Red List of European Habitats
Habitat code & name
AB.E3X–Baltic aphotic shell gravel characterized by mixed infaunal macrocommunity in
coarse and well sorted shells and shell fragments
Author and Date
HELCOM RED LIST Biotope Expert Team, November 2013.
Relationship to EUNIS
The biotope does not correspond directly to any EUNIS (2004) level 4 habitats due to
structural differences the classification systems. The closest correspondence in EUNIS is
found in the level 4 habitat ‘Infralittoral coarse sediment in low or reduced salinity’
(A5.11).
Habitat description
Baltic aphotic bottoms with at least 90% coverage of shell gravel. Macroscopic infauna
present, but no epibenthic macrofauna present. The shell gravel mainly consists of large
shells and coarse shell fragments from several different species of clams and mussels.
Substrate is shell gravel. Depth below approximately 20 m. Appears mostly in high energy
exposure areas.
Characteristic species
Indicators of quality
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Relationships with other schemes
Annex 1 relationships
The relationship between HUB biotopes and Annex 1 habitats has not yet been mapped
by HELCOM.
MAES relationships
Marine - Marine inlets and transitional waters
Marine - Coastal
MSFD relationships
Shallow sublittoral coarse sediment, Shelf sublittoral coarse sediment
EUSeaMap relationships
Shallow coarse or mixed sediments, Shelf coarse or mixed sediments
IUCN ecosystem relationships
9.3 Subtidal Loose Rock/Pebble/Gravel
Other relationships
Level 5 of the HELCOM HUB classification (2013). No sublevels exist for this habitat in the
HELCOM HUB classification.
Photograph
No photograph currently available for this habitat.
Countries list
To be inserted when data sheets completed.
Regional Sea
Baltic Sea
Baltic Proper
Belt Sea
Gulf of Bothnia
Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Riga
The Sound
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Map
This will be inserted by NatureBureau based on the Regional Sea information above.
References
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