MC5 - Sable du circalittoral

Circalittoral sand

Classification des habitats EUNIS 2022

Descriptif de l'habitat

Circalittoral clean fine sands with less than 5% silt/clay  in deeper water, or either on the open coast or in tide-swept channels of marine inlets in depths of over 15-20 m or non-cohesive muddy sands with the silt content of the substratum typically ranging from 5% to 20% generally found in water depths of over 15-20 m. This habitat is generally more stable than shallower, infralittoral sands and consequently supports a more diverse community.This habitat extends offshore, while very little information is available on these they are likely to be more stable than their shallower counterparts. This habitat is characterised by a range of taxa including polychaetes, bivalve molluscs and amphipod crustacea.

Bibliography

European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity 2022. EUNIS marine habitat classification 2022 including crosswalks. Table Excel. (Source)