Marine Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Marine Nature Reserve is a British conservation designation
officially awarded by the government to a marine reserve of national significance.
MNRs are created by statute (under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
) and are designed to conserve marine life and geological or physiographical features of special interest. They have similar status and protection to National Nature Reserves, but are specifically concerned with a marine environment, including both the sea and seabed.
In the UK, there are only three statutory MNRs: Lundy Marine Nature Reserve at Lundy Island, Skomer Marine Nature Reserve
and Strangford Lough
.
There are several proposed MNRs: Menai Strait
, St Abb's Head
, Isles of Scilly
and Loch Sween
Conservation designation
A conservation designation is a name and/or acronym which explains the status of an area of land in terms of conservation or protection.-United Kingdom:*Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty *Environmentally Sensitive Area*Local Nature Reserve...
officially awarded by the government to a marine reserve of national significance.
MNRs are created by statute (under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...
) and are designed to conserve marine life and geological or physiographical features of special interest. They have similar status and protection to National Nature Reserves, but are specifically concerned with a marine environment, including both the sea and seabed.
In the UK, there are only three statutory MNRs: Lundy Marine Nature Reserve at Lundy Island, Skomer Marine Nature Reserve
Skomer Marine Nature Reserve
Skomer Marine Nature Reserve is one of only two such sites in Britain. It is located off the coast of Pembrokeshire.The reserve completely surrounds the islands of Skomer and Middleholm and encompasses the mainland coastline around the end of the Marloes peninsula, including the small bay of...
and Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...
.
There are several proposed MNRs: Menai Strait
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
, St Abb's Head
St Abb's Head
St. Abb's Head is a rocky promontory at the village of St. Abbs, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, and a National Nature Reserve administered by the National Trust of Scotland...
, Isles of Scilly
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
and Loch Sween