Sparse or absent epifaunal communities on Baltic infralittoral rock and mixed substrata (predominantly hard)
.jpg "HELCOM RED LIST Biotope Expert Team 2013 and Baltic Sea Working Group for the European Red List of Habitats 2014 and 2015.")
Quick facts
| Red List habitat type | code BAL8 |
|---|---|
| Threat status | |
| Europe | Least Concern |
| EU | Least Concern |
| Relation to |
|
| Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
| European Red List of habitats reports | |
| European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
This habitat is distributed on Baltic bottoms in the photic zone with at least 90% coverage of rock, boulders or stones of more than 63 mm in diameter but this habitat type also occurs on mixed (predominantly hard) substrates where the percentage of rock is lower than 90% according to the HELCOM Hub classification. Less than 10% of the seabed is covered by perennial vegetation or attached epifauna. In some cases no epibenthic vegetation or macrofauna are present. Six associated biotopes have been identified. These are on rock and mixed (predominantly hard substrates) variously dominated (at least 50% of the biomass) by epibenthic macrocommunity and microphytobenthic organisms and grazing snails or with no macrocommunity The sub-biotope Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity (AA.A2T) only occurs in the Gulf of Bothnia, Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga and the sub-biotope Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by microphytobenthic organisms and grazing snails (AA.A2W) only occurs in the Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Finland.
Indicators of quality:
Both biotic and abiotic indicators have been used to describe marine habitat quality. These include: the presence of characteristic species as well as those which are sensitive to the pressures the habitat may face; water quality parameters; levels of exposure to particular pressure, and more integrated indices which describe habitat structure and function, such as trophic index, or successional stages of development in habitats that have a natural cycle of change over time. There are no commonly agreed indicators of quality for this habitat, although particular parameters may have been set in certain situations e.g. protected features within Natura 2000 sites, where reference values have been determined and applied on a location-specific basis. Diversity, abundance and biomass of associated fauna may be indicators of quality.
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
The overall assessment for this EUNIS level 4 habitat has been based on the HELCOM (2013) assessments for the associated HELCOM HUB biotopes. Draft assessments were derived using a weighted approach whereby the HELCOM assessment outcomes were assigned a score. This was averaged across the relevant biotopes. The outcomes were reviewed by Baltic experts to reach a final conclusion HELCOM (2013) assessed six relevant Baltic sub-habitats (AA.A2T, AA.A2W, AA.A4U, AA.M2T, AA.M2W, AA.M4U) as Least Concern (A1). With no additional information on changes in extent or quality of this habitat, a known occurrence in all the Baltic Sea sub-basins, and less than a 25% decline in quantity over the last 50 years, current expert opinion is that this habitat should be assessed as Least Concern for the EU 28 and EU 28+.
| EU | |
| Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
| Least Concern | - |
| Europe | |
| Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
| Least Concern | - |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- No threats or pressures
- No threats or pressures
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Unknown  |
Unknown |
| EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
| Unknown |
Unknown |
| EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- No measures
- No measures needed for the conservation of the habitat/species
Distribution
Geographic occurrence and trends
| Seas | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltic Proper | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Belt Sea | ||||
| Gulf of Bothnia | ||||
| Gulf of Finland | ||||
| Gulf of Riga | ||||
| The Sound |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
| Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU28 | >50,000 | >50 | Unknown | This habitat is present in all the Baltic sub-basins however there is insufficient information for accurate calculation of EOO and AOO. |
| EU28+ | >50 | Unknown | This habitat is present in all the Baltic sub-basins however there is insufficient information for accurate calculation of EOO and AOO. |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).
