3.4 Species and Habitats of Conservation Interest 141. Species and habitats recorded during the grab and trawl sampling survey work were compared against the current information, relevant to UK waters, for those identified as of conservation interest. This included, but was not restricted to, the following legislative drivers and conventions:
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA81);
Habitats Directive (Annex I Habitats and Annex II Species) as expressed in UK legislation (The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010);
Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009; The UK Post 2010 Biodiversity Framework; and OSPAR Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats.
3.4.1 Non‐Indigenous Species 142. No non‐indigenous species were recorded during the benthic survey.
3.4.2 Species 143. The two invertebrate species of potential conservation interest recorded from survey operations was the presence of Obelia sp. in Trawls 2, 9 and 10 and specimens of Ophelia sp. and Ophelia sp. (juv) at Trawl 12, Grab 31 and Grab 47. These genera include a species each (Obelia bidentata and Ophelia bicornis) that is listed in Sanderson, 1996.
144. Other organisms of conservation interest were recorded from trawls and were restricted to fish species, as listed in Table 3.8. Two species (the sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus and spotted ray Raja montagui) found in the trawl sample T1, are directly cited as species of conservation interest in the Bern Convention and the OSPAR Red List respectively. Table 3.8 has been split into species recorded and those with associated conservation status to encompass the two genera and one family listed in the species list that are related to species of conservation interest.
Benthic Characterisation Report November 2013
East Anglia THREE and FOUR Offshore Cable Corridor
