Circalittoral biogenic habitats in the Mediterranean - worm reefs
Quick facts
| Red List habitat type | code MEDA4.2x |
|---|---|
| Threat status | |
| Europe | Data Deficient |
| EU | Data Deficient |
| Relation to |
|
| Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
| European Red List of habitats reports | |
| European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
Worm reefs (formations) in the circalittoral zone in Mediterranean are formed by several species depending the bottom composition. The most common are the Sabellaria spinulosa, Sabella pavonina and to a lesser extent the Filograna spp./Salmacina spp. complex and Sabella spallanzanii. Worms grow in both soft/mud and hard substrates. Sabellaria spinulosa constructs unbranched dwelling tubes using mucus to bind together sand grains and broken shell to form a dense carpet on the bottom. Filograna/Salmacina build carbonate tubes and can occur in high densities attached to rock surfaces or algae like Cystoseira spp. and/or Sargassum spp. Sabella pavonina and Sabella spallanzani can form dense populations in areas of soft sediment not overgrown by algae.
Indicators of quality:
Both biotic and abiotic indicators have been used to describe marine habitat quality. These include the presence of particular species, water quality parameters, levels of exposure to a particular exposure as well as more integrated indices which describe habitat function and structure, such as trophic index, or successful stages of development in habitats that have a natural cycle of change over time.
There are no known commonly agreed indicators of quality for this habitat, although particular parameters may be set in certain situations, e.g. protected features with Natura 2000 sites, where reference values may have been determined and applied on a location-specific basis.
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
| EU | |
| Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
| Data Deficient | - |
| Europe | |
| Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
| Data Deficient | - |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Biological resource use other than agriculture & forestry
- Fishing and harvesting aquatic resources
- Professional passive fishing
- Professional active fishing
- Benthic or demersal trawling
- Pollution
- Marine water pollution
- Invasive, other problematic species and genes
- Invasive non-native species
- Climate change
- Changes in abiotic conditions
- Temperature changes (e.g. rise of temperature & extremes)
- Sea-level changes
- Decline or extinction of species
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
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Establish protected areas/sites
- Establishing wilderness areas/allowing succession
- Legal protection of habitats and species
- Measures related to hunting, taking and fishing and species management
- Regulation/Management of fishery in marine and brackish systems
- Specific single species or species group management measures
- Measures related to urban areas, industry, energy and transport
- Urban and industrial waste management
- Measures related to special resouce use
- Regulating/Managing exploitation of natural resources on sea
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adriatic Sea | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Aegian-Levantine Sea | ||||
| Ionian Sea and the Central Mediterranean Sea | ||||
| Western Mediterranean Sea |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
| Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU28 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | There is insufficient quantitative data to make an accurate estimate of EOO and AOO. |
| EU28+ | Unknown | Unknown | There is insufficient quantitative data to make an accurate estimate of EOO and AOO. |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).
Characteristic species
Invertebrates
Astroides calycularis
Invertebrates
Dendrophyllia ramea
Invertebrates
Myriapora truncata
Invertebrates
Parazoanthus axinellae
Invertebrates
Sabella pavonina
Invertebrates
Sabella spallanzanii
Invertebrates
Sabellaria spinulosa
| Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
|---|---|---|
| Astroides calycularis | Invertebrates | |
| Dendrophyllia ramea | Invertebrates | |
| Myriapora truncata | Invertebrates | |
| Parazoanthus axinellae | Invertebrates | |
| Sabella pavonina | Invertebrates | |
| Sabella spallanzanii | Invertebrates | |
| Sabellaria spinulosa | Invertebrates |
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 | Reefs | 1170 | Overlap | http://ec.europa.eu/environm...rective/index_en.htm |
