N of Merling Rocks, S Donegal Bay.

Dive number: 940523/01 Date: 23 May 1994

Site Description: The site was located off the southern shore of an open coast bay. The seabed at 24.7 m BCD was fine rippled sand with few obvious epifaunal species. The only obvious infauna were casts of Arenicola ?marina. The seabed changed to limestone bedrock which formed long terraces with shallow steps. The rock was characterised by sponges with Alcyonium digitatum and hydroids on the edges of the rock steps. An interesting site.

Map site - Google maps: 54.476,-8.37333

Subsite: Upper circalittoral limestone bedrock. details

Subsite Description: Long terraces of limestone with shallow vertical steps. The horizontal bedrock was silted, with sponges Polymastia spp., Suberites carnosus and Ciocalypta penicillus. The edges of the bedrock supported Alcyonium digitatum and a variety of hydroid species. The bedrock was very well bored, with Ophiactis balli abundant in holes in the rock.

Subsite: Firm fine sand with Astropecten irregularis. details

Subsite Description: Firm fine rippled sand with occasional Arenicola sp. casts. The only epifauna noted were Astropecten irregularis and Luidia ciliaris. Towards the rock/sediment interface the sediment was heavily worked over by worms with many casts.

Eunicella verrucosa	Polyclinum aurantium	Axinella infundibuliformis, Ophiactis balli	Sphaerotylus	Polymastia	Polymastia
Haliclona urceolus	Polymastia	Tritonia hombergii	Tritonia hombergii	Polymastia	Astropecten irregularis
	Alcyonium digitatum, Eunicella verrucosa	Alcyonium digitatum	Alcyonium digitatum		Alcyonium digitatum
Beggiatoa