Eastern Region

Within the North Sea we find not only natural but artificial habitats, key examples of this are seen from the Wash to the Norfolk marine environment, where over 225 shipwrecks now grace the seabed with their presence. Over the years these wrecks have become a wealth of wildlife, supporting huge communities of marine life.

Some species found within the North Sea provide habitats for others, one such example is the ross worm. The ross worm creates extensive reefs which provide a habitat for other species to attach to or grow from. The ross worm glues together reefs consisting of sand and shell fragments to form densely packed tubes. Reefs may extend several metres across and up to 60cms in height. One well known example of this is located thirteen miles east of Great Yarmouth (Norfolk). This reef mosaic supports creatures such as seamats, starfish, a rainbow of multicoloured sea slugs, mysid and edible pink shrimps and a multitude of crabs. Nudibranchs, commonly known as sea slugs are often seen by divers exploring Norfolk-Suffolk marine environment. The name "nudibranch" comes from the Latin, nudus, naked, and Greek brankhia, gills. Almost all sea slugs have gills on their bodies, which provide a 'fluffy' looking appearance. Sea slugs are incredibly diverse and can live anywhere from the shore to depths of 80metres. They are a wide range of colours, often resembling the colouration of the habitat they live on or are brightly coloured, in an attempt to warn off predators.

Stretching along the coastline from Norfolk to Dorset are several fascinating chalk gullies. At Sherringham, gully ridges are cloaked in a mosaic of live faunal turf, such as sponges, seamats and anemones and encrusting coralline algae. Buried within the sandy, gravelly sediment are peacock worms, from which an elaborate feathery fan of tentacles stretch out into the water column to feed.  Moving south into the waters off Suffolk we find colonies of sea firs, striped venus clams and heaths of burrowing brittlestars found within the sandy seabed. Hidden beneath the sandy seabed are the small eyes of flatfish, camouflaging against the seabed to avoid predation. Plaice are common in this region, easily recognised from other flatfish due to the presence of yellow-orange spots doted along the length of its body. The colour of the spots may differ from a white-yellow to orange red colour depending on the colour of the sediment in the region they are found. Those with white spots are often found in areas where the sediment contains bits of white shell of pebbles. Plaice feed on bottom-living animals, such as cockles and razor shells found within the sediment. They are very important commercial fish.

The North Seas' artificial ecosystems
The seabed surrounding North Norfolk is a graveyard to a multitude of shipwrecks. Of which there are thought to be approximately 400. Twelve miles off Blakney Point, at a depth of 20metres lies the WWII submarine HMS Umpire, whose wreck supports a variety of life, including hornwrack, plumose and dahlia anemones, dead men’s fingers (a soft coral), sponges and lightbulb sea squirts. Crabs and lobsters scuttle through the wreck, whilst long-spined scorpion fish, poor-cod, ballan wrasse and bib swim between its remains. Smaller wrecks provide habitats for rock-loving species to develop within sandy region, acting essentially as habitat corridors, allowing species more typical of north, west and southern regions to develop.