Atlantic abyssal sand
Description (English)
Deep-sea sand sediments have a diverse infaunal community dominated by polychaetes. Epifauna tend to be sparse, mobile species, or burrowing fauna such as anemones and brittlestars visible at the surface. In the absence of ecological data, sand habitat can be defined according to Long (2006), which describes the classification's broad sediment types according to the relative proportion of mud, sand and gravel (see p3 of UKSeaMap 2010 technical report 3 http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/UKSeaMap2010_TechnicalReport_3_Substrate2.pdf). It can be difficult to reliably distinguish between mud and sand using video data only. Note that muddy sand sediments are classed as mud if the mud content is great enough. If sediment particles are large enough to be classed as gravel using the Folk classification, then sediment would be classed as coarse sediment rather than sand. If sand contains a high enough percentage of gravel it is also classed as coarse sediment.
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Quick facts
EUNIS habitat type | code MG52 |
---|
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Other classifications
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 2007 (revised descriptions 2012) | A6.4 | Deep-sea muddy sand | narrower |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 2007 (revised descriptions 2012) | A6.3 | Deep-sea sand | overlap |
History
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A6.3 | Deep-sea sand | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A6.4 | Deep-sea muddy sand | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A5.3 | Deep-sea sand | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A5.4 | Deep-sea muddy sand | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A5.3 | Deep-sea sand substrates | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A5.4 | Deep-sea muddy sand substrates | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A5.4 | Bathyal zone muddy sand | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A5.3 | Bathyal zone sand | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A5.2 | Bathyal zone sand (continental slope floor) | same | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.211 | Bathyal benthic communities | wider | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.211 | Bathyal benthic communities | wider | |
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.211 | wider | ||
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1993 | 11.211 | wider |