Species point records from 1991 MNCR inner Solway Firth littoral survey

The inner Solway is an area of predominantly sedimentary substrata, with large expanses of mobile sediment and constantly migrating river channels from the Rivers Esk and Eden which enter the Firth at its head around Rockcliffe Marsh. Within the inner Solway, hard substrata is limited in extent, with scoured boulder scars in the south of the area and some true rocky shores fringing the sediment flats west of Sotherness Point. The coastline of the middle and upper reaches of the estuary is largely linear, with only Moricambe, the River Nith and the Rough Firth/Auchencairn Bay complex providing any variation. The west side of Auchencairn Bay marks the end of the sediment shores, giving way to predominantly rocky shoreline more characteristic of the outer Solway. The rocky coastline is only disrupted by large areas of sediment in Kirkudbright Bay, Fleet Bay and Wigtown Bay. From Burrow Head the coastline swings north-west into the vast Luce Bay, which extends to the Mull of Galloway. The bay is headed by Luce Sands which are over 8km long and backed by Torrs Warren, a broad area of sand dunes. Beware ! the infauna has been entered in the epifauna window In June 1991 survey work was completed on the north coast of the Solway Firth, between Luce Sands and Mullock Bay following reccomendations by Covey (1990). The inner Solway, from Maryport to Balcarry Point was surveyed in August 1991. Both surveys contributed to MNCR work in the north-east basin of the Irish Sea. On the north coast of the outer Solway 17 littoral sites were surveyed and 83 habitats recorded. From the inner Solway 28 sites were surveyed and 91 habitats recorded. Using records collected on both surveys, 6 hard substrata, 5 mixed substrata and 4 soft substrata habitat/community types were described. Variations of the communities on the rocky shores were described from wave exposed/open coast sites and wave sheltered enclosed coast sites. Two facies of one sedimentary shore community were also identified. The rocky sites were predominantly barnacle and fucoid dominated with extensive mussel beds on the lower shores at some sites. At the more exposed sites Chthalamus montagui was the predominant as a band on the upper shore with Balanus balanoides and Fucus vesiculosus on the lower shore. More sheltered sites were characterised by Pelvetia canaliculata on the upper shore and Ascophyllum nodosum on the lower shore. Mixed substrata boulder scars were described according to their stability and the amount of sedimentary material binding the larger material: providing a matrix for polychaetes etc to colonise. Soft substratum communities and habitats split broadly into two groups; enclosed coast estuarine fine sands and muds, and open coast fine sands. Within these two splits, finer divisions occurred on the basis of stability and wave exposure, which affected the sediment composition and species presence/abundance.

内索尔威地区主要为由沉积层构成的基底，拥有广阔的流动沉积物和不断迁徙的河流水道，这些河流自艾斯克河和伊登河汇入其头部附近，即洛克利夫沼泽地。在内索尔威地区，坚硬的基底分布有限，南部地区存在被冲刷的巨石疤痕，而在索瑟恩斯角西部的沉积平原边缘存在一些真正的岩石海岸。河口的中间和上游部分的海岸线大体呈线性，仅有莫里卡姆比、尼思河以及粗糙的费思湾/奥钦卡恩湾复合体提供了些许变化。奥钦卡恩湾的西侧标志着沉积岸线的终结，让位于更典型的外索尔威地区的岩石海岸。岩石海岸线仅在大吉库德湾、弗莱特湾和威特湾等大型沉积物区域受到干扰。从伯勒头开始，海岸线向西北方向转向广阔的卢斯湾，该湾延伸至加洛韦角。卢斯沙滩位于湾口，长达8公里以上，其后为托尔斯沃伦，这是一片广阔的沙丘地带。请注意，底栖动物已录入在表皮动物窗口。1991年6月，根据科维（1990年）的建议，完成了对索尔威湾北部海岸线从卢斯沙滩至穆洛克湾之间的调查工作。1991年8月，对从玛丽波特至巴尔卡利角的内索尔威地区进行了调查。这两次调查共同为爱尔兰海东北部盆地的MNCR工作做出了贡献。在外索尔威的北海岸，共调查了17个沿岸地点，记录了83种栖息地。从内索尔威地区调查了28个地点，记录了91种栖息地。利用两次调查收集的记录，描述了6种坚硬基底、5种混合基底和4种软基底栖息地/群落类型。从波暴露/开放海岸站点和波保护的封闭海岸站点描述了岩石海岸群落的变化。还识别了一种沉积岸群落社区的两种成因。岩石地点以藤壶和苔藓为主，在一些地点的较低海岸线有广泛的牡蛎床。在更暴露的地点，Chthalamus montagui 是上海岸线的主导物种，而在较低海岸线有 Balanus balanoides 和 Fucus vesiculosus。较隐蔽的地点以 Pelvetia canaliculata 为上海岸线的特征，以及 Ascophyllum nodosum 为较低海岸线的特征。根据其稳定性和绑定较大物质沉积物的数量，对混合基底巨石疤痕进行了描述：为多毛类等生物的定殖提供了一个基质。软基底群落和栖息地大致分为两组：封闭海岸河口的细沙和泥，以及开放海岸的细沙。在这两组中，基于稳定性和波浪暴露的影响，沉积物组成和物种存在/丰度，进一步发生了更精细的划分。