Concept: Polychaete/bivalve-dominated muddy sand shores in the eunishabitats vocabulary

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Concept URI	http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/eunishabitats/A2.24
Preferred label	Polychaete/bivalve-dominated muddy sand shores
Definition	Muddy sand or fine sand, often occurring as extensive intertidal flats on open coasts and in marine inlets. The sediment generally remains water-saturated during low water. The habitat may be subject to variable salinity conditions in marine inlets. An anoxic layer may be present below 5 cm of the sediment surface, sometimes seen in the worm casts on the surface. The infauna consists of a diverse range of amphipods, polychaetes, bivalves and gastropods. Situation: Muddy sand communities are found predominantly on the mid and lower shore, though they may span the entire intertidal. Fine sand or mobile sand communities may be present on the upper shore with muddy sand communities present lower down. In sheltered mid estuarine conditions, muddy sand communities may be present on the upper part of the shore with mid estuarine muddy shore communities (A2.31) lower down.
Notation	A2.24
Status	Valid
Status Modified	2014-01-31
Accepted Date	2014-01-31
Not Accepted Date
Has broader	A2.2 (Littoral sand and muddy sand) in biodiversity/eunishabitats
Has narrower	A2.241 ([Macoma balthica] and [Arenicola marina] in muddy sand shores) in biodiversity/eunishabitats A2.242 ([Cerastoderma edule] and polychaetes in littoral muddy sand) in biodiversity/eunishabitats A2.243 ([Hediste diversicolor], [Macoma balthica] and [Eteone longa] in littoral muddy sand) in biodiversity/eunishabitats A2.244 ([Bathyporeia pilosa] and [Corophium arenarium] in littoral muddy sand) in biodiversity/eunishabitats A2.245 ([Lanice conchilega] in littoral sand) in biodiversity/eunishabitats
Has exact match	http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/habitats/490