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EUNIS and Mediterranean marine habitats
Sabrina Agnesi, Giulia Mo, Leonardo TunesiISPRA - Rome, Italy (ETC-BD partner)
The EUNIS habitat classification, governance & future developments3-4 October, 2011
European Environment Agency , Copenhagen
Mediterranean marine benthic habitats were incorporated into the EUNIS habitat classification in early 2000s
Mediterranean habitats (biocenoesis, facies and associations) were inserted into the hierarchical system based on an analysis of their known characteristics with respect to a specific EUNIS template.
Aspects which were considered in the process were known determining parameters for each habitat type distribution such as:- depth zone,- substrate type, - energy, - characteristic and accompanying species etc.
PREMISE
Biological communities fall within specific biological zones determined by delimiting parameters such as: exposure to seawater and spray (for the shallow superficial zones), amount of light reaching the seabottom, and slope angle change (for the deepest zones).
The zoning in the Mediterranean benthic habitat classification
S = supralittoral: reached by seaspray and never submerged . M= mesolitoral: determined by high and low tideI= infralittoral: extends from lower limit of the tide until max depth where photosynthesys of Posidonia oceanica and photophilic algae occursC= circalittoral: deepest phytal (where plant life can occur) zone; lower limit determined by shelf breakB= bathyal: characterised by slope of continental shelf marginA= abyssal: starts where slope angle changes into flattened area
“Classification of benthic marine Habitat types for the Mediterranean Region” (UNEP (OCA)/MED WG 149/5 Rev. 1)
-a habitat revision collated under the frame work of the SPA/BIO secretariat of UNEP’s Barcelona Convention
- aim of the document: define a list of univocal assemblages existing in the Mediterranean, and then identify those with highest conservation interest
Which habitat reference list was taken into account when the habitats were first inserted into EUNIS?
UNEP (OCA)/MED WG 149/5 Rev. 1
Substrate
Zone
Tot. N. Bioc.
Tot. N° facies / assoc.
Tot. N. Bioc.
Tot. N° facies / assoc.
Tot. N. Bioc.
Tot. N° facies / assoc.
Tot. N. Bioc.
Tot. N° facies / assoc.
Tot. N. Bioc.
Tot. N° facies / assoc.
Tot. N. Bioc.
Tot. N° facies / assoc.
Tot. N. Bioc.
Tot. N° facies / assoc.
Supralittoral 1 1 5 1 1 2
Mesolittoral 1 1 1 1 3 15 1 2
Infralittoral 5 13 1 1 1 35 1 12 1 4
Circalittoral 1 3 4 13 3 18
Bathyal 1 5 1 2
Abyssal 1
Boulders & cobblesMuddy sands and
Mud (estuaries Sandy mud,
sand, cobbles Posidonia oceanicaMud Sand Rock
Zone Tot. number of Bioceonosis
Tot. N° facies/ associations
Supralittoral 4 7
Mesolittoral 6 19
Infralittoral 9 65
Circalittoral 8 34
Bathyal 4 5
Abyssal 1
Total 32 130UNEP (OCA)/MED WG 149/5 Rev. 1
All the main Mediterranean benthic habitats listed by Barcelona Convention have been incorporated into EUNIS (ETC/BD activity).
EUNIS LEVEL -2 GROUPING
TOTAL n. habitats
A1 22
A2 9
A3 37
A4 23
A5 59
A6 9
B2 1
B3 2
TOTAL 162
“Barcelona Convention” classification system recognizes the existence of distinct bioceonosis and facies/associations occurring univocally in each biological zone
Proposal for discussion and future work What updates are needed?
a) Some of the existing text definitions present in the system could be enriched to the benefit of the user.
Proposal: -Provide a more thorough text definition for some of the presently listed Med habitat types. -Upload this into the system.
Note: at the moment ISPRA has revised most habitat text definitions (covered up to part of the circalittoral) and with minor effort remaining deeper habitats can be defined.
b) It is possible that some small assemblages may have been ignored in the Barcelona convention habitat recognition process (i.e. facies of Mytilus galloprovincialis in polluted waters). These should be inserted as new entries.
Proposal: -These can be revised within the framework of the revision effort of point a) above.
What updates are needed? (cont.)
c) any recent knowledge on new habitats needing amendment in EUNIS?
EUSeaMap1 (DG-Mare funded project) identified new habitats in Mediterranean deep waters. These were given a general existing EUNIS code as follows:
A6.2 Deep sea mixed sediments BathyalA6.4 Deep sea muddy sand Bathyal
A6.2 Deep sea mixed sediments Abyssal zoneA6.3 Deep sea sand Abyssal zoneA6.4 Deep sea muddy sand Abyssal zone
Though they need to be studied from a biological community point of view, the project shows their existence in the region and they have different characteristics in terms of depth zones.
Proposal: Modify category A6 (deep sea) into two broad categories that would account for the different substrate types according to distinct biological zones.
1Cameron, A. and Askew, N. (eds.). 2011. EUSeaMap - Preparatory Action for development and assessment of a European broad-scale seabed habitat map final report. Available at http://jncc.gov.uk/euseamap
Proposal for discussion and future work
Proposal for discussion and future work Considerations on the system’s structure functional to future application
1) All main “Barcelona convention“ habitats are presently “fitted” into EUNIS.
The EUNIS habitat classification objective to give a nomenclature code to each habitat /community known to exist in European waters has been reached ( except for minor updates and modifications of points a & b before).
