Coastal & Marine Ecosystems
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2 Coastal & Marine Ecosystems Auchmithie © Kelly Ann Dempsey Background For centuries people have used the coasts and The reedbeds in the Tay Estuary are the largest estuaries of Tayside as a source of food, for continuous stand of this habitat anywhere in sheltered anchorage and for trade. It is a landscape Britain, one of the largest in Europe - and they are of great beauty, exhibiting a diversity of features the only place in Scotland where the rare Bearded from the muddy shallows of Montrose Basin, the tit breeds. The beds of seagrass and seaweed also sand dunes of Barry Links and the wide, nutrient- provide important nursery grounds for flat fish in rich Tay Estuary. The variety of life supported by the summer and food for ducks and geese in coastal habitats includes groups of dolphin and winter. The coasts and estuaries are under porpoise, shoals of commercially important fish, increasing pressure from human activity – tiny zooplankton, resident seabirds and commercial fishing, recreational use, climatic internationally-important numbers of migrant erosion, the development of urban areas and birds such as pink-footed geese. ports, to name just a few. 36 Objectives Marine ecosystems are particularly difficult to 1 Endeavour to reduce the direct pressures on access and understand, although more is known coastal and marine biodiversity by about coastal habitats and our influence upon implementing projects to enhance ecosystem them. Increased consultation and work between health those influencing these habitats has resulted in a 2 Safeguard coastal and marine ecosystems, better understanding for the value of coasts and species and genetic diversity by enhancing estuaries in Tayside. This has engendered a greater connectivity and where possible preventing willingness to work together to conserve and its decline enhance the habitats, at the same time as managing change. 3 Mainstream biodiversity conservation action by raising awareness and the enjoyment of marine and coastal ecosystems of local communities 37 Priority Habitats • Saltmarsh • Intertidal mudflats & Estuarine Reedbeds • Marine • Maritime cliffs • Sand dunes Montrose beach © Kelly Ann Dempsey Key Sites Estuaries Maritime Cliff & Slope Sand Dunes Firth of Tay & Eden Estuary SPA Whiting Ness (next to Victoria The northern part of 6,923.29 hectares Park in Arbroath) to Ethie Charleton and Kinnaber Haven – most of this is covered Links to Montrose is Firth of Tay & Eden Estuary SAC by Whiting Ness to Ethie Haven included within the St Cyrus 15,412.53 hectares SSSI – 136.17 hectares & Kinnaber Links SSSI Firth of Tay & Eden Estuary Rickle Craig (at the north end The Arbroath to Broughty Ramsar 6,918.42 hectares of Lunan Bay) to Scurdie Ness Ferry area includes Elliot Inner Tay Estuary SSSI (just south of Montrose at Links SSSI, Easthaven SSSI 4,115.38 hectares Ferryden) which is all (designated for Greater designated as an SSSI. – 72.17 yellow rattle), Barry Links Inner Tay LNR 1,176 hectares hectares SSSI and Monifieth Bay SSSI Montrose Basin SPA, Ramsar, SSSI, LNR approx. 986 hectares Barry Links is also notified as an SAC and the Firth of Tay & St Cyrus and Kinnaber Links Eden Estuary SAC/SPA/Ramsar SSSI 304.91 hectares Lunan Water Elliot Links SSSI 27.1 hectares Pitairlie Burn Buddon Burn Barry Links SSSI 1027.51 hectares Monifieth Bay SSSI 199.23 hectares Carlinheugh © VisitScotland Key Species • Wintering waterbirds, including Pink-footed and Greylag geese • Cetaceans • Maritime plants, including Zostera spp. • Breeding seabirds • Coastal invertebrates Eider duck © John Crichton 38 Since recording began in 2011 sightings from Angus Cetacean members of the Angus community have included Bottlenose dolphins, Minke whale, Harbour Awareness Project porpoise, Common dolphin and even Humpback whales have occurred at many locations along the The cetacean survey incorporating the coast from coastline of Angus. All sightings are fed into the Tay to St Cyrus continues to focus on the national recording schemes and help to conserve collection of anecdotal sightings data from the species and habitats. Angus community, awareness raising and the promotion of coastal locations in Angus. The website www.marinelifeangus.co.uk was launched on the International Day of Biodiversity (May 2012) and is promoted by small business card size cards and a colourful poster. These are distributed to a wide range of visitor attractions along the Angus and Aberdeenshire coasts. The website reaches a wide audience having been promoted by VisitScotland on their website and on the new Angus Ahead website. Dolphin watching, River Tay © Kelly Ann Dempsey Back From The Brink: Using a local, collaborative approach to aid in the rescue of a vulnerable, fragmented