AA.J3 Baltic photic sand characterized by macroscopic infaunal biotic structures
Author
HELCOM
RED LIST Biotope Expert Team
Textual description
Baltic
bottoms in the photic zone with at least 90 % coverage of sand. Sand has
less than 20 % of mud/silt/clay fraction (<63 µm), and the proportion of
sand (grain size 0.063–2 mm) exceeds 70% of the combined gravel and sand
fraction. Macroscopic infauna present, no macrovegetation or epibenthic
macrofauna.
Physical environment
Salinity
range: all; Exposure range: all; Depth range: photic zone
Characteristic species
Bathyporeia pilosa, Arenicola marina, Macoma balthica, Mya arenaria, Cyathura carinata
Mapping
advise (habitat delineation, identification, similar types)
Photic
zone areas with pure sand, often characterized by ripple marks. Sediment must
contain less than 20 % of mud/silt/clay fraction (<63 µm), and
more than 70 % of sand (grain size 0.063–2 mm ). Macroscopic infauna
present, no macrovegetation or epibenthic macrofauna.
Quality descriptors
Soft
sediment covering the sand will decrease the quality.
Geographic range
Whole Baltic Sea
Anthropogenic threats
Silting
caused by eutrophication, dredging spoil deposition etc.
Correspondence
with other classification systems
HELCOM 1998:
2.5 Sandy bottoms
2.5.2 Sublittoral photic zone
2.5.2.1 Level bottoms with little or no macrophytevegetation
EUNIS 2012:
A5 Sublittoral sediment
A5.2 Sublittoral sand
A5.21 Sublittoral sand in low or reduced salinity
A5.211 Baltic level sandy bottoms of the infralittoral photic zone with
little or no macrophyte vegetation
http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/habitats/2580