Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Sabellaria spinulosa on stable circalittoral mixed sediment

Image Ken Collins - Close up of Sabellaria spinulosa mound showing worm tubes composed of cemented sand grains and shell fragments. Image width ca XX cm.
Image copyright information

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

Chemical Factors

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

Biological Factors

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

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Sabellaria spinulosa Key Structuring	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Pomatoceros triqueter Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Low	High	Intermediate	High
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Intermediate			Low
Desiccation	Tolerant	High	Not relevant	Intermediate
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Not relevant	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant*			Tolerant*
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant*	Tolerant*
Decrease in water flow rate	Intermediate		Intermediate	Tolerant
Increase in temperature	Low	High	Low	Tolerant*
Decrease in temperature	Tolerant		Low	Intermediate
Increase in turbidity	Tolerant	Low	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity	Intermediate			Tolerant
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant	Low
Decrease in wave exposure	Intermediate		Intermediate	Tolerant
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	High	High	High	Low

Chemical factors

	Sabellaria spinulosa Key Structuring	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Pomatoceros triqueter Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Tolerant*	High	Intermediate	Insufficient information
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Insufficient information	Low	Low	Insufficient information
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Low	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	Insufficient information	Low	Intermediate	Tolerant
Decrease in salinity	Intermediate			High
Changes in oxygenation	Intermediate	High	High	Insufficient information

Biological factors

	Sabellaria spinulosa Key Structuring	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Pomatoceros triqueter Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Tolerant
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Intermediate	Not relevant	Intermediate	Not relevant

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Sabellaria spinulosa Key Structuring	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Pomatoceros triqueter Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Immediate	High	High	High
Increase in suspended sediment	Immediate	High	Very high	High
Decrease in suspended sediment	High			High
Desiccation	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	High
Increase in emergence regime	High	High	Not relevant	High
Decrease in emergence regime	Not relevant			Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in water flow rate	High		High	Not relevant
Increase in temperature	High	High	High	Not relevant
Decrease in temperature	Not relevant		High	High
Increase in turbidity	Not relevant	Very high	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity	High			Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	Very high	Not relevant	High
Decrease in wave exposure	High		High	Not relevant
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High	High	High
Displacement	High	High	High	High

Chemical factors

	Sabellaria spinulosa Key Structuring	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Pomatoceros triqueter Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Not relevant	High	High	Not relevant
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	High	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Hydrocarbon contamination	Insufficient information	High	High	Not relevant
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Insufficient information	High	High	Not relevant
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	Very high	High	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity	High			High
Changes in oxygenation	High	High	High	Not relevant

Biological factors

	Sabellaria spinulosa Key Structuring	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Pomatoceros triqueter Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	High	Not relevant	High	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Marshall, C.E. 2006. Sabellaria spinulosa on stable circalittoral mixed sediment. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 26/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=377&code=2004>

for
Sabellaria spinulosa on stable circalittoral mixed sediment

for