Kingmere

Kingmere
Marine Conservation Zone
Country England
County West Sussex
Area 47 km2 (18 sq mi)
Geology Chalk reef, rocky sandstone
Animal Black seabream, algae, sea squirt, sea sponge
Marine Conservation Zone 21 November 2013

Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone is in the English Channel, between 5 and 10km off the West Sussex coast to the south of Littlehampton and Worthing. It covers an area of around 47 km2.[1]

The MCZ contains two marine Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCIs) - Kingmere Rocks, off Littlehampton, and the Worthing Lumps, off of Worthing.

Kingmere Rocks are one of the best-known (and possibly the most important in the UK) spawning sites for the black seabream. The rocky habitats and chalk outcrops provide ideal nesting grounds.[1]

Lying some three miles off the coast of Worthing, the Worthing Lumps are a series of underwater chalk cliff faces, up to three metres high. The lumps, described as "one of the best chalk reefs in Europe" by the Marine Conservation Society, are home to rare fish such as blennies and the lesser spotted dogfish.[2][3] The site has been declared a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) (a site of county importance) by West Sussex County Council.[4]

The Kingmere MCZ site is within the jurisdiction of the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (Sussex IFCA) for fisheries management. The site is mainly fished by vessels based on the Sussex coast in Selsey, Shoreham-by-Sea, Newhaven and Littlehampton. The main commercial fishery is potting, followed by netting and trawling. Most vessels fishing in the site are small static gear boats under 10 metres.[5]

See also


References

  1. 1 2 "Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone" (PDF). Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs November 2013. ISBN 978-1-78354-064-8. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  2. ↑ Woolf, Marie (6 August 2002). "Marine wildlife Bill is scuppered by shipping interests". The Independent. London: Independent News and Media Limited. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  3. ↑ "Local MP joins call for better protection of marine wildlife". Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 28 September 2007. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  4. ↑ "The Eastern Channel Marine Natural Area". English Nature. 2004. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  5. ↑ "Kingmere MCZ". Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
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