North Sea Marine Life

The North Sea is home to a fantastic array of marine wildlife, from extensive beds of delicate brittlestars, waving their fragile arms up into the water column to feed, to the hidden eyes of the camouflaged plaice glancing up from its seabed disguise.

The map on the right shows the water depths, ranging from deep pockets in the North to shallower sandy areas in the South, each area is home to a different range of wildlife. The map also shows some of the North Sea's better known marine sites, including areas where habitats and species are protected by law.

As well as supporting life, the North Sea is also one of the world's busiest seas and is home to a range of human activity which could potentially threaten our precious marine life. Currently, only 2% of the English North Sea is considered as 'partially' protected and only 0.009% 'fully protected'. Leaving many important, rare and threatened habitats vulnerable to harm. For this reason twelve Wildlife Trusts located from Northumberland to Suffolk have embarked on a project to celebrate our local marine life and to help give it the protection it needs.

For more information on how The Wildlife Trusts' collectively plan to help gain the protection our marine life needs click here.

Or to find out more about the fascinating marine life within your        region click the links to your left.                      

                                                                                NB. SAC = Special Area of Conservation, SPA = Special Protection Area, pSAC =
                                                                                Potential Special Area of Conservation, SSSI = Site of Special Scientific Interest