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Benthic surveys of sandbanks in the Irish

Benthic surveys of sandbanks in the

Citation: Roche, C., Lyons, D.O., Fariňas Franco, J. & O’Connor, B. (2007) Irish Manuals

Cover image: (

Irish Wildlife Manuals Series Editors: F. Marnell & N. Kingston © National Parks and Wildlife Service 2007

ISSN 1393 – 6670 Irish sea sandbanks

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Glycera lapidum Abra prismatica Bathyporeia elegans Nephtys cirrosa Bathyporeia Abra alba Nucula nitidosa

Nephtys cirrosa Bathyporeia

2 Irish Sea Sandbanks

CONTENTS

Executive Summary 2

1. Introduction 4

2. Methodology 8 Fauna Biotope classification

3. Results 15 Sediment Fauna Biotope classification

22 Sediment Fauna Biotope classification

4. Discussion 28

5. Conclusion 35

6. References 36

Appendix 40

3 Irish sea sandbanks

1. INTRODUCTION

“Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time” ‘ et al. et al.

Sandbanks marina

et al.

Ammodytes et al. Fratercula arctica Uria aalge Alca torda Melanitta nigra

1.1. Physical/geographical information 4 Irish Sea Sandbanks

et al et al

1.2. Biological Information a) Benthic sampling 5 Irish sea sandbanks

Sabellaria alvelota b) Birds / mammals

et al.

c) Habitat characterisation et al. ‘

6 Irish Sea Sandbanks

7 Irish sea sandbanks

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1. Sampling Procedure and Processing ‘

8 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Figure 1: (

Table 1:

Station Number Latitude Longitude

9 Irish sea sandbanks

Figure 2: (

.

10 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Table 2: Station Number Latitude Longitude

Table 3: Range of particle size Classification Phi Unit

µ ∅ µ ∅ ∅ µ ∅ ∅

µ ∅ ∅ µ ∅ ∅ µ ∅ ∅ µ ∅ ∅ ∅ ∅ ∅

11 Irish sea sandbanks

2.2. Data Processing 2.2.1. Sediment

( ρw ).

2.2.2. Fauna

12 Irish Sea Sandbanks

S −1 D = log 2 N

H' (observed) J = ' Hmax ' H max

S H' = - p (log p ) ∑ i=1 i 2 i

loc. cit.

13 Irish sea sandbanks

loc. cit. • • • • •

2.2.3. Biotope classification et al. .

14 Irish Sea Sandbanks

3. RESULTS

3.1. 3.1.1. Sediment

Table 4: Very Coarse Coarse Medium Fine Very Fine Silt/Clay (%) (%) Sand (%) Sand (%) Sand (%) Sand (%) (%)

Table 5: Station Organic Carbon (CAOV)

15 Irish sea sandbanks

VFS

FS

MS

Figure 3:

• • • •

16 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Figure 4:

17 Irish sea sandbanks

Figure 5:

3.1.2. Fauna

Table 6: Station Individuals Richness Evenness Diversity

18 Irish Sea Sandbanks

• • • •

Figure 5:

19 Irish sea sandbanks

III

I

IV

II

Figure 6:

3.1.3. Biotope classification Glycera lapidum Abra prismatica Bathyporeia elegans Bathyporeia elegans Nephtys longosetosa Spiophanes bombyx, Scoloplos armiger, Ophelia borealis, O. neglecta, Glycera lapidum, Magelona miriabils, Pontocrates arenarius, Urothoe brevicornis, Gastrosaccus spinifer Spisula elliptica, Abra prismatica and Abra alba.

Nephtys cirrosa Bathyporeia Nephtys cirrosa Bathyporeia elegans. Scoloplos armiger, Ophelia borealis, Glycera lapidum, Lumbrineris gracilis, Nephtys longosetosa, Spiophanes bombyx, Ophelia neglecta, Spio armata, Spisula elliptica Abra prismatica Pontocrates arenarius Urothoe brevicornis.

20 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Nucula sulcata Captiomastus minimus. Glycera lapidum, Lumbrineris gracilis, Spiophanes bombyx, Aphelochaeta multibranchiis, Pholoe inornata, Scalibregma inflatum, Abra alba, Nucula nitidosa, Phaxas pellucidus, Spisula elliptica, Gari fervensis, Mya arenaria, Fabulina fabula Gammaropsis nitida, Ampelisca spinipes, Atylus vedlomensis, Bathyporeia elegans Urothoe brevicornis. Abra alba Nucula nitidosa

Nucula nitidosa. Abra alba, Nephtys Spiophanes bombyx Fabulina fabula. Bathyporeia elegans Nephtys cirrosa, Pontocrates arenarius Magelona mirabilis,

21 Irish sea sandbanks

3.2 Blackwater Bank 3.2.1. Sediment

Table 7: Very Very Coarse Coarse Medium Fine Fine Gravel Sand Sand Sand Sand Sand Silt/Clay

