Sandeels (Credit Mark Thomas)
The gravel and sandy plains of Markham’s Triangle provide a home to thousands of sandeels, which burrow in the sediment to escape predators, such as harbour porpoise.
The sandeels here form a key food source for grey and harbour seals as well as harbour porpoise, regularly spotted passing through the area.
Located 137km offshore from the Holderness coast, the seafloor ranges from 30-50 metres in depth making it a relatively shallow area. The seafloor consists of both coarse sediment and sand, interspersed with small patches of rock and gravels. This supports many creatures that burrow within or camouflage against the sediment, such as polychaete worms and bivalve molluscs. The sandeels here form a key food source for grey and harbour seals as well as harbour porpoises, regularly spotted passing through the area.
Markham’s Triangle lies adjacent to the Dutch Cleaverbank Special Area of Conservation. Through designation of this site a corridor will be created between Marine Protected Areas which could benefit marine life beyond English waters.
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 evidence and to consider this site as an ugent priority for deignation in the next tranche.
Defra have indicated that although there is enough evidence to support designation of the site for subtidal sand habitat found within the site, more evidence is required before Defra can consider designating the site for the coarse sediment. Defra would also like additional evidence on the implications of designation of the site on the renewable energy sector and non-UK fishing fleets. 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. Defra also commissioned additional survey work for this site in 2012 and this data has not yet been taken into account.
We need you to urge Defra consider designation of this site as soon as possible for those features deemed to have sufficient evidence. This is particularly important as this site has been identified as being at risk. Defra should commit to gathering additional data to consider designation of those additional features requiring more evidence in a future tranche. The site should be protected from additional damage and degradation in the meantime.
Other nearby MCZs
Location map
Markhams Triangle recommended MCZ is located in the map below.
Contains UKHO Law of the Sea data. Crown copyright and database right and contains Ordnance Survey Data Crown copyright and database 2012
Downloads
| Filename | File size |
|---|---|
| Markham’s Triangle.pdf | 319.55 KB |