Current Status in the SW

Definition¹

Areas of sublittoral hard substrates typically consisting of bedrock reefs and boulder plains, out to 6 nautical miles (nm) from baselines, or to the 50m depth contour, whichever is the greater. There is also significant complementary coverage within other Habitat and Species Plans for the region including estuaries and the pink sea fan.

Current Extent¹

Examples of important sites in the South West¹

Eddystone Reef and Hands Deep, East Lizard (Cornwall)

Tamar/Plymouth Sound (Cornwall/Devon)

Bigbury Bay, Torbay, Berry Head Lundy (Devon)

Lyme Bay (Devon/Dorset)

Durlston Head, Kimmeridge Ledges, Lulworth Banks, St Albans Head (Dorset)

Habitat Loss¹

Associated Species¹

• Rock Cook; Cuckoo wrasse, Pollack, Bass (Fish)
• Edible Crab, Velvet Swimming Crab, Shore Crab, Lobster (Crustaceans)
• Great Scallop, Queen Scallop, Piddocks, Pholas dactylas, Barnea candida (Molluscs)
• Echinus esculentus (Sea Urchins)
• Pink Sea Fan, Ross 'coral'; Coral Cups (Corals)
• Axinella spp, Raspailia spp, Stelligera spp. (Sponges)
• Ross Coral (Bryozoans)
• Laminaria ochroleuca (Algae)

Current factors affecting the habitat in the SW

Fishing gear (towed gear including beam trawls/dredges) cause direct damage to habitats and species, especially in boulder fields and areas of softer bedrock.

Dredging including aggregate extraction which increase sediment load and changes local sedimentation patterns, leading to detrimental effects on adjacent habitats at the dump site and in the adjacent area.

Recreational pressure at popular sites with large numbers of visitors, especially divers, anglers and yachtsmen.

Pollution of a wide range of communities and species sensitive to different acute and chronic contaminants.

Lack of knowledge of extent and quality of the habitat and the natural processes on which it and its associated communities rely.

Lack of knowledge of extent and quality of the habitat and the natural processes in which its associated communities rely.

Lack of public and user awareness.

Climatic change, if it affects seasonal water change, will have an unpredictable, and possibly detrimental effect on the habitat.

UK biodiversity objectives and proposed targets

Maintain the wildlife interest of open coast habitats around the UK

Maintain and enhance the quality of marine habitats and communities surrounding islands and archipelagis

Maintain and manage the variety of habitats, communities and species of inlets and enclosed bays, as well as seeking improvement of areas which have been damaged or degraded.

South-west biodiversity objectives and proposed targets

OBJECTIVE 1

Improve knowledge of the habitat's extent and quality and of natural processes on which it depends.

TARGET: (2010- quality 2013-processes)

OBJECTIVE 2

Maintain the habitats and the wide variety of plant and animal communites it supports.

TARGET: Ongoing

OBJECTIVE 3

Increase awareness of the importance of the habitat, the threats it faces, and actions required by all for its continued well being.

TARGET: Ongoing

Current Action

A variety of designations contribute to the effective management and protection of key areas in the region, including England's only statuatory Marine Nature Reserve around Lundy, candidate SACs at Plymouth Sound and Estuaries, Fal and Helford, Isles of Scilly and Lundy; and Voluntary Marine Conservation Areas at Purbeck, Durlston and Charmouth, North Devon, Wembury, Looe, Helford, St Agnes, Plozeath and Isles of Scilly.

Management of fishing practices within the region's water is carried out by the Devon, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, and Southen Sea Fisheries Commitees and in some areas by the Environment Agency. Regulations which have a direct effect on the rocky seabed include seasonal and area closures and control of scallop dredging.

Shoreline Management Plans along the region's coast provide for the co-ordinated development of coastal defence and protective schemes.

A number of European Directives provide the motivation for much of UK environmental legislation. Relevant regulations include: Devon Wildlife Trust marine survey; the Marine Nature Conservation Review; Purbeck Seasearch; oil company surveys (Amoco and Kerr McGee); projects investigating the pink sea fan and ross 'coral'; and baseline surveys for SAC management.

Monitoring programmes are helpful for the early detection of habitat disturbance. A number have been established in the region, concentrating on the Isles of Scilly and Lundy, and will be set up as part of the management of the other SACs.

Seek to ensure key sites are within a network of stuatory marine protected areas (by 2013)

LEAD: EN
PARTNERS: DoE, SFCs, MAFF

Set and enforce water quality objectives for coastal waters (by 2000)

LEAD: EA
PARTNERS: MAFF

Introduce fisheries zoning (eg static gear reserves) or other appropriate management (by 1998)

LEAD: SFC's
PARTNERS: EA

Benefits