{{short description|Bay in West Sussex, United Kingdom}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox SSSI |image= Bracklesham-Bay.jpg |image_caption = |name= Bracklesham Bay |aos= West Sussex |interest=Biological<br />Geological |gridref={{gbmappingsmall|SZ 814 954}}<ref name=dsv/> |area= {{convert|200.6|ha|acre|abbr=off}}<ref name=dsv/> |notifydate= 1986<ref name=dsv/> |map=[https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271004079%27 ''Magic Map''] }} '''Bracklesham Bay''' is a {{convert| 200.6 |ha|acre|abbr=off |adj=on }} biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex.<ref name=dsv>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1004079&SiteName=&countyCode=46&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Bracklesham Bay | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date = April 19, 2019}}</ref><ref name=map>{{cite web|url=https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271004079%27 |title=Map of Bracklesham Bay|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= April 19, 2019}}</ref> It is a Geological Conservation Review site.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=1585 |title= Bracklesham (Tertiary Palaeobotany) |series= Geological Conservation Review |publisher= Joint Nature Conservation Committee |access-date= 6 April 2019 |archive-date= 5 September 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120905040833/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=1585 |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=2905 |title= Bracklesham Bay (Mesozoic - Tertiary Fish/Amphibia) |series= Geological Conservation Review |publisher= Joint Nature Conservation Committee |access-date= 6 April 2019 |archive-date= 5 September 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120905040537/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=2905 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
Bracklesham is a coastal bay on the west side of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex, England. The bay looks out onto the English Channel and the Isle of Wight is visible from the beach, as is the Nab Tower lighthouse and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. The villages of Bracklesham and East Wittering are situated in the centre of the bay and it is bordered by the town of Selsey on the southeastern tip, and the village of West Wittering on the west side.
==Biology and geology== This stretch of foreshore has unimproved grazing pastures, shingle, salt marsh, reed beds and ditches. The pasture is subject to seasonal flooding and it is important for its breeding and overwintering birds. The site has highly fossiliferous Eocene (56 to 34 million years ago) beds with over 160 fish species. There are also much more recent Middle Pleistocene marine deposits dating to around 500,000 years ago which provide a record of changes in sea levels.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1004079.pdf |title=Bracklesham Bay citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= April 19, 2019}}</ref>
==Medmerry managed realignment scheme== thumb|Medmerry realignment scheme (geograph 4791022) The earth embankment at Medmerry holding back the sea was originally built in the 1960s; however the coastline in the area was subject to frequent flooding events which were becoming unsustainable.<ref name="BBCbyteSize5">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/ztffqhv/revision/5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708110734/https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/ztffqhv/revision/5|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 July 2018|title=Managed retreat - Medmerry, Sussex|publisher=BBC Bitesize|date=18 January 2018|access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref> The scheme arose out of consultations from the 2008 Pagham to East Head Coastal Defence Strategy with the managed realignment scheme being adopted.<ref name="TeamVanOord">{{cite web|url=http://teamvanoord.com/project-list/medmerry-managed-realignment-scheme/|website=TEAM Van Oord|title=Medmerry Managed Realignment Scheme|access-date=3 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203092330/http://teamvanoord.com/project-list/medmerry-managed-realignment-scheme/|archive-date=3 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013 the Environment Agency completed the new 7 km inland floodbank and breach in the shingle wall to providing flood relief and this enabled creation of the form the Medmerry RSPB nature reserve. The scheme cost £28 million and was the largest open-coast scheme in Europe and understood to be one of the most sustainable projects the Environment Agency has completed.<ref name="RSPBmedmerry">{{cite web|url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/find-a-reserve/reserves-a-z/reserves-by-name/m/medmerry/about.aspx|access-date=18 June 2017|publisher=RSPB|title=About Medmerry}}</ref><ref name="ICE">{{cite web|url=https://www.ice.org.uk/knowledge-and-resources/case-studies/managed-realignment-at-medmerry-sussex|title=Managed realignment at Medmerry, Sussex|date=28 September 2015|access-date=24 June 2017|publisher=Institution of Civil Engineers}}</ref>
A willow and wire woven periwinkle art installation was created by environmental artists Mark Antony Haden Ford and Rebecca Ford. It has been mistaken by some visitors as depicting the poop emoji.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Abby |title=Artist says he was surprised people mistook his seashell sculpture for a poop emoji |url=https://www.cbc.ca/1.7388887 |website=CBC Radio |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{commons category multi|Bracklesham Bay|Medmerry Managed Realignment Scheme}} {{Wikivoyage|Bracklesham Bay}} {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/medmerry-coastal-flood-defence-scheme/medmerry-coastal-flood-defence-scheme Government Policy Paper on Medmerry coastal flood defence scheme]
{{SSSIs West Sussex }} {{coord| 50.753|-0.847 |type:landmark_region:GB-BNE|display=title}}
Category:Bays of England Category:Chichester District Category:Beaches of West Sussex Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex Category:Geological Conservation Review sites Category:Managed retreat