Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Laminaria saccharina, Chorda filum and dense red seaweeds on shallow unstable infralittoral boulders or cobbles

IR.MIR.SedK.LsacChoR

Image Keith Hiscock - Saccharina latissima, Chorda filum and dense red seaweeds on shallow unstable infralittoral boulders or cobbles. Image width ca 1m in foreground.
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IR.MIR.SedK.LsacChoR 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	High
Smothering	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Moderate
Desiccation	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Increase in emergence regime	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	Rise	High
Increase in water flow rate	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in water flow rate	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in temperature	Low	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in temperature	Low	High	Low	No change	Moderate
Increase in turbidity	Low	High	Low	No change	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	Rise	Moderate
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Moderate
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	No change	Moderate
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	No change	Moderate
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low	Major decline	Moderate
Displacement	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate

Chemical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	No change	Low
Heavy metal contamination	Low	High	Low	No change	Low
Hydrocarbon contamination	Low	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Changes in oxygenation	Low	High	Low	Minor decline	Very low

Biological Factors

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

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Lithophyllum incrustans Important characterizing	Delesseria sanguinea Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	High	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Tolerant	Low	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment		Tolerant	Tolerant*
Desiccation	High	High	High	High
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	High	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime		Tolerant*	Tolerant
Increase in water flow rate	Low	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate
Decrease in water flow rate		High	Low
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant	Low
Decrease in temperature		Low	Tolerant
Increase in turbidity	Low	Low	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity		Tolerant*	Tolerant*
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in wave exposure		Not relevant	Low
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	Intermediate	High	Low	High

Chemical factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Lithophyllum incrustans Important characterizing	Delesseria sanguinea Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Low	Insufficient information	High	High
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Low
Hydrocarbon contamination	Low	Insufficient information	High	High
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Low
Increase in salinity	High	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Low
Decrease in salinity		Low	Intermediate
Changes in oxygenation	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	High

Biological factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Lithophyllum incrustans Important characterizing	Delesseria sanguinea Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Intermediate	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Tolerant*

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Lithophyllum incrustans Important characterizing	Delesseria sanguinea Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	Low	High
Smothering	High	High	Very high	High
Increase in suspended sediment	High	Not relevant	Very high	Immediate
Decrease in suspended sediment		Not relevant	Not relevant
Desiccation	High	High	Low	High
Increase in emergence regime	High	High	Low	High
Decrease in emergence regime		Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	Very high	High
Decrease in water flow rate		High	Very high
Increase in temperature	High	High	Not relevant	Immediate
Decrease in temperature		High	Not relevant
Increase in turbidity	High	Immediate	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity		Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in wave exposure		Not relevant	Immediate
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Very high	High	High	High
Displacement	High	High	Very high	High

Chemical factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Lithophyllum incrustans Important characterizing	Delesseria sanguinea Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	Not relevant	Low	High
Heavy metal contamination	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Very high
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Not relevant	High	High
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	High	High	High	Immediate
Increase in salinity	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Immediate
Decrease in salinity		High	High
Changes in oxygenation	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High

Biological factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Lithophyllum incrustans Important characterizing	Delesseria sanguinea Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	High	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Hiscock, K. 2001. Laminaria saccharina, Chorda filum and dense red seaweeds on shallow unstable infralittoral boulders or cobbles. 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=363&code=1997>

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Laminaria saccharina, Chorda filum and dense red seaweeds on shallow unstable infralittoral boulders or cobbles

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IR.MIR.SedK.LsacChoR