Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Ophiothrix fragilis and/or Ophiocomina nigra beds on slightly tide-swept circalittoral rock or mixed substrata

CR.MCR.EcCr.CarSp.Bri

Image Bernard Picton - Ophiothrix fragilis and/or Ophiocomina nigra beds on slightly tide-swept circalittoral rock or mixed substrata. Image width ca 1 m.
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CR.MCR.EcCr.CarSp.Bri 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	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Desiccation	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Increase in emergence regime	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Decrease in emergence regime	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in water flow rate	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in temperature	Low	High	Low	No change	Low
Decrease in temperature	Low	High	Low	No change	Low
Increase in turbidity	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Moderate
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Displacement	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	Minor decline	High

Chemical Factors

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

Biological Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Low	High	Low		Moderate
Introduction of non-native species	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Moderate
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Extraction of other species	Tolerant*	Very high	Not sensitive*	No change	Moderate

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Ophiothrix fragilis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing	Urticina felina Important characterizing
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	High	Low	Intermediate	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment				Tolerant*
Desiccation	Intermediate	High	Not relevant	Intermediate
Increase in emergence regime	Not relevant	Tolerant	Not relevant	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime				Tolerant*
Increase in water flow rate	Low	Intermediate	Tolerant*	Tolerant
Decrease in water flow rate			Intermediate	Intermediate
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	High	Low	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature		Low	Low	Intermediate
Increase in turbidity	Low	Low	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity				Tolerant
Increase in wave exposure	Low	Intermediate	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in wave exposure		Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Noise	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	Tolerant	Low	High	Low

Chemical factors

	Ophiothrix fragilis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing	Urticina felina Important characterizing
Synthetic compound contamination	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	High	Low	Low
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	Low	Low	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	Low	High	Intermediate	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity				Low
Changes in oxygenation	High	High	High	Intermediate

Biological factors

	Ophiothrix fragilis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing	Urticina felina Important characterizing
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Low	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Tolerant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Extraction of other species	Tolerant	Low	Intermediate	Tolerant

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Ophiothrix fragilis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing	Urticina felina Important characterizing
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	Moderate
Smothering	High	Very high	High	Very high
Increase in suspended sediment	Very high	High	Very high	Very high
Decrease in suspended sediment				Not relevant
Desiccation	High	High	Not relevant	Moderate
Increase in emergence regime	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Moderate
Decrease in emergence regime				Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	Very high	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in water flow rate			High	Moderate
Increase in temperature	High	High	High	High
Decrease in temperature		High	High	High
Increase in turbidity	Very high	Very high	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity				Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	Very high	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in wave exposure		High	High	High
Noise	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High	High	Moderate
Displacement	Not relevant	Immediate	High	Immediate

Chemical factors

	Ophiothrix fragilis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing	Urticina felina Important characterizing
Synthetic compound contamination	Not relevant	High	High	Moderate
Heavy metal contamination	Not relevant	High	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	High	High	Very high
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	High	High	High	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	High	High	High	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity				Very high
Changes in oxygenation	High	High	High	High

Biological factors

	Ophiothrix fragilis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing	Urticina felina Important characterizing
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	High	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Moderate
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	High	High	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Hill, J.M. 2001. Ophiothrix fragilis and/or Ophiocomina nigra beds on slightly tide-swept circalittoral rock or mixed substrata. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 18/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=278&code=2004>

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Ophiothrix fragilis and/or Ophiocomina nigra beds on slightly tide-swept circalittoral rock or mixed substrata

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CR.MCR.EcCr.CarSp.Bri