Beggiatoa spp. on anoxic Atlantic infralittoral mud
Description (English)
Sublittoral soft anoxic mud, often in areas with poor water exchange with the open sea, can have a conspicuous bacterial mat covering of Beggiatoa spp. The anoxia may be a result of natural conditions of poor water exchange in some sealochs (and many Scandinavian fjords) or artificially under fish farm cages from nutrient enrichment. The fauna is normally impoverished at such sites, with few elements of the infaunal communities present in other muddy biotopes. Scavenging species such as Asterias rubens and Carcinus maenas are typically present where the habitat is not too anoxic along with occasional Arenicola marina but in extreme conditions of anoxia little survives other than the Beggiatoa. The polychaete Ophiodromus flexuosus occurs in high densities at the interface between oxygenated and deoxygenated sediments (in Norwegian fjords).
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Quick facts
| EUNIS habitat type | code MB624C |
|---|---|
| Relation to | Annex I habitat types (EU Habitats Directive) |
Legal status
Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments
| Legal text | Annex | Name in legal text | Code in legal text |
Habitat type relationship |
More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - consolidated version 01/01/2007 | Annex I: natural habitat types of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation | Large shallow inlets and bays | 1160 | Overlap | http://ec.europa.eu/environm...rective/index_en.htm |
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Invertebrates
Carcinus maenas
| Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
|---|---|---|
| Carcinus maenas | Invertebrates |
Other classifications
| Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 2007 (revised descriptions 2012) | A5.7211 | Beggiatoa spp. on anoxic sublittoral mud | narrower |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 2007 (revised descriptions 2012) | A5.72 | Organically-enriched or anoxic sublittoral habitats | narrower |
History
| Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A5.7211 | Beggiatoa spp. on anoxic sublittoral mud | same | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A5.72 | Organically-enriched or anoxic sublittoral habitats | same | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A4.35 | Periodically and permanently anoxic sublittoral muds | narrower | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A4.351 | Beggiatoa spp. on anoxic sublittoral mud | same | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A4.351 | Bacterial mats on anoxic sublittoral mud | same | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A4.35 | Periodically and permanently anoxic sublittoral muds | same | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A4.38 | Periodically anoxic sublittoral muds | same | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A4.363 | Bacterial mats on anoxic sublittoral mud | same | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A4.81 | Bacterial mats on anoxic sublittoral mud | same | |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A6.31 | Bacterial mats on anoxic sublittoral mud | same | |
| MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | CMU.Beg | Beggiatoa spp. on anoxic sublittoral mud | same | |
| MNCR BioMar 96.7 (Britain & Ireland) | CMU.Beg | same |
