Biodiversity & Conservation

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A widespread biotope which has been split into several related entities. The biotope is characterized by silt- and scour-tolerant species which occur in varying proportions around the country, but Flustra foliacea tends to dominate. This biotope is characteristic of silty rocky habitats, tending to be moderately exposed to wave action and with a moderate tidal flow which create the slight scour conditions (compared to silted rocky habitats in sheltered conditions). The species associated with and therefore characterizing the different Flustra biotopes vary from region to region, ranging from the relatively low species-rich MCR.Flu.Flu found on North Sea coasts to the similar but far richer biotopes with sponges and hydroids on the west of Britain and Irish Sea coasts (MCR.Flu.HByS). There are also several other related biotopes: these include the Urticina (MCR.Urt.Urt) and Ciocalypta (MCR.Urt.Cio) biotopes which occur at rock-sediment interfaces; ascidian-dominated biotopes with Flustra (MCR.StoPaur) and several other biotopes characterized by other slight scour-tolerant or turbid-water species such as Sabellaria spinulosa which include Flustra (MCR.Sspi and MCR.MolPol.Sab) and Alcyonidium diaphanum (MCR.SNemAdia). Only use this biotope if records do not fit into other categories. (Information taken from the Marine Biotope Classification for Britain and Ireland, Version 97.06: Connor et al., 1997a, b).

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