 Marine Habitats Classification |
  Littoral rock (and other hard substrata) |
 High energy littoral rock |
| Mussel and/or barnacle communities |
 Mytilus edulis and barnacles on very exposed eulittoral rock |
| Chthamalus spp. on exposed eulittoral rock |
| Chthamalus spp. on exposed upper eulittoral rock |
 Chthamalus spp. and Lichina pygmaea on steep exposed upper eulittoral rock |
 Semibalanus balanoides on exposed to moderately exposed or vertical sheltered eulittoral rock |
| Semibalanus balanoides, Patella vulgata and Littorina spp. on exposed to moderately exposed or vertical sheltered eulittoral rock |
| Semibalanus balanoides, Fucus vesiculosus and red seaweeds on exposed to moderately exposed eulittoral rock |
| Semibalanus balanoides and Littorina spp. on exposed to moderately exposed eulittoral boulders and cobbles |
| Robust fucoid and/or red seaweed communities |
| Fucus distichus and Fucus spiralis f. nana on extremely exposed upper shore rock |
| Corallina officinalis on exposed to moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Corallina officinalis and Mastocarpus stellatus on exposed to moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Corallina officinalis, Himanthalia elongata and Patella ulyssiponensis on very exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Himanthalia elongata and red seaweeds on exposed to moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Palmaria palmata on very exposed to moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Mastocarpus stellatus and Chondrus crispus on very exposed to moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Osmundea pinnatifida on moderately exposed mid eulittoral rock |
| Ceramium sp. and piddocks on eulittoral fossilised peat |
| Fucoids in tide-swept conditions |
| Ascophyllum nodosum, sponges and ascidians on tide-swept mid eulittoral rock |
| Fucus serratus, sponges and ascidians on tide-swept lower eulittoral rock |
| Fucus serratus with sponges, ascidians and red seaweeds on tide-swept lower eulittoral mixed substrata |
| Moderate energy littoral rock |
| Mussels and fucoids on moderately exposed shores |
| Mytilus edulis and Fucus vesiculosus on moderately exposed mid eulittoral rock |
| Mytilus edulis, Fucus serratus and red seaweeds on moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Mytilus edulis and piddocks on eulittoral firm clay |
| Barnacles and fucoids on moderately exposed shores |
| Pelvetia canaliculata and barnacles on moderately exposed littoral fringe rock |
| Fucus spiralis on exposed to moderately exposed upper eulittoral rock |
| Fucus vesiculosus and barnacle mosaics on moderately exposed mid eulittoral rock |
| Fucus serratus on moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Fucus serratus and red seaweeds on moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock |
| Fucus serratus and under-boulder fauna on exposed to moderately exposed lower eulittoral boulders |
| Fucus serratus and piddocks on lower eulittoral soft rock |
| Rhodothamniella floridula on sand-scoured lower eulittoral rock |
| Low energy littoral rock |
| Fucoids on sheltered marine shores |
| Pelvetia canaliculata on sheltered littoral fringe rock |
| Fucus spiralis on sheltered upper eulittoral rock |
| Fucus spiralis on full salinity sheltered upper eulittoral rock |
| Fucus spiralis on full salinity upper eulittoral mixed substrata |
| Fucus vesiculosus on moderately exposed to sheltered mid eulittoral rock |
| Fucus vesiculosus on full salinity moderately exposed to sheltered mid eulittoral rock |
| Fucus vesiculosus on mid eulittoral mixed substrata |
| Ascophyllum nodosum on very sheltered mid eulittoral rock |
| Ascophyllum nodosum on full salinity mid eulittoral rock |
| Ascophyllum nodosum on full salinity mid eulittoral mixed substrata |
| Fucus serratus on sheltered lower eulittoral rock |
| Fucus serratus on full salinity sheltered lower eulittoral rock |
| Fucus serratus on full salinity lower eulittoral mixed substrata |
| Fucoids in variable salinity |
