Marine Biodiversity Data Portal - NI

Sheep Mash, Lough Foyle.

[Site list for year 1987]

Survey number: 555 Event number: 19870513/22 Date: 1987-05-13 GPS: 55.10683,-6.98700. Depth: 3.5 to 0.2 m. [ View map ]

Site Description: The transect was situated in a coarse sand area, which is typical of the outer estuary of the Roe River. It was adjacent to the saltmarsh nature reserve on the south bank of the estuary. The Sheep Mash itself is a small saltmarsh island in the middle of the river which splits the flow of water. It has a long coarse sand bar extending from it downstream towards the rail bridge. A muddy 'lagoon' occurs near the rail bridge, which is soft muddy with an abundance of Corophium sp. The surface has a great deal of Zostera. The site is known to be important for birds feeding during the winter, and swans are present throughout the year. On the transect the upper shore was soft mud patches, dominated by an abundance of Corophium sp. The sediment of the lower and middle shores was coarse sand with an infauna of Corophium and many Nereis sp. A great deal of Ulva (originally recorded as Enteromorpha sp.) occurred on the sand surface in the middle shore, with isolated patches of Fucus ceranoides on surface stones in the middle and upper shores.

No images for site.