Fact sheet for HELCOM MPA 151 - Rahja Archipelago

Rahja is a large archipelago in the Bothnian Bay, and its nature is very versatile. Area represents almost all coastal land upheaval nature types and habitats. Most of coastline is still in its natural condition and unconstructed. Siipojoki River estuary is very representative, and because outer islands form a good wind and wave action barrier to inner area, fresh water influence reaches all the way to inner islands. Outer islands and bare rock represents the geological history of the area as moraines and drumlins. Rahja area has many endemic, endangered and Primula nutans group species, as well as several prioritized habitats. The underwater nature represents a transitional zone between the more marine southern Bothnian Bay and the more freshwater and lake-like northern Bothnian Bay. Some marine species like red algae can sometimes be found in the area, but it also hosts some of the southernmost populations of Fissidens fontanus water moss.

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General information of MPA Rahja Archipelago, Finland

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Species in MPA Rahja Archipelago, Finland (hide / show)

Scientific nameAscending	English name	Species group	Species status	Does the species justify the site's designation as an MPA?	Performed monitoring	Authorities responsible for monitoring	HELCOM Red List category	Link to Species Information Sheet (SIS)	Link to WORMS
Alca torda	Razorbill	Birds	not reported	No	no monitoring program	not reported	-	SIS	WORMS
Arenaria interpres	Ruddy turnstone	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Aythya marila	Greater scaup	Birds	not reported	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Chara sp.	-	Macrophytes	not reported	No	no monitoring program	not reported	-	SIS	WORMS
Charadrius hiaticula hiaticula	Ringed plover	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Coregonus albula	Vendace	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC	SIS	WORMS
Coregonus maraena	Maraene	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	no monitoring program	not reported	EN	SIS	WORMS
Cottus gobio	Bullhead	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC	SIS	WORMS
Crassula aquatica	-	Macrophytes	not reported	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Halichoerus grypus	Grey seal	Mammals	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC	SIS	WORMS
Hippuris tetraphylla	Fourleaf mare's tail	Macrophytes	not reported	Yes	occasional monitoring program	not reported	EN	SIS	WORMS
Lampetra fluviatilis	River lamprey	Fish and lamprey species	migratory	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Larus canus	Mew gull	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	-	SIS	WORMS
Larus fuscus fuscus	Lesser black-backed gull	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Lota lota	Burbot	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Lutra lutra	Eurasian otter	Mammals	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Melanitta fusca	Velvet scoter	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Mergus serrator	Red-breasted merganser	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Pelecus cultratus	Razor-fish	Fish and lamprey species	occasional	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC	SIS	WORMS
Philomachus pugnax	Ruff	Birds	not reported	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Phoca hispida botnica	Baltic ringed seal	Mammals	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Podiceps auritus	Horned grebe	Birds	not reported	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Potamogeton friesii	Flatstalked pondweed	Macrophytes	not reported	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Salmo salar	Atlantic salmon	Fish and lamprey species	migratory	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Salmo trutta	Brown trout	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Sterna hirundo	Common tern	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	-	SIS	WORMS
Sterna paradisaea	Arctic tern	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	-	SIS	WORMS
Thymallus thymallus	Grayling	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	no monitoring program	not reported	CR	SIS	WORMS
Tringa totanus	Common redshank	Birds	breeding	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Zoarces viviparus	Eelpout	Fish and lamprey species	occasional	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS

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Biotopes in MPA Rahja Archipelago, Finland