| Pelvetia canaliculata on sheltered variable salinity littoral fringe rock |
| Fucus spiralis on sheltered variable salinity upper eulittoral rock |
| Fucus vesiculosus on variable salinity mid eulittoral boulders and stable mixed substrata |
| Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus on variable salinity mid eulittoral rock |
| Ascophyllum nodosum ecad mackaii beds on extremely sheltered mid eulittoral mixed substrata |
| Fucus serratus and large Mytilus edulis on variable salinity lower eulittoral rock |
| Fucus ceranoides on reduced salinity eulittoral rock |
| Features of littoral rock |
| Lichens or small green algae on supralittoral and littoral fringe rock |
| Yellow and grey lichens on supralittoral rock |
| Prasiola stipitata on nitrate-enriched supralittoral or littoral fringe rock |
| Verrucaria maura on littoral fringe rock |
| Verrucaria maura and sparse barnacles on exposed littoral fringe rock |
| Verrucaria maura on very exposed to very sheltered upper littoral fringe rock |
| Blidingia spp. on vertical littoral fringe soft rock |
| Ulothrix flacca and Urospora spp. on freshwater-influenced vertical littoral fringe soft rock |
| Rockpools |
| Green seaweeds (Enteromorpha spp. and Cladophora spp.) in shallow upper shore rockpools |
| Coralline crust-dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools |
| Coralline crusts and Corallina officinalis in shallow eulittoral rockpools |
| Coralline crusts and Paracentrotus lividus in shallow eulittoral rockpools |
| Bifurcaria bifurcata in shallow eulittoral rockpools |
| Cystoseira spp. in eulittoral rockpools |
| Fucoids and kelp in deep eulittoral rockpools |
| Sargassum muticum in eulittoral rockpools |
| Seaweeds in sediment-floored eulittoral rockpools |
| Hydroids, ephemeral seaweeds and Littorina littorea in shallow eulittoral mixed substrata pools |
| Littoral caves and overhangs |
| Chrysophyceae and Haptophyceae on vertical upper littoral fringe soft rock |
| Green algal films on upper and mid-shore cave walls and ceilings |
| Audouinella purpurea and Pilinia maritima crusts on upper and mid-shore cave walls and ceilings |
| Audouinella purpurea and Cladophora rupestris on upper to mid-shore cave walls |
| Verrucaria mucosa and/or Hildenbrandia rubra on upper to mid shore cave walls |
| Sponges and shade-tolerant red seaweeds on overhanging lower eulittoral bedrock and in cave entrances |
| Sponges, shade-tolerant red seaweeds and Dendrodoa grossularia on wave-surged overhanging lower eulittoral bedrock and caves |
| Sponges, bryozoans and ascidians on deeply overhanging lower shore bedrock or caves |
| Faunal crusts on wave-surged littoral cave walls |
| Sparse fauna (barnacles and spirorbids) on sand/pebble-scoured rock in littoral caves |
| Barren and/or boulder-scoured littoral cave walls and floors |
| Ephemeral green or red seaweed communities (freshwater or sand-influenced) |
| Enteromorpha spp. on freshwater-influenced and/or unstable upper eulittoral rock |
| Porphyra purpurea and Enteromorpha spp. on sand-scoured mid or lower eulittoral rock |
| Ephemeral green and red seaweeds on variable salinity and/or disturbed eulittoral mixed substrata |
| Barnacles and Littorina spp. on unstable eulittoral mixed substrata |
| Littoral sediment |
| Littoral coarse sediment |
| Shingle (pebble) and gravel shores |
| Barren littoral shingle |
| Pectenogammarus planicrurus in mid shore well-sorted gravel or coarse sand |
| Littoral sand |
| Strandline |
| Talitrids on the upper shore and strand-line |
| Mytilus edulis and Fabricia sabella in littoral mixed sediment |
| Barren or amphipod-dominated mobile sand shores |
| Barren littoral coarse sand |
| Oligochaetes in littoral mobile sand |
| Oligochaetes in full salinity littoral mobile sand |
| Oligochaetes in variable salinity littoral mobile sand |
| Amphipods and Scolelepis spp. in littoral medium-fine sand |
| Scolelepis spp. in littoral mobile sand |
| Eurydice pulchra in littoral mobile sand |
| Pontocrates arenarius in littoral mobile sand |