Table 8: Station Organic Carbon (CAOV)

22 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Figure 7:

• • •

23 Irish sea sandbanks

Figure 8:

Figure 9:

3.2.2. Fauna 24 Irish Sea Sandbanks

• • , • • Table 9: Station Species Individuals Richness Evenness Diversity

    ,

25 Irish sea sandbanks

Figure 10:

III IV

I

II

Figure 11:

3.2.3. Biotope classification Spio filicornis Gastrosaccus spinifer. Gastrosaccus spinifer infralittoral mobile clean sand with sparse fauna biotope 26 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Gastrosaccus spinifer

Nephtys cirrosa, Spio armata, Magelona johnstoni, Glycera tridactyla Parvicardium minimum.

Nephtys longosetosa, Levinsenia gracilis, Scolelepis squamata, Ophelia borealis Urothoe elegans Ophelia

Spio armata, Magelona mirabilis, Spiophanes bombyx, Nephtys longosetosa, Nephtys cirrosa Bathyporeia elegans, Pontocrates altamarinus Urothoe elegans Spiophanes bombyx, Ophelia borealis, Glycera tridactyla Bathyporeia elegans, Urothoe elegans Corytes cassivelaunus. Bathyporeia elegans, Pontocrates altamarinus Portumnus latipes Nephtys longosetosa, Magelona johnstoni, Scolelepis squamata Nephtys cirrosa. Bathyporeia elegans, Portumnus latipes Gastrosaccus spinifer, Scolelepis squamata, Nephtys cirrosa, Magelona mirabilis and Magelona johnstoni Parvicardium minimum.

27 Irish sea sandbanks

4. DISCUSSION

4.1. Comparison of Irish Sandbanks

etc.

Blackwater Silt/Clay (% ) Kis h Bank Long Bank Very Fine Sand (% )

Fine Sand (% )

Medium Sand (%)

Coarse Sand (%)

Very Coarse Sand (% )

Gravel (% )

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100 %

Figure 13:

28 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Figure 14:

4.2. Analysis of Sandbanks in the Irish Sea

29 Irish sea sandbanks

et al. H d.f. H d.f. P H d.f. P Post-hoc

Table 10: Irish sandbanks d H' J’

Welsh sandbanks d H' J’

Table 11: KB BW LB FF TR DR WNQ BB HB

4.3. Irish Sea benthic communities and environmental conditions N. cirrosa, O. borealis Lanice conchilega S. elliptica et. al. Spisula

30 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Venus Spantangus purpureus, Glycymeris, Astarte sulcata Venus Spisula Venus

i.e et al., et al.

Ophelia Lanice conchilega Spisula elliptica Spisula Spisula elliptica Nephtys cirrosa ‘ ‘ Spisula ellipica et al. . Nephtys cirrosa, Spiophanes bombyx, Magelona mirabilis Owenia fusiformis , Gastrosaccus spinifer Spisula elliptica. ‘

Scoloplos armiger, Nephtys cirrosa, Spiophanes bombyx, Lagis koreni, Spio filicornis, Ophelia borealis, Laonice cirrata, Glycera oxycephala, Glycera lapidum Nephtys longosetosa, Bathyporeia elegans Gastrosaccus spinifer, Abra prismatica Spisula elliptica. et al., ‘ 31 Irish sea sandbanks

Ophelia borealis, Nephtys cirrosa, Gastrosaccus spinifer Spisula elliptica. Spisula Venus

in Dickson Venus Venus Tellina Tellina fabula Magelona mirabilis. Spisula Spisula elliptica Nephtys cirrosa. Venus Lagis koreni Lanice conchilega, Abra alba Fabulina fabula Amphiura branchiata.

4.4 Underlying ecological considerations for sandbank communities Dendrodoa Balanus et al.

Capitella, Malacoceros

32 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Table 12.

A : Surface structures Faecal pellets 1

B : Subsurface structures

C : Mean depth of apparent RPD

e.g. Nephtys et al., Glycera

33 Irish sea sandbanks

et al. sensu

34 Irish Sea Sandbanks

5. CONCLUSION

et al

35 Irish sea sandbanks

6. REFERENCES

Benthic studies off the coast. Faunal and sedimentological studies at Long Bank and Ballyteigue Bay

Bay sewage sludge disposal site. Phase III. Report on benthic (physical, chemical and biological) studies at the proposed site

wastewater treatment plant: environmental survey

beach re-nourishment project, Courtown, Co. Wexford

Central Marine Services Unit, U.C.G.

Blackwell, Oxford.

Nephtys cirrosa N. hombergii Journal of Ecolgy, 29

Nephtys Journal of Animal Ecology, 31

Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Plymouth.

Changes in marine communities: An approach to statistical analysis and interpretation Primer-E Ltd.