Biotope code	Biotope name (HUB or HELCOM 1998)	Does the biotope justify the site's designation as an MPA?	Performed monitoring	Authorities responsible for monitoring	HELCOM Red List category	Link to Biotope Information Sheet (BIS)
AA.A1C	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by perennial algae	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.A1I	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by epibenthic crustacea	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.A1J	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by epibenthic sponges (Porifera)	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.A1S	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by annual algae	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.A1V	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.A2T	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.A2W	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by microphytobenthic organisms and grazing snails	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.A4U	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.H1A	Baltic photic muddy sediment characterized by emergent vegetation	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.H1B	Baltic photic muddy sediment characterized by submerged rooted plants	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.H1Q	Baltic photic muddy sediment characterized by stable aggregations of unattached perennial vegetation	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.H1S	Baltic photic muddy sediment characterized by annual algae	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.H1V	Baltic photic muddy sediment characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.H4U	Baltic photic muddy sediment characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.I1A	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by emergent vegetation	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.I1B	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by submerged rooted plants	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.I1C	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by perennial algae	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.I1S	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by annual algae	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.I1V	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.I2T	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.I2W	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by microphytobenthic organisms and grazing snails	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.I4U	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.J1A	Baltic photic sand characterized by emergent vegetation	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.J1B	Baltic photic sand characterized by submerged rooted plants	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.J1V	Baltic photic sand characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.J4U	Baltic photic sand characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.M1A	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by emergent vegetation	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.M1B	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by submerged rooted plants	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.M1C	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by perennial algae	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.M1I	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by epibenthic crustacea	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.M1J	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by epibenthic sponges (Porifera)	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.M1S	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by annual algae	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.M1V	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.M2T	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.M2W	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by microphytobenthic organisms and grazing snails	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.M4U	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AB.A1J	Baltic aphotic rock and boulders characterized by epibenthic sponges (Porifera)	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	BIS
AB.A1V	Baltic aphotic rock and boulder characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.A2T	Baltic aphotic rock and boulders characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AB.A4U	Baltic aphotic rock and boulders characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AB.H1I	Baltic aphotic muddy sediment characterized by epibenthic crustacea	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.H1V	Baltic aphotic muddy sediment characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.H2T	Baltic aphotic muddy sediment characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.H4U	Baltic aphotic muddy sediment characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.I4U	Baltic aphotic coarse sediment chracterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.J1V	Baltic aphotic sand characterized by mixed epibenthic macroscopic community	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.J4U	Baltic aphotic sand characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.M1I	Baltic aphotic mixed substrate characterized by epibenthic crustacea	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.M1J	Baltic aphotic mixed substrate characterized by epibenthic sponges (Porifera)	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NT	BIS
AB.M1V	Baltic aphotic mixed substrate characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.M2T	Baltic aphotic mixed substrate characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AB.M4U	Baltic aphotic mixed substrate characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AC	Baltic Sea seasonal Ice	No	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	BIS
AD.N5	Baltic Sea Photic Pelagic above halocline oxic	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AE.N5	Baltic Sea Aphotic Pelagic above halocline oxic	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
3.2.1	Sandy beaches	No	no monitoring program	not reported
3.2.2	Gravel and shingle beaches	No	no monitoring program	not reported
3.2.3	Boulder beaches	No	no monitoring program	not reported
3.5.3.1	Gently sloping crystalline bedrock shores with no vegetation	No	no monitoring program	not reported
3.5.3.2	Gently sloping crystalline bedrock shores with low vegetation	No	no monitoring program	not reported
3.5.3.3	Gently sloping crystalline bedrock shores dominated by shrubs or trees	No	no monitoring program	not reported
3.7.1.1	Natural reed, rush and sedge stands	No	no monitoring program	not reported
3.7.2.2	Lower meadows	No	occasional monitoring program	not reported
3.7.4	Coastal bogs	No	no monitoring program	not reported
5.1	River beds	No	no monitoring program	not reported
5.2	River banks	No	no monitoring program	not reported

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Biotope complexes in MPA Rahja Archipelago, Finland.

Code (HD Annex 1)	Biotope complex name	Does the biotope complex justify the site's designation as an MPA?	Performed monitoring	Authorities responsible monitoring	HELCOM Red List category	Link to Biotope Complex Information Sheet (BIS)
4030	European dry heaths	Yes	not reported	not reported	-	-
6270	Fennoscandian lowland species-rich dry to mesic grasslands	No	not reported	not reported	-	-
6450	Northern boreal alluvial meadows	Yes	not reported	not reported	-	-
7140	Transition mires and quaking bogs	Yes	not reported	not reported	-	-
9010	Western Taïga	No	not reported	not reported	-	-
9030	Natural forests of primary succession stages of landupheaval coast	Yes	not reported	not reported	-	-
91D0	Bog woodland	No	not reported	not reported	-	-
9050	Fennoscandian herb-rich forests with Picea abies	No	not reported	not reported	-	-
9070	Fennoscandian wooded pastures	Yes	not reported	not reported	-	-
9080	Fennoscandian deciduous swamp woods	No	not reported	not reported	-	-
1130	Estuaries	Yes	not reported	not reported	CR	BIS
1150	Coastal lagoons	Yes	not reported	not reported	EN	BIS
1160	Large shallow inlets and bays	Yes	not reported	not reported	VU	BIS
1170	Reefs	No	not reported	not reported	VU	BIS
1220	Perennial vegetation of stony banks	No	not reported	not reported	-	-
1230	Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic Coasts	No	not reported	not reported	-	-
1620	Boreal Baltic islets and small islands	No	not reported	not reported	NT	BIS
1630	Boreal Baltic coastal meadows	Yes	not reported	not reported	-	-
3210	Fennoscandian natural rivers	Yes	not reported	not reported	-	-
3260	Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation	No	not reported	not reported	-	-
6430	Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels	Yes	not reported	not reported	-	-

Management and regulated activities of MPA Rahja Archipelago, Finland

Pressure (list according to MSFD Annex III revision document, May 2015)	Inside or outside the MPA	Intensity (low, medium, high)	Past, current or potential future pressure
Disturbance or damage to seabed	inside	medium	past,current,potential future
Disturbance or damage to seabed	outside	medium	past,current,potential future
Extraction of seabed or subsoil (e.g. sand, gravel, rock, oil, gas)	inside	low	past,current,potential future
Input of sound	inside	high	past,current,potential future
Input of contaminants (synthetic substances, non-synthetic substances, radionuclides) - diffuse sources, point sources, acute events	inside	low	past,current,potential future
Input of contaminants (synthetic substances, non-synthetic substances, radionuclides) - diffuse sources, point sources, acute events	outside	low	past,current,potential future
Input of CO2 [and other greenhouse gases]	inside	medium	past,current,potential future
Input of litter (solid waste matter, including micro-size litter)	inside	medium	past,current,potential future
Extraction or, mortality/injury to, species (targeted, non-targeted)	inside	medium	past,current,potential future
Extraction or, mortality/injury to, species (targeted, non-targeted)	outside	medium	past,current,potential future
Disturbance of species	inside	high	past,current,potential future
Introduction or spread of non-indigenous species	inside	not reported	current,potential future