Under the water

Over 2000 marine animals and plant species have been found, including 72% of all the species recorded from around the Northern Ireland coast. Of these, 28 are found only in the Lough.

• Strong tidal currents in the Narrows expose bedrock clothed by dense growths of filter feeding animals such as the elephant's ear sponge, hydroids, sea-anemones, sea-squirts and soft corals. Here dense forests of kelp seaweed also grow.
• North of the Narrows, the currents slacken and coarse sub-marine sand dunes are inhabited by burrowing sea-cucumbers and dog cockles. Predators such as the curled octopus and sunstars are also numerous. Finer sands support a rich burrowing brittlestar community as well as pelican's-foot shells, and the delicate slender sea pens. 
                                                                                         Sunstar
• The most interesting and richest seabed community is based on the horse mussel and variegated scallop, occurring in the mid- lough, deep water troughs.
• Here, horse mussels colonise shells buried in finer mud, providing a substrate for a diverse range of organisms like sponges, bryozoans, sea squirts and variegated scallops. In the mud between the mussels, worms, sea cucumbers and bivalve molluscs such as queen scallops may be found.
• Rich plankton throughout the Lough supports a wealth of fish including bottom dwelling flat fish, herring fry and sand eels which are preyed on by mackerel and cod.
• Porpoises are regularly seen within the Lough and small whales are rare visitors.
• Basking sharks are another rare visitor to Strangford Lough, one of the 21 species of shark found around the UK coast line.  These gentle giants feed on plankton and are the 2nd largest fish in the world, growing up to 13m. See how you can help with the conservation of these magnificent animals, visit The European Shark Photo-identification Project.