Biosphere Here
April 2015
Life Down Under...the Sea!
Dear <<Name>>
Spring is finally here, the temperatures are rising and nature is bursting out from its prolonged winter dormancy – on the land at least. But what about life in the sea, which is at its coldest now, and exists largely out of sight and thus out of mind for most people?
The marine environment of our Biosphere is the focus of this month’s issue, with this hidden world on our doorstep revealed in our Bio Blog (below) by guest contributor Olle Akesson, Living Seas officer at the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
A year ago, our chalk reef running along the coastal east from Brighton Marina was one of the very first places in the country to be designated as a new Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), to help protect and recover wildlife at sea. Management measures are now being developed by Biosphere partner organisations Natural England and the Sussex Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (IFCA), to ensure the sensitive and sustainable use of this area. More such MCZs in the sea off Sussex and nationwide are proposed and being consulted on now by the Government – please have your say (before the 24th April deadline!) .
Meanwhile, on land, the first of the spring’s butterflies are now on the wing, and to help get you engaged with these beautiful beasties there is now a ‘Butterflies of the Biosphere’ group on Facebook, established by our local expert Dr Dan Danahar.
Taking flight is the theme for the Brighton Festival next month, which will be a focus of our next issue. We’re really excited to be collaborating with the ‘Dawn Chorus’ exhibition programme of Fabrica in Brighton, and showcasing our Minecraft virtual water world for children with Australian artists 'Gauge'. See our Events calendar (summary, left) for details of these events and more.
Dive beneath the surface of your world this spring!
Rich Howorth
Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere Partnership |
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Window On
Our World:
Sea Sites
Even without a boat or scuba gear, you can still access some of the marine marvels of our Biosphere area at low tide, such as:
~ Undercliff MCZ coast, easy access route from Brighton Marina to Saltdean
~ Newhaven MCZ coast, by West Beach (car park) or to the east at Tide Mills nature reserve
~ Shoreham harbour and river estuary (SSSI), by Shoreham Fort
~ ‘South West Rocks’ marine SNCI – a chalk reef just off Hove whose underwater life is known only to a few divers!
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Bio Blog
Down Under- The UnSeen
Sea
The sea lies at our feet, but how much do we really appreciate what goes on beneath its often murky waters?
Our Biosphere’s sea extends offshore by 2 nautical miles, to include little-known areas of chalk rock on the seabed, that mirrors the South Downs on land. The coast by the Undercliff from Brighton Marina to Newhaven is now a ‘Marine Conservation Zone’ hosting one of the best chalk reefs in Europe.
The Sussex Wildlife Trust believes it vital that more MCZs are designated to protect and sensitively manage our marine life, and are appealing to local people who care about the sea to… read full blog
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