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Dublin Bay Prawn (Scampi)
The
information on the invertebrates of the seabed of the Irish Sea
is rather patchy because it's difficult to survey such a large area,
where underwater visibility is often poor and information often
depends on looking at material brought up from the seabed in mechanical
grabs. However, as one might expect, the groupings of animals present
depend to a large extent on whether the seabed is composed of rock,
boulders, gravel, sand, mud or even peat. In the soft sediments
seven types of community have been provisionally identified, variously
dominated by brittle-stars, sea urchins, worms, mussels, tellins,
furrow-shells, and tower-shells.
Parts
of the bed of the Irish Sea are very rich in wildlife.
The seabed southwest of the Isle of Man is particularly
noted for its rarities and diversity, as are the horse
mussel beds of Strangford Lough, Co Down. Scallops
and queen scallops are found in more gravely areas.
In the estuaries, where the bed is more sandy or muddy,
the number of species is smaller but the size of their
populations is larger. Brown shrimps, cockles and
edible mussels support local fisheries in Morecambe
Bay and the Dee Estuary and the estuaries are also
important as nurseries for flatfish, herring and sea
bass. Muddy seabeds in deeper waters are home to populations
of the Dublin Bay prawn, also known as "scampi".
A
map of the Irish Seas marine landscape is avalible
here
(pdf. 364 KB)
Click
here to be taken to a web site about a recent detailed survey
of the wildlife of the seabed in the South West Irish Sea (St.
George's Channel).
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Sand
Brittle Star with
Burrowing Anemone
Sea
Urchin
Queen Scallop
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