Gnáthóg Cois Cósta

The rocks at this rockpool are covered in barnacles

The rocks at this rockpool are covered in barnacles

The rocks at this rockpool are covered in barnacles

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Gnáthóg cois cósta

Cruthaítear gnáthóga difriúla cois cósta toisc gheolaíocht na hÉireann, na n-oighearaoiseanna, ár n-aimsire, Shruth na Murascaille te agus choinníollacha áitiúla.

Is féidir le tonnta stoirme bolláin a ardú ina mbainc chlochacha arda. Cruthaíonn na bainc seo murlaigh cois cósta uaireanta. Tarlaíonn siad seo go fíor-annamh in aice le linnte fionnuisce cois cladaigh.

Déanann gaineamh a shéideann isteach sna cnoic dumhcha a fhoirmiú. De réir mar a théann an cnoc gainimh in aois, méadaíonn an bhithéagsúlacht. Tugtar machairí ar pháirceanna míne duimhche cois cósta, atá coitianta in iarthuaisceart na hÉireann agus in Albain.

Tá gnáthóga foscúla cois cósta le fáil i mbánna agus inbhir. Tá taiscí móra bia ag inbhir agus líonraí casta bia, le speicis ag gluaiseacht idir an fharraige, an abhann, réileán láibe, linnte in oitreacha gaineamh, góilíní réisc goirt te agus leapacha giolcaí.

Le dosaen gnáthóg nó níos mó in aice lena chéile go minic, tá an éagsúlacht shaibhir cois cósta na hÉireann fíor-speisialta.

The sea moving up the beach for high tide at the Long Strand, Castlefreke, West Cork

The sea moving up the beach for high tide at the Long Strand, Castlefreke, West Cork

The sea moving up the beach for high tide at the Long Strand, Castlefreke, West Cork

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Coastal habitats

Ireland’s geology, the ice ages, our weather and tides, the warm Gulf Stream and local conditions – both natural and man-made –shape our various coastal habitats.

Storm waves can lift boulders to form high stony banks. Sometimes these banks create coastal lagoons, which are very rare, near-freshwater pools situated behind the shore.

Sand blown into hills forms dunes. As the sand hill ages, biodiversity increases. Flat coastal dune fields, typical in northwest Ireland and Scotland, are known as machairs.

Sheltered coastal habitats are found in bays and estuaries. Estuaries have huge food reserves and complex food webs, with species moving between sea, river, mudflats, pools in sandbanks, warm salt-marsh creeks and reed beds.

With a dozen or more habitats often occurring close together, what’s really special about the Irish coast is its rich variety.