For Special Protection Areas (SPA),
Proposed Sites for Community Importance (pSCI),
Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and
for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. SITE IDENTIFICATION
• 2. SITE LOCATION
• 3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
• 4. SITE DESCRIPTION
• 5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS
• 6. SITE MANAGEMENT
• 7. MAP OF THE SITE

1. SITE IDENTIFICATION

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1.1 Type

B

1.2 Site code

IE0002264

1.3 Site name

Kilkee Reefs SAC

1.4 First Compilation date

2001-08

1.5 Update date

2019-09

1.6 Respondent:

Name/Organisation:	National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Address:
Email:	datadelivery@chg.gov.ie

1.7 Site indication and designation / classification dates

Date site proposed as SCI:	2001-08
Date site confirmed as SCI:	No information provided
Date site designated as SAC:	2018-05
National legal reference of SAC designation:	285/2018

2. SITE LOCATION

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2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:

Longitude:	-9.675584
Latitude:	52.696618

2.2 Area [ha]

2877.9467

2.3 Marine area [%]

99.6780

2.4 Sitelength [km] (optional):

No information provided

2.5 Administrative region code and name

NUTS level 2 code	Region Name
IE02	Southern and Eastern

2.6 Biogeographical Region(s)

Atlantic

(0.00 %)

3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

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3.1 Habitat types present on the site and assessment for them

Annex I Habitat types						Site assessment
Code	PF	NP	Cover [ha]	Cave [number]	Data quality	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Representativity	Relative Surface	Conservation	Global
1160			1350.21	0.00	M	A	C	C	C
1170			2391.44	0.00	M	A	C	A	A
8330			29.16	0.00	M	B	C	B	C

• PF: for the habitat types that can have a non-priority as well as a priority form (6210, 7130, 9430) enter "X" in the column PF to indicate the priority form.
• NP: in case that a habitat type no longer exists in the site enter: x (optional)
• Cover: decimal values can be entered
• Caves: for habitat types 8310, 8330 (caves) enter the number of caves if estimated surface is not available.
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation)

3.2 Species referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and listed in Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC and site evaluation for them

Species					Population in the site						Site assessment
G	Code	Scientific Name	S	NP	T	Size		Unit	Cat.	D.qual.	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Min	Max				Pop.	Con.	Iso.	Glo.

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, I = Invertebrates, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Type: p = permanent, r = reproducing, c = concentration, w = wintering (for plant and non-migratory species use permanent)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the Standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting (see reference portal)
• Abundance categories (Cat.): C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present - to fill if data are deficient (DD) or in addition to population size information
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation); VP = 'Very poor' (use this category only, if not even a rough estimation of the population size can be made, in this case the fields for population size can remain empty, but the field "Abundance categories" has to be filled in)

3.3 Other important species of flora and fauna (optional)

Species					Population in the site				Motivation
Group	CODE	Scientific Name	S	NP	Size		Unit	Cat.	Species Annex		Other categories
					Min	Max		C|R|V|P	IV	V	A	B	C	D
I		Axinella damicornis												X
I		Axinella dissimilis												X
I		Crimora papillata												X
I		Eunicella verrucosa												X
I		Gymnangium montagui												X
I		Isozoanthus sulcatus												X
I		Paracentrotus lividus												X
I		Phakellia vermiculata												X
I		Thymosia guernei												X
I		Tritonia nilsodhneri												X

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, Fu = Fungi, I = Invertebrates, L = Lichens, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• CODE: for Birds, Annex IV and V species the code as provided in the reference portal should be used in addition to the scientific name
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting, (see reference portal)
• Cat.: Abundance categories: C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present
• Motivation categories: IV, V: Annex Species (Habitats Directive), A: National Red List data; B: Endemics; C: International Conventions; D: other reasons

4. SITE DESCRIPTION

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4.1 General site character

Habitat class	% Cover
N09	1.00
N01	95.00
N02	1.00
N05	3.00
Total Habitat Cover	100

Other Site Characteristics

This site is situated on the south-west coast of Co. Clare. It stretches for approximately 12 km from Ballard Bay to Castle Point. It is exposed to the full force of Atlantic swells from the west and slopes steeply. A small shallow bay, Moore Bay, offers some shelter from wave action. Bedrock is Carboniferous Millstone Grit and Flagstone. A few small islands and islets are included, the largest being Bishop's Island.

4.2 Quality and importance

Kilkee has good examples of exposed reef communities that contain species worthy of conservation. The purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus is abundant in shallow pools on the shore. In the infralittoral zone there are scarce species of sponge, sea fan and nudibranch. The erect and encrusting sponges, anthozoans and nudibranchs in the circalittoral are of particular interest. Species richness can be high: 86 species were recorded by BioMar in the upper infralittoral reef north-east of Ilaunonearaun and 76 species were recorded in the lower eulittoral reef at Duggerna Rock. While poorly documented the site has examples of submerged marine caves that are presumed of good quality and largely undisturbed. Exposed littoral sediment communities and sheltered infralittoral reef communities add habitat diversity to the area.

4.3 Threats, pressures and activities with impacts on the site

The most important impacts and activities with high effect on the site

4.4 Ownership (optional)

No information provided

4.5 Documentation (optional)

Byrne, P. (2002). Marine Life at Kilkee. Leaflet published by The Heritage Council and Dchas The Heritage Service. http://www.tempoweb.com/diveireland/kilkee.htm Cunnington, W.H. (1900). The crabs of our sea-shore. The Irish Naturalists' Journal 9: 120-127 Farran, G.P. (1949). Stenoteuthis pteropus (Steenstrup) on Co. Clare shore. Irish Naturalists' Journal 9: 277-278. McGrath, D., and King, P.A. (1991). Settlement of mussels, Mytilus edulis L., on wave-exposed shores in Irish waters: a survey. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 91B: 49-58. O'Loughlin, E.F.M. (1989). Notes on the distribution of Calliostoma zizyphinum (L.) (Mollusca) on the shores and shallow waters of the Irish coast. Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society, 12: 22-30. Picton, B.E., (1985). Anthozoans (Coelenterata: Anthozoa) new to Ireland and new records of some rarely recorded species. Irish Naturalists' Journal 21: 484-488. Picton, B.E and Costello M.J. (eds). (1997). BioMar Biotope Viewer: a Guide to Marine Habitats, Fauna and Flora of Britain and Ireland (Ver. 2.0) Environmental Sciences Unit, Trinity College, Dublin.(Compact Disc). Ryland, J.S., and Nelson-Smith, A. (1975). Littoral and benthic investigations on the west coast of Ireland - IV. (Section A: faunistic and ecological studies.) Some shores on counties Clare and Galway. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 75B: 245-266. de Valera, M. (1962). Some aspects of the problem of the distribution of Bifurcaria bifurcata (Velley) Ross on the shores of Ireland, north of the Shannon Estuary. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 62B: 77-99.

5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS

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6. SITE MANAGEMENT

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6.1 Body(ies) responsible for the site management:

No information provided

6.2 Management Plan(s):

An actual management plan does exist:

	Yes
	No, but in preparation
X	No

6.3 Conservation measures (optional)

No information provided

 

7. MAP OF THE SITE

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Map delivered as PDF in electronic format (optional)

Yes X No

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SITE DISPLAY