 web.jpg "Lobster (Credit Chris Wood)")
Lobster (Credit Chris Wood)
Boulders and rock exposures harbour large lobsters, with one claw designed for cutting, the other for crushing its prey.
The area is known to have supported beds of the native oyster, a species which is now rarely encountered generally.
This area lies due south of Dungeness point, in the English Channel shipping lane running inside the Bullock Bank.The area is known to have supported beds of the native oyster, a species which is now much more rarely encountered.
Relatively rare for the South-East region, this area features significant areas of exposed rocky reef, lying at the end of the Palaeochannel (the geological remnant of an ancient river system). This rocky habitat supports a rich diversity of animal life, including beautiful blue lobsters.
Elsewhere in the site, the rock is covered by a thin veneer of sediment which comes and goes, leaving rocky exposures which can be colonised by a variety of animal species.
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 commit to gathering additional information required to consider this site for designation as soon as possible and to consider this site as a high and urgent priority for designation in the next tranche.
Defra has indicated that additional evidence is needed before any of the habitats or species recommended by stakeholders can be put forward for designation by Defra.
This site contains the largest area of shallow water, moderate energy rock habitat in the entire recommended MCZ network and is considered important as it contains an ancient river system which increases the complexity of the sea floor. It also contains a seasonal thermal front which makes it an area of high productivity. This site was also identified as being at high risk of damage and degradation by Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee due to the presence of sensitive features.
We need you to urge Defra to commit to gathering additional information required to consider this site for designation as soon as possible and to consider this site as a high and urgent priority for designation in the next tranche. It should be protected from damage and degradation in the meantime.
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 |
|---|---|
| Inner Bank.pdf | 214.75 KB |