2) Usage of the hierarchical positioning of each habitat type to draw comparisons amongst habitats that are grouped in similar hierarchical ranking groupings can currently lead to non homogenous habitat considerations for Mediterranean habitats (i.e. when proposing that habitats be monitored or mapped etc. at a given set EUNIS level).
Why? Criteria guiding the subdivision at some of the level 2 and 3 are not homogenous between groups. This leads to ecologically uneven subdivisions amongst some A2 and A3 groupings (i.e. habitat groupings are not being differentiated with a similar approach - i.e. major substrate – hard vs. soft, and depth zone –infralittoral, circalittoral, bathyal, abyssal).
This is particularly evident in the way Mediterranean habitats fit in EUNIS.
Let’s look at this a little more in detail……………
Supralittoral (S)
Mesolittoral (M)
Infralittoral (I)
Circalittoral ( C )
Bathyal (B)
Abyssal (A)
Mud 1 Mud 1 3 Mud 1 5 Mud 1
Muddy sands and mud
1 2 Sandy mud, sand, cobbles and rock
1 12
Sand 1 5 Sand 1 1 Sand 5 13Sand 4 13 Sand 1 Boulder and cobbles
1 Boulder and cobbles
1 1 Boulder and cobbles
1 1
Rock 1 2 Rock 3 15Rock 1 35Rock 3 18 Rock 2
Posidonia oceanica
1 4
Subs
trat
e ca
tego
ry
EUNIS II Level
B2
B3
B1
Coastal habitats
Biological Zone
Littoral rock & other hard substrata
A1
Littoral sediment
A2
Infralittoral rock
A3
Circalittoral rock
A4
Sublittoral sediment
A5
Deep-sea bed
A6
Supralittoral (S)
Mesolittoral (M)
Infralittoral (I)
Circalittoral ( C )
Bathyal (B)
Abyssal (A)
Mud 1 Mud 1 3 Mud 1 5 Mud 1
Muddy sands and mud
1 2 Sandy mud, sand, cobbles and rock
1 12
Sand 1 5 Sand 1 1 Sand 5 13Sand 4 13 Sand 1 Boulder and cobbles
1 Boulder and cobbles
1 1 Boulder and cobbles
1 1
Rock 1 2 Rock 3 15Rock 1 35Rock 3 18 Rock 2
Posidonia oceanica
1 4
B2
B3
B1
Coastal habitats Littoral rock &
other hard substrata
A1
Littoral sediment
A2
Infralittoral rock
A3
Circalittoral rock
A4
Sublittoral sediment
A5
Deep-sea bed
A6
Infralittoral and circalittoral soft bottoms are all listed
under A5
Bathyal and abyssal, soft and hard bottoms are all listed
under A6
Lev.
Group categories
1 A Marine
2
A 1Littoral rock
A2Littoral sediment
A3 Infralittoral rock
A4Circalittoral rock
A5Sublittoral sediment
A6Deep sea
3
A1.1High energy litt. rock
A2.1Littoral coarse sediment
A2.2Littoral sand and muddy sand
A3.1 Atl. & Med. high energy infralittoral rock
A3.2 Atl. & Med. moderate energy littoral rock
A4.2 Atl. & Med. moderate energy
A5.1Sublitt. coarse sediment
A5.2Sublitt. sand
A5.4Sublitt. mixed sediments
A6.1 Deep sea rock
A6.5 Deep sea mud
4
A1.13 Med. comm. upper mediolitt. rock
A2.13 Med. comm. mediolitt. coarse detr.
A2.25Med. comm. mediolitt. sands
A3.13 Med. comm. very exposed wave
A4.26 Med. comm. Mod. exposed wave
A5.13Infralittoral coarse sed.
A5.23 Infralittoral fine sand
A5.47Med. comm. shelf-edge detritic bottoms
A6.51Med. comm. bathyal muds
A6.52Comm. abyssal muds
5
A1.131 Ass. B. atropurpurea
A2.251Facies O. bicornis
A3.132 Ass. C. amentacea
A4.265 Association Sargassum spp.
A5.138 Ass. with rodolithes
A5.235 Med. comm. fine sands shallow waters
A5.471 Facies L. phalangium
A6.511Facies T. muricata
6
Facies with L. medit.
Differentiation per biological
zone
Differentiation per biological
zone
Differentiation per biological zone
Differentiation per gross substrate
Differentiation per gross substrate (hard vs. soft)
Proposal for discussion and future work Considerations on the system’s structure functional to future application (cont.)
2) Considerations on the hiearchical subdivisions at level 2 and 3
Proposal:Would it be possible to subdivide A5 (sublittoral sediments) into two distinct level 2 categories: infralittoral and circalittoral?
Would it be possible to differentiate A6 (deep sea) into three distinct level 2 categories:- Bathyal rock- Bathyal sediments- Abyssal sediments
3) EUNIS habitat classification is the most exhaustive database tool containing updated description on the characteristics of all marine habitats across European seas.
This habitat coding will allow wide-range mapping initiatives which will produce cartographies using a univocal habitat coding language. This will allow to visualize the spatial extent of each habitat /community type in Europe and show how the European habitat biodiversity is distributed and abundant throughout space. It will take some time for this to happen throughout all of Europe.
Meanwhile, can we enrich the system, and then interrogate it so as to evaluate which components of habitat diversity are present/absent in the different geographic seas?
Proposal:This could be done by inserting a “flag-up” option per biogeographic sea in every habitat definition that we have so far inserted.
Proposal for discussion and future work Considerations on the system’s structure functional to future application (cont.)