Deben Estuary
Site of Special Scientific Interest
LocationSuffolk
Grid referenceTM 296 434[1]
InterestBiological
Area981.1 hectares[1]
Notification1991[1]
Location mapMagic Map
Designations
Official nameDeben Estuary
Designated11 March 1996
Reference no.794[2]

Deben Estuary is a 981.1-hectare (2,424-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) covering the River Deben and its banks 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from its mouth north of Felixstowe to Woodbridge in Suffolk.[1][3] It is a Ramsar internationally important wetland site[4][5] and a Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.[6][7] It is also in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[8] It partly overlaps two geological SSSIs, Ferry Cliff, Sutton and Ramsholt Cliff.[9]

The site has been designated an SSSI for its overwintering waders and wildfowl, and for its diverse saltmarshes. It has internationally important overwintering redshanks and nationally important numbers of dark-bellied brent geese, shelducks and black-tailed godwits. The estuary also has three nationally rare plants and a nationally rare mollusc.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Deben Estuary". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Deben Estuary". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Map of Deben Estuary". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS): Deben Estuary" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Designated Sites View: Deben Estuary". Ramsar Site. Natural England. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive. Deben Estuary" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Designated Sites View: Deben Estuary". Special Protection Area. Natural England. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2013–2018" (PDF). Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB. p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Deben Estuary citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2017.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Deben Estuary.

52°02′N 1°21′E / 52.04°N 1.35°E / 52.04; 1.35

Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Suffolk
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