Beggiatoa spp. on anoxic Atlantic offshore circalittoral 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 MD621A

Vegetation types

Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)

Not available

Species mentioned in habitat description

Invertebrates Arenicola marina
Invertebrates Asterias rubens
Invertebrates Carcinus maenas
Species scientific name English common name Species group
Arenicola marina Invertebrates
Asterias rubens Invertebrates
Carcinus maenas Invertebrates

History

Classification Code Habitat type name Relationship type Comment
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 A5.7 Features of sublittoral sediments same
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 A4.8 Seeps and vents in sublittoral sediments narrower
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 A4.35 Periodically and permanently anoxic sublittoral muds same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 A4.351 Bacterial mats on anoxic sublittoral mud same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 A4.8 Seeps and vents in sublittoral sediments 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 199910 A4.8 Seeps and vents in sublittoral sediments 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
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