Location of the sites to be surveyed © JNCC |
Offshore Overfalls MCZ has a mixture of sediment types that
make up its protected features, including subtidal coarse sediment, subtidal
mixed sediment and subtidal sand. The objective at Offshore Overfalls MCZ is
for these features to recover to a favourable condition. This
site has a depth range of 20-70m and is the smaller of the two MCZ’s being
visited on this survey (593km2), making it similar to the size of the New
Forest National Park (566km2). The deeper parts of the site are part
of the English
Channel Outburst Flood Features (Quaternary
fluvio-glacial erosion features) formed more than 200,000
years ago!
More information on Offshore Overfalls can be found here.
Thornback ray at Offshore Overfalls MCZ © JNCC |
Offshore Brighton MCZ has similar protected features as
Offshore Overfalls MCZ, with high energy circalittoral rock and subtidal coarse
and mixed sediment as protected features. This site is deeper than Offshore
Overfalls ranging from 40-80m and 862km2 (roughly ten times the size
of Brighton).
This site has been known to have a rich community of
polychaetes (worms) and significant numbers of venerid bivalve (Venus clams)
and brittle stars.
More information on Offshore Brighton can be found here.
To gather further information about
these sites, the team will use a large variety of sampling equipment. Drop-cameras
will be used to collect high definition video
and still images of the seabed and its inhabitants. The survey will also use a
Hamon grab to take sediment samples from the seabed for particle size analysis
and identification of the animals living within the sediment. Additionally, the
team will collect multibeam bathymetry data which will provide a detailed view
of the topography of the seabed.
For further updates before and during the survey - watch this space; follow JNCC, Cefas and the survey hashtag #CEND0119 on Twitter, or join us on Facebook.
For further updates before and during the survey - watch this space; follow JNCC, Cefas and the survey hashtag #CEND0119 on Twitter, or join us on Facebook.