MarineLife - Genus Trait Handbook

This is a scientific application about the biological traits of some marine animals. In particular, it provides information on the sensitivity of marine animals that live on the sea bed to the impacts of aggregate dredging. It does however, also give general information, and some fantastic images, of marine animals that will be of interest to anyone with a fascination for marine life.

This guide features over 200 genera of marine benthic animals that live on, or in, the sea bed. These groups have been selected as they live in the types of habitats that may be dredged for marine aggregates. Marine aggregates, mostly gravels and sands, are removed from a limited area of the seabed around the UK. These aggregates provide an important raw material for the construction industry, beach replenishment and they may also be used for flood and coastal defence schemes.

The vulnerability of each genus, to aggregate dredging, is assessed as either vulnerable, intermediate or robust. The assessment is based on seven biological traits (size, lifespan, age at maturity, fecundity, substratum preference, larval motility and adult motility) and full details of the assessment are provided.

Animals can be searched for on the basis of major taxonomic group (crustacean, annelid etc), the vulnerability score and all of the biological traits. A list of the academic references used for each genus is also provided.