Fact sheet for HELCOM MPA 395 - Merikalla

The area is located in the Bay of Bothnia in the open sea. Water depth of the area varies between 7 and 26 meters, major part of the area being deeper than 20 meters. Around 55 percent of the area consist of sand elevations that are assessed to represent the habitat type of sandbanks that are slightly covered with sea water all the time.
The sea area on the west side of Hailuoto Island is relatively bare and the species richness is low. The species composition includes typical sandy bottom species that are characteristic for the Bay of Bothnia, the largest benthic animal being isopod crustacean (Saduria entomon). The main species of the benthic fauna are nematodes (Nematoda sp.) and turbellarians (Turbellaria spp.). On sand covered areas, sand is easily moved by the currents. There is no macrophytic vegetation.

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General information of MPA Merikalla, Finland

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Species in MPA Merikalla, 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
Cordylophora caspia	-	Invertebrates	resident	No	not reported	not reported	-	SIS	WORMS
Coregonus albula	Vendace	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	not reported	not reported	LC	SIS	WORMS
Coregonus maraena	Maraene	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	not reported	not reported	EN	SIS	WORMS
Ephydatia fluviatilis	-	Invertebrates	resident	No	not reported	not reported	-	SIS	WORMS
Halichoerus grypus	Grey seal	Mammals	occasional	No	not reported	not reported	LC	SIS	WORMS
Lampetra fluviatilis	River lamprey	Fish and lamprey species	migratory	No	not reported	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Lota lota	Burbot	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	not reported	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS
Myriocladia lovenii	-	Macrophytes	resident	No	not reported	not reported	DD	SIS	WORMS
Pelecus cultratus	Razor-fish	Fish and lamprey species	occasional	No	not reported	not reported	LC	SIS	WORMS
Phoca hispida botnica	Baltic ringed seal	Mammals	occasional	No	not reported	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Saduria entomon	-	Invertebrates	resident	No	not reported	not reported	-	SIS	WORMS
Salmo salar	Atlantic salmon	Fish and lamprey species	migratory	No	not reported	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Salmo trutta	Brown trout	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	not reported	not reported	VU	SIS	WORMS
Thymallus thymallus	Grayling	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	not reported	not reported	CR	SIS	WORMS
Zoarces viviparus	Eelpout	Fish and lamprey species	resident	No	not reported	not reported	NT	SIS	WORMS

Biotopes in MPA Merikalla, 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.A2T	Baltic photic rock and boulders characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	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.B2T	Baltic photic hard clay characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.B4U	Baltic photic hard clay characterized by no 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.I4U	Baltic photic coarse sediment characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.J1V	Baltic photic sand characterized by mixed epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.J3M	Baltic photic sand characterized by infaunal polychaetes	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AA.J4U	Baltic photic sand characterized by no macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	LC
AA.M1C	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by perennial algae	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.M2T	Baltic photic mixed substrate characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	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.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.B2T	Baltic aphotic hard clay characterized by sparse epibenthic macrocommunity	No	no monitoring program	not reported	NE
AB.B4U	Baltic aphotic hard clay characterized 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.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

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Biotope complexes in MPA Merikalla, 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)
1110	Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time	Yes	no monitoring program	not reported	VU	BIS

Management and regulated activities of MPA Merikalla, 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	high	potential future
Disturbance or damage to seabed	outside	high	potential future
Extraction of seabed or subsoil (e.g. sand, gravel, rock, oil, gas)	inside	high	potential future
Extraction of seabed or subsoil (e.g. sand, gravel, rock, oil, gas)	outside	high	potential future
Input of sound	outside	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	low	past,current,potential future