Lot 1 - Intertidal Biotope Mapping Survey of Plymouth Sound and Estuaries SAC

Tender description

Plymouth Sound and Estuaries SAC is located on the south coast of England and straddles the border between Devon and Cornwall. Plymouth Sound and its associated tributaries comprise a complex site of marine inlets. The high diversity of reef and sedimentary habitats, and salinity conditions, give rise to diverse communities representative of ria systems and some unusual features. These features include abundant southern Mediterranean-Atlantic species rarely found in Britain. The aim of this survey is to map the intertidal biotopes found within the boundary of Plymouth Sound and Estuaries Special Area of Conservation (SAC) using the current biotope classification system and provide information on the health of habitats and communities identified. This information will then be used to make a condition assessment of specified attributes of the intertidal sediment and rock features of the SAC as well as the underlying Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) with intertidal features. These sites are: Tamar Estuary Sites MCZ, Tamar-Tavy SSSI, Lynher Estuary SSSI, St John's Lake SSSI, Wembury Point SSSI, Yealm Estuary SSSI and Plymouth Sound Shores and Cliffs SSSI