State of Nature report - RSPB

MARINE
he UK is truly a maritime nation, defined by
and dependent on the relationship with its
ever-changing seas and coasts. The UK’s marine
area (excluding the UKOTs) extends to more than
850,000 sq km – that’s over three times the area
covered by land 1 . Our marine habitats contain a variety
of species of international importance, including 26
species of breeding seabirds, at least 60 wintering
waterbird species, 13 regularly occurring species of
marine mammal and even the leatherback turtle.
There are also the little-known benthic habitats on
the sea bed, each supporting fascinating communities
of wildlife. Most people are unaware that the UK’s seas
have coral reefs, yet slow-growing Lophelia coral grows
in deep water off the Scottish coast. Another surprise
may be that two species of seahorse can be found in
seagrass and seaweed beds in shallow offshore waters
– the spiny seahorse is found as far north as Shetland.
We rely on the seas around the UK for transport, food,
recreation and, increasingly, for the generation of energy.
All of these activities put pressure on the marine
environment, pressure that is added to the increasing
impact of climate change and the consequences of
land-based activities, such as pollution. However, despite
its importance for wildlife, our knowledge of the state of
our seas is poor – a consequence of the difficulties of
studying life below the waves. This lack of knowledge
hampers our ability to assess the impact of man’s activities.
STATE OF NATURE 2013 61