Chalk reef (Credit Rob Spray)
Three metre high arches of chalk tower up above the seabed, providing a home for attached sponges and red seaweeds, whilst shoaling horse mackerel fly through the water like silvery darts.
Located just 200 metres from the Norfolk Coast is the start of an exciting stretch of chalk reef, ranging from 0 – 20 metres in depth.
Located just 200 metres from the Norfolk coast is the start of an exciting stretch of chalk reef, ranging from 0 – 20 metres in depth. This unique reef comprises boulders, stacks and arches and is most likely to be Europe’s largest chalk reef. Alongside chalk, the seabed is composed of a mixture of rock, sediment, peat and clay.
Marine life is abundant here, including blue mussel beds, over 30 species of sea slug, harbour porpoises, grey and harbour seals, alongside occasional sightings of sunfish and basking sharks.
The chalk habitat here hosts large communities of crustaceans, burrowing piddocks, sea squirts, anemones and sponges; the purple sponge found here is a species new to science and was only discovered in 2011 by Dr Claire Goodwin. Shoaling fish are also a common sight and provide food for many seabirds, including common, little and Sandwich tern.
This recommended Marine Conservation Zone is ON HOLD at the moment as Defra has indicated that there is not enough evidence to support designation.
We need you to urge Defra to use the additional evidence gathered as soon as possible to consider designation of this site in a future tranche.
It has been billed as the UK's great reef but this site is on hold at the moment. Defra has indicated that they need additional evidence before designating this site. The full extent of this reef was only found in 2010 when divers mapped its 20-mile length. This makes it the longest in Europe, and possibly the world.
The site is important for fish spawning and provides a good foraging area for seabirds. Defra also commissioned additional survey work within this site in 2012 which has not been taken into account as part of this consultation.
We need you to urge Defra to use the additional evidence gathered as soon as possible to consider designation of this site in a future tranche.
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
Seahorse Lagoon and Arnold Marsh
Downloads
| Filename | File size |
|---|---|
| Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds.pdf | 251.7 KB |