Carlingford Lough (2441)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Carlingford Lough
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.0587, Longitude: -6.1393
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 13.54585
Protected area coverage (%): 79.66
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A narrow sea lough with significant expanses of mudflat and saltmarsh, and several small rock and shingle islands. Mountains surround the lough. This is a cross-border site, the southern shore lying in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland (IBA 122). The stated area of 4,660 ha covers the entire site on both sides of the border, but other data given here (habitats, land-use, threats and birds) are specific to the UK side. The IBA is important for breeding terns and wintering waterbirds. Branta bernicla are from the Canadian/Greenland breeding population of the hrota subspecies.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989 as Carlingford Lough including Green Island; renamed in 2007. Area in 2000 incorrectly calculated as 4660ha included sea component. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale. Additional area added on 1:50,000 maps.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 33 | |
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Only in the future |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Only in the future | |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Shipping lanes | Only in the future | |
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Only in the future |