Cupido minimus population in North East Scotland. Adult Small blue butterfly © Barry Prater Butterflies are a species like many others that are species. Surveys have been carried out at locations vulnerable to 21st century anthropogenic threats along the coastline since the late 1970’s in a such as climate change, habitat destruction and generally sporadic manner. This has produced a unsympathetic land management practices. The wealth of data which has recently been revisited by UK has seen a decline in many species and our Butterfly Conservation and the Tayside smallest native species the Small Blue ( Cupido Biodiversity Partnership. Records of Small blue are minimus) has seen a great decline in numbers numerous whilst Kidney vetch data is not so. Since over recent years. Scotland holds some 2012 both organisations have worked together to strongholds for the butterfly but in recent times, facilitate annual surveys of both species along the they too have faced challenges that have led to the demise of populations. coastline. Historical survey materials and current Scottish Wildlife Trust and Scottish Natural The fragmentation of colonies has been identified Heritage survey data from Seaton Cliffs Local as the most limiting factor on population size Nature Reserve and St Cyrus National Nature followed by a decline in the favoured plant host Reserve respectively, have been used as a starting Kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria). point for where to focus survey effort. Angus has suffered the same declines as the rest of Investigation will hopefully lead to the discovery of the UK but still has pockets of populations of both extant populations. 39 Ecosystem Pressures Services & Erosion Ecosystem Scale Unless artificially constrained, warmer and more acidic, Projects seaward dune edges can be affecting the health and highly mobile. Few dune distribution of species and Ecosystem Services systems are in overall species interactions. • Coastal protection from equilibrium and generally the Recreation floods and storm surges Tayside coast demonstrates net The coast and its sand dune • Climate regulation erosion. Limited natural systems offers easy access by • Biomass storage erosion helps regenerate dune local residents and visitors and systems, but the survival of the • Photosynthesis and oxygen provides opportunities to biological interest and the production watch wildlife, pursue outdoor actual structure may be at risk • Renewable energy sports such as golf, or simply if it increases excessively. • Water quality regulation walk, contemplate and seek • Seafood Development inspiration. However, such a & Sea defences major land use causes damage • Recreation and leisure Pressure, especially on the to vegetation, exposes the • Health and wellbeing older dune systems, continues underlying sand to the wind • Tourism with further developments and rain and results in the loss proposed leading to the of vegetation and sand. Ecosystem Scale Projects destruction of this habitat. Rehabilitation of such areas Angus Maritime Plant projects Many dune links are now golf can be carried out, but it often – monitoring and restoring sea courses where fertilisers, takes years for the natural pea and kidney vetch herbicides and irrigation are diversity to become re- populations. used for ‘improving’ the established. On our seas, vegetation. Car and caravan pressures can come from water Linking & Exploring Tayside’s parks widen access and sports such as boating, jet- Coastal Wildlife Sites – Marine increase trampling, fires and skiing and irresponsible Life Angus website and Nature disturbance. Many dune cetacean watching. on Track. systems are affected by coastal Grazing Treating invasive coastal defence works that arrest the Whilst continued grazing is species – Himalayan balsam at formation of new dune systems necessary to maintain the Montrose Basin NNR, Japanese and affect the dynamism of grassland and to prevent scrub rose and gorse at Elliot links dune systems. Offshore development, overgrazing can and intertidal species first pressures have increased and have damaging effects. defence monitoring. the installation of oil and gas Undergrazing is more platforms, marine turbines and widespread, allowing Beach cleans along the length supporting cable infrastructure vegetation to be invaded by of the Angus coastline. all have varying effects on the coarse grasses and scrub. coastal and marine Angus coastal butterfly projects environments. – Small blue and Grayling Other pressures include: surveying, monitoring and Climate change nutrient enrichment from habitat enhancement projects. Sea level rise and increased farmland and waste effluent, storms forecast as global marine pollution, bait digging, climates change may cause laying of cables and pipelines, foreshore steepening,