Pen Ll_n a’r Sarnau cSAC: Management Plan, Consultation Draft (Contents list) August 2000 PEN LLŶN A’R SARNAU CANDIDATE SAC DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN CONTENTS LIST 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Legal background: Where do SACs come from and what legal obligations do they entail?…………. .................................................................................. ………….I.1 1.1.1 The Habitats Directive.................................................................................... I.1 1.1.2 The Habitats Regulations ................................................................................ I.1 1.2 Selection of the Pen Ll_n a’r Sarnau cSAC ................................................................ I.2 1.3 Preparation of management schemes .......................................................................... I.2 1.4 Competent and relevant authorities............................................................................. I.3 1.4.1 Relevant authorities ....................................................................................... I.3 1.4.2 Competent authorities .................................................................................... I.4 1.5 Liaison framework for the cSAC ................................................................................ I.5 1.6 The UK Marine SACs Project .................................................................................... I.6 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION 2.1 Site location and boundary ..................................................…......................................II.1 2.2 Environmental information ...................................................…....................................II.1 2.2.1 Biological: Habitats and species of the cSAC features .................................. II.1 2.2.1.1 Reef habitats and species ............................................................... II.2 2.2.1.2 Estuary habitats and species........................................................... II.7 2.2.1.3 Other marine fauna and flora ......................................................... II.9 2.2.2 Physical .......................................................................................................... II.10 2.2.2.1 Climate .......................................................................................... II.11 2.2.2.2 Exposure ....................................................................................... II.11 2.2.2.3 Turbidity ....................................................................................... II.11 2.2.2.4 Temperature ................................................................................. II.11 2.2.2.5 Salinity .......................................................................................... II.12 2.2.2.6 Stratification and fronts ................................................................. II.12 2.2.2.7 Tides ............................................................................................. II.12 2.2.2.8 Sediment transport ......................................................................... II.12 2.2.2.9 Geology and Geomorphology ....................................................... II.13 2.2.2.10 Topography .............................................….....................................II.15 2.2.2.11 River flows .................................................................................... II.15 2.2.3 Chemical ........................................................................................................... II.15 2.3 Land and seabed ownership ......................................................…................................II.16 2.4 Maps of the site........................................................................................................... II.16 2.4.1 Navigation, bathymetry, sea bed substrates and tidal strengths ..................... II.16 2.4.2 Geology and geomorphology ................................................….......................II.17 2.4.3 Marine communities: subtidal .................................................….....................II.17 2.4.4 Marine communities: intertidal ...................................................................... II.17 2.4.5 Coastline ..................................................................................….....................II.17 2.5 Photographic coverage ...........................................................................…................... II.17 Pen Ll_n a’r Sarnau cSAC: Management Plan, Consultation Draft (Contents list) August 2000 3.0 EVALUATION OF THE cSAC 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................….........III.1 3.2 The features of the site and their important characteristics and components .............. III.1 3.2.1 Important characteristics and components of the reef features .......................... III.1 3.2.2 Important characteristics and components of the estuary features ..................... III.3 3.3 Evaluation of the site ...........................................................................................…......III.4 3.3.1 Evaluation of the site for nature conservation ................................................ III.4 3.3.1.1 Size .......................................................................................…........III.4 3.3.1.2 Diversity .................................................................................…......III.4 3.3.1.3 Naturalness ...............................................................................…....III.5 3.3.1.4 Rarity ..........................................................................................…..III.6 3.3.1.5 Fragility .......................................................................................….III.6 3.3.1.6 Typicalness ...................................................................................…III.6 3.3.1.7 Recorded history ........................................................................…...III.7 3.3.1.8 Ecological position ......................................................................….III.8 3.3.1.9 Potential for improvement or restoration ....................................... III.8 3.3.2 Evaluation of the site for public use, access, education and interpretation .... III.8 3.3.3 Evaluation of the site for research and study ..............................................…..III.9 4.0 CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES AND MONITORING 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... IV.1 4.2 Explanation of the structure of conservation objectives .............................................. IV.1 4.2.1 Rationale ....................................................................................................... IV.1 4.2.1.1 Requirements of the Habitats Directive ......................................... IV.1 4.2.1.2 CCW’s approach to management planning .................................... IV.2 4.3 Selection of attributes and targets for the Pen Ll_n a’r Sarnau reefs and estuaries.... IV.2 4.3.1 Selection of attributes ................................................................................... IV.2 4.3.2 Identification of targets and limits ................................................................. IV.3 4.4 Conservation objectives, potential attributes, limits and monitoring ........................... IV.4 4.5 Further work needed ................................................................................................... IV.9 5.0 HUMAN ACTIVITIES, FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE OR MAY INFLUENCE THE FEATURES, AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSE REQUIRED 5.1 Definition of terms ..................................................................................................... V.1 5.1.1 What are factors?........................................................................................... V.I 5.1.2 Natural factors ............................................................................................... V.1 5.1.3 Human-induced factors ................................................................................. V.1 5.1.4 Plans and projects .......................................................................................... V.1 5.2 Factors which may affect the features ......................................................................... V.2 5.2.1 Information from the UK Marine SACs Project ............................................ V.3 5.3 Natural factors .......................................................................................................... V.4 5.3.1 Geomorphological processes ......................................................................... V.4 5.3.2 Currents / Tidal regime .................................................................................. V.6 5.3.3 Wave exposure .............................................................................................. V.6 5.3.4 Sea temperature ............................................................................................. V.7 5.3.5 Turbidity ....................................................................................................... V.7 5.3.6 Depth ......................................................................................……...V.7 5.3.7 Salinity ..........................................................…………….................................V.8 5.3.8 Climate change ...............................................................…………..................V.8