Colne Estuary

{{Short description|Nature reserve in Essex, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox SSSI |image=Eastern Tip of Mersea Island - geograph.org.uk - 137919.jpg|name= Colne Estuary |aos= Essex |interest= Biological<br />Geological |gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TM075155}} |area= 2915.2 hectares |notifydate=1989 |map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271000666%27 ''Magic Map''] }} {{Designation list | designation1 = Ramsar | designation1_offname = Colne Estuary | designation1_date = 28 July 1994 | designation1_number = 665<ref>{{Cite web|title=Colne Estuary|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/665|accessdate=25 April 2018}}</ref>}} '''Colne Estuary''' is a 2915 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Brightlingsea in Essex. It is also a Nature Conservation Review site, a National Nature Reserve,<ref name=citation>{{cite web|url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000666.pdf |title=Colne Estuary citation |series=Sites of Special Scientific Interest |publisher=Natural England |accessdate=7 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208152008/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000666.pdf |archivedate=8 December 2015 }}</ref><ref name=map>{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271000666%27|title=Map of Colne Estuary|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 7 December 2015}}</ref> a Ramsar wetland site of international importance,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/RIS/UK11015.pdf|title=Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2) |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|accessdate= 7 December 2015}}</ref> a Special Protection Area,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/SPA/UK9009243.pdf |title= Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive: Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2) |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|accessdate= 2 November 2016}}</ref> a Special Area of Conservation,<ref name=sac>{{cite web|url=http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/protectedsites/sacselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0013690|title=Essex Estuaries|publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|accessdate= 6 December 2015}}</ref> and a Geological Conservation Review site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/197349/TR_SEA3_OtherAreas.pdf|page=27|title=OTHER DESIGNATED SITES IN THE SEA 3 AREA|publisher=Department of Trade and Industry|year=2002|accessdate= 7 December 2015}}</ref> Three areas in the site are managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, Colne Point, Fingringhoe Wick and Howlands Marsh.<ref name=citation/>

The site has varied habitats, such as saltmarsh, mud flats, shingle spits and former gravel pits. It is of international importance for wintering brent geese and black-tailed godwits, and of national importance for six other bird species, including little terns. It also has important assemblages of invertebrates and plants, such as golden samphire and shrubby seablite. A peat seam in St Osyph Marsh has been