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2.1.1 Location

The Cardigan Bay cSAC is sited off south Ceredigion and north Pembrokeshire in the southern part of Cardigan Bay. The landward boundary runs along the coast, generally at the mean high water mark, from Aberarth to just south of the Teifi Estuary. The site extends approximately twelve miles offshore, see Figure 2.

Of the candidate and possible SACs in Wales, the Cardigan Bay cSAC is one of seven sites selected for marine features. These sites are shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Candidate SACs in Wales with marine features
Figure 2.    Cardigan Bay cSAC

Three sites in the UK have been selected as SACs for their bottlenose dolphins, Cardigan Bay and Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau in Wales and the Moray Firth in Scotland. The relative positions of the three sites is shown in Figure 4.

Table 1.      Features and current status of marine SACs in Wales

KEY: Candidate sites, names and features in bold, proposed new additions in normal font.

Site

Status

Features

Dee Estuary

Candidate,

(recent addition)

Mudflats and sandflats not covered by sea water at low tide,
Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic coasts,
Salicornia and other annuals colonising mud and sand,
Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae),
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus),
River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis).

Menai Strait and Conwy Bay

Candidate,
(recent addition)

Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time,
Estuaries,
Mudflats and sandflats not covered by sea water at low tide,
Large shallow inlets and bays,
Reefs,
Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae),
Submerged or partially submerged sea caves,
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus),
River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis).
Pen Llyn ar Sarnau Candidate
Candidate,
(recent addition)

Reefs
Estuaries
Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time,
Mudflats and sandflats not covered by sea water at low tide,
Coastal lagoons,
Large shallow inlets and bays,
Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae),
Submerged or partially submerged sea caves,
River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis),
Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus),
Otter (Lutra lutra),
Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus).
Cardigan Bay Candidate
Candidate,
(recent addition)		 Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time,
Reefs,
Submerged or partially submerged sea caves,
Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus),
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus),
River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis).
Burry Inlet: Estuary and saltmarsh

Candidate,
(name now changed)

Estuaries,
Atlantic saltmeadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae),
Salicornia and other annuals colonising mud and sand.
Carmarthen Bay and estuaries

Candidate,
(recent addition, new name)

Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time,
Mudflats and sandflats not covered by sea water at low tide,
Large shallow inlets and bays,
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus),
River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis),
Allis shad (Alosa alosa),
Twait shad (Alosa fallax),
Otter (Lutra lutra).
Pembrokeshire Islands

Candidate
(name now changed)

Reefs,
Estuaries,
Large shallow inlets and bays,
Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus),
Pembrokeshire Marine

Candidate,
(recent addition, new name)

Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time,
Mudflats and sandflats not covered by sea water at low tide,
Coastal lagoons,
Atlantic saltmeadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae),
Submerged or partially submerged sea caves,
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus),
River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis),
Allis shad (Alosa alosa),
Twait shad (Alosa fallax),
Otter (Lutra lutra).
Severn Estuary Possible

Estuaries,
Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae),
Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time,
Mudflats and sandflats not covered by sea water at low tide.
Severn Estuary

Possible
(recent)

Reefs,
Allis shad (Alosa alosa),
Twait shad (Alosa fallax),
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus),
River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis).