Condition of SSSI Units for Site Salcombe to Kingsbridge Estuary SSSI

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Report generated on: 07 Dec 2019


Main Habitat	Responsible Officer	Unit Number	Unit Id	Area (ha)	NNR Overlap Area (ha)	Latest Assessment Date	Assessment Description	Comment	Adverse Condition Reasons
Salcombe to Kingsbridge Estuary SSSI - DEVON (SOUTH HAMS)
LITTORAL ROCK	SIMON TAME	001	1003958	192.5209	0.00	15/12/2010	Favourable	Littoral and inshore sublittoral rock - all attributes favourable. See baseline survey 2009. Littoral sediment - extent, see baseline survey 2009. Notable biotopes - within this unit between Sunny Cove and the southern end of Mill Bay the lower shore fine sands have notable populations of Echinocardium cordatum. Organic carbon content - no concerns in this unit. Redox layer - baseline survey, no particular concerns in this unit. Sediment type - see biotope survey 2009. Topography - smooth and gently sloping. Biotope composition - see baseline biotope survey. Species composition of notable biotopes - West Mill Bay although not diverse is a vulnerable biotope as the numerous sea potatoes found in the sandy sediments are easily crushed by merely walking on the sand surface.
EARTH HERITAGE	SIMON TAME	002	1003959	2.1639	0.00	19/12/2013	Favourable
EARTH HERITAGE	SIMON TAME	003	1021429	2.963	0.00	19/12/2013	Favourable
LITTORAL SEDIMENT	SIMON TAME	004	1025891	25.2177	0.00	15/12/2010	Favourable	Littoral sediment - mostly muddy gravels in this unit. Between Whitestrand and the Ferry Crossing the lower shore muddy gravels are rich in species and vulnerable to bait digging. Populations of the daisy anemone Cereus pedunculatus were recorded in the firm muddy lower shore sands at the entrance to the creek. Allattributes favourable - see baseline biotope survey 2009
LITTORAL SEDIMENT	SIMON TAME	005	1025892	66.0307	0.00	15/12/2010	Favourable	Mostly muddy gravels in this unit. All attributes favourable - see baseline biotope survey 2009
LITTORAL SEDIMENT	SIMON TAME	006	1025893	90.218	0.00	15/12/2010	Favourable	Mostly muddy gravels in this unit. Around the entrance to the creek the sediments are more sandy and the sand mason worm Lanica concheligia is a characteristic component of the mixed sediment communities. All attributes favourable - see baseline biotope survey 2009
LITTORAL SEDIMENT	SIMON TAME	008	1025895	255.4084	0.00	15/12/2010	Unfavourable - Recovering	Littoral sediment - mostly muddy gravels in this unit. Between Saltstone and Wareham Point, the muddy sands in this tide-swept channel are notable for the infaunal richness, the abundance of Sabella pavonina and Lanice conchilega as well as epifauna attached to the polychaete tubes. East of the Saltstone the biotope also contains the burrowing anemone Cereus pedunculatus and numerous epibenthic red algae harbouring numerous amphipod species. The infauna is dominated by small polychaete species. Intertidal Zostera noltii is confined to this unit within the SSSI and measures some 500,000 m2 as a main or secondary biotope, located in Collapit Creek, Blank's Mill Creek and the mudflats of Park Bay, adjacent to Park Farm Sewage Works. The infaunal analysis from sediment cores taken adjacent to the Park Farm area and the Collapit Creek Zostera bed showed the sediments at these sites to be species poor and no scarce species were found. In the Park Farm area the green algae Ulva pseudocurvata and U. prolifera dominated the mudflats. The highest figure for organic carbon sediment content, 6.95%, of all coring sites was that adjacent to Park Farm. The main reason for unfavourability of this unit is the seasonal algal blooms which cover large parts of this unit.