Mudflats and Sandflats

The intertidal mudflats and sandflats in the north of the Lough represent the largest single continuous area of such habitat in Northern Ireland.

There are very extensive areas of muddy sand from Newtownards to Ardmillan Bay in the west and to Greyabbey in the east. The habitat also occurs in the south-west reaches of the Lough along the northern shore of Lecale.
The northern flats support luxuriant beds of the eelgrasses Zostera noltei and Z. angustifolia. Many of the invertebrate species present in mud also occur in muddy sand. 

Picture courtesy of Mike Hartwell.