Tompot pair (Credit Paul Naylor)
This area would protect some of the best examples of subtidal chalk gullies and ledges in the south east, an unusual feature in the British Isles.
Populations of both long and short-snouted seahorses occur with other fish including long-spined sea scorpion, ballan wrasse, bib and gobies.
The chalk we see on land, most impressively at the iconic Seven Sisters, extends some 500m out to sea as a wave-cut platform. The gullies, crevices and ledges are home to a fascinating array of marine life. The surface of the chalk is pitted with holes, mostly caused by burrowing piddocks and boring worms. Ross coral, sponges, sea squirts, anemones, bryozoans and hydroids all cloak the chalk reefs.
Forests of kelp occupy shallow areas whilst ridges and gully sides are covered with tightly packed blue mussels mixed with native oysters. Species such as lobsters, spider crabs and hermit crabs are often spotted on the move in search of food.
Populations of both long- and short-snouted seahorses are found here with other fish including the long-spined sea scorpion and ballan wrasse. European eel elvers also migrate along the coastline into the estuaries.
This recommended Marine Conservation Zone has been put forward for potential designation in 2013, government consultation pending.
We need you to urge Defra to remain committed to designating this site in 2013 and to put in place appropriate management as soon as possible.
This site is proposed for designation in 2013 for seven of the habitats and species recommended by stakeholders. Defra has indicated that the eight remaining habitats and species recommended for protection within this site require additional data before Defra will consider their inclusion. The designation of this site has support from a range of stakeholders including commercial fisheries as it is close to the shore and already subject to a 0.5 mile no trawling zone. Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee have identified this site as being at risk of damage and degradation due to the presence of sensitive features within the site including native oyster, sandy mud habitats and short snouted seahorse. In its amendments report, Natural England now registers high confidence in the data for presence and extent of subtidal chalk, blue mussel beds and subtidal mixed sediments in this site, so these features should be added to the list for designation this year. There is an error in the SNCB advice table which gives only moderate confidence in the presence of intertidal coarse sediment, despite a comment that their confidence is high in this feature.
Defra has commissioned additional survey work for this site in 2013. We need you to urge Defra to remain committed to designating this site in 2013 and to put in place appropriate management as soon as possible. Defra should also remain committed to gathering additional evidence for this site in 2013 to support the designation of the remaining habitats and species recommended by stakeholders as soon as possible.
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 |
|---|---|
| Beachy Head West.pdf | 272.76 KB |