The Purbeck Coast Marine Conservation Zone

The Isle of Purbeck's very own Marine Conservation Zone is home to some very special marine wildlife

Kimmeridge Bay and the Wild Seas Centre

Julie Hatcher, Marine Awareness Officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust tells us about the Purbeck Coast Marine Conservation Zone at Kimmeridge

Did you know that the Isle of Purbeck has its very own Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) in recognition of the very special marine wildlife there? Established in 2019, during the final phase in the creation of a national network of MCZs, and following over a decade of campaigning by Dorset Wildlife Trust and its supporters, the Purbeck Coast Marine Conservation Zone stretches from Old Harry Rocks near Studland, all the way around the coast to Ringstead Bay. It also includes Kimmeridge Bay which is recognized for its own extraordinary wildlife. The whole zone covers an area equal to three quarters the size of the Isle of Wight and is home to over 340 species of seaweed and 89 types of fish

Kimmeridge Bay

Kimmeridge Bay is the only part of the zone that includes the seashore and the unusual combination of rockpool wildlife found there. Montagu’s blennies, Connemara clingfish and other rockpool fish form an unusual assemblage at Kimmeridge.

There is also a good colony of peacock’s tail seaweed, a warm water alga more common in the Mediterranean sea. One of the reasons the bay was included in the Marine Conservation Zone was because of the presence of stalked jellyfish, tiny jewels that live attached to the swaying fronds of seaweed in the shallow waters. These diminutive relatives of drifting jellyfish prefer to remain attached in one place by a stalk but love the movement of a strong swell or current. On calm days they hide away amongst the seaweed’s fronds waiting to move to the very tips of feathery seaweeds should a swell or rough seas occur. Whilst being violently swished back and forth might give us a headache, the tiny stalked jellies love it as they are able to sweep a much wider area with their stinging tentacles. For this reason they appear during the wild winter months and are all but gone by summer.

Fishing

While the Marine Conservation Zone prohibits the use of the most highly destructive forms of fishing such as scallop dredging and bottom-trawling (where heavy gear is dragged across the seabed), other lower impact fishing continues. This area has traditionally been used for crab and lobster potting, an activity that continues today.

The extraordinarily varied geology of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site extends beneath the waves, creating a multitude of different habitats. Hard limestone reef and soft chalk and clay bed rock is interspersed with sand and gravelly shoals. Wildlife habitats range from kelp forests to seagrass meadows and, in deeper waters, from sponge and soft-coral covered reefs to pitted and burrowed clay sea beds.

Wild Seas Centre

Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre in Kimmeridge Bay, acts as a gateway for visitors to access and learn about the Purbeck Coast Marine Conservation Zone and its place in the national network. There you can learn about the wildlife that calls this place home, as well as what lives in neighbouring MCZs such as at Poole Rocks, just outside Poole harbour, and South Dorset MCZ, over 17km offshore from the Purbeck coast.

A small aquarium houses wildlife from the Kimmeridge Bay rock pools as well as species found in the shallows. There is also a very popular wildlife trail for swimmers – the Kimmeridge Snorkel Trail. Created in 2007, 5 marked buoys lead the snorkeler through a variety of shallow water habitats. The maximum depth along the trail is 3.5m, with lots of shallower areas along the way. Wildlife often seen includes corkwing wrasse, common blennies, spider crabs and velvet swimming crabs, although it is probably the colourful and varied seaweed that is most noticeable. It is like swimming through an underwater garden.

Entry to the Centre and use of the snorkel trail is free, although there is a toll road fee to access the bay. Masks and snorkels can be hired or bought from the Wild Seas Centre and a waterproof guide to the trail can also be bought. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s marine rangers are on hand to offer advice. The snorkel trail is available from May to September each year.

The Seashore Code

To ensure wildlife protection within the Purbeck Coast Marine Conservation Zone, visitors are encouraged to follow voluntary codes of conduct to minimize their impact. These include The Seashore Code which asks people to;