EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

The Landscape of Solway Firth

Panorama Photo of Solway Firth Tidal Estuary
Annan, Scotland, Great Britain

Explanation:  Welcome to Scotland.  We are just north of the border with England, and below us stretch agricultural fields, roadways, and villages along a tidal estuary known as Solway Firth.  

The main photo in this week's presentation is a stitched panorama.  Just to the left of center is the village of Annan.  

The tidal flats of Solway Firth are mostly sand and mud that become mixed twice a day with the shallow but strong tidal currents that flush and ebb from the Irish Sea.  As such, it has served historically as an important barrier against invaders.  

With over 130 species of fish, the Firth is an important location for commercial and individual fishing and for spawning of rare species.

A consortium of interest groups has formed the Solway Firth Partnership to help ensure environmental integrity and sustainability of resource use of the region.  

In paranormal circles, this was the location of a rather strange photograph.  (You be the judge.)