Thanks to Lianne for sharing this very good news for the Isle of Wight marine life. Ed
Three areas off the coast of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are set to get national protection for the special wildlife they support – the first of their kind in the region – after campaigning by the Wildlife Trusts and their supporters.
Three new MCZs
These three new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) are The Needles, Offshore Overfalls and Utopia and they include chalk reefs, rocky sponge gardens and submerged river valleys.
They’re also home to internationally important seagrass beds – British populations of which were found to be in a ‘perilous state’ in research published last week.
Other wildlife these habitats support include the tope shark, undulate rays and reef communities of corals, sponges and anemones – some species of which haven’t yet been identified.
A landmark moment for our area
Tim Ferrero, Head of Marine Conservation at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said:
“This is a landmark moment for our area, with our first Marine Conservation Zones in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“However this is just the first step in the process – the hard work begins here. We all need to work together to develop robust management plans for these sites and ways of using our seas so that wildlife can recover from damaging activity.
“These sites are important parts of a developing network of marine protected areas around the UK and take us a small but significant step towards what our ocean wildlife really needs – an international network of protected areas.
“Thanks to all our supporters who campaigned with us for wildlife in our seas.”