Marine Ecology Progress Series 92:

The Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and

& Marine Mammal Survey of the Bank to Assess the Effects of the Windfarm Being Built There

CCW Contract Science Report No. 539

36 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Journal of Animal Ecology 72

Aquatic Environmental Monitoring Report 17

. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 43

. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 53

Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review 12

Helgolander wissenschaft Meeresuntersuchungen 30

Dynamics of coastal and nearshore morphology in southeast Ireland

Codling Bank site investigation

Irish Whale and Dolphin Group :

Oikos 18:

Summary of the working methodology for identifying habitat SACs in UK waters

JNCC Report, No. 325

Biological Review of the Cambridge philosophical Society 25:

Journal of Marine Pollution Bulletin 28

37 Irish sea sandbanks

Journal of Marine Pollution Bulletin 35

Offshore sand and gravel deposits

Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 87B (1):

Grey seals: status and monitoring in the Irish and Celtic

Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, California.

University Press

Liverpool University Press

General Systems 3:

Journal of the Research Board of Canada 26

Marine Resource Series

No. 2

Journal of Marine Systems 11

Irish Naturalists’ Journal 22

Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 16

38 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Report of the Danish Biological Station, 21:

Mathematical ecology

Hydrobiologia 142

American Scientist 66

The American Naturalist 102

Memoirs of the Geological Society of America 67

Spisula Industrial embayments and their environmental problems. A case study of Swansea Bay. Pergamon Press

Marine nature conservation and sustainable development- the Irish Sea Pilot.

Soil Science. 37

. Geological Survey of Ireland, Special Publications No 3

Journal of Geology 30: 377-392.

Marine Resource Series No 13

39 Irish sea sandbanks

APPENDIX

Table 13:

KB1 KB2 KB3 KB4 KB5 KB6 KB7 KB8 KB9 KB10 KB11 KB12 CNIDARIA ANTHOZOA Anthozoa sp.

ECHIURA Thalassema thalassemum

ANNELIDA PHYLLODOCIDA POLYNOIDAE Harmothoe

PHOLOIDAE Pholoe Pholoe inornata Pholoe synophthalmica

SIGALIONIDAE Sigalion Sigalion mathildae Sigalion squamosus Sthenelais Sthenelais boa Sthenelais limicola

Eteone longa Eteone suecica Hesionura elongata Hypereteone foliosa Anaitides groenlandica Anaitides maculata Eumida bahusiensis Paranaitis kosteriensis Phyllodoce laminosa

Glycera lapidum Glycera tridactyla

Glycinde nordmanni Goniada maculata

40 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Table 13 :

KB1 KB2 KB3 KB4 KB5 KB6 KB7 KB8 KB9 KB10 KB11 KB12

HESIONIDAE Microphthalmus similis Eusyllis blomstrandi Exogone hebes Exogone naidina

Agalophamus rubella Nephtys Nephtys cirrosa Nephtys longosetosa

EUNICIDA LUMBRINERIDAE Lumbrineris gracilis

ORBINIIDA ORBINIIDAE Scoloplos armiger

Aricidea minuta Paradoneis lyra

SPIONIDA serpens

SPIONIDAE Aonides paucibranchiata Polydora Prionospio ehlersi Scolelepis Scolelepis bonnieri Spio Spio armata Spio decorata Spiophanes bombyx

41 Irish sea sandbanks

Table 13 :

KB1 KB2 KB3 KB4 KB5 KB6 KB7 KB8 KB9 KB10 KB11 KB12 Magelona filiformis Magelona mirabilis

CIRRATULIDAE Aphelochaeta marioni Aphelochaeta multibranchiis Caulleriella alata Caulleriella zetlandica Chaetozone setosa

CAPITELLIDA Capitomastus minimus Notomastus latericeus

Euclymene oerstedii

OPHELIIDA OPHELIIDAE Ophelia borealis Ophelia celtica Ophelia neglecta

SCALIBREGMATIDAE Polyphysia crassa Scalibregma inflatum

OWENIIDA OWENIIDAE Owenia fusiformis

TEREBELLIDA AMPHARETIDAE Ampharete .

