JNCC Report: Conceptual Ecological Modelling of Shallow Sublittoral Mixed Sediment Habitats to Inform Indicator Selection Report 586 MESL report for JNCC (2016)

Alexander, D., Coates, D.A., Herbert, R.J.H. & Crowley, S.J.

This project is focused on producing a series of Conceptual Ecological Models (CEMs) for the marine habitat ‘Shallow Sublittoral Mixed Sediments’.

Conceptual Ecological Models – CEMs – are diagrammatic representations of the influences and processes which occur within an ecosystem. They can be used to identify critical aspects of an ecosystem which may be taken forward for further study, or serve as the basis for the selection of indicators for environmental monitoring purposes. The models produced by this project are control diagrams, representing the unimpacted state of the environment free from anthropogenic pressures.

The project scope included the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) predominant habitat type ‘shallow sublittoral mixed sediment’. This definition includes those habitats which fall into the EUNIS Level 4 classifications A5.43 Infralittoral Mixed Sediments and A5.44 Circalittoral Mixed Sediments, along with their constituent Level 5 biotopes which are relevant to UK waters. A species list of characterising fauna to be included within the scope of the models was identified using an iterative process to refine the full list of species found within the relevant Level 5 biotopes. Click here to read more.