Priority Marine Features in Scotland's seas - Habitats
Published: 2020
|
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
|
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
|
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 |
|
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
|
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 |
