Biodiversity & Conservation

Laminaria saccharina and/or Saccorhiza polyschides on exposed infralittoral rock

IR.EIR.KFaR.LsacSac

EIR.LsacSac

Image Paul Brazier - Saccharina latissima and/or Saccorhiza polyschides on exposed infralittoral rock. Image width ca XX m.
Image copyright information

Distribution map

IR.EIR.KFaR.LsacSac recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

  • EC_Habitats

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

Recorded from the west coast of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland with one recorded occurrence in southeast Scotland.

Habitat preferences

Temperature range preferences - Possibly for low temperatures (see additional information).

Water clarity preferences - Very high clarity / Very low turbidity
High clarity / Low turbidity
Medium clarity / Medium turbidity
Low clarity / High turbidity

Limiting Nutrients - No information found

Other preferences - Areas subject to scour.

Additional information

The biotope is characteristic of seasonally unstable or scoured infralittoral rock. The biotopes classification (Connor et al. 1997a and JNCC, 1999) suggest that the biotope is restricted to Scotland but suitable habitats most likely occur elsewhere where it might have been identified as MIR.SedK.Sac (Saccorhiza polyschides and other opportunistic kelps on disturbed sublittoral fringe rock), which occurs mainly in southwest Britain. However, restriction of the mapped distribution to Scotland suggests that the biotope is one that occurs in cold waters.

This review can be cited as follows:

Hiscock, K. 2002. Laminaria saccharina and/or Saccorhiza polyschides on exposed infralittoral rock. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 22/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatpreferences.php?habitatid=237&code=1997>