Premium
Rarity of marine benthic species in Great Britain: development and application of assessment criteria
Author(s) -
SANDERSON WILLIAM G.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1099-0755
pISSN - 1052-7613
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0755(199612)6:4<245::aid-aqc192>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - benthos , context (archaeology) , marine protected area , marine conservation , scale (ratio) , benthic zone , geography , environmental resource management , marine species , benthic habitat , fishery , ecology , environmental science , habitat , biology , archaeology , cartography
1. One consideration in assessing the nature conservation importance of a site is the presence of ‘rare’ species. How pragmatic concepts of ‘rarity’ can be applied to the marine benthos in a national context for conservation and coastal zone management purposes are considered. 2. A means of assessing rarity, based on the total number of units of area where the species is known to occur within the 3‐mile limit of British territorial waters, has been developed. Coastal marine species can therefore be assessed quantitatively using a consistent methodology comparable to terrestrial assessments in Britain. 3. Application of the criteria has required the collation and analysis of data on a national scale and involved wide consultation. Examples are given of species considered to be nationally rare or scarce (using the technique). The way the information has been disseminated is described. 4. The reasoning behind the work is discussed and some of the applications and limitations of the criteria and results are examined. Apparently this is the first time that rarity criteria have been developed for application in the marine benthos on a national scale. ©1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.