Do you enjoy spending time in the Blue spaces in and around Plymouth Sound and its Estuaries? What sorts of things do you like to do when you go there?
Part of what makes Plymouth Sound and Estuaries so amazing are the habitats that are found there and the variety of unique and vibrant plants and animals that make it their home. This is just one of the reason it has been declared the UK’s first National Marine Park and has long been designated a Marine Protected Area.
With the sea and the coast on our doorstep, more people are wanting to make it their home too. They also want to visit these areas and get in, on, under or by the water. However; this also means more developments and more people taking part in recreational activities, which can put more pressure on these special features.
Along with the ReMEDIES project, which has been working to restore and protect out seagrass beds, we want to find out what activities people take part in, and how often – from sailing, fishing and diving to paddleboarding, swimming, walking and foraging.
Can you take five minutes to fill in our short recreation survey – you can help us get a better insight of what goes on around Plymouth Sound and Estuaries.
Click here to take part in the survey.
With this information we can understand these potential pressures and what we can do to ensure they are managed properly so everyone is aware of their impacts and how they can lessen them.
Help us continue protecting these areas, making space for people and for nature, so all can benefit from and enjoy our incredible marine environment long into the future.
You can find out more about the MPA and what you can do to protect it here Plymouth Sound & Tamar Estuaries Marine Protected Area (MPA) (plymouth-mpa.uk) and you can contact the team directly at: coastal@plymouth.gov.uk.