Communities of Mediterranean lower circalittoral coarse sediments
Quick facts
| Red List habitat type | code MEDA5.15 |
|---|---|
| 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
This habitat comprises offshore and deep (up to 200 m) circalittoral habitats with coarse sands and gravel or shell. According to some estimations such habitat may cover large areas of the offshore continental shelf. Lower circalittoral coarse habitats are quite diverse compared to its shallower versions and generally characterised by robust infaunal polychaete and bivalve species. Animal communities in this habitat are closely related to offshore mixed sediments. Bottom currents speed can vary from moderately strong (1-3 kn) to very weak (negligible).
Indicators of quality:
There are no commonly agreed indicators of quality for this habitat, thus both standard biotic and abiotic indicators have been used to describe marine habitat quality. Habitat is in the most geographical areas under impact of strong fisheries activities, particularly trawling and dredging, thus the presence of characteristic commercially exploited species may indicate a quality of the habitat. Hence, presence and abundance of indicated characteristic species can also be used as an indicator of habitat quality.
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
- Mining, extraction of materials and energy production
- Sand and gravel extraction
- Urbanisation, residential and commercial development
- Discharges
- Biological resource use other than agriculture & forestry
- Marine and Freshwater Aquaculture
- Fishing and harvesting aquatic resources
- Pollution
- Marine water pollution
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Unknown  |
Unknown |
| EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Decreasing  |
Decreasing |
| EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
Beneficial measures include strengthening fisheries restrictions especially bottom trawling in a network of MPAs; decreasing the sources of eutrophication which would prevent further degradation of the habitat; and monitoring trends.
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats
- Restoring/Improving water quality
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Other marine-related measures
- Establish protected areas/sites
- 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
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 | Decreasing | 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 | >50,000 | 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).
