Priority Marine Features in Scotland's seas - The List

Published: 2020

Intertidal and continental shelf habitats

Priority Marine  Feature (PMF)	Component biotopes / species (biotope / common name)	Component biotopes / species (biotope code / species name)	Scottish marine area
Blue mussel beds	Mytilus edulis beds on littoral sediments	LS.LBR.LMus.Myt	Territorial waters
Blue mussel beds	Mytilus edulis and Fabricia sabella in littoral mixed sediment	LS.LSa.St.MytFab	Territorial waters
Blue mussel beds	Mytilus edulis beds on sublittoral sediment	SS.SBR.SMus.MytSS	Territorial waters
Blue mussel beds	Mytilus edulis beds on reduced salinity infralittoral rock	IR.LIR.IFaVS.MytRS	Territorial waters
Burrowed mud*	Seapens and burrowing megafauna in circalittoral fine mud	SS.SMu.CFiMu.SpnMeg	Both
Burrowed mud*	Burrowing megafauna and Maxmuelleria lankesteri in circalittoral mud	SS.SMu.CFiMu.MegMax	Both
Burrowed mud*	Tall seapen	Funiculina quadrangularis	Both
Burrowed mud*	Fireworks anemone	Pachycerianthus multiplicatus	Both
Burrowed mud*	Mud burrowing amphipod	Maera loveni	Both
Flame shell beds	Limaria hians beds in tide-swept sublittoral muddy mixed sediment	SS.SMx.IMx.Lim	Territorial waters
Horse mussel beds	Modiolus modiolus beds with hydroids and red seaweeds on tide-swept circalittoral mixed substrata	SS.SBR.SMus.ModT	Territorial waters
Horse mussel beds	Modiolus modiolus beds on open coast circalittoral mixed sediment	SS.SBR.SMus.ModMx	Territorial waters
Horse mussel beds	Modiolus modiolus beds with fine hydroids and large solitary ascidians on very sheltered circalittoral mixed substrata	SS.SBR.SMus.ModHAs	Territorial waters
Horse mussel beds	Modiolus modiolus beds with Chlamys varia, sponges, hydroids and bryozoans on slightly tide-swept very sheltered circalittoral mixed substrata	SS.SBR.SMus.ModCvar	Territorial waters
Inshore deep mud with burrowing heart urchins	Brissopsis lyrifera and Amphiura chiajei in circalittoral mud	SS.SMu.CFiMu.BlyrAchi	Territorial waters
Intertidal mudflats	Littoral mud	LS.LMu	Territorial waters
Kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment	Kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment[1]	SS.SMp.KSwSS	Territorial waters
Kelp beds	Laminaria hyperborea forest with a faunal cushion (sponges and polyclinids) and foliose red seaweeds on very exposed upper infralittoral rock	IR.HIR.KFaR.LhypFa	Territorial waters
Kelp beds	Laminaria hyperborea with dense foliose red seaweeds on exposed infralittoral rock[2]	IR.HIR.KFaR.LhypR	Territorial waters
Kelp beds	Laminaria hyperborea on tide-swept, infralittoral rock	IR.MIR.KR.LhypT	Territorial waters
Kelp beds	Laminaria hyperborea on tide-swept infralittoral mixed substrata[3]	IR.MIR.KR.LhypTX	Territorial waters
Kelp beds	Laminaria hyperborea and foliose red seaweeds on moderately exposed infralittoral rock[4]	IR.MIR.KR.Lhyp	Territorial waters
Low or variable salinity habitats	Faunal communities on variable or reduced salinity infralittoral rock	IR.LIR.IFaVS	Territorial waters
Low or variable salinity habitats	Kelp in variable or reduced salinity	IR.LIR.KVS	Territorial waters
Low or variable salinity habitats	Submerged fucoids, green or red seaweeds (low salinity infralittoral rock)	IR.LIR.Lag	Territorial waters
Low or variable salinity habitats	Sublittoral mud in low or reduced salinity (lagoons)	SS.SMu.SMuLS	Territorial waters
Low or variable salinity habitats	Bird’s nest stonewort	Tolypella nidifica	Territorial waters
Low or variable salinity habitats	Baltic stonewort	Chara baltica	Territorial waters
Low or variable salinity habitats	Foxtail stonewort	Lamprothamnium papulosum	Territorial waters
Low or variable salinity habitats	Small brackish water snail	Hydrobia acuta neglecta	Territorial waters
Maerl beds	Maerl beds	SS.SMp.Mrl	Territorial waters
Maerl or coarse shell gravel with burrowing sea cucumbers	Neopentadactyla mixta in circalittoral shell gravel or coarse sand	SS.SCS.CCS.Nmix	Territorial waters
