EUNIS habitat classification 2012 amended 2019 > A - Marine habitats > A1 - Littoral rock and other hard substrata > A1.1 - High energy littoral rock

High energy littoral rock

English name: High energy littoral rock

Description (English)

Extremely exposed to moderately exposed or tide-swept bedrock and boulder shores. Extremely exposed shores dominated by mussels and barnacles, occasionally with robust fucoids or turfs of red seaweed. Tide-swept shores support communities of fucoids, sponges and ascidians on the mid to lower shore. Three biological subtypes have been described: Communities on very exposed to moderately exposed upper and mid eulittoral bedrock and boulders dominated by the mussel Mytilus edulis, barnacles Chthamalus spp. and/or Semibalanus balanoides and the limpets Patella spp. (A1.11); red and brown seaweeds able to tolerate the extreme conditions of exposed rocky shores, primarily the physical stresses caused by wave action (A1.12), and tide-swept shores in more sheltered areas (such as narrow channels in sea loch) with canopy forming fucoids and a rich filter-feeding community (A1.15).

Source: EUNIS habitat classification

Quick facts

EUNIS habitat type	code A1.1
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
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	Reefs	1170	Overlap

Vegetation types

Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)

Not available

Species mentioned in habitat description

Invertebrates Mytilus edulis

Species scientific name	English common name	Species group
Mytilus edulis		Invertebrates

Other classifications

Classification	Code	Habitat type name	Relationship type
CORINE Land Cover	4.2.3.	Intertidal flats	n/a
Marine Habitat Classification Britain/Ireland 0405	LR.HLR	High energy littoral rock	same

For relation to plant communities (syntaxa), see Vegetation types

History

Classification	Code	Habitat type name	Relationship type
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410	A1.1	High energy littoral rock	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308	A1.1	High energy littoral rock	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202	A1.1	Littoral rock very exposed to wave action	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910	A1.1	Littoral rock very exposed to wave action	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811	A1.1	Littoral rock very exposed to wave action	same
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712	A1.2	Eulittoral (inter-tidal) rock very exposed to wave action	same
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland)	ELR	Exposed littoral rock (mussel/barnacle shores)	same
MNCR BioMar 96.7 (Britain & Ireland)	ELR		same

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