| Polychaete/amphipod-dominated fine sand shores |
| Polychaetes in littoral fine sand |
| Polychaetes, including Paraonis fulgens, in littoral fine sand |
| Polychaetes and Angulus tenuis in littoral fine sand |
| Nephtys cirrosa-dominated littoral fine sand |
| Polychaete/bivalve-dominated muddy sand shores |
| Macoma balthica and Arenicola marina in littoral muddy sand |
| Cerastoderma edule and polychaetes in littoral muddy sand |
| Hediste diversicolor, Macoma balthica and Eteone longa in littoral muddy sand |
| Bathyporeia pilosa and Corophium arenarium in littoral muddy sand |
| Lanice conchilega in littoral sand |
| Littoral mud |
| Polychaete/bivalve-dominated mid estuarine mud shores |
| Nephtys hombergii, Macoma balthica and Streblospio shrubsolii in littoral sandy mud |
| Hediste diversicolor and Macoma balthica in littoral sandy mud |
| Hediste diversicolor, Macoma balthica and Scrobicularia plana in littoral sandy mud |
| Polychaete/oligochaete-dominated upper estuarine mud shores |
| Nephtys hombergii and Streblospio shrubsolii in littoral mud |
| Hediste diversicolor in littoral mud |
| Hediste diversicolor and Streblospio shrubsolii in littoral sandy mud |
| Hediste diversicolor and Corophium volutator in littoral mud |
| Hediste diversicolor and oligochaetes in littoral mud |
| Tubificoides benedii and other oligochaetes in littoral mud |
| Littoral mixed sediment |
| Hediste-dominated gravelly sandy mud shores |
| Hediste diversicolor in littoral gravelly muddy sand and gravelly sandy mud |
| Hediste diversicolor and Macoma balthica in littoral gravelly mud |
| Hediste diversicolor and Scrobicularia plana in littoral gravelly mud |
| Hediste diversicolor and Streblospio shrubsolii in littoral gravelly sandy mud |
| Hediste diversicolor, cirratulids and Tubificoides spp. in littoral gravelly sandy mud |
| Hediste diversicolor and Corophium volutator in littoral gravelly sandy mud |
| Species-rich mixed sediment shores |
| Cirratulids and Cerastoderma edule in littoral mixed sediment |
| Littoral macrophyte-dominated sediment |
| Saltmarsh |
| Littoral seagrass beds |
| Zostera noltii beds in littoral muddy sand |
| Littoral biogenic reefs |
| Littoral Sabellaria honeycomb worm reefs |
| Sabellaria alveolata reefs on sand-abraded eulittoral rock |
| Littoral mussel beds on sediment |
| Mytilus edulis beds on littoral sediments |
| Mytilus edulis beds on littoral mixed substrata |
| Mytilus edulis beds on littoral sand |
| Mytilus edulis beds on littoral mud |
| Infralittoral rock (and other hard substrata) |
| High energy infralittoral rock |
| Kelp with cushion fauna and/or foliose red seaweeds |
| Alaria esculenta on exposed sublittoral fringe bedrock |
| Alaria esculenta, Mytilus edulis and coralline crusts on very exposed sublittoral fringe bedrock |
| Alaria esculenta and Laminaria digitata on exposed sublittoral fringe bedrock |
| Alaria esculenta forest with dense anemones and crustose sponges on extremely exposed infralittoral bedrock |
| Laminaria hyperborea forest with a faunal cushion (sponges and polyclinids) and foliose red seaweeds on very exposed upper infralittoral rock |
| Sparse Laminaria hyperborea and dense Paracentrotus lividus on exposed infralittoral limestone |
| Laminaria hyperborea with dense foliose red seaweeds on exposed infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea forest with dense foliose red seaweeds on exposed upper infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea park with dense foliose red seaweeds on exposed lower infralittoral rock |
| Mixed Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria ochroleuca forest on exposed infralittoral rock |
| Foliose red seaweeds on exposed lower infralittoral rock |
| Foliose red seaweeds with dense Dictyota dichotoma and/or Dictyopteris membranacea on exposed lower infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea and red seaweeds on exposed vertical rock |
| Sediment-affected or disturbed kelp and seaweed communities |
