| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
| Location | Essex |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TM075155 |
| Interest | Biological Geological |
| Area | 2915.2 hectares |
| Notification | 1989 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Colne Estuary |
| Designated | 28 July 1994 |
| Reference no. | 665[1] |
Colne Estuary is a 2915 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Brightlingsea in Essex. It is also a Nature Conservation Review site, a National Nature Reserve,[2][3] a Ramsar wetland site of international importance,[4] a Special Protection Area,[5] a Special Area of Conservation,[6] and a Geological Conservation Review site.[7] Three areas in the site are managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, Colne Point, Fingringhoe Wick and Howlands Marsh.[2]
The site has varied habitats, such as saltmarsh, mud flats, shingle spits and former gravel pits. It is of international importance for wintering brent geese and black-tailed godwits, and of national importance for six other bird species, including little terns. It also has important assemblages of invertebrates and plants, such as golden samphire and shrubby seablite. A peat seam in St Osyph Marsh has been dated to 4280 BP, and this marsh is important for saltmarsh morphology.[2]
There are important geological exposures for Pleistocene studies at East Mersea; investigation is at an early stage, but they show warm climate deposits from one or more post-Anglian interglacials.[2]
- ^ "Colne Estuary". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Colne Estuary citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "Map of Colne Estuary". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive: Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- ^ "Essex Estuaries". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ "OTHER DESIGNATED SITES IN THE SEA 3 AREA" (PDF). Department of Trade and Industry. 2002. p. 27. Retrieved 7 December 2015.