120. Recent storm events may have altered the nature of the landfall therefore EATL propose to re-survey the site before the final ES is completed as part of the DCO application.
10.5.5 Protected Habitats and Species 121. The following sections discuss protected sites and the potential for designation of habitats in the vicinity of the East Anglia THREE site and offshore cable corridor. These include Special Protection Areas (SPAs),Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSAC) and associated Annex I Habitats, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and species and habitats listed on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
10.5.5.1 Potential Annex 1 Habitat 122. Two potential Annex I Habitats were identified within the offshore cable corridor and the East Anglia THREE site:
Sabellaria spinulosa reef (also referred to as Sabellaria reef); and Vegetated shingle.
10.5.5.1.1Sabellaria spinulosa reef 123. S. spinulosa has the potential to form dense aggregations and reef-like structures in certain conditions. This biogenic reef habitat is listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) due to the diversity of species it can support. A recent report assessing the importance of such reefs located just to the north of the East Anglia Zone highlights the significance of such features to the ecology of the surrounding area (Pearce et al 2011a).
124. During East Anglia Zone grab surveys S. Spinulosa was found to be present at 108 of the 566 characterisation sample stations (Figure 10.11) with abundances at these stations ranging from 1 to 1,660 individuals. During analysis of the East Anglia Zone an exercise was conducted to determine likely presence of Sabellaria reef across the East Anglia Zone. This exercise assigned a value of between 1 and 5 depending on the ‘reefiness’ of suspected areas of Sabellaria reef (where a score of 5 is highly likely to be reef, Gubbay 2007). The results showed that there was an area in the East Anglia THREE site and a site near the northern boundary of the offshore cable corridor with a score of 2 (Appendix 10.2).
125. A similar exercise was undertaken using the East Anglia THREE survey data which also used the five stage procedure to assess ‘reefiness’ at suspected reef locations (See Appendix 10.3 for details). Site 46 in the north of the East Anglia THREE site was classified as medium / high resemblance to Sabellaria reef.
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
Chapter 1 Introduction Page 52
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