Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Mytilus edulis and barnacles on very exposed eulittoral rock

LR.HLR.MusB.MytB

Image Anon. - Close view of Mytilus and dense barnacles covering rock surface. Image width ca XX cm.
Image copyright information

LR.HLR.MusB.MytB 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	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	High
Smothering	High	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Desiccation	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in emergence regime	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Low
Increase in water flow rate	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Decrease in water flow rate	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Increase in temperature	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in temperature	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Low
Increase in turbidity	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Decrease in turbidity	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Increase in wave exposure	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure	High	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	Moderate
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Displacement	High	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	Low

Chemical Factors

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

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	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Extraction of other species	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Low

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Semibalanus balanoides Key structural	Patella vulgata Key functional	Nucella lapillus Important functional	Palmaria palmata Important other	Corallina officinalis Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low	Intermediate
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low		Low	Tolerant
Desiccation	Low	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	High
Increase in emergence regime	Low	High	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime	Low			Tolerant
Increase in water flow rate	Low	Low	Low	Low	Intermediate	Low
Decrease in water flow rate	Low			Tolerant
Increase in temperature	Low	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature	Low			Low
Increase in turbidity	Tolerant	Low	Low	Tolerant	Low	Low
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant			Tolerant
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	Low	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low
Decrease in wave exposure	Intermediate			Intermediate
Noise	Tolerant*	Tolerant	Low	Tolerant	Not relevant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant*	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Not relevant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Low	Intermediate	Low
Displacement	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	Low

Chemical factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Semibalanus balanoides Key structural	Patella vulgata Key functional	Nucella lapillus Important functional	Palmaria palmata Important other	Corallina officinalis Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	High	High	Intermediate
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	High	Low
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	High	Intermediate	Low
Increase in salinity	Low	Low	Low	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in salinity	Low			Intermediate
Changes in oxygenation	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Insufficient information

Biological factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Semibalanus balanoides Key structural	Patella vulgata Key functional	Nucella lapillus Important functional	Palmaria palmata Important other	Corallina officinalis Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Low
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Not relevant	Intermediate	Not relevant	Intermediate	Intermediate
Extraction of other species	Low	Intermediate	Low	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Semibalanus balanoides Key structural	Patella vulgata Key functional	Nucella lapillus Important functional	Palmaria palmata Important other	Corallina officinalis Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	Low	High	High
Smothering	High	High	High	Immediate	High	Very high
Increase in suspended sediment	Immediate	Very high	High	Immediate	High	Very high
Decrease in suspended sediment	Immediate		High	Not relevant
Desiccation	Immediate	High	High	High	High	High
Increase in emergence regime	Very high	High	High	High	High	Very high
Decrease in emergence regime	Very high			Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	Very high	Very high	High	Very high	High	Very high
Decrease in water flow rate	Very high			Not relevant
Increase in temperature	Very high	High	High	High	High	High
Decrease in temperature	Very high			Very high
Increase in turbidity	Not relevant	Very high	Very high	Not relevant	Very high	Immediate
Decrease in turbidity	Not relevant			Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	High	High	High	Very high
Decrease in wave exposure	High			High
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High	Very high	Immediate	High	High
Displacement	High	High	High	High	High	High

Chemical factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Semibalanus balanoides Key structural	Patella vulgata Key functional	Nucella lapillus Important functional	Palmaria palmata Important other	Corallina officinalis Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	Moderate	High	Low	High	High
Heavy metal contamination	High	High	High	Very high	High	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Moderate	High	High	High	Very high
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	High	High	High	Low	High	Very high
Increase in salinity	Very high	High	High	Very high	High	High
Decrease in salinity	Very high			High
Changes in oxygenation	Very high	High	High	High	Immediate	Insufficient information

Biological factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Semibalanus balanoides Key structural	Patella vulgata Key functional	Nucella lapillus Important functional	Palmaria palmata Important other	Corallina officinalis Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	High	Insufficient information	High	Not relevant	Very high
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	High	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	High	High
Extraction of other species	Very high	High	High	Very high	High	High

This review can be cited as follows:

Tyler-Walters, H. 2002. Mytilus edulis and barnacles on very exposed eulittoral rock. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 20/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=203&code=2004>

for
Mytilus edulis and barnacles on very exposed eulittoral rock

for
LR.HLR.MusB.MytB