Male Eider (Credit Gillian Day)
Barrow South contains the only seagrass bed in the North West of England making it very vulnerable whilst also providing food for eiders.
Overwintering wildfowl will feed on the seagrass here.
Barrow South contains the only seagrass bed in the North-West of England making it very vulnerable. Two species of eelgrass can be found here, the dwarf and the narrow leaf.
Seagrass roots help to stabilise seafloor sediments whilst their leaves help to create an idea nursery ground for young species to mature including commercial fish. The grass itself provides food for overwintering wildfowl such as eiders and shelducks, therefore sustaining their presence within the bay.
In addition to the valuable seagrass bed, Barrow South is home to a varied population of bivalves such as cockles and tellins. Along with crabs and other shelled creatures, these are a vital food source for other species that make the region
famous.
This recommended Marine Conservation Zone is ON HOLD at the moment as it was put forward as a Reference Area.
We need you to urge Defra to consider joining this site with Barrow North and designating them both to protect the seagrass beds found within the Morecambe Bay:
This site was put forward as a Reference Area (a highly protected MCZ). Defra is now reviewing designation of such sites and The Wildlife Trusts will input into this review.
However, it is our view that this site could still make a valuable contribution to an ecologically coherent network of MCZs. Although the site sits within the Morecambe Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC), that SAC is not designated for the seagrass beds found within it.
We therefore need you to urge Defra to consider joining this site with Barrow North and designating them both to protect the seagrass beds found within the Morecambe Bay; the only such sites off northwest England SAC.
Contains UKHO Law of the Sea data. Crown copyright and database right and contains Ordnance Survey Data Crown copyright and database 2012
Other nearby MCZs
Downloads
| Filename | File size |
|---|---|
| Barrow South.pdf | 198.31 KB |