Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Importance

Polydora ciliata, Mya truncata and solitary ascidians in variable salinity infralittoral mixed sediment.

SS.IMX.EstMx.PolMtru

<i>%Polydora ciliata%</i>, <i>%Mya truncata%</i> and solitary ascidians in variable salinity infralittoral mixed sediment.

SS.IMX.EstMx.PolMtru recorded () and expected () distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Habitat sensitivity

Physical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Substratum Loss	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	Moderate
Smothering	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Desiccation	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	Low
Decrease in water flow rate	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Low
Increase in temperature	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Low
Decrease in temperature	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Low
Increase in turbidity	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Decrease in turbidity	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Rise	Low
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	Low
Decrease in wave exposure	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Low
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Displacement	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	Low

Chemical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Heavy metal contamination	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Low
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Major decline	Low
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Low
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	Minor decline	Low
Changes in oxygenation	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	Minor decline	Moderate

Biological Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	High	Low		Low
Introduction of non-native species	High	High	Moderate	Minor decline	Low
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Polydora ciliata Important characterizing	Mya arenaria Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important characterizing	Ascidiella scabra Important other	Molgula manhattensis Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Tolerant	Intermediate	Low	Low	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Tolerant	Intermediate	Tolerant*	Low	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment			Low	Tolerant	Tolerant
Desiccation	Intermediate	Intermediate	Not relevant	Intermediate	Intermediate
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime			Tolerant	Tolerant*	Tolerant*
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Low
Decrease in water flow rate			Tolerant*	Low	Low
Increase in temperature	Low	Low	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in temperature			Low	Tolerant	Tolerant
Increase in turbidity	Tolerant	Low	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity			Tolerant	Tolerant*	Tolerant*
Increase in wave exposure	Low	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in wave exposure			Tolerant	Tolerant*	Tolerant*
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Low	Tolerant	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	High
Displacement	Low	Intermediate	Tolerant	High	High

Chemical factors

	Polydora ciliata Important characterizing	Mya arenaria Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important characterizing	Ascidiella scabra Important other	Molgula manhattensis Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Low	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	Low
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	High	Tolerant*	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	Low	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in salinity			Tolerant	Intermediate	Intermediate
Changes in oxygenation	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low

Biological factors

	Polydora ciliata Important characterizing	Mya arenaria Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important characterizing	Ascidiella scabra Important other	Molgula manhattensis Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Low	Insufficient information	Tolerant
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Tolerant	Tolerant
Extraction of this species	Low	Intermediate	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	High	Intermediate	Not relevant	Not relevant

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Polydora ciliata Important characterizing	Mya arenaria Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important characterizing	Ascidiella scabra Important other	Molgula manhattensis Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	Very high	Very high
Smothering	Not relevant	High	Immediate	Immediate	Very high
Increase in suspended sediment	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	Immediate	Immediate
Decrease in suspended sediment			Immediate	Not relevant	Not relevant
Desiccation	High	High	Not relevant	Very high	Very high
Increase in emergence regime	High	High	High	Very high	Very high
Decrease in emergence regime			Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	High	Immediate	Immediate
Decrease in water flow rate			Not relevant	Immediate	Immediate
Increase in temperature	High	Very high	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in temperature			Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in turbidity	Not relevant	Immediate	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity			Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	High	Very high	Very high
Decrease in wave exposure			Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	High	Not relevant	Immediate	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High	High	Very high	Very high
Displacement	High	High	Not relevant	Very high	Very high

Chemical factors

	Polydora ciliata Important characterizing	Mya arenaria Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important characterizing	Ascidiella scabra Important other	Molgula manhattensis Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	High	High	Very high	Immediate
Heavy metal contamination	High	High	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Moderate	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	High	High	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in salinity	High	Immediate	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity			Not relevant	Very high	Very high
Changes in oxygenation	High	Immediate	Very high	Immediate	Immediate

Biological factors

	Polydora ciliata Important characterizing	Mya arenaria Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important characterizing	Ascidiella scabra Important other	Molgula manhattensis Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Not relevant	High	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	High	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	High	High	Not relevant	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Tyler-Walters, H. 2002. Polydora ciliata, Mya truncata and solitary ascidians in variable salinity infralittoral mixed sediment.. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 25/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=114&code=1997>

for
Polydora ciliata, Mya truncata and solitary ascidians in variable salinity infralittoral mixed sediment.

for
SS.IMX.EstMx.PolMtru