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Biodiversity & Conservation
| Basic Information | Biotope classification | Ecology | Habitat preferences and distribution | Species composition | Sensitivity | Importance |
Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. on circalittoral sandy or shelly mud
SS.CMS._.VirOph
Image Bernard Picton - Virgularia mirabilis, Cerianthus lloydii with Ophiocomina nigra on shelly muddy gravel. Image width ca XX cm.
Image copyright information
SS.CMS._.VirOph 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 | Moderate | Moderate | Major decline | Low |
| Smothering | Low | Very high | Very low | Minor decline | Moderate |
| Increase in suspended sediment | Low | Immediate | Not sensitive | No change | Moderate |
| Decrease in suspended sediment | Low | Very high | Very low | No change | Moderate |
| Desiccation | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| 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 | Moderate | Moderate | Decline | Low |
| Decrease in water flow rate | High | Moderate | Moderate | Minor decline | Moderate |
| Increase in temperature | Intermediate | High | Low | No change | Low |
| Decrease in temperature | Intermediate | High | Low | No change | Low |
| Increase in turbidity | Low | Very high | Very low | No change | Low |
| Decrease in turbidity | Low | Very high | Very low | No change | Moderate |
| Increase in wave exposure | High | High | Moderate | Minor decline | Low |
| Decrease in wave exposure | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | No change | Moderate |
| Noise | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | No change | Low |
| Visual Presence | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | No change | Low |
| Abrasion & physical disturbance | Low | Very high | Very low | Minor decline | Moderate |
| Displacement | Low | Immediate | Not sensitive | Minor decline | Low |
Chemical Factors
| Click factor name to view rationale | Intolerance | Recoverability | Sensitivity | Species Richness | Evidence / Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic compound contamination | High | High | Moderate | Minor decline | Low |
| Heavy metal contamination | Intermediate | High | Low | Minor decline | Low |
| Hydrocarbon contamination | Intermediate | High | Low | Minor decline | Very low |
| Radionuclide contamination | Low | High | Low | Insufficient Information | Not relevant |
| Changes in nutrient levels | Low | High | Low | Minor decline | Low |
| Increase in salinity | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | No change | Low |
| Decrease in salinity | High | Moderate | Moderate | Decline | Low |
| Changes in oxygenation | Low | Immediate | Not sensitive | No change | Low |
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 | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Introduction of non-native species | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | No change | Moderate |
| Extraction of this species | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Low |
| Extraction of other species | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Low |
Species used to indicate biotope intolerance
Physical factors
| Virgularia mirabilis Important characterizing | Amphiura filiformis Important characterizing | Pecten maximus Important other | |
| Substratum Loss | High | High | High |
| Smothering | Low | Low | Low |
| Increase in suspended sediment | Low | Low | Low |
| Decrease in suspended sediment | Tolerant | Tolerant | |
| Desiccation | Not relevant | Low | Intermediate |
| Increase in emergence regime | Not relevant | Low | Not relevant |
| Decrease in emergence regime | Tolerant | Not relevant | |
| Increase in water flow rate | High | High | Low |
| Decrease in water flow rate | Tolerant | Low | |
| Increase in temperature | Intermediate | Low | Intermediate |
| Decrease in temperature | Low | High | |
| Increase in turbidity | Tolerant | Low | Tolerant |
| Decrease in turbidity | Tolerant | Tolerant | |
| Increase in wave exposure | High | High | Intermediate |
| Decrease in wave exposure | Not relevant | Tolerant | |
| Noise | Low | Low | Tolerant |
| Visual Presence | Tolerant | Tolerant | Low |
| Abrasion & physical disturbance | Intermediate | Low | Low |
| Displacement | Low | Low | Tolerant |
Chemical factors
| Virgularia mirabilis Important characterizing | Amphiura filiformis Important characterizing | Pecten maximus Important other |
|
| Synthetic compound contamination | Insufficient information | High | Intermediate |
| Heavy metal contamination | Insufficient information | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Hydrocarbon contamination | Insufficient information | High | Low |
| Radionuclide contamination | Low | Insufficient information | Insufficient information |
| Changes in nutrient levels | Low | Tolerant* | Intermediate |
| Increase in salinity | High | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Decrease in salinity | High | Intermediate | |
| Changes in oxygenation | High | Low | Low |
Biological factors
| Virgularia mirabilis Important characterizing | Amphiura filiformis Important characterizing | Pecten maximus Important other |
|
| Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites | Insufficient information | Insufficient information | Insufficient information |
| Introduction of non-native species | Tolerant | Not relevant | Insufficient information |
| Extraction of this species | Intermediate | Not relevant | Intermediate |
| Extraction of other species | Tolerant | Tolerant | Not relevant |
Species used to indicate biotope recoverability
Physical factors
| Virgularia mirabilis Important characterizing | Amphiura filiformis Important characterizing | Pecten maximus Important other | |
| Substratum Loss | Moderate | Moderate | High |
| Smothering | Immediate | Very high | High |
| Increase in suspended sediment | Immediate | Very high | High |
| Decrease in suspended sediment | Not relevant | Not relevant | |
| Desiccation | Not relevant | Very high | Very high |
| Increase in emergence regime | Not relevant | Very high | Not relevant |
| Decrease in emergence regime | Not relevant | Not relevant | |
| Increase in water flow rate | Moderate | Moderate | Immediate |
| Decrease in water flow rate | Not relevant | Immediate | |
| Increase in temperature | Moderate | High | High |
| Decrease in temperature | High | High | |
| Increase in turbidity | Not relevant | Very high | Not relevant |
| Decrease in turbidity | Not relevant | Not relevant | |
| Increase in wave exposure | High | Moderate | High |
| Decrease in wave exposure | Not relevant | Not relevant | |
| Noise | Immediate | Immediate | Not relevant |
| Visual Presence | Not relevant | Not relevant | Immediate |
| Abrasion & physical disturbance | Moderate | Very high | High |
| Displacement | Immediate | Immediate | Not relevant |
Chemical factors
| Virgularia mirabilis Important characterizing | Amphiura filiformis Important characterizing | Pecten maximus Important other |
|
| Synthetic compound contamination | Insufficient information | Moderate | High |
| Heavy metal contamination | Insufficient information | High | High |
| Hydrocarbon contamination | Insufficient information | Moderate | High |
| Radionuclide contamination | High | Insufficient information | Not relevant |
| Changes in nutrient levels | High | High | High |
| Increase in salinity | Moderate | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Decrease in salinity | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Changes in oxygenation | Moderate | Very high | High |
Biological factors
| Virgularia mirabilis Important characterizing | Amphiura filiformis Important characterizing | Pecten maximus Important other |
|
| Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites | Insufficient information | Insufficient information | Insufficient information |
| Introduction of non-native species | Not relevant | Not relevant | Insufficient information |
| Extraction of this species | High | Not relevant | Moderate |
| Extraction of other species | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
This review can be cited as follows:
Hill, J.M. & Wilson, E. 2004. Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. on circalittoral sandy or shelly mud. 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=66&code=1997>
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