Reef Habitat in Irish Intertidal and Near-shore Waters

Abstract

Reef habitats are highly important marine habitats, noted for their structural role in coastal areas, and the ability to enhance the diversity and abundance of marine fauna, increase habitat complexity and create opportunities for ecological interactions. However, the current status of reef habitat within the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is assessed as Inadequate/Stable, primarily due to poor future prospects of structure and function, as a result of the low tolerance of reef habitat to physical disturbance. The aim of this project is to improve the knowledge of the structure, function, and distribution of habitats and communities containing potential Annex I reef habitat within Irish near-shore waters, to a depth of 200 m. In doing so, the project aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the location of reef habitat, in order to improve future management, and to enable a more robust assessment of conservation status by improving the knowledge of range, area, structure and functions, and future prospects.