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Marine conservation zone designations in England
Marine Conservation Zones protect our diverse species and habitats in the “blue belt” around the English Coast.
Marine Conservation Zones are areas that protect a range of nationally important, rare or threatened habitats and species.
There are 91 MCZs in waters around England. You can see where the zones are on JNCC’s interactive map.
These were designated in two phases after a process closely involving stakeholders. The first 27 zones were designated on 21 November 2013. 23 sites were designated in the second phase on 17 January 2016. Following consultation, 41 sites and 12 additional features were designated on 31 May 2019. Updated GIS data for all designated MCZs has been published.
The third phase essentially completed the UK Blue Belt and our contribution to the ecologically coherent network in the North East Atlantic in terms of the representation of species and habitats.
Similar schemes are operating in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to contribute to a UK wide network of marine protected areas.
2019 MCZ designations and factsheets
- Marine Conservation Zones: Albert Field
- Marine Conservation Zones: Axe Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: Beachy Head East
- Marine Conservation Zones: Bembridge
- Marine Conservation Zones: Berwick to St. Mary's
- Marine Conservation Zones: Camel Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: Cape Bank
- Marine Conservation Zones: Dart Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: Devon Avon Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: East of Start Point
- Marine Conservation Zones: Erme Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: Foreland
- Marine Conservation Zones: Goodwin Sands
- Marine Conservation Zones: Helford Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: Holderness Offshore
- Marine Conservation Zones: Inner Bank
- Marine Conservation Zones: Kentish Knock East
- Marine Conservation Zones: Markham's Triangle
- Marine Conservation Zones: Morte Platform
- Marine Conservation Zones: North East of Haig Fras
- Marine Conservation Zones: North West of Lundy
- Marine Conservation Zones: Orford Inshore
- Marine Conservation Zones: Otter Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: Purbeck Coast
- Marine Conservation Zones: Queenie Corner
- Marine Conservation Zones: Ribble Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: Selsey Bill and the Hounds
- Marine Conservation Zones: Solway Firth
- Marine Conservation Zones: South of Celtic Deep
- Marine Conservation Zones: South of Portland
- Marine Conservation Zones: South of the Isles of Scilly
- Marine Conservation Zones: South Rigg
- Marine Conservation Zones: South West Approaches to the Bristol Channel
- Marine Conservation Zones: South West Deeps (East)
- Marine Conservation Zones: Southbourne Rough
- Marine Conservation Zones: Studland Bay
- Marine Conservation Zones: Swanscombe
- Marine Conservation Zones: West of Copeland
- Marine Conservation Zones: West of Wight Barfleur
- Marine Conservation Zones: Wyre-Lune
- Marine Conservation Zones: Yarmouth to Cowes
2016 MCZ designations and factsheets
- Marine Conservation Zones: Allonby Bay
- Marine Conservation Zones: Bideford to Foreland Point
- Marine Conservation Zone: Coquet to St Mary's
- Marine Conservation Zones: Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds
- Marine Conservation Zones: Dover to Deal
- Marine Conservation Zones: Dover to Folkestone
- Marine Conservation Zones: Farnes East
- Marine Conservation Zones: Fulmar
- Marine Conservation Zones: Greater Haig Fras
- Marine Conservation Zones: Hartland Point to Tintagel
- Marine Conservation Zones: Holderness Inshore
- Marine Conservation Zones: Mounts Bay
- Marine Conservation Zones: Newquay and the Gannel
- Marine Conservation Zones: North-West of Jones Bank
- Marine Conservation Zones: Offshore Brighton
- Marine Conservation Zones: Offshore Overfalls
- Marine Conservation Zones: Runnel Stone
- Marine Conservation Zones: Runswick Bay
- Marine Conservation Zones: The Needles
- Marine Conservation Zones: The Swale Estuary
- Marine Conservation Zones: Utopia
- Marine Conservation Zones: West of Walney
- Marine Conservation Zones: Western Channel
2013 MCZ designation orders and factsheets
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Aln Estuary
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Beachy Head West
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Blackwater, Crouch, Roach and Colne Estuaries
- Marine conservation zones: The Canyons
- Marine conservation zones: Chesil Beach and Stennis Ledges
- Marine conservation zones: Cumbria Coast
- Marine conservation zones: East of Haig Fras
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Folkestone Pomerania
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Fylde
- Marine conservation zones: Isles of Scilly
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Kingmere
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Lundy
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: The Manacles
- Marine conservation zones: Medway Estuary
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: North East of Farnes Deep
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Padstow Bay and Surrounds
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Pagham Harbour
- Marine conservation zones: Poole Rocks
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Skerries Bank and Surrounds
- Marine conservation zones: South Dorset
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: South-West Deeps (West)
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Swallow Sand
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Tamar Estuary
- Marine conservation zones: Thanet Coast
- Marine conservation zones: Torbay
- Marine conservation zone 2013 designation: Upper Fowey and Pont Pill
- Marine conservation zones: Whitsand and Looe Bay
Policy documents
Published 21 November 2013
Last updated 31 May 2019 + show all updates
Last updated 31 May 2019 + show all updates
- Updated to include the 2019 designated sites and amended features.
- Updated GIS data on designated MCZs is now available.
- Page reviewed and updated as 23 new MCZ designations have been announced.
- First published.