Atlantic littoral rock
Description (English)
Atlantic littoral rock includes habitats of bedrock, boulders and cobbles which occur in the intertidal zone (the area of the shore between high and low tides) and the splash zone. The upper limit is marked by the top of the lichen zone and the lower limit by the top of the laminarian kelp zone. There are many physical variables affecting rocky shore communities - wave exposure, salinity, temperature and the diurnal emersion and immersion of the shore. Wave exposure is most commonly used to characterise littoral rock, from 'extremely exposed' on the open coast to 'extremely sheltered' in enclosed inlets. Exposed shores tend to support faunal-dominated communities of barnacles and mussels and some robust seaweeds. Sheltered shores are most notable for their dense cover of fucoid seaweeds, with distinctive zones occurring down the shore. In between these extremes of wave exposure, on moderately exposed shores, mosaics of seaweeds and barnacles are more typical.
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Quick facts
EUNIS habitat type | code MA12 |
---|---|
Relation to | Resolution 4 habitat type (used for designation of Emerald sites) |
Legal status
Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Other classifications
History
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A1.4 | Features of littoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A1.1 | High energy littoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A1.3 | Low energy littoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A1.2 | Moderate energy littoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A1.1 | High energy littoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A1.6 | Littoral caves and overhangs | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A1.3 | Low energy littoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A1.2 | Moderate energy littoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A1.5 | Rockpools | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A1.6 | Littoral caves and overhangs | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A1.2 | Littoral rock moderately exposed to wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A1.3 | Littoral rock sheltered from wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A1.1 | Littoral rock very exposed to wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A1.5 | Rockpools | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A1.6 | Littoral caves and overhangs | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A1.2 | Littoral rock moderately exposed to wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A1.3 | Littoral rock sheltered from wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A1.1 | Littoral rock very exposed to wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A1.5 | Rockpools | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A1.6 | Littoral rock caves and overhangs | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A1.2 | Littoral rock moderately exposed to wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A1.3 | Littoral rock sheltered from wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A1.1 | Littoral rock very exposed to wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A1.5 | Littoral rockpools | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A1.2 | Eulittoral (inter-tidal) rock very exposed to wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A1.3 | Eulittoral rock moderately exposed to wave action | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A1 | Littoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A9.1 | Littoral rock caves and overhangs | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A1.5 | Littoral rock pools | narrower | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A1.4 | Sheltered eulittoral rock | same | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.292 | Lower mediolittoral rocks | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.294 | Mediolittoral cave and overhang communities | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.291 | Mediolittoral fringe rocks | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.295 | Mediolittoral rock pools | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.29 | Rocky shore littoral communities | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.293 | Upper mediolittoral rocks | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.292 | Lower mediolittoral rocks | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.294 | Mediolittoral cave and overhang communities | same | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.291 | Mediolittoral fringe rocks | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.295 | Mediolittoral rock pools | not defined | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.29 | Rocky shore littoral communities | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.293 | Upper mediolittoral rocks | narrower | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.29 | narrower | ||
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.291 | narrower | ||
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.292 | narrower | ||
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.293 | narrower | ||
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.294 | narrower | ||
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.295 | narrower | ||
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1993 | 11.295 | not defined | ||
CORINE Biotopes Classification 1991 | 18.15 | not defined | ||
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | ELR | Exposed littoral rock (mussel/barnacle shores) | same | |
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | LR | Littoral rock (and other hard substrata) | same | |
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | MLR | Moderately exposed littoral rock (fucoid/barnacle shores) | same | |
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | LR.Rkp | Rockpools | narrower | |
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | SLR | Sheltered littoral rock (fucoid shores) | same | |
MNCR BioMar 96.7 (Britain & Ireland) | RKP | narrower | ||
MNCR BioMar 96.7 (Britain & Ireland) | ELR | same | ||
MNCR BioMar 96.7 (Britain & Ireland) | MLR | same | ||
MNCR BioMar 96.7 (Britain & Ireland) | SLR | same |