Place name : North of East Maiden, The Maidens. County : Antrim

Date : 2024-08-30 GPS : 54.93107,-5.72873. Depth : -20.0 to -30.0 m. [ View map ]

Site Description : Circalittoral boulders; tide-swept with dense hydroid cover, soft corals, cup corals and sponges. Towards the end of the dive the divers start to ascend and arrive at kelp (Laminaria hyperborea) and foliose red algae.

Hydroid (Lytocarpia myriophyllum), [00:00:40], Hydroids (Diphasia alata and Diphasia fallax), [00:00:59], Sertularia argentea and Aglaophenia tubulifera, [00:01:21], Common sea urchin (Echinus esculentus), [00:01:35], Hydroid (Aglaophenia tubulifera), [00:01:45], Cuckoo wrasse (Labrus mixtus), [00:01:51], Goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris), [00:02:12], Hydroid (Diphasia alata), [00:02:34], Dead man's fingers (Alcyonium digitatum) and sponge (Aplysilla cf. rosea), [00:03:07], Cup-shaped sponge (Axinella infundibuliformis), [00:03:56], White cluster anemone (Parazoanthus anguicomus), [00:04:59], Yellow branching sponges (Stelligera stuposa & Raspailia hispida), [00:05:12], Hydroids (Polyplumaria flabellata & Diphasia alata), [00:05:33], Foliose red seaweeds (Acrosorium venulosum, Kallymenia reniformis, Delesseria sanguinea), [00:06:38], Kelp forest (Laminaria hyperborea), [00:07:32].

Species list and abundance (55 species recorded):

PORIFERA	Hemimycale columella O	Sertularella gayi O	Epizoanthus couchii R	BRYOZOA	Marthasterias glacialis R	RHODOPHYTA
Aplysilla sulfurea O	Hymedesmia paupertas O	Sertularia argentea O	Parazoanthus anguicomus R	Crisia eburnea F	Echinus esculentus R	Plocamium cartilagineum R
Chelonaplysilla noevus R	Hymedesmia rathlinia R	Halopteris catharina F	Actinothoe sphyrodeta R	Plagioecia patina R	TUNICATA	Acrosorium venulosum R
Dysidea fragilis O	Phorbas fictitius R	Nemertesia antennina A	Caryophyllia smithii C	Alcyonidium diaphanum O	Aplidium nordmanni R	Delesseria sanguinea O
Axinella infundibuliformis O	Myxilla fimbriata O	Nemertesia ramosa O	CRUSTACEA	Securiflustra securifrons F	Ascidia mentula R
Eurypon sp 5 R	Haliclona viscosa R	Polyplumaria flabellata C	Scalpellum scalpellum R	Cellaria fistulosa C	Ascidia virginea R
Raspailia ramosa F	CNIDARIA	Aglaophenia pluma R	Adna anglica R	Parasmittina trispinosa O	Polycarpa pomaria O
Stelligera stuposa F	Tubularia indivisa F	Aglaophenia tubulifera C	MOLLUSCA	Schizomavella linearis F	PISCES
Iophon hyndmani F	Diphasia alata C	Lytocarpia myriophyllum R	Tritonia hombergii R	ECHINODERMATA	Ctenolabrus rupestris R
Iophonopsis nigricans F	Diphasia fallax C	Alcyonium digitatum A	Antiopella cristata R	Henricia oculata R	Labrus mixtus R

Marine Biodiversity Data Portal - NI