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Two opportunities to learn more during this formal consultation on the Studland to Portland possible marine Special Area of Conservation.

Natural England, the Government’s statutory nature conservation adviser, is undertaking a formal public consultation on the Studland to Portland possible Special Area of Conservation (pSAC). The consultation started on Thursday 1st September and will run until Thursday 24th November 2011.

Two open meetings have been arranged so that members of the public can study maps in detail, and meet staff from Natural England who will be on hand to discuss the boundary, the necessity of the site and the evidence behind it. Tea and coffee will be available at both open meetings.

• First open meeting: Thursday 13th October 2011
  Weymouth Pavilion, The Sundeck Room, The Esplanade, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8ED
  Doors are open between midday and 8pm

• Second open meeting: Tuesday 1st November 2011
  Swanage Rectory Classroom, Church Hill, Swanage, Dorset BH19 1HU
  Doors are open between midday and 8pm
  Limited car parking at the church

The purpose of this consultation is to seek the views of all interested parties on the scientific case for designation of this possible SAC; and to assess likely economic, environmental and social impacts. Information, such as the consultation guidance document and maps are on our marine pages.

The consultation ends on Thursday 24th November 2011. Afterwards, during 2012, Natural England will report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the responses received during the consultation, and submit the final site recommendation and impact assessment. Once the Government has taken all responses into account, it will decide whether to submit this possible SAC to the European Commission for inclusion in the Natura 2000 network.

Background

The proposed marine protected area between Studland to Portland is over 330sq kms – just over half the size of the New Forest National Park – and contains a wide range of diverse, rare reef features. The Studland Bay to Ringstead Bay reefs, for example, are a mixture of exposed shales and clays, limestone, boulders and chalk bedrock. The reefs provide important platforms for colonisation of species such as the sunset cup coral, Weymouth carpet coral, squat lobsters and the reef-building Ross worms. The Portland reefs are characterised by flat bedrock, ledges, cobbles and rugged limestone boulders with deep gullies and overhangs. Communities of barnacles and sponges have made their home in ‘mini caves’ here, with mussel beds found in high densities on the bedrock.

Notes to Editors:

1. Natural England is working as the Government’s statutory nature conservation advisor to identify and propose examples of marine habitats in territorial waters around the coast of England for designation as marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to meet the requirements of the European Habitats Directive.

2. All relevant documents about the public consultation can be found on our marine pages.


This includes:
a) The consultation guidance document called ‘Consultation on marine Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) – Studland to Portland’, which includes information about how to respond.
b) Frequently Asked Questions.
c) A map and the Selection Assessment document, which sets out the scientific basis for the site.
d) The socio-economic impact assessment and summary.
Details of dates and venues for public meetings will be confirmed shortly.

3. The reef is being nominated for protection because of:

a) Its rarity.
There are many reef features contained within a small geographical range.

b) Species living on the reef.
The proposed area contains 10 species falling under four different national and international protection schemes (BAP, OSPAR, CITES, WCA) including five nationally rare species:

Zostera marina (UK BAP, OSPAR and ENG FOCI)
Southern cup coral, Caryophyllia inornata (Nationally rare and CITES)
Sunset cup coral, Leptopsammia pruvoti (Nationally rare, UK BAP and CITES)
Devonshire cup coral, Caryophyllia smithii (CITES appendix II)
Weymouth carpet coral, Hoplangia durotrix (Nationally rare)
Pink sea fan, Eunicella verrucosa (Nationally uncommon, UK BAP, WCA)
A species of sponge, Adreus fasciculrus (Nationally rare)
Ross worm, Sabelleria spinulosa (UK BAP, H1170 reef feature)
Squat lobster, Galathea nexa (Nationally rare in south Britain)
Yellow skirt sea slug, Okenia elegans (locally rare)

c) Its geographical range.
The biogeographical character of the area, selected within the boundaries, is a vital colonisation site for southerly species – and can help to protect and sustain them from the impacts of climate change.

4. The exact size of the possible Special Area of Conservation (pSAC) is: 331.77 sq km.
The size of the reef within the pSAC is 191.76 sq km.

5. Studland to Portland pSAC was originally a component of Poole Bay to Lyme Bay pSAC that was consulted on from November 2009 to February 2010. During the consultation, evidence came to light that the boundary of Poole Bay to Lyme Bay pSAC should be changed. The site was split into two and the westerly part, Lyme Bay and Torbay candidate SAC (cSAC), was submitted to the EC for designation in August 2010. Because significant boundary changes were proposed to the easterly part of the site, Studland to Portland, it is now being made available for further consultation.

6. For further information contact: Michelle Hawkins, press officer, Natural England
michelle.hawkins@naturalengland.org.uk / 0300 060 1109