Seagrass Beds - Intertidal sediments and Inshore and shelf subtidal sediments

1236170Seagrass Beds - Intertidal sediments and Inshore and shelf subtidal sedimentsEdited by MartynC.110012655layer_information_pageund1449064502158833820500158833820555Seagrasses (also known, for their long thin leaves, as eel grass) are grass-like flowering plants with dark green, long, narrow, ribbon-shaped leaves. They are one of the very few groups of flowering plants that live in the sea. They grow in sheltered waters such as inlets, bays, estuaries and saltwater lagoons. There are 6 layers: Intertidal sediments <ol> <li>Zostera noltii beds in littoral muddy sand</li> <li>Littoral Zostera marina / angustifolia beds on lower shore or infralittoral clean or muddy sand</li> <li>Other seagrass bed habitats on intertidal sediments</li> </ol> Inshore and Shelf Subtidal Sediments <ol> <li>Sublittoral Zostera marina / angustifolia beds on lower shore or infralittoral clean or muddy sand</li> <li>Ruppia maritima in reduced salinity infralittoral muddy sand</li> <li>Other seagrass bed habitats on inshore and shelf subtidal sediments</li> </ol> full_htmlSeagrasses (also known, for their long thin leaves, as eel grass) are grass-like flowering plants with dark green, long, narrow, ribbon-shaped leaves. They are one of the very few groups of flowering plants that live in the sea. They grow in sheltered waters such as inlets, bays, estuaries and saltwater lagoons. There are 6 layers: Intertidal sediments <ol> <li>Zostera noltii beds in littoral muddy sand</li> <li>Littoral Zostera marina / angustifolia beds on lower shore or infralittoral clean or muddy sand</li> <li>Other seagrass bed habitats on intertidal sediments</li> </ol> Inshore and Shelf Subtidal Sediments <ol> <li>Sublittoral Zostera marina / angustifolia beds on lower shore or infralittoral clean or muddy sand</li> <li>Ruppia maritima in reduced salinity infralittoral muddy sand</li> <li>Other seagrass bed habitats on inshore and shelf subtidal sediments</li> </ol> 293047455Intertidal seagrass bed in Dornoch Firth.jpgpublic://Intertidal seagrass beds in Dornoch Firth.jpgimage/jpeg3239511470227214imageIntertidal seagrass bed in Dornoch Firth Intertidal seagrass bed in Dornoch Firth Intertidal seagrass bed in Dornoch Firth © SNHIntertidal seagrass bed in Dornoch Firth © SNH<_drafty_revision_requested>FIELD_LOAD_CURRENTIntertidal seagrass bed in Dornoch Firth © SNHIntertidal seagrass bed in Dornoch Firth 422668422668811These layers cover: Intertidal sediments: 1. Beds of the dwarf eelgrass Zostera noltii are found on the mid and upper shore in muddy sand or sandy mud on wave-sheltered coasts. This habitat is sparsely distributed around Scotland but is present at various sites in the Moray Firth, Firth of Tay, Shetland and the west coast and Western Isles. Scotland has about 20% of the north-west European beds and the Cromarty Firth supports the largest bed known in the UK. The eelgrass roots serve to stabilise and bind the underlying sediment and support a community of polychaete worms, mud shrimps, mud snails, shore crabs and bivalves including the edible cockle (Cerastoderma edule). 2. This layer shows the distribution of intertidal (littoral) seagrass bed habitats which cannot be categorised into the other layers.   Inshore and Shelf Subtidal Sediments: 3. Subtidal seagrass beds of the eelgrass Zostera marina are considered nationally scarce and found on the west coast of Scotland extending up to the Northern Isles with a few records from the east coast in more sheltered bays and firths. The eelgrass stabilises the underlying sediment and absorbs a proportion of the wave energy as well as being a nursery area for many commercially important species of fish.  Scotland holds about 20% of the seagrass beds in North-west Europe with many being considered degraded following significant declines. 4. Ruppia maritima grows in soft sediments in sheltered shallow coastal waters, from full salinity to nearly fresh water but mainly in brackish waters of lagoonal habitats, lochs, estuaries, creeks and pools in salt marshes, wetlands, ditches and lakes. Found on the west coast, the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland and, intertidally in the Cromarty Firth. 5. This layer shows the distribution of subtidal seagrass beds which cannot be categorised into the other layers. filtered_htmlThese layers cover: Intertidal sediments: 1. Beds of the dwarf eelgrass Zostera noltii are found on the mid and upper shore in muddy sand or sandy mud on wave-sheltered coasts. This habitat is sparsely distributed around Scotland but is present at various sites in the Moray Firth, Firth of Tay, Shetland and the west coast and Western Isles. Scotland has about 20% of the north-west European beds and the Cromarty Firth supports the largest bed known in the UK. The eelgrass roots serve to stabilise and bind the underlying sediment and support a community of polychaete worms, mud shrimps, mud snails, shore crabs and bivalves including the edible cockle (Cerastoderma edule). 2. This layer shows the distribution of intertidal (littoral) seagrass bed habitats which cannot be categorised into the other layers. Inshore and Shelf Subtidal Sediments: 3. Subtidal seagrass beds of the eelgrass Zostera marina are considered nationally scarce and found on the west coast of Scotland extending up to the Northern Isles with a few records from the east coast in more sheltered bays and firths. The eelgrass stabilises the underlying sediment and absorbs a proportion of the wave energy as well as being a nursery area for many commercially important species of fish. Scotland holds about 20% of the seagrass beds in North-west Europe with many being considered degraded following significant declines. 4. Ruppia maritima grows in soft sediments in sheltered shallow coastal waters, from full salinity to nearly fresh water but mainly in brackish waters of lagoonal habitats, lochs, estuaries, creeks and pools in salt marshes, wetlands, ditches and lakes. Found on the west coast, the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland and, intertidally in the Cromarty Firth. 5. This layer shows the distribution of subtidal seagrass beds which cannot be categorised into the other layers. 1996916728167271456614363142255077515552981462514647876875877874880878sioc:Itemfoaf:Document<predicates is_array="true"><item>dc:title</item></predicates><type>property</type>dc:datedc:createdxsd:dateTimedate_iso8601dc:modifiedxsd:dateTimedate_iso8601content:encodedsioc:has_creatorrelfoaf:namesioc:num_repliesxsd:integersioc:last_activity_datexsd:dateTimedate_iso8601https://marine.gov.scot/?q=information/seagrass-beds-intertidal-sediments-and-inshore-and-shelf-subtidal-sediments11685312361712655publishedpublished55158833820511Seagrass Beds - Intertidal sediments and Inshore and shelf subtidal sediments158833820511685312361712655publishedpublished55158833820511Seagrass Beds - Intertidal sediments and Inshore and shelf subtidal sediments158833820511685312361712655publishedpublished55158833820511Seagrass Beds - Intertidal sediments and Inshore and shelf subtidal sediments1588338205