Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Zostera marina/angustifolia beds in lower shore or infralittoral clean or muddy sand

SS.SMp.SSgr.Zmar

Image Keith Hiscock - Current swept bed of Zostera marina. Image width ca 2 m in foreground.
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SS.SMp.SSgr.Zmar 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	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Moderate
Smothering	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Moderate
Increase in suspended sediment	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Low
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Minor decline	Very low
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Very low
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Decline	Low
Displacement	High	Low	High	Major decline	Low

Chemical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Heavy metal contamination	Low	High	Low	No change	Low
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Moderate
Increase in salinity	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low

Biological Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	Very low / none	Very High		High
Introduction of non-native species	Intermediate	Low	High	Minor decline	Low
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Decline	Low
Extraction of other species	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Decline	Low

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Zostera marina Key structural	Lacuna vincta Important structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important structural
Substratum Loss	High	High	High
Smothering	High	Intermediate	Intermediate
Increase in suspended sediment	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Tolerant	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	High	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	High	Intermediate	High
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low
Displacement	High	Tolerant	Tolerant

Chemical factors

	Zostera marina Key structural	Lacuna vincta Important structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important structural
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Low
Heavy metal contamination	Low	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	High	Tolerant	Low
Increase in salinity	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate

Biological factors

	Zostera marina Key structural	Lacuna vincta Important structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important structural
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	Insufficient information	High
Introduction of non-native species	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Intermediate	Intermediate	Tolerant

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Zostera marina Key structural	Lacuna vincta Important structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important structural
Substratum Loss		High	High
Smothering		High	Very high
Increase in suspended sediment	Moderate	Immediate	Not relevant
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	High	High	Immediate
Increase in emergence regime	High	High	Immediate
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Moderate	High	Very high
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Not relevant	High	Immediate
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity		Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure		High	High
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Moderate	High	Very high
Displacement	Low	Not relevant	Not relevant

Chemical factors

	Zostera marina Key structural	Lacuna vincta Important structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important structural
Synthetic compound contamination	Moderate	Insufficient information	Immediate
Heavy metal contamination	Very high	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Very high	High	Very high
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels		Not relevant	Immediate
Increase in salinity	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	Very high	High	Very high

Biological factors

	Zostera marina Key structural	Lacuna vincta Important structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important structural
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites		Insufficient information	High
Introduction of non-native species	Low	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Moderate	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Moderate	High	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Tyler-Walters, H. & Wilding, C.M. 2008. Zostera marina/angustifolia beds in lower shore or infralittoral clean or muddy sand. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 24/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=257&code=2004>

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Zostera marina/angustifolia beds in lower shore or infralittoral clean or muddy sand

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SS.SMp.SSgr.Zmar