Marine communities in the Bantry Bay area

SUMMARY

The sea squirt *Phallusia mammilata* recorded from Bantry Bay currently the only site in Ireland for this species.

Bantry Bay is the largest of the long marine inlets in south-west Ireland. It is approximately 35 km long, running in a south-west to north-easterly direction. The entrance to the bay is approximately 10 km wide, steadily narrowing to 3-4 km at its head. Bere Island, situated on the north shore adjacent to Berehaven, and Whiddy Island lying near the head of the bay on the southern shore are the two largest islands in the bay.

The development of an oil terminal, and subsequent oil spillage, led to several ecological studies in Bantry Bay (Crapp 1973, Myers et al. 1978, 1979, 1980, Cross et al. 1979, Baker et al. 1981, Grainger et al. 1984). Of these , all except Grainger et al. (1984) were confined to littoral areas. Guiry (1973) surveyed benthic marine algae at 11 sites, including one sublittoral site. As part of a survey of the marine habitats and communities of Ireland, the present study sampled 1 littoral and 19 sublittoral sites in Bantry Bay, and 2 littoral and 1 sublittoral site in Kenmare River.

Bantry Bay is used extensively for both mariculture and aquaculture, particularly mussel and to a lesser extent salmon farming.

Map showing survey site locations

References

Baker, J.M., Hiscock, S., Hiscock, K., Levell, D., Bishop, G., Precious, M., Collinson, R., Kingsbury, R., & O'Sullivan, A.J. 1981. The rocky shore biology of Bantry Bay: a re-survey. Irish Fisheries Investigations, Series B (Marine), 23: 1-27.

Crapp, G.B. 1973. The distribution and abundance of animals and plants on the rocky shores of Bantry Bay. Irish Fisheries Investigations, Series B (Marine), 9: 1-35.

Cross, T.F., Southgate, T., & Myers, A.A. 1979. The initial pollution of shores in Bantry Bay, Ireland by oil from the tanker "Betelgeuse". Marine Pollution Bulletin, 10: 104-107.

Grainger, R.J.R., Duggan, C.B., Minchin, D., & O'Sullivan, D. 1984. Investigations in Bantry Bay following the Betelgeuse oil tanker disaster. Irish Fisheries Investigations, Series B (Marine), 27: 1-24.

Guiry, M.D. 1973. The marine algal flora of Bantry Bay, Co. Cork. Irish Fisheries Investigations, Series B (Marine), 10: 1-22.

Myers, A.A., Cross, T.F., & Southgate, T. 1978. Bantry Bay survey. Unpublished, Department of Zoology, University College Cork.

Myers, A.A., Cross, T., & Southgate, T. 1979. Bantry Bay ecological survey. Unpublished, University College Cork. (Second Annual Report).

Myers, A.A., Southgate, T., & Wilson, K. 1980. Bantry Bay Report. Unpublished Department of Zoology, University College Cork.

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