Marine Conservation Zone Features
There are thousands of habitats and species in
our marine environment making it unrealistic to select MPAs for
each one. This is why we have grouped habitats and species together
into broad-scale habitats, which take the place of more detailed
information on biodiversity. Protecting examples of these
broad-scale habitats across our Marine Protected Area network will
help make sure that the full range of marine biodiversity in our
seas is conserved.
In addition, we need to pay particular
attention to protecting threatened, rare, or declining species and
habitats – referred to together as Features of Conservation
Importance (FOCI). These species and habitats may be more sensitive
to pressures and hence need targeted protection. Focusing on FOCI
will point us towards areas where urgent action is needed to
prevent further damage.
Together, broad-scale habitats and FOCI are
referred to in the Ecological
Network Guidance (ENG) as MCZ features. The list of MCZ
features (see list below) is not finite –an MCZ can be designated
for any marine species or habitat where there is a strong case for
protecting them, such as a species and habitats of local or
regional interest.
In addition to the broad-scale habitats and
FOCI, the Marine and Coastal Access Act allows for MCZs to be
designated for features of geological and geomorphological
interest. The ENG lists the coastal Geological Conservation Review
sites and geological and geomorphological features of interest to
be considered as features for designation within MCZs.
To cover the full range of biodiversity in our
seas, each regional MCZ project area needs to protect examples,
where they occur, of:
- 23 broad-scale habitats;
- 22 habitats of conservation importance –
habitat FOCI;
- 32 species of conservation importance –
species FOCI.