Local marine partnership receives funding to deliver innovative conservation projects in Studland Bay, Dorset.  The Studland Bay Marine Partnership has been awarded £186,000 from the Marine Management Organisation’s Fisheries and Seafood Scheme to support the conservation of Studland Bay’s precious marine ecosystems.

Studland Bay is home to Dorset’s most extensive seagrass meadow and provides a unique habitat for lots of important species like the Spiny Seahorse and the endangered undulate ray.

Photo: Neil Garrick-Maidment/BBC

The new funding, which has been secured following a successful funding bid with Dorset Council, will contribute to a larger £248,000 conservation project to support this special site, the wildlife that live there, and the water users who enjoy it.

The project, which will see an additional 57 eco-moorings installed in the bay, and the continuation of the partnership’s research and monitoring programme, will be delivered by the Studland Bay Marine Partnership.

David Brown, Chair of the Studland Bay Marine Partnership (SBMP), said: “Hundreds of waterborne visitors to Studland Bay are already taking a pro-active approach to conservation by using the 31 eco-moorings already installed and we are delighted that we will now be able to install a further 57 in 2024.”

These activities will support the voluntary no anchor zone (VNAZ) already in place within in Studland Bay. The VNAZ was established in 2021 by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) with the support of the local community to protect the bay’s seagrass meadow.

Michelle Willis, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, MMO, said: “In Studland Bay, the seagrass plays a vital role in the marine ecosystem, providing a safe nursery and breeding ground for range of marine wildlife, including rare species of Spiny Seahorse, pipefish and rays, as well as those of significant commercial value such as seabream, bass and flat fish.”

Dorset Coast Forum, a Dorset Council hosted programme, will continue to lead on the community engagement of this marine conservation project.  The forum has already been working with partnership organisations throughout 2023 to raise awareness of the Voluntary No Anchor Zone and Studland’s precious marine habitats.  Sara Parker, Dorset Coast Forum’s project officer, said: “Receiving this funding award offers the partnership a real opportunity to continue to develop our engagement activities and reach wider audiences.”

You can find out more about the Studland Bay Marine Partnership and the conservation project at Studland Bay on the Dorset Coast Forum website. The press release from the MMO can be read here.