| Saccorhiza polyschides and other opportunistic kelps on disturbed sublittoral fringe rock |
| Laminaria saccharina and/or Saccorhiza polyschides on exposed infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria saccharina, Chorda filum and dense red seaweeds on shallow unstable infralittoral boulders or cobbles |
| Dense Desmarestia spp. with filamentous red seaweeds on exposed infralittoral cobbles, pebbles and bedrock |
| Mixed kelps with scour-tolerant and opportunistic foliose red seaweeds on scoured or sand-covered infralittoral rock |
| Halidrys siliquosa and mixed kelps on tide-swept infralittoral rock with coarse sediment |
| Polyides rotundus, Ahnfeltia plicata and Chondrus crispus on sand-covered infralittoral rock |
| Moderate energy infralittoral rock |
| Kelp and red seaweeds (moderate energy infralittoral rock) |
| Laminaria digitata on moderately exposed sublittoral fringe rock |
| Laminaria digitata on moderately exposed sublittoral fringe bedrock |
| Laminaria digitata and under-boulder fauna on sublittoral fringe boulders |
| Laminaria digitata and piddocks on sublittoral fringe soft rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea on tide-swept, infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea forest, foliose red seaweeds and a diverse fauna on tide-swept upper infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea park with hydroids, bryozoans and sponges on tide-swept lower infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea on tide-swept infralittoral mixed substrata |
| Laminaria hyperborea forest and foliose red seaweeds on tide-swept upper infralittoral mixed substrata |
| Laminaria hyperborea park and foliose red seaweeds on tide-swept lower infralittoral mixed substrata |
| Laminaria hyperborea and foliose red seaweeds on moderately exposed infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea forest and foliose red seaweeds on moderately exposed upper infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea park and foliose red seaweeds on moderately exposed lower infralittoral rock |
| Grazed Laminaria hyperborea forest with coralline crusts on upper infralittoral rock |
| Grazed Laminaria hyperborea park with coralline crusts on lower infralittoral rock |
| Sabellaria spinulosa with kelp and red seaweeds on sand-influenced infralittoral rock |
| Dense foliose red seaweeds on silty moderately exposed infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria hyperborea on moderately exposed vertical rock. |
| Hiatella arctica and seaweeds on vertical limestone / chalk. |
| Kelp and seaweed communities in tide-swept sheltered conditions |
| Laminaria digitata, ascidians and bryozoans on tide-swept sublittoral fringe rock |
| Mixed kelp with foliose red seaweeds, sponges and ascidians on sheltered tide-swept infralittoral rock |
| Mixed kelp and red seaweeds on infralittoral boulders, cobbles and gravel in tidal rapids |
| Laminaria saccharina with foliose red seaweeds and ascidians on sheltered tide-swept infralittoral rock |
| Filamentous red seaweeds, sponges and Balanus crenatus on tide-swept variable-salinity infralittoral rock |
| Low energy infralittoral rock |
| Silted kelp communities (sheltered infralittoral rock) |
| Mixed Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria ochroleuca forest on moderately exposed or sheltered infralittoral rock |
| Mixed Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria saccharina on sheltered infralittoral rock |
| Mixed Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria saccharina forest on sheltered upper infralittoral rock |
| Mixed Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria saccharina park on sheltered lower infralittoral rock |
| Grazed, mixed Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria saccharina on sheltered infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria saccharina on very sheltered infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria saccharina and Laminaria digitata on sheltered sublittoral fringe rock |
