Island Life August/September 2018

Country Life
This area has some of the best
peat exposures in the region,
notably at Bouldnor where an
underwater peat cliff rises up nine
metres from the seabed. This cliff
is thought to be 8,000 years old.
Before it was submerged by sea
level rise, it was inhabited and is
rich in archaeology.
In Thorness Bay, clay exposures
form ledges at low water and
expose the holes of piddocks:
molluscs which use their serrated
shells to excavate protective holes
in soft rock. Sheltering under
the many limestone boulders
at Thorness are thriving wildlife
communities, which include
porcelain crabs, sea squirts and
sponges. Newtown Harbour is one
of the few locations for estuarine
rock in the region.
Hosting a greater number of
habitats and species eligible for
protection than any other site, the
Bembridge area is the biodiversity
jewel of the South-East. The area
is a national stronghold of the
peacock’s tail seaweed and one
of only two sites in the South East
where you can find both British
species of seahorse, the spiny
seahorse and the short snouted
seahorse. The kaleidoscope stalked
jellyfish has also been found
here: one of only two locations
in the region which supports this
beautiful and delicate species.
We have been campaigning
to make these areas Marine
Conservation Zones (MCZs), which
would afford them the protection
they desperately need. MCZs are
places at sea that are recognised
by government as needing a
special plan to make sure that
they are managed to allow nature
to recover from damage and be
restored. They are managed for
the benefit of conservation, while
allowing economic and leisure
activities like fishing and yachting,
as long as they are sustainable.
The government will be
announcing whether or not these
precious habitats will be given
the protection they deserve in
the coming months, so keep an
eye on our website or sign up to
our e-news for updates. In the
meantime, there are many ways
you can help protect your local
marine environment.
Beach cleans are one of the most
simple and satisfying ways that
you can help, and being part of a
small island community puts you
in a great position to organise your
own; you have plenty of coastline
to work with and it’s only a stone’s
throw away!
You could also explore the
shoreline and identify all the
different creatures you find
along the way. By submitting
your recordings to our online
database you will help build a
more complete picture of the
species inhabiting our local seas,
informing our conservation efforts.
You can record your species
sightings on our website: www.
hiwwt.org.uk/submit-speciesrecords.
Photo: Piddocks
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