The Classification Hierarchy

The classification for coastal and marine habitats identifies and categorizes the physical environment at different spatial scales in estuarine, coastal and marine regimes, and places the associated biology in the context of the physical habitat. The classification standard is organized into a branched hierarchy of 6 nested levels. The levels correspond to both a functional ecological flow and a progressively smaller map scale from the order of 1:1000000 (Regime) to the order of 1:1 (Habitat/Biotope). The classification branches into five Regimes at the highest level: estuarine, fresh water-influenced marine, nearshore marine, neritic, and oceanic. Regimes are divided into large-scale physical structures, including geoforms and hydroforms called Formations. Each of these forms can be further compartmentalized according to its Zone, or position relative to the water: whether it is continuously submerged bottom or at the waterline (littoral), or within the water column. Each of these components further divides into Macrohabitat and then Habitat. The Biotope represents the quantum unit of the habitat combining both the physical habitat and its associated fixed biota.

The hierarchy is conceptually divided into two parts based on the kinds of data required for applying the classification. The upper levels, Regime though Zone can be perceived from maps, bathymetry, remote imagery and existing historical data. In contrast, the lower levels, Macrohabitat though Biotope, exist at local spatial scales and data collection is done through observation and direct measurement.

Overview diagram of the hierarchy of the CMECS Classification (PDF)