| Laminaria saccharina forest on very sheltered upper infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria saccharina park on very sheltered lower infralittoral rock |
| Grazed Laminaria saccharina with Echinus, brittlestars and coralline crusts on sheltered infralittoral rock |
| Silted cape-form Laminaria hyperborea on very sheltered infralittoral rock |
| Sargassum muticum on shallow slightly tide-swept infralittoral mixed substrata |
| Kelp in variable or reduced salinity |
| Codium spp. with red seaweeds and sparse Laminaria saccharina on shallow, heavily-silted, very sheltered infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria saccharina and Psammechinus miliaris on variable salinity grazed infralittoral rock |
| Laminaria saccharina with Phyllophora spp. and filamentous green seaweeds on variable or reduced salinity infralittoral rock |
| Faunal communities on variable or reduced salinity infralittoral rock |
| Mytilus edulis beds on reduced salinity infralittoral rock |
| Cordylophora caspia and Electra crustulenta on reduced salinity infralittoral rock |
| Hartlaubella gelatinosa and Conopeum reticulum on low salinity infralittoral mixed substrata |
| Submerged fucoids, green or red seaweeds (low salinity infralittoral rock) |
| Ascophyllum nodosum with epiphytic sponges and ascidians on variable salinity infralittoral rock |
| Mixed fucoids, Chorda filum and green seaweeds on reduced salinity infralittoral rock |
| Polyides rotundus and/or Furcellaria lumbricalis on reduced salinity infralittoral rock |
| Fucus ceranoides and Enteromorpha spp. on low salinity infralittoral rock |
| Features of infralittoral rock |
| Infralittoral surge gullies and caves |
| Foliose seaweeds and coralline crusts in surge gully entrances |
| Anemones, including Corynactis viridis, crustose sponges and colonial ascidians on very exposed or wave surged vertical infralittoral rock |
| Crustose sponges and colonial ascidians with Dendrodoa grossularia or barnacles on wave-surged infralittoral rock |
| Dendrodoa grossularia and Clathrina coriacea on wave-surged vertical infralittoral rock |
| Crustose sponges on extremely wave-surged infralittoral cave or gully walls |
| Coralline crusts in surge gullies and scoured infralittoral rock |
| Balanus crenatus and/or Pomatoceros triqueter with spirorbid worms and coralline crusts on severely-scoured vertical infralittoral rock |
| Coralline crusts and crustaceans on mobile boulders or cobbles in surge gullies |
| Infralittoral fouling seaweed communities |
| Circalittoral rock (and other hard substrata) |
| High energy circalittoral rock |
| Very tide-swept faunal communities |
| Balanus crenatus and Tubularia indivisa on extremely tide-swept circalittoral rock |
| Tubularia indivisa on tide-swept circalittoral rock |
| Tubularia indivisa and cushion sponges on tide-swept turbid circalittoral bedrock |
| Alcyonium digitatum with dense Tubularia indivisa and anemones on strongly tide-swept circalittoral rock |
| Deep sponge communities (circalittoral) |
| Phakellia ventilabrum and Axinellid sponges on deep, wave- exposed circalittoral rock |
| Mixed faunal turf communities |
| Bryozoan turf and erect sponges on tide-swept circalittoral rock |
| Eunicella verrucosa and Pentapora foliacea on wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Mixed turf of bryozoans and erect sponges with Dysidia fragilis and Actinothoe sphyrodeta on tide-swept wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Mixed turf of bryozoans and erect sponges with Sagartia elegans on tide-swept ciraclittoral rock |
| Corynactis viridis and a mixed turf of crisiids, Bugula, Scrupocellaria, and Cellaria on moderately tide-swept exposed circalittoral rock |
| Mixed turf of hydroids and large ascidians with Swiftia pallida and Caryophyllia smithii on weakly tide-swept circalittoral rock |
