Skip to Content

Resource hub

East of Haig Fras Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) Monitoring Report 2015 2020

Abstract

This report is one of a series of Marine Protected Area (MPA) characterisation and monitoring reports delivered to Defra by the Marine Protected Areas Survey Coordination and Evidence Group (MPAG). The purpose of the report series is to provide the necessary information to allow Defra to fulfil its obligations in relation to MPA assessment and reporting, in relation to current policy instruments. This monitoring report is informed by data acquired during a dedicated survey carried out at the East of Haig Fras Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) in 2015 and will form part of the ongoing monitoring time series for this MPA.

The East of Haig Fras MCZ is an offshore MPA located 67 km north-west of Land’s End, in the ‘Western Channel and Celtic Sea’ Charting Progress 2 (CP2) area. Five Broadscale Habitats (BSHs) were designated for protection in 2013 and 2016; ‘A4.2 Moderate energy circalittoral rock’, ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment / A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments mosaic’, ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’ and ‘A5.3 Subtidal mud’. In 2019, the following additional features were designated; the habitat Feature of Conservation Importance (FOCI) ‘Sea-Pen and Burrowing Megafauna Communities’, the species FOCI Atrina fragilis (Fan Mussel) and the BSH ‘A4.1 High energy circalittoral rock’. This report provides a characterisation of BSHs that were designated in 2013 and 2016 and presents additional evidence on the presence and distribution of the FOCI designated in 2019.

Resource type Publication

Topic category Oceans

Reference date 2020·05·29

Citation
Clare, D., Downie, A., Hawes, J. & Langton, B. 2020. East of Haig Fras Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) Monitoring Report. JNCC/Cefas Partnership Report No. 29. JNCC, Peterborough, ISSN 2051-6711, Crown Copyright.

Lineage
This report is one of a series of Marine Protected Area (MPA) characterisation and monitoring reports delivered to Defra by the Marine Protected Areas Survey Coordination and Evidence Group (MPAG).

Responsible organisation
Communications, JNCC publisher

Limitations on public access No limitations

Use constraints Available under the Open Government Licence 3.0

Metadata date 2020·06·01

Metadata point of contact
Communications, JNCC

Back to top