |
Full salinity Moderately exposed-sheltered
Weak tidal streams
Stable fine sands
Infralittoral
0-30m depth |
•Fabulina fabula •Magelona
mirabilis
•Ensis spp.
•Less stable community (IGS.Sell) Spisula elliptica |
| Nephtys cirrosa and fluctuating
salinity-tolerant fauna in reduced salinity infralittoral mobile sand (IGS.Ncir)
|
Reduced/low salinity Moderately
exposed-sheltered
Strong-moderately strong tidal stream
Sand (medium fine)
Infralittoral
0-10m |
•Nephtys cirrosa •Scoloplos
armiger
•Bathyporeia spp. |
| Neomysis integer and Gammarus spp.
in low salinity infralittoral mobile sand (IGS.NeoGam)
|
Reduced-low salinity Very
sheltered-extm.sheltered
Strong-mod.strong
Sand
Infralittoral
0-10m
Fluctuating low salinity: high biochemical oxygen demand |
•Neomysis integer •Gammarus
spp. |
| Sparse fauna in reduced salinity infralittoral
mobile sand (IGSMobRS) |
Reduced/low salinity Sheltered-extremely
sheltered
Very strong-moderately strong tidal stream
Very fine sand
Infralittoral
0-10m |
•Sparse fauna •Bathyporeia spp.
•Haustorius arenarius |
