Communities of Mediterranean circalittoral muddy detritic bottoms
.jpg "European Red List of Habitats 2016")
.jpg "European Red List of Habitats 2016")
Quick facts
| Red List habitat type | code MEDA5.38x |
|---|---|
| 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 develops in areas where a detritus bottom is covered with mud formed by terrigenous deposits from rivers. The sediment is a very muddy sand or sandy mud, or even a rather compacted mud, rich in shell debris or volcanic fragments (scoriae). Sedimentation deposits slow enough to allow the development of sessile epifauna. Gravel, sand and mud are mixed in varying quantities, but mud always predominates.
This biocenosis hosts the facies of the brittlestar Ophiothrix quinquemaculata. This species in some places forms an extremely dense population which is formed almost by 90% ophiurans.
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.
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
The habitat has a large Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO), and therefore it qualifies as Least Concern under Criterion B. However, the habitat is assessed as Data Deficient both at the EU 28 and the EU 28+ levels because of a lack of information on any trends in quantity and quality.
| 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 active fishing
- Benthic or demersal trawling
- Benthic dredging
- Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)
- Silting up
- Accumulation of organic material
- Eutrophication (natural)
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Decreasing  |
Unknown  |
| EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
| Decreasing |
Decreasing |
| EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats
- Restoring/Improving water quality
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Establish protected areas/sites
- Measures related to hunting, taking and fishing and species management
- Regulation/Management of fishery in marine and brackish systems
- 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 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| 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 | >50 | Unknown | EOO and AOO have been calculated on the available data. Although this data set is known to be incomplete the figures exceed the thresholds for threatened status. |
| EU28+ | >50 | Unknown | EOO and AOO have been calculated on the available data. Although this data set is known to be incomplete the figures exceed the thresholds for threatened status. |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).
