Marine Biodiversity Data Portal - NI
Benderg Bay, SE Coast.
Survey number: 555 Event number: 19850617/21 Date: 1985-06-17 GPS: 54.31100,-5.53500. Depth: 3.5 to 0.2 m. [ View map ]
Site Description: The location is a moderately exposed sandy beach situated in a small bay. Two rocky areas occur at either end, the one in the west being small ridges of sandstone conglomerate, and the one in the east being a more extensive ridge area. The shore is backed by a low conglomerate and soil cliff for much of its length. The foot of the cliff has a narrow band of shingle. The sand surface has no obvious features, although some areas retain water on the ebb tide which drains slowly. This may be due to a very shallow step in the mid shore. Rock outcrops at the west end of the bay trap large amounts of drift algae (mostly laminarians) which form a sub habitat. The strandline at the top of the beach is thin. The beach has medium sand with little coarse sand in the upper shore and mid shore. The coarse sand becomes much commoner together with gravel in the lower shore. The mid shore has a dense population of Arenicola (30-35 casts per sq. metre) which tends to thin out quite abruptly to 0.5-1 per sq. metre in the lower shore. Many Tellina and spionids were found at all shore stations and a few Lanice tubes found at the lower shore. Fulmars were seen nesting in eroded holes in the cliff and black headed gulls and terns seen feeding in the bay.
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Species list (19 species recorded)
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