A different “flavour” of Marine Protected Area (MPA) – exploring the Channel Islands’ Ramsar sites
Feb 03, 2023
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World Wetlands Day is observed on February 2nd and recognises the signing of “The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat” in Ramsar, Iran in 1971. At first glance, that might not seem very relevant to Seasearch, but “wetlands” are interpreted as "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres". The Channel Islands are not part of the European Union and so don’t have the EU Directives underpinning Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas. In contrast to other regions, Seasearch data wasn’t required to help protect these wonderful places, but who needs an excuse to go exploring, especially when the enormous tidal range in the Channel Islands allows access for non-divers? |
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There are eight Ramsar sites across the Channel Islands:  |
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I've been lucky enough to dive in three of these sites - Gouliot Caves on Sark, Herm, Jethou and the Humps (Guernsey) and the Alderney West Coast and Burhou Islands - and explore their rocky shores on foot too. At Gouliot Caves, Sark, there is a series of tunnels through the headland on the west coast which are simply PACKED with attached marine life on the walls, all taking advantage of the rushing tides to bring food. The anemones are the most obvious life, but there is little space to spare on the walls of this filter-feeder “des res”. You don't get long in there though, before the tide picks up and spits you out! The caves can also be explored on foot at low tides, though local knowledge and a guide are highly recommended to avoid being cut off and swept out to sea. |
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Attached life in the Gouliot Caves, Sark. |
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Just to the west of Sark lies the larger island of Herm, known as "the jewel in the Bailiwick (of Guernsey) crown". The Humps are a scattering of islets to the north-east of Shell Beach on Herm, a mile-long wonder of shelly-sand. The west side of Herm is rockier and low tide reveals sandy areas with seagrass among the boulders. There are also shallow puddles among the pebbles – one of which contained "mint sauce worms" (Symsagittifer roscoffensis) to my delight and amazement. There are only 11 records in total of this species on the NBN Atlas - in Herm and on the south Wales coast - with the Herm records being made on Porcupine Marine Natural History Society field trips. The bright green colour of these tiny flatworms is due to the presence of an associated micro-algae – the algae (seaweeds) photosynthesise and provide nutrients to the worm host. Solar-powered! |
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Rockier west side of Herm where you can find Symsagittifer roscoffensis. |
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Lihou Island is the westernmost point of Guernsey and is joined to the neighbouring L’Eree headland by a tide-swept causeway preventing access at all but the lowest tides.
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The northernmost of the Channel Islands is Alderney, located closer to the French Cotentin Peninsula than any other land. Getting to and from Alderney can be a challenge, not least because of the fearsome tides rushing down the Race and the Swinge either side of the island. Tidal streams run at nearly 7 knots on springs, so the marine life has to be tough to survive here. The west coast islets of L’Etacs and Ortac are home to an internationally significant population of the Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) which are one of the main reasons for the Ramsar designation. The iconic puffins on Burhou can be viewed on Alderney Wildlife Trust's PuffinCam during the early summer breeding season - compelling viewing! |
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On the west coast of Alderney, on the southern side of the Swinge, is rocky Clonque Bay, which looks very different at high tide as compared how it looks here at low tide. Angus Jackson (Seasearch Data Officer) and I were delighted to find our first ormers (Haliotis tuberculata) during a low-water ramble accompanied by Alerney Wildlife Trust volunteer and first-class guide, Lou Collings, during our visit in October 2022, for the annual Inter-Island Environment Meeting. These molluscs are a Channel Islands speciality and their collection is restricted to certain times of the year (known as "ormering tides"). There are projects on both Alderney and Guernsey to tag and measure ormers to study populations and growth rates. |
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Clonque Beach, Alderney, at low water. |
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Find out more:
All photographs by Charlotte Bolton. |
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AUTHOR  Dr Charlotte Bolton Charlotte started her involvement with Seasearch in 2009 when she did the Observer course near Aylesbury. She was Dorset Seasearch coordinator from 2012-2015 and then took over from Chris Wood as National Coordinator in 2016. She spends too much time in meetings nowadays and would much rather be in the sea looking at marine life. |
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