Natural England - Marine

Marine

The marine environment around England is extremely rich and diverse. England’s seas contain amazing underwater landscapes and over 10,000 species, including many of national and European importance.

As an island nation, where we are never more than 70 miles from the sea, the marine environment occupies a special place in our national psyche.

England has some of the finest marine wildlife in Europe, with dramatic and regionally characteristic undersea landscapes , habitats pdf document and species. Many of our characteristic undersea features and wildlife are of national and European importance. For example, England has more underwater chalk reefs than anywhere else in Europe. We have some surprising species such as sea fans, solitary corals, sea horses, sharks and dolphins as well as many types of fish and invertebrates.

The geology of the seabed around England is rich and varied, ranging from rocky granite reefs to mobile sandbanks. It is this variety of seabed type, coupled with the influence of colder Arctic and warmer Mediterranean waters around our shores, that results in the diverse range of marine species and habitats in our seas.

The marine environment is important because it provides a wide variety of services, for example it helps to regulate our climate, provide food and sources of power (oil, gas and wind), it gives us transport routes and opportunities for recreation.

Although our seas are vital to our wellbeing, they are given little protection and a growing body of evidence suggests that there has been a significant decline in the quality of this very special environment.

What is Natural England's role?

We are responsible for advising Government and industry on marine conservation and seascape issues in England’s territorial waters (from the coast out to 12 nautical miles offshore).

Through our Marine Campaign and through our research we are helping people to understand and appreciate the marine environment. We are pressing for greater protection of our seas. For example, the Marine Bill needs to introduce strong new conservation measures, including Marine Conservation Zones. Combining these new zones with existing designated areas, such as European Marine Sites and the Marine Nature Reserve at Lundy, will provide an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas.

We also want to ensure that the use and management of the marine environment, outside protected areas, is more sustainable. We will work directly with fisheries and other industries, such as renewable wind energy and extractive industries to secure this objective. We will also influence policies and mechanisms, including a marine planning system.

Natural England is currently progressing 6 draft SACS and 2 potential SPAs on the inshore zone, more information on these sites can be found on the New Marine Natura 2000 sites - Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas webpages.

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