TEREBELLIDAE Lanice conchilega Polycirrus Polycirrus medusa

SABELLIDA Sabella pavonina

42 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Table 13 :

KB1 KB2 KB3 KB4 KB5 KB6 KB7 KB8 KB9 KB10 KB11 KB12 CRUSTACEA

LEPTOSTRACA NEBALIIDAE Nebalia bipes

MYSIDACEA MYSIDAE Mysidacea sp. Gastrosaccus spinifer

AMPHIPODA OEDICEROTIDAE Perioculodes longimanus Pontocrates arenarius Synchelidium maculatum

UROTHOIDAE Urothoe brevicornis

PHOXOCEPHALIDAE Harpinia pectinata Metaphoxus pectinatus

DEXAMINIDAE Atylus sp. Atylus falcatus Atylus vedlomensis

Ampelisca sp. Ampelisca spinipes

PONTOPOREIIDAE Bathyporeia elegans Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana

MELPHIDIPPIDAE Megaluropus agilis

43 Irish sea sandbanks

Table 13 :

KB1 KB2 KB3 KB4 KB5 KB6 KB7 KB8 KB9 KB10 KB11 KB12 MELITIDAE Melita dentata

ISAEIDAE Gammaropsis nitida

COROPHIIDAE Siphonoecetes kroyeranus Unciola planipes

ISOPODA GNATHIIDAE Paragnathia formica

CUMACEA Cumacean sp.

DIASTYLIDAE Diastyllis sp.

DECAPODA PAGURIDAE Pagurus bernhardus

PORTUNIDAE Liocarcinus depurator

MOLLUSCA POLYPLACOPHORA LEPTOCHITONIDAE Leptochiton asellus

MESOGASTROPODA NATICIDAE Polinices pulchellus

NUCULOIDA NUCULIDAE Nucula nitidosa Nucula sulcata

VENEROIDA MONTACUTIDAE Tellimya ferruginosa Mysella bidentata

44 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Table 13 :

KB1 KB2 KB3 KB4 KB5 KB6 KB7 KB8 KB9 KB10 KB11 KB12 MACTRIDAE Spisula elliptica

PHARIDAE Phaxas pellucidus

TELLINIDAE Fabulina fabula

PSAMMOBIIDAE Gari fervensis

SEMELIDAE Abra alba Abra prismatica

VENERIDAE Chamelea gallina Dosina lupinus Dosina exoleta

MYOIDA MYIDAE Mya arenaria

PHOLADOMYOIDA THRACIIDAE Thracia phaseolina

PERIPLOMATIDAE Cochlodesma praetenue

BRYOZOA Bryozoa sp.

PHORONIDA PHORONIDAE Phoronida sp.

ECHINODERMATA AMPHIURIDAE Amphiura brachiata Amphipholis squamata

LOVENIIDAE Echinocardium cordatum

OPHIURIDAE Ophiura

45 Irish sea sandbanks

Table 14:

BB1 BB2 BB3 BB4 BB5 BB6 BB7 BB8 BB9 BB10 BB11 BB12 SIPUNCULA GOLFINGIIFORMES GOLFINGIIDAE Golfingia .

ANNELIDA

PHYLLODOCIDA PHYLLODOCIDAE Eteone longa Glyceridae Glycera . Glycera Glycera tridactyla

NEPHTYIDAE Nephtys Nephtys cirrosa Nephtys hystricis Nephtys kersivalensis Nephtys longosetosa

LUMBRINERIDAE Lumbrineris gracilis

ORBINIIDA Scoloplos armiger

PARAONIDAE Aricidea cerrutii Cirrophorus furcatus Levinsenia gracilis

SPIONIDA Scolelepis squamata Spio sp. Spio armata Spio filicornis Spiophanes bombyx

Magelonidae Magelona filiformis Magelona mirabilis Magelona johnstoni

46 Irish Sea Sandbanks

Table 14 :

BB1 BB2 BB3 BB4 BB5 BB6 BB7 BB8 BB9 BB10 BB11 BB12 CIRRATULIDAE Caulleriella alata Chaetozone setosa

OPHELIIDA OPHELIIDAE Ophelia borealis Ophelia rullieri

MYSIDACEA MYSIDAE Gastrosaccus spinifer

AMPHIPODA OEDICEROTIDAE Pontocrates altamarinus

UROTHOIDAE Urothoe brevicornis Urothoe elegans

DEXAMINIDAE Atylus swammerdami

PONTOPOREIIDAE Bathyporeia sp. Bathyporeia elegans

COROPHIIDAE Siphonoecetes kroyeranus

TANAIDACEA TANAIDAE Tanaidae sp.

CUMACEA Cumacean sp.

DECAPODA Decapoda sp. Decapoda larvae

MAJIDAE Hyas sp.

47 Irish sea sandbanks

Table 14 :

BB1 BB2 BB3 BB4 BB5 BB6 BB7 BB8 BB9 BB10 BB11 BB12 CORYSTIDAE Corystes cassivelaunus

PORTUNIDAE Liocarcinus depurator Portumnus latipes

MOLLUSCA VENEROIDA CARDIIDAE Parvicardium minimum

MACTRIDAE Spisula elliptica

SEMELIDAE Abra prismatica

BRYOZOA CHEILOSTOMATIDA Flustra foliacea

ECHINODERMATA OPHIUROIDEA OPHIURIDAE Ophiurid Ophiura

OSTEICHTHYES PERCIFORMES AMMODYTIDAE Ammodytes tobianus

48