Nanny estuary and shoreline (642)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Nanny estuary and shoreline
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.6667, Longitude: -6.2167
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 14.2703
Protected area coverage (%): 10.58
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Situated in County Meath this is a 3 km long and approximately 500 m wide stretch of shoreline, extending between Laytown and Benhead on the east coast. This site includes the muddy estuarine channel of the River Nanny, which opens out into a wide, exposed sand beach. This is an important recreation and amenity area.
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: Additional species which winter in nationally important numbers include Melanitta nigra, Pluvialis apricaria, Pluvialis squatarola, Charadrius hiaticula and Calidris alba.
Habitats
Land use: not utilised (50%) | tourism/recreation (50%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 50 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Beach-users may cause some disturbance to wintering waterfowl.