Dundalk Bay (632)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Dundalk Bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.9167, Longitude: -6.3333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 111.44066
Protected area coverage (%): 98.84
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A very large, open, shallow sea bay on the east coast, extending east from Dundalk town in County Louth. This site encompasses extensive sand- and mudflats, which at low tide are up to 3 km wide, as well as saltmarshes, shingle-beaches and tidal rivers. The estuaries of the rivers Dee, Glyde, Fane and Castletown are all included in the site. There is intertidal shellfish cultivation. Saltmarshes at Lurgangreen and Marsh South are partially fenced and used for grazing sheep.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: This wetland is of international importance for its waterfowl, regularly holding over 20,000 wintering birds. Several other species occur in numbers of national importance including Tadorna tadorna (391 birds, 1996), Anas penelope (1,026 birds, 1995), Anas acuta (112 birds, 1996), Haematopus ostralegus (6,605 birds, 1995), Pluvialis apricaria (7,240 birds, 1996) and Limosa limosa (360 birds, 1995).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (10%) | fisheries/aquaculture (50%) | hunting (80%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 45 | |
| Marine Neritic | 45 | |
| Grassland | 10 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Pressure from housing development is leading to loss of saltmarsh. Further habitat loss, due to the proximity of Dundalk town, may impact on the site. Habitat quality may be reduced by intertidal shellfish cultivation and by the spread of non-native cord-grass Spartina.