THREE new marine sites off the Dorset coast have been earmarked for protection.

A new report published by the Wildlife Trusts identifies 48 areas around England which, if designated, will complete a ‘blue-belt’ of protected places for marine wildlife.

Studland Bay, Broadbench to Kimmeridge, and South of Portland have been recommended by the Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) to be designated Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).

Studland Bay, with its seagrass meadow, is home to both species of native seahorses, all five species of pipefish and is a nursery area for a number of commercial finfish such as pollack, black bream and bass. These sites missed out on designation in the first and second phases of designation. In addition, there are also areas important for highly-mobile species such as Lyme Bay Deeps for white-beaked dolphins and black bream nesting sites in Purbeck which are being recommended for protection.

The Broadbench to Kimmeridge site as originally proposed was too small to be viable and DWT is recommending a significant extension to include wave cut platforms, which expose rock pools at low tide containing the rare peacock’s tail seaweed, the unusual iridescent magic seaweed, the tiny stalked jellyfish, and several species of blennies and clingfish.

South of Portland includes the Portland Deep – recognised as a nationally important geological feature and one of Dorset’s most dramatic underwater landscapes.

Three sites – Poole Rocks, South Dorset and Chesil Beach, and Stennis Ledges became Dorset’s first Marine Conservation Zones in 2013, adding to the previously designated European Marine Sites to contribute to the overall network.

The Wildlife Trusts’ report has been published in advance of the government’s plans to announce the third and final phase of Marine Conservation Zone designation, with public consultations for these areas taking place in 2017 and designation of the chosen areas in 2018.

DWT’s living seas manager, Peter Tinsley said: “This is our last chance to make a big difference for marine wildlife.

“The government committed to creating a ‘blue belt’ around the country, and these Dorset sites are essential links in that belt, protecting the diverse natural landscapes that exist beneath the waves off our coast.”

To read the full report visit www.wildlifetrusts.org/mcz