Artificial Rock Pools Provide New Homes for Strangford Lough Marine Life

An innovative environmental initiative designed to encourage marine life to set up home in artificial rock pools is making waves in Strangford Lough.

Ten so-called Vertipools have been attached to the seawall at Strangford Yacht Club on the shores of the internationally claimed waterway at Whiterock.

The concrete honeycombe-style structures, designed by Artecology, have been bolted to the seawall as part of the ‘Greening the Grey’ initiative spearheaded by Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark and the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership. A similar project proved successful in the Isle of Wight UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

Believed to be the first of their kind to be installed in Northern Ireland, the Vertipools are designed to mimic natural rock pools, holding seawater at low tide, creating shelter for marine life including barnacles, seaweed, crabs and starfish, helping transform the existing seawall into a thriving coastal habitat.

The pilot project aims to support biodiversity, improve climate resilience and encourage greater awareness of the rich marine environment found within Strangford Lough. And it’s hoped the success of the scheme will lead to similar projects being developed across the Geopark area in the future.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Philip Campbell, who helped attach the artificial rock pools to the seawall at Whiterock, described the new initiative as “brilliant” and praised everyone involved.

“This scheme not only provides a new home for a range of marine life but will prove to be an invaluable educational resource as well,” he said.

“Vertipools can attract sea creatures which thrive in their crevices but aren’t found elsewhere on the seawall and maybe more of these artificial rock pools will be located across our coastline to provide a fascinating insight into our rich marine life. This is an excellent initiative.”

Cllr Campbell said the district is blessed with a stunningly beautiful coastline and wonderful waterways teaming with marine life, with the new Vertipools providing a window of what’s happening beneath the surface.

Anna Murtagh, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s marine protected area officer for the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Geopark, explained the artificial pools would hold a small amount of water and provide a refuge for species and habitats that were becoming stressed with “climate change and increasing sea temperatures”.

“It’s really good for biodiversity and species richness. I hope this project can boost the variety of wildlife on the seawall which is normally devoid of it,” she said.

“We hope to see a range of different marine life you would normally find in inter-tidal areas like crabs, starfish, sea snails and loads of different types of seaweed, but we are also hoping to see stuff we are not expecting as well.”

The Council’s Geopark engagement officer, Gavin Grant, said a lot planning had gone into the pilot project, including marine licencing to ensure Strangford Lough’s protected designations would be supported by the artificial rock pools.

“It’s the first pilot run and hopefully within a year we will see really obvious change, but it could be quicker than that. It just depends on what’s in the area. The first thing we are expecting to see is barnacles and algae,” he added.