Lesser sandeels (Credit Paul Naylor)
Impressive sand banks shimmer with darting sandeels and weaver fish like this one.
Sandeels will dart into the sand here to hide from predators.
This area extends along the mid channel between Kent and France, at the end of a geomorphological feature that evidences the megaflood which separated England from the rest of mainland Europe.
The seabed has deeply gouged channels where the flood water broke through. The area also contains rocky habitats, as well as impressive sand wave features where sandeels and weaver fish dart in and out of the sand and hermit crabs scuttle across the surface.
Consequently, this area of seabed, lying beneath the cross-channel ferry routes and above the channel tunnel, has an unusual complexity which supports distinctive communities of wildlife.
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 for this site and to consider it for designation in a future tranche:
Defra has indicated the need for additional evidence for all species and habitats recommended by stakeholders for protection, before designating this site. This site has important areas of rock and would provide significant protection to subtidal coarse sediment which help to ensure that sufficient areas of the whole range of habitats will be protected within the network, supporting examples of all our marine species.
We need you to urge Defra to commit to gathering additional evidence for this site and to consider it for designation in a future tranche.
Other nearby MCZs
Location map
Offshore Foreland 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 |
|---|---|
| Offshore Foreland.pdf | 315.14 KB |