Native oysters	Ostrea edulis beds on shallow sublittoral muddy mixed sediment	SS.SMx.IMx.Ost	Territorial waters
Native oysters	Native oyster	Ostrea edulis	Territorial waters
Northern sea fan and sponge communities	Caryophyllia smithii and Swiftia pallida on circalittoral rock	CR.MCR.EcCr.CarSwi	Territorial waters
Northern sea fan and sponge communities	Mixed turf of hydroids and large ascidians with Swiftia pallida and Caryophyllia smithii on weakly tide-swept circalittoral rock	CR.HCR.XFa.SwiLgAs	Territorial waters
Northern sea fan and sponge communities	Deep sponge communities (circalittoral)	CR.HCR.DpSp	Both
Northern sea fan and sponge communities	Northern sea fan	Swiftia pallida	Both
Offshore deep sea muds*	Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on cohesive muddy sediment near margins of deep stratified seas	SS.SMu.OMu.AfalPova	Offshore waters
Offshore deep sea muds*	Foraminiferans and Thyasira sp. in deep circalittoral fine mud	SS.SMu.OMu.ForThy	Offshore waters
Offshore deep sea muds*	Levinsenia gracilis and Heteromastus filifirmis in offshore circalittoral mud and sandy mud	SS.SMu.OMu.LevHet	Offshore waters
Offshore deep sea muds*	Paramphinome jeffreysii, Thyasira spp. and Amphiura filiformis in offshore circalittoral sandy mud	SS.SMu.OMu.PjefThyAfil	Offshore waters
Offshore deep sea muds*	Myrtea spinifera and polychaetes in offshore circalittoral sandy mud	SS.SMu.OMu.MyrPo	Offshore waters
Offshore subtidal sands and gravels*	Glycera lapidum, Thyasira spp. and Amythasides macroglossus in offshore gravelly sand	SS.SCS.OCS.GlapThyAmy	Offshore waters
Offshore subtidal sands and gravels*	Hesionura elongata and Protodorvillea kefersteini in offshore coarse sand	SS.SCS.OCS.HeloPkef	Offshore waters
Offshore subtidal sands and gravels*	Echinocyamus pusillus, Ophelia borealis and Abra prismatica in circalittoral fine sand	SS.SSa.CFiSa.EpusOborApri	Offshore waters
Offshore subtidal sands and gravels*	Abra prismatica, Bathyporeia elegans and polychaetes in circalittoral fine sand	SS.SSa.CFiSa.ApriBatPo	Offshore waters
Offshore subtidal sands and gravels*	Maldanid polychaetes and Eudorellopsis deformis in offshore circalittoral sand or muddy sand	SS.SSa.OSa.MalEdef	Offshore waters
Offshore subtidal sands and gravels*	Owenia fusiformis and Amphiura filiformis in offshore circalittoral sand or muddy sand	SS.SSa.OSa.OfusAfil	Offshore waters
Seagrass beds	Zostera noltii beds in littoral muddy sand	LS.LMp.LSgr.Znol	Territorial waters
Seagrass beds	Zostera marina/angustifolia beds on lower shore clean or muddy sand	SS.SMp.SSgr.Zmar	Territorial waters
Seagrass beds	Zostera marina/angustifolia beds on infralittoral clean or muddy sand	SS.SMp.SSgr.Zmar	Territorial waters
Seagrass beds	Ruppia maritima in reduced salinity infralittoral muddy sand	SS.SMp.SSgr.Rup	Territorial waters
Sea loch egg wrack beds	Ascophyllum nodosum ecad mackaii beds on extremely sheltered mid eulittoral mixed substrata	LR.LLR.FVS.Ascmac	Territorial waters
Serpulid aggregations	Serpula vermicularis reefs on very sheltered circalittoral muddy sand[5]	SS.SBR.PoR.Ser	Territorial waters
Submarine structures made by leaking gases	Submarine structures made by leaking gases	No code	Both
Tide-swept algal communities	Fucoids in tide-swept conditions	LR.HLR.FT	Territorial waters
Tide-swept algal communities	Halidrys siliquosa and mixed kelps on tide-swept infralittoral rock with coarse sediment	IR.HIR.KSed.XKHal	Territorial waters
Tide-swept algal communities	Kelp and seaweed communities in tide-swept sheltered conditions[6]	IR.MIR.KT	Territorial waters
Tide-swept algal communities	Laminaria hyperborea on tide-swept infralittoral mixed substrata[7]	IR.MIR.KR.LhypTX	Territorial waters
Tide-swept coarse sands with burrowing bivalves	Moerella spp. with venerid bivalves in infralittoral gravelly sand[8]	SS.SCS.ICS.MoeVen	Territorial waters

