Marine Biodiversity Data Portal - NI

Wallace's Rocks, Outer Ards.

[Site list for year 1984]

Survey number: 555 Event number: 19841023/21 Date: 1984-10-23 GPS: 54.52600,-5.46700. Depth: 3.5 to 0.2 m. [ View map ]

Site Description: A location of rock outcrops and platforms interspersed with sandy shore. The platforms tend to form islands at mid water and are almost covered during high tide. They are composed of small sharp ridges of shale-like rock with angular fissures giving many crevices. Stones, pebbles, and small boulders covering coarse sand occur between the ridges of the middle and upper shores whereas towards the lower shore, the ridges become larger with boulder filled gullies between them. Wide shallow rock pools with sand/stone bottoms occur in the mid shore, which appear rich in flora and fauna. These pools empty slowly at low tide through the gullies giving a localised rapids effect to a limited degree. The gullies were rich in flora and fauna especially ascidians and sponges. The stones and boulders of the extreme lower shore were relatively barren - only amphipods seen in abundance. This was probably due to sand scour. Laminarians occurred on the bottom areas of the ridges.

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