Offshore Deep Sea Muds

This is one of the most widespread and common habitats in the Scottish offshore environment occurring at depths of between 200 and 500m. It supports a community of burrowing animals such as Dublin Bay prawns (Nephrops norvegicus), polychaete worms, bivalve molluscs, brittlestars and foraminifera (the latter are an important potential early indicator of the impacts of ocean acidification).