Everything about Strangford Lough totally explained
Strangford Lough (describing the fast-flowing
narrows; and
Loch Cuan in
Irish meaning the calm
lough describing the gentle
waters of the
mud flats) is a lough in
County Down,
Northern Ireland, separated from the
Irish Sea by the
Ards Peninsula. It is a popular
tourist attraction noted for its
fishing and the picturesque
villages and
townships which border its waters. These include
Portaferry on the Ards Peninsula which is connected to
Strangford across the lough by a small
car ferry.
The island studded sea lough is the largest inlet in the
British Isles, covering 150
km². Almost totally
landlocked, the lough is approached from the Irish Sea through the eight
kilometre long fast-running
tidal narrows, which open out into more gentle waters where there are 70
islands. Countless tidal rocky
outcrops called
pladdies litter the lough and mudflats, along with
marshes,
rocks,
bays and headlands. The lough is a
conservation area and its abundant
wildlife recognised internationally for its importance.
Strangford Lough is an important
winter migration destination for many wading and sea
birds.
Animals commonly found in the lough include
common seals,
basking sharks and
Brent Geese. Three quarters of the world population of Pale Bellied Brent Geese winter in the lough.
Maerl
Maerl is a calcareous deposit, in the main, of two species, of
calcareous algae Phymatolithon calcareum and
Lithothamnion glaciale which form free-living beds of unattached, branched
corallines, living or dead, in Strangford Lough.
Tidal Electricity
In 2007 Strangford Lough became home to the birth of a new industry as the
world's first commercial
tidal power station was installed in the narrrows. The 1.2
megawatt underwater tidal electricity generator, part of Northern Ireland's
Environment and Renewable Energy Fund scheme, takes advantage of the fast tidal flow in the lough which can be up to 4
m/s. Although the generator is powerful enough to power up to a thousand homes, the
turbine has a minimal
environmental impact, as it's almost entirely submerged, and the rotors turn slowly enough that they pose no danger to
wildlife.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Strangford Lough'.
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