such as the gastropods Mesalia varia, Tritia vaucheri and Gibberula epigrus (Urra
et al. 2011), also characterize this habitat in the westernmost part, mostly along the
western coast of Málaga province. The African sea star, Luidia atlantidea, has been
recently found in the littoral of Málaga (Gallardo-Roldán et al. 2015) (see Chap. 10).
Some seasonality has been observed for the assemblage of molluscs in the soft
bottoms of the littoral of Málaga, with maximum of species richness, abundance and
diversity in autumn (Urra et al. 2013c). The latter was related with the dynamics of
some bivalves, such as Donax trunculus, Acanthocardia tuberculata or Callista
chione, probably due to the high fishery activity during the summer, the tourist
season and the settlement of larvae in September and October.
All shallow soft bottoms could fall under the loose definition of Habitat 1110
“Sandbanks permanently covered by sea water” of the EU Habitats Directive.
Taking into account the extension of this kind of habitats, this has only been claimed
in the case where seagrasses are settled on the sandy bottom. Nevertheless most, if
not all, marine protected areas of the Alboran Sea harbour a more or less extensive
representation of soft-bottom habitats. In practical terms, the main impacts and the
protection status of infralittoral sandy bottoms are mostly related to fisheries of
shellfish species, such as D. trunculus, Chamelea gallina, C. chione and
A. tuberculata (Tirado and Salas 1999; Tirado et al. 2002, 2003, 2017; Urra et al.
2018) and to beach replenishments that results in the smothering of the infaunal
communities.
9.6.2 Vegetated Infralittoral Soft Bottoms
The communities associated with the small seagrasses Zostera marina and
Cymodocea nodosa have been studied into a lesser extent, compared to Posidonia,
and only certain faunistic groups have been the subject of detailed studies
(e.g. molluscs, decapods, caprellids or fishes) in relation to other phyla
(e.g. polychaetes, echinoderms) (Luque and Templado 2004; González et al. 2007,
2008; Rueda et al. 2009a; Marina et al. 2012; Mateo-Ramírez and García Raso
2012). There are hardly any studies on the community associated with Zostera noltei
present in both estuarine and marine locations (e.g. Bay of Algeciras, Mar Chica
lagoon, Smir lagoon), and these studies would be necessary to understand the
ecological role and importance of this seagrass for fauna. The faunistic diversity
associated with these seagrass meadows of the Alboran Sea is greater than in other
places of their area of distribution, due to the biogeographical confluence of species
from northern Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, the western coasts of Africa or
endemic species from southern Spain (Luque and Templado 2004; Rueda et al.
2009a, 2010; García Raso et al. 2010).
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et al. 2011), also characterize this habitat in the westernmost part, mostly along the
western coast of Málaga province. The African sea star, Luidia atlantidea, has been
recently found in the littoral of Málaga (Gallardo-Roldán et al. 2015) (see Chap. 10).
Some seasonality has been observed for the assemblage of molluscs in the soft
bottoms of the littoral of Málaga, with maximum of species richness, abundance and
diversity in autumn (Urra et al. 2013c). The latter was related with the dynamics of
some bivalves, such as Donax trunculus, Acanthocardia tuberculata or Callista
chione, probably due to the high fishery activity during the summer, the tourist
season and the settlement of larvae in September and October.
All shallow soft bottoms could fall under the loose definition of Habitat 1110
“Sandbanks permanently covered by sea water” of the EU Habitats Directive.
Taking into account the extension of this kind of habitats, this has only been claimed
in the case where seagrasses are settled on the sandy bottom. Nevertheless most, if
not all, marine protected areas of the Alboran Sea harbour a more or less extensive
representation of soft-bottom habitats. In practical terms, the main impacts and the
protection status of infralittoral sandy bottoms are mostly related to fisheries of
shellfish species, such as D. trunculus, Chamelea gallina, C. chione and
A. tuberculata (Tirado and Salas 1999; Tirado et al. 2002, 2003, 2017; Urra et al.
2018) and to beach replenishments that results in the smothering of the infaunal
communities.
9.6.2 Vegetated Infralittoral Soft Bottoms
The communities associated with the small seagrasses Zostera marina and
Cymodocea nodosa have been studied into a lesser extent, compared to Posidonia,
and only certain faunistic groups have been the subject of detailed studies
(e.g. molluscs, decapods, caprellids or fishes) in relation to other phyla
(e.g. polychaetes, echinoderms) (Luque and Templado 2004; González et al. 2007,
2008; Rueda et al. 2009a; Marina et al. 2012; Mateo-Ramírez and García Raso
2012). There are hardly any studies on the community associated with Zostera noltei
present in both estuarine and marine locations (e.g. Bay of Algeciras, Mar Chica
lagoon, Smir lagoon), and these studies would be necessary to understand the
ecological role and importance of this seagrass for fauna. The faunistic diversity
associated with these seagrass meadows of the Alboran Sea is greater than in other
places of their area of distribution, due to the biogeographical confluence of species
from northern Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, the western coasts of Africa or
endemic species from southern Spain (Luque and Templado 2004; Rueda et al.
2009a, 2010; García Raso et al. 2010).
322
J. L. Rueda et al.