The Site is a large shallow bay, part of the wider Sligo Bay wetland complex. The intertidal, open water and coastal habitats provide important habitat for feeding, roosting and loafing waterbirds, especially during the winter months. At low tide, extensive sand and mud flats are exposed and they support a range of macro-invertebrates which are food for the wintering waterbirds, including species such as lugworm (Arenicola marina), ragworm (Hediste diversicolor), cockles (Cerastoderma edule), sand mason (Lanice conchilega), Baltic tellin (Macoma balthica), spire shell (Hydrobia ulvae) and mussels (Mytilus edulis). Eelgrass (Zostera noltii and Zostera angustifolia) beds also provide a valuable food stock for herbivorous wildfowl. The Site supports over 1% of the global population of light-bellied brent geese (Branta bernicla hrota). Other regular migrants are oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) and redshank (Tringa totanus). River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) and sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) have been recorded in the Garavogue River. Cummeen Strand is important for shellfish cultivation, tourism and recreation as well as scientific and educational research. Flights to and from the neighbouring Sligo Airport might pose a major disturbance to bird populations in the future.