 

[1] The following biotopes of ‘Kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment’ are specifically excluded: ‘Mats of Trailliella on infralittoral muddy gravel (SS.SMp.KSwSS.Tra)’; & ‘Filamentous green seaweeds on low salinity infralittoral mixed sediment or rock (SS.SMp.KSwSS.FilG)’

[2] The following biotope is specifically excluded: ‘Mixed Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria ochroleuca forest on exposed infralittoral rock (IR.HIR.KFaR.LhypR.Loch)’

[3] This biotope is also a component of the ‘Tide-swept algal communities’ PMF

[4] The following biotope is specifically excluded: ‘Sabellaria spinulosa with kelp and red seaweeds on sand-influenced infralittoral rock (IR.MIR.KR.Lhyp.Sab)’

[5] As well as the serpulid reefs biotope this PMF includes smaller aggregations of Serpula vermicularis

[6] The following biotopes of ‘Kelp and seaweed communities in tide-swept sheltered conditions’ are specifically excluded: ‘Laminaria saccharina with foliose red seaweeds and ascidians on sheltered tide-swept infralittoral rock (IR.MIR.KT.LsacT)’; & ‘Filamentous red seaweeds, sponges and Balanus crenatus on tide-swept variable-salinity infralittoral rock (IR.MIR.KT.FilRVS)’

[7] This biotope is also a component of the ‘Kelp beds’ PMF

[8] Recent data suggests that the community associated with this biotope may also be present in waters deeper than is characteristic of infralittoral biotopes. Pending further assessment and classification, this PMF includes examples of the community associated with SS.SCS.ICS.MoeVen even where it lies outside the typical depth range of the biotope

Deep sea habitats PMFs listed in this table which also occur in intertidal and continental shelf habitats

Priority Marine Feature (PMF)	Component biotopes / species (biotope / common name)	Component biotopes / species (biotope code / species name)	Scottish marine area
Carbonate mound communities	Carbonate mound communities	No code	Offshore waters
Cold-water coral reefs*	Coral reefs	SS.SBR.Crl	Both
Coral gardens	Coral gardens	No code	Offshore waters
Deep sea sponge aggregations	Deep sea sponge aggregations	No code	Offshore waters
Seamount communities	Seamount communities	No code	Offshore waters

 