| Flustra foliacea and colonial ascidians on tide-swept moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Polyclinum aurantium and Flustra foliacea on sand-scoured tide-swept moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Flustra foliacea, small solitary and colonial ascidians on tide-swept circalittoral bedrock or boulders |
| Flustra foliacea and colonial ascidians on tide-swept exposed circalittoral mixed substrata |
| Sparse sponges, Nemertesia spp. and Alcyonidium diaphanum on circalittoral mixed substrata |
| Suberites spp. with a mixed turf of crisiids and Bugula spp. on heavily silted moderately wave-exposed shallow circalittoral rock |
| Flustra foliacea and Haliclona oculata with a rich faunal turf on tide-swept circalittoral mixed substrata |
| Molgula manhattensis with a hydroid and bryozoan turf on tide-swept moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Sponges and anemones on vertical circalittoral bedrock |
| Moderate energy circalittoral rock |
| Echinoderms and crustose communities |
| Caryophyllia smithii and Swiftia pallida on circalittoral rock |
| Caryophyllia smithii, Swiftia pallida and Alcyonium glomeratum on wave-sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Caryophyllia smithii, Swiftia pallida and large solitary ascidians on exposed or moderately exposed circalittoral rock |
| Caryophyllia smithii, sponges and crustose communities on wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Brittlestars overlying coralline crusts, Parasmittina trispinosa and Caryophyllia smithii on wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Caryophyllia smithii and sponges with Pentapora foliacea, Porella compressa and crustose communities on wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Urticina felina and sand-tolerant fauna on sand-scoured or covered circalittoral rock |
| Faunal and algal crusts on exposed to moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Flustra foliacea on slightly scoured silty circalittoral rock |
| Alcyonium digitatum, Pomatoceros triqueter, algal and bryozoan crusts on wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Alcyonium digitatum with Securiflustra securifrons on tide-swept moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Brittlestars on faunal and algal encrusted exposed to moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Faunal and algal crusts with Pomatoceros triqueter and sparse Alcyonium digitatum on exposed to moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Caryophyllia smithii with faunal and algal crusts on moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Alcyonium digitatum and faunal crust communities on vertical circalittoral bedrock |
| Circalittoral Sabellaria reefs (on rock) |
| Sabellaria spinulosa encrusted circalittoral rock |
| Sabellaria spinulosa with a bryozoan turf and barnacles on silty turbid circalittoral rock |
| Sabellaria spinulosa, didemnids and other small ascidians on tide-swept moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Soft rock communities |
| Piddocks with a sparse associated fauna in sublittoral very soft chalk or clay |
| Polydora sp. tubes on moderately exposed sublittoral soft rock |
| Hiatella-bored vertical sublittoral limestone rock |
| Circalittoral mussel beds on rock |
| Mytilus edulis beds with hydroids and ascidians on tide-swept exposed to moderately wave-exposed circalittoral rock |
| Musculus discors beds on moderately exposed circalittoral rock |
| Circalittoral faunal communities in variable salinity |
| Cushion sponges and hydroids on turbid tide-swept sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Cushion sponges, hydroids and ascidians on turbid tide-swept sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Cushion sponges and hydroids on turbid tide-swept variable salinity sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Halichondria bowerbanki, Eudendrium arbusculum and Eucratea loricata on reduced salinity tide-swept circalittoral mixed substrata |
| Low energy circalittoral rock |
| Brachiopod and ascidian communities |
