Dublin Bay (615)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Dublin Bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.3500, Longitude: -6.2000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 40.70045
Protected area coverage (%): 94.04
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large bay and estuary adjacent to Dublin city in County Dublin. This site encompasses North Bull Island, Sandymount Strand, Tolka estuary, Dalkey Island area (a number of islands and surrounding waters), and part of Dublin docks. Dublin docks was treated as a separate IBA (former site IE089) in the previous pan-European inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989). There are extensive sand- and mudflats, saltmarsh, and sand-dunes and beaches. North Bull Island is Dublin's main recreational beach, and its two main land-uses are conservation and recreation. There is high amenity use of Dublin Bay as a whole.
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.
Additional biodiversity: This is a wetland of international importance for waterfowl, regularly supporting over 20,000 wintering birds. Species wintering in numbers of national importance include Tadorna tadorna (1,119 birds, 1995), Anas penelope (1,270 birds, 1995), Anas crecca (1,490 birds, 1995), Anas acuta (414 birds, 1995), Anas clypeata (370 birds, 1995), Pluvialis squatarola (914 birds, 1995), Calidris alba (450 birds, 1995) and Limosa limosa (466 birds, 1995). During August, large numbers of terns Sterna (typically about 5,000 and occasionally up to 30,000 birds) use Sandymount Strand as an evening roost.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (30%) | not utilised (40%) | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport (60%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 45 | |
| Marine Neritic | 45 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 10 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Ongoing and proposed infrastructural developments (roads, port expansion, pipelines), to meet urban and industrial demands, continue to threaten this site, together with pressure from amenity users. The tern colony at Dublin port has been studied since 1950. In view of the pressures on this site, given its proximity to Dublin city, the need to complete its protection as a Special Protection Area is critical. The site overlaps with a proposed candidate Special Area for Conservation (North Bull Island; area not known).