Plaice (Credit Mark Thomas)
A range of valuable seabed habitats are found here supporting all manner of marine life.
A number of fish will camouflage themselves against the seabed to hide from predators here.
The eastern boundary of South West Deeps (East) is located approximately 170km off Land's End and the southern boundary aligns with the UK continental shelf limit. Within the boundaries the geologically important Celtic Sea relict sand banks are present, which are a historic feature of the seabed and marine environment.
This area is important due a range of seabed habitats that support the marine ecosystem, including mixed sediments and sand. These habitats provide burrowing opportunities for important prey items, such as worms, and camouflage for many species of fish to hide from predators.
A section of the continental shelf break is also found within the South-West Deeps (East), increasing the range of depths and ultimately the biodiversity of
species living and visiting this area.
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 the Government to remain committed to designating this site this year and to ensuring that appropriate management measures are implemented as soon as possible:
This site is proposed for designation in 2013 for the subtidal sand and Celtic Sea relict sandbanks found within the site. However, Defra indicate that further data is needed to improve the certainty of two additional habitats recommended for protection by stakeholders- subtidal coarse and subtidal mixed sediment. This site was one of 55 rMCZs identified by Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee as being at higher risk of damage and deterioration so it is crucial that appropriate management is put in place as soon as possible.
We need you to urge the Government to remain committed to designating this site this year and to ensuring that appropriate management measures are implemented as soon as possible. Defra should also commit to gathering the additional information required to consider designation of the remaining features within this site as soon as possible.
Other nearby MCZs
South-West Deeps (East) 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
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