Marine Life & Conservation

New Marine Conservation Zones proposed for English Waters

Published

8 years ago

November 20, 2016

Government’s scientists’ new proposals to help restore England’s seas are welcomed by leading conservation charities

The Government’s scientific advisors have provided proposals on where a final set of Marine Conservation Zones are needed around England. Leading marine conservation charities, the Marine Conservation Society and The Wildlife Trusts, are excited about the plans which are a positive step forward towards restoring UK seas.

The sites are being proposed for protection by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England. They would form the third and final round of Marine Conservation Zone designations around England. In the previous two tranches, only 50 protected sites have been created in English waters, falling far short of the amount of protection scientists say is needed to safeguard our seas. These new plans with approximately 50 further sites could help turn that around.

The new places being recommended for a public consultation to be run by the Government next year include South of the Isles of Scilly, which supports commercially important Monkfish; Norris to Ryde, which is rich in seagrass meadows; Mud Hole off the north-west coast – 35 metres deep and home to rare sea pens – and Compass Rose off the Yorkshire coast, which is an important spawning and nursery ground for herring and lemon sole.

Melissa Moore of the Marine Conservation Society said: “The 50 Marine Conservation Zones being recommended by the government’s scientific advisors are essential to ensure we are protecting examples of all habitats. They will allow a proportion of our seas to begin to recover from over a century of damage and contribute to the restoration of biodiversity in our seas. We call on Government to include all these sites in their third tranche consultation next summer.”

Joan Edwards of the The Wildlife Trusts said: “UK seas are home to a stunning array of wildlife, as well as playing a vital role in the planet’s life-support system. If designated as Marine Conservation Zones, these 50 new sites will help to establish a proper network of protected areas in our seas. This is a huge step towards ensuring that future generations will be able to rely on healthy and productive seas that are rich in wildlife.”

CASE STUDY – Norris to Ryde proposed Marine Conservation Zone

This proposed site lies along the coast of the Isle of Wight. Under the surface is one of the largest seagrass meadows in the south-east region, totalling around 500 acres, or 200 football pitches! These marine plants are really important. Their long roots help to stabilise the sea bottom and prevent erosion. The meadows also provide hiding places for fish and other creatures to live and have young. It’s essential that this area receives protection to safeguard the fantastic wildlife found here.

CASE STUDY – Mud Hole proposed Marine Conservation Zone

Mud Hole is a deep site 21km off the coast off Cumbria which could become a protected area following consultation next year. This muddy site is perfect habitat for the burrowing creatures such as Dublin Bay prawns, angular crabs and shrimps which live here. Also found within this area are beautiful sea-pens, which look like feathers coming out of the sea floor. If designated this site could allow for recovery of this highly sensitive area.

The sites being recommended for designation are:

Alde Ore Estuary
Axe Estuary
Dart Estuary
East Meridian (Eastern section)
Erme Estuary
Hythe Bay
Otter Estuary
Ribble
Taw Torridge Estuary
Thames Estuary
Beachy Head East (Royal Sovereign Shoals)
Bembridge
Camel Estuary
Cape Bank
Compass Rose
Devon Avon Estuary
Goodwin Sands
Holderness Offshore
Inner Bank
Kentish Knock East
Markham’s Triangle
Morte Platform
Mud Hole
Norris to Ryde
North-East of Haig Fras
Offshore Foreland
Orford Inshore
Selsey Bill and the Hounds
Silver Pit
Slieve Na Griddle
Solway Firth
South-West Deeps (East)
South of Celtic Deep
South of Portland
South of the Isles of Scilly
South Rigg
Studland Bay
Wyre-Lune
Yarmouth to Cowes
Queenie Corner
East of Start Point MCZ Area of Search
South of Chesil Beach MCZ Area of Search
West of Copeland MCZ Area of Search
West of Lundy Area of Search
+ 3 inshore MCZ Areas of Search
+ over 10 mobile species proposed MCZs by 3rd parties

www.mcsuk.org

www.wildlifetrusts.org

Marine Life & Conservation

Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction

Published

3 days ago

November 1, 2024

Shark Trust

After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7^th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.

People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:

https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction

It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.

: Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter

: Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs

: Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead

: Oceanic Whitetip by ATM

: Silky Street by ScapaJoe

The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.

One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29^th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.

Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:

https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24

Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26^th November until the 7^th December. Entry is free.

Find out more here:

https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31

Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”

Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction

Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden

Marine Life & Conservation

Meet Steve Backshall in the Bite-Back Prize Draw

Published

2 weeks ago

October 21, 2024

Team Scubaverse

Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20^th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.

Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.

On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.

Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.

Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.

Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”

The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.

To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.