SPECIES

Mammals

Priority Marine Feature (PMF)	Species name	Scottish marine area
Atlantic white-sided dolphin	Lagenorhynchus acutus	Offshore waters
Bottlenose dolphin	Tursiops truncatus	Both
Fin whale	Balaenoptera physalus	Offshore waters
Grey seal	Halichoerus grypus	Both
Harbour porpoise	Phocoena phocoena	Both
Harbour seal	Phoca vitulina	Both
Killer whale	Orcinus orca	Both
Long-finned pilot whale	Globicephala melas	Offshore waters
Minke whale	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	Both
Northern bottlenose whale	Hyperoodon ampullatus	Offshore waters
Otter	Lutra lutra	Territorial waters
Risso's dolphin	Grampus griseus	Both
Short-beaked common dolphin	Delphinus delphis	Both
Sowerby’s beaked whale	Mesoplodon bidens	Offshore waters
Sperm whale	Physeter macrocephalus	Offshore waters
White-beaked dolphin	Lagenorhynchus albirostris	Both

 

Fish

Priority Marine Feature (PMF)	Species name	Scottish marine area
Anglerfish[1]	Lophius piscatorius	Both
Atlantic halibut	Hippoglossus hippoglossus	Offshore waters
Atlantic herring[2]	Clupea harengus	Both
Atlantic mackerel	Scomber scombrus	Both
Atlantic salmon (marine part of life cycle)	Salmo salar	Territorial waters
Basking shark	Cetorhinus maximus	Both
Black scabbardfish	Aphanopus carbo	Offshore waters
Blue ling	Molva dypterygia	Offshore waters
Blue whiting	Micromesistius poutassou	Offshore waters
Cod	Gadus morhua	Both
Eel (marine part of life cycle)	Anguilla anguilla	Territorial waters
European river lamprey (marine part of life cycle)	Lampetra fluviatilis	Territorial waters
Flapper skate and blue skate (formerly common skate)	Dipturus intermedius and D. batis	Both
Greenland halibut	Reinhardtius hippoglossoides	Offshore waters
Horse mackerel	Trachurus trachurus	Offshore waters
Leafscale gulper shark	Centrophorus squamosus	Offshore waters
Ling	Molva molva	Both
Norway pout	Trisopterus esmarkii	Both
Orange roughy	Hoplostethus atlanticus	Offshore waters
Porbeagle shark	Lamna nasus	Offshore waters
Portuguese dogfish	Centroscymnus coelolepis	Offshore waters
Round-nose grenadier	Coryphaenoides rupestris	Offshore waters
Saithe[3]	Pollachius virens	Both
Sandeels	Ammodytes marinus & Ammodytes tobianus	Both (although only A. marinus occurs offshore)
Sand goby	Pomatoschistus minutus	Territorial waters
Sandy ray	Leucoraja circularis	Offshore waters
Sea lamprey (marine part of life cycle)	Petromyzon marinus	Territorial waters
Sea trout (marine part of life cycle)	Salmo trutta	Territorial waters
Sparling (marine part of life cycle)	Osmerus eperlanus	Territorial waters
Spiny dogfish	Squalus acanthias	Both
Whiting[4]	Merlangius merlangus	Both

 

[1] In territorial waters the focus is on juveniles

[2] In territorial waters the focus is on juveniles and spawning adults

[3] In territorial waters the focus is on juveniles

[4] In territorial waters the focus is on juveniles

Shellfish and other invertebrates

Priority Marine Feature (PMF)	Species name	Scottish marine area
Burrowing sea anemone	Arachnanthus sarsi	Territorial waters
European spiny lobster	Palinurus elephas	Territorial waters
Fan mussel	Atrina fragilis	Both
Heart cockle	Glossus humanus	Territorial waters
Northern feather star	Leptometra celtica	Both
Ocean quahog	Arctica islandica	Both
Pink sea fingers	Alcyonium hibernicum	Territorial waters
White cluster anemone	Parazoanthus anguicomus	Territorial waters