Deal - Kingsdown - Dover Marine Conservation Zone Film

This short film is taken in the proposed Marine Conservation Zone between Deal & Dover and includes the Kingsdown Butts

For the area covered see http://www.mczmapping.org/

This is still under consultation process - the next stage kicks off in Dec 2012 - but the film gives us all a glimpse what is just off our East Kent coast. For more info see the DEFRA site


Running between Kingsdown, Deal to the north and Dover to the south is an important stretch of rich chalk reef, lying below the famous white cliffs of Dover.

The chalk platform extends across the shore and out to sea, with deep sand-filled gullies between tall ridges of chalk covered in seaweeds, sponges and anemones.

Large crabs and lobsters find shelter within the chalk in recesses, while baby cuttlefish swim around the outcrops, demonstrating their amazing camouflage.

 Further offshore, the chalk gradually becomes covered in coarse sediments. Here, thousands of sandy tubes made by tiny ross worms form significant reefs which can harbour a wonderful diversity of wildlife and support the whole food web.

If you cannot see the embedded Video its here http://youtu.be/gVS-b2usDvw

Kingsdown Butts - Marine 'National Park' ?

A set of reefs built by humble worms off Kingsdown could be one of the New Marine Protected Areas - a 'Marine National Park' - but only if you support it.

The nearly 3sq km site just off Oldstairs bay at Kingsdown and running towards St Margarets is known as Kingsdown Butts. It is one of 73 sites the Marine Conservation Society has put forward as a possible 'Marine Protected Area'.

These 'Marine National Parks' are being setup by 2012 after the passing the Marine Bills in Scotland & the UK.  Currently on 1% of the UK Seas are protected - the Marine Protected Areas have come after a long campaign by the MCS to protect the bio-diversity & habitats of our amazing coast.

As part of their Your Seas, Your Voice campaign they are asking to vote online so we can influence the Government's priorisation of the sites.

You can Vote for Kingsdown Butts here

Kingsdown Butts

Ross worms build their own tubular homes out of tiny bits of shell or sand.When thousands of worms build in the same area they can create a rich reef habitat. This reef is teeming with life including fish, starfish, mussels, sponges and anemones.

Observations on use

Damage to the ross worm reef suggests that there could be some trawling in this area.

What difference would protection make?

Complete protection for this site could help protect the seabed and the sea life that relies on this important habitat for food and shelter.