So much to lose
Sea life around the coast of the British Isles is just as colourful, fascinating and beautiful as that found anywhere else in the world. Our underwater landscapes are teeming with life and amazingly varied. They support everything from valuable fish stocks to delicate jewel-like anemones and giant basking sharks, leatherback turtles and seals.
The wealth of our seas lies in their diversity. There really is so much to lose.
So little protection…
Despite the wealth of life in our seas, the area of seafloor protected from all forms of industrial activity in the UK is only a tiny fraction of 1%.
Will protecting some areas really make a difference?
The idea of fully protecting areas of the seabed and the plant and animal life that depends on them is not new. Trials around the world have shown that giving the seabed some breathing space by stopping any damaging or extractive activities can have amazing results.
On average, diversity, or the variety of life, increases by 21% and biomass, (that’s the actual 'volume' of life), increases by 466% inside marine reserves.
Studies have also shown that fish, invertebrates and seaweeds are typically much bigger, and there are a lot more of them, inside marine reserves.
As the seabed recovers it provides much better habitat for young fish and shellfish, and a safe haven for some species as they mature.
It sounds pretty obvious to say it, but fully protected areas at sea are ‘leaky’ – this means that the abundance of life is shown to spill out and benefit neighbouring areas. However a large proportion of animals remain in the boundary growing larger and more productive.
Our seas have taken a battering over the last century, but may be
amazingly forgiving. By offering much needed protection to important areas of
our seas now, we could still ensure a diverse and productive future.
