There is great variety of important habitats and wildlife within Coleraine Borough. A Biodiversity Audit of the habitats and species that are recognised as being under threat, has recently been completed. The document is available below in PDF format; alternatively, if you would prefer a hard copy please email emma.mclaughlin@ulsterwildlifetrust.org
The biodiversity research highlighted that Coleraine Borough has a high percentage (72.5%) of the NI priority habitats - 29 of the 40 priority habitats listed - and therefore supports many different species. Some important habitats include: unimproved grassland, woodlands, rivers and streams, peatlands, wetlands, coastal sand dunes, saltmarsh and mudflats, and marine habitats such as seagrass beds, sands and gravel, and Sabellaria spinulosa reefs.
Each of these habitats supports its own range of plants and animals, which has resulted in a great number of species recorded in the Borough. The species list is extensive with 94 of the 272 NI (34.6%) Priority Species, and 192 of the 457 (42%) NI Species of Conservation Concern recorded in the Borough. Threatened species which have been recorded locally include the Irish hare, several bat species, the harbour porpoise, birds such as the yellow hammer, insects, and flowering plants such as the meadow cranesbill and the seaside centuary.
Over the next few months and years, a number of projects will be developed and implemented to enhance the biodiversity of Coleraine Borough, concentrating on a number of habitats and a smaller number of species.