| Solitary ascidians, including Ascidia mentula and Ciona intestinalis, on wave-sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Solitary ascidians, including Ascidia mentula and Ciona intestinalis, with Antedon spp. on wave-sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Dense brittlestars with sparse Ascidia mentula and Ciona intestinalis on sheltered circalittoral mixed substrata |
| Large solitary ascidians and erect sponges on wave-sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Antedon spp., solitary ascidians and fine hydroids on sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Neocrania anomala and Protanthea simplex on sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Neocrania anomala and Protanthea simplex on very wave-sheltered circalittoral rock |
| Neocrania anomala, Dendrodoa grossularia and Sarcodictyon roseum on variable salinity circalittoral rock |
| Features of circalittoral rock |
| Circalittoral caves and overhangs |
| Sponges, cup corals and anthozoans on shaded or overhanging circalittoral rock |
| Circalittoral fouling faunal communities |
| Alcyonium digitatum and Metridium senile on moderately wave-exposed circalittoral steel wrecks |
| Ascidiella aspersa on circalittoral artificial substrata |
| Sublittoral sediment |
| Sublittoral coarse sediment (unstable cobbles and pebbles, gravels and coarse sands) |
| Sublittoral coarse sediment in variable salinity (estuaries) |
| Infralittoral coarse sediment |
| Sparse fauna on highly mobile sublittoral shingle (cobbles and pebbles) |
| Halcampa chrysanthellum and Edwardsia timida on sublittoral clean stone gravel |
| Moerella spp. with venerid bivalves in infralittoral gravelly sand |
| Hesionura elongata and Microphthalmus similis with other interstitial polychaetes in infralittoral mobile coarse sand |
| Glycera lapidum in impoverished infralittoral mobile gravel and sand |
| Cumaceans and Chaetozone setosa in infralittoral gravelly sand |
| Dense Lanice conchilega and other polychaetes in tide-swept infralittoral sand and mixed gravelly sand |
| Circalittoral coarse sediment |
| Pomatoceros triqueter with barnacles and bryozoan crusts on unstable circalittoral cobbles and pebbles |
| Mediomastus fragilis, Lumbrineris spp. and venerid bivalves in circalittoral coarse sand or gravel |
| Protodorvillea kefersteini and other polychaetes in impoverished circalittoral mixed gravelly sand |
| Neopentadactyla mixta in circalittoral shell gravel or coarse sand |
| Branchiostoma lanceolatum in circalittoral coarse sand with shell gravel |
| Offshore circalittoral coarse sediment |
| Glycera lapidum, Thyasira spp. and Amythasides macroglossus in offshore gravelly sand |
| Hesionura elongata and Protodorvillea kefersteini in offshore coarse sand |
| Sublittoral sands and muddy sands |
| Sublittoral sand in low or reduced salinity (lagoons) |
| Sublittoral sand in variable salinity (estuaries) |
| Infralittoral mobile sand in variable salinity (estuaries) |
| Nephtys cirrosa and Macoma balthica in variable salinity infralittoral mobile sand |
| Neomysis integer and Gammarus spp. in fluctuating low salinity infralittoral mobile sand |
| Infralittoral fine sand |
| Infralittoral mobile clean sand with sparse fauna |
| Sertularia cupressina and Hydrallmania falcata on tide-swept sublittoral sand with cobbles or pebbles. |
| Nephtys cirrosa and Bathyporeia spp. in infralittoral sand |
| Semi-permanent tube-building amphipods and polychaetes in sublittoral sand |
| Infralittoral muddy sand |
| Echinocardium cordatum and Ensis spp. in lower shore and shallow sublittoral slightly muddy fine sand |
| Fabulina fabula and Magelona mirabilis with venerid bivalves and amphipods in infralittoral compacted fine muddy sand |
| Arenicola marina in infralittoral fine sand or muddy sand |
| Spisula subtruncata and Nephtys hombergii in shallow muddy sand |
| Circalittoral fine sand |
| Echinocyamus pusillus, Ophelia borealis and Abra prismatica in circalittoral fine sand |
| Abra prismatica, Bathyporeia elegans and polychaetes in circalittoral fine sand |
| Circalittoral muddy sand |
| Abra alba and Nucula nitidosa in circalittoral muddy sand or slightly mixed sediment |
| Amphiura brachiata with Astropecten irregularis and other echinoderms in circalittoral muddy sand |
| Offshore circalittoral sand |
| Maldanid polychaetes and Eudorellopsis deformis in offshore circalittoral sand or muddy sand |
| Owenia fusiformis and Amphiura filiformis in offshore circalittoral sand or muddy sand |
| Sublittoral cohesive mud and sandy mud communities |
| Sublittoral mud in low or reduced salinity (lagoons) |
| Sublittoral mud in variable salinity (estuaries) |
| Polydora ciliata and Corophium volutator in variable salinity infralittoral firm mud or clay |
| Aphelochaeta marioni and Tubificoides spp. in variable salinity infralittoral mud |
| Nephtys hombergii and Tubificoides spp. in variable salinity infralittoral soft mud |
| Infralittoral fluid mobile mud |
| Capitella capitata and Tubificoides spp. in reduced salinity infralittoral muddy sediment |
| Oligochaetes in variable or reduced salinity infralittoral muddy sediment |
| Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Tubifex tubifex and Gammarus spp. in low salinity infralittoral muddy sediment |
| Infralittoral sandy mud |
| Nephtys hombergii and Macoma balthica in infralittoral sandy mud |
| Sagartiogeton undatus and Ascidiella aspersa on infralittoral sandy mud |
| Mysella bidentata and Abra spp. in infralittoral sandy mud |
| Melinna palmata with Magelona spp. and Thyasira spp. in infralittoral sandy mud |
| Ampelisca spp., Photis longicaudata and other tube-building amphipods and polychaetes in infralittoral sandy mud |
| Capitella capitata in enriched sublittoral muddy sediments |
| Infralittoral fine mud |
| Cerastoderma edule with Abra nitida in infralittoral mud |
| Arenicola marina in infralittoral mud |
| Philine aperta and Virgularia mirabilis in soft stable infralittoral mud |
| Ocnus planci aggregations on sheltered sublittoral muddy sediment |
| Beggiatoa spp. on anoxic sublittoral mud |
| Circalittoral sandy mud |
| Amphiura filiformis, Mysella bidentata and Abra nitida in circalittoral sandy mud |
| Thyasira spp. and Nuculoma tenuis in circalittoral sandy mud |
| Amphiura filiformis and Nuculoma tenuis in circalittoral and offshore sandy mud |
| Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. with Pecten maximus on circalittoral sandy or shelly mud |
| Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. with Pecten maximus, hydroids and ascidians on circalittoral sandy or shelly mud with stones |
| Lagis koreni and Phaxas pellucidus in circalittoral sandy mud |
| Circalittoral fine mud |
| Seapens and burrowing megafauna in circalittoral fine mud |
| Seapens, including Funiculina quadrangularis, and burrowing megafauna in undisturbed circalittoral fine mud |
| Burrowing megafauna and Maxmuelleria lankesteri in circalittoral mud |
| Brissopsis lyrifera and Amphiura chiajei in circalittoral mud |
| Offshore circalittoral mud |
| Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on cohesive muddy sediment near margins of deep stratified seas |
| Foraminiferans and Thyasira sp. in deep circalittoral fine mud |
| Styela gelatinosa, Pseudamussium septemradiatum and solitary ascidians on sheltered deep circalittoral muddy sediment |
| Capitella capitata and Thyasira spp. in organically-enriched offshore circalittoral mud and sandy mud |
| Capitella capitata, Thyasira spp. and Ophryotrocha dubia in organically-enriched offshore circalittoral sandy mud |
| Levinsenia gracilis and Heteromastus filifirmis in offshore circalittoral mud and sandy mud |
| Paramphinome jeffreysii, Thyasira spp. and Amphiura filiformis in offshore circalittoral sandy mud |
| Myrtea spinifera and polychaetes in offshore circalittoral sandy mud |
| Sublittoral mixed sediment |
| Sublittoral mixed sediment in low or reduced salinity (lagoons) |
| Sublittoral mixed sediment in variable salinity (estuaries) |
| Aphelochaeta spp. and Polydora spp. in variable salinity infralittoral mixed sediment |
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