Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Phymatolithon calcareum maerl beds with hydroids and echinoderms in deeper infralittoral clean gravel or coarse sand

SS.IGS.Mrl.Phy.HEc

Image Sarah Fowler - Maerl bed in Loch Gairloch, Highland. Image width ca 2 m in foreground.
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SS.IGS.Mrl.Phy.HEc 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	High
Increase in suspended sediment	High	Very low / none	Very High	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Moderate
Increase in emergence regime	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Moderate
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	High	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Decline	High
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	Intermediate	Very low / none	High	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	High	Moderate	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Moderate
Displacement	High	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Low

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	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Hydrocarbon contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Increase in salinity	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Low
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Low

Biological Factors

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

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Phymatolithon calcareum Key structural	Nemertesia ramosa Important characterizing	Neopentadactyla mixta Important characterizing
Substratum Loss	High	High	High
Smothering	High	Intermediate	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	High	Intermediate	High
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	High	High	High
Increase in emergence regime	High	High	High
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Intermediate	High
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	Intermediate	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	High
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Low
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	Tolerant	High	Tolerant

Chemical factors

	Phymatolithon calcareum Key structural	Nemertesia ramosa Important characterizing	Neopentadactyla mixta Important characterizing
Synthetic compound contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Low	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	Insufficient information	High
Decrease in salinity	Low
Changes in oxygenation	Tolerant	Insufficient information	Low

Biological factors

	Phymatolithon calcareum Key structural	Nemertesia ramosa Important characterizing	Neopentadactyla mixta Important characterizing
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Tolerant	Intermediate

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Phymatolithon calcareum Key structural	Nemertesia ramosa Important characterizing	Neopentadactyla mixta Important characterizing
Substratum Loss	Very low / none	Moderate	Insufficient information
Smothering	Very low / none	Very high	Insufficient information
Increase in suspended sediment	Very low / none	Immediate	Insufficient information
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Very low / none	Moderate	Insufficient information
Increase in emergence regime	Very low / none	Moderate	Insufficient information
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Moderate	High	Insufficient information
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Moderate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	Moderate	Not relevant	Insufficient information
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	Moderate	Moderate	Insufficient information
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Very low / none	High	Insufficient information
Displacement	Not relevant	Moderate	Not relevant

Chemical factors

	Phymatolithon calcareum Key structural	Nemertesia ramosa Important characterizing	Neopentadactyla mixta Important characterizing
Synthetic compound contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Very high	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Decrease in salinity	Very high
Changes in oxygenation	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information

Biological factors

	Phymatolithon calcareum Key structural	Nemertesia ramosa Important characterizing	Neopentadactyla mixta Important characterizing
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Moderate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Moderate	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information

This review can be cited as follows:

Jackson, A. 2006. Phymatolithon calcareum maerl beds with hydroids and echinoderms in deeper infralittoral clean gravel or coarse sand. 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=64&code=1997>

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Phymatolithon calcareum maerl beds with hydroids and echinoderms in deeper infralittoral clean gravel or coarse sand

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SS.IGS.Mrl.Phy.HEc