Larne Lough

Larne Lough, ("Inbhear Latharna" in Irish), is a sea lough or inlet in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, near the town of Larne along Ireland's northeast coast. The lough is situated between Islandmagee (a peninsula) and the mainland. It is designated as an Area of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, and a Ramsar Site in order to protect the wetland environment, particularly due to the presence of certain bird species and shellfish.

Features

Much of the estuary is shallow, having become extensively infilled with sediments of fine muddy sand, and at low water the largest areas of intertidal flats are exposed in the south of the estuary. The northern parts of the estuary are wider and relatively deep, especially at the mouth where dredging is regularly carried out to maintain the shipping channel to the port of Larne. Previously, a complex spit system existed at the mouth of the estuary, formed where sediments from further along the shore were washed into therelatively calm waters of the lough. Very little evidence of these natural spits remain, as they were lost under port and industrial developments. In the upper reaches of the estuary at Ballycarry there is an area of salt marsh.cite web | title=Designated and Proposed Ramsar sites in Northern Ireland | work=Joint Nature Conservation Committee | url=http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/RIS/UK12013.pdf | accessdate=2008-07-07]

Places of interest

Chaine Tower lighthouse is on the west side of the entrance to Larne Lough.

Flora and fauna

In 1929, a "Coastal Survey" of the algae of the north-east of Ireland was begun when a few members of the Botanical Society in The Queen's University of Belfast investigated and mapped the distribution of the seaweeds. Among the algae recorded was "Ascophyllum nodosum" var. "minor" Turn.Lynn, M.J. 1960 Coastal survey X (new series) southern end of Larne Lough, Co. Antrim. "Ir. Nat. J." 13:159–163.] The northern end was also surveyed.Lynn, M.J. 1961. Coastal survey XI (new series) northern end of Larne Lough, Co. Antrim. "Ir. Nat. J." 13:223–227.] The vegetation now is dominated by mid-upper salt marsh communities and a Phragmites reedbed, with some saltmarsh pans.

Ramsar site

The Larne Lough Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention), is 395.94 hectares in area, at Latitude 54 48 54 N and Longitude 05 44 38 W. It was designated a Ramsar site on 4 March 1997. The Ramsar site boundary entirely coincides with both that of the Larne Lough Area of Special Scientific Interest and the Larne Lough Special Protection Area. The site qualified under Criterion 2 of the Ramsar Convention because it supports numbers of vulnerable and endangered Irish Red Data Book bird species. The site regularly supports nationally important numbers of breeding populations of Roseate terns and Common Tern. It also qualified under Ramsar criterion 6 due to populations occurring at levels of international importance of Light-bellied Brent Geese. Swan Island has, in the recent past, held internationally important numbers of breeding Roseate Tern. [cite web | title=Larne Lough Ramsar site | work=NI Environment Agency | url=http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/biodiversity/designated-areas/ramsar/ramsar_larnelough.htm | accessdate=2008-07-07]

See also

*List of Irish loughs
*List of Ramsar sites in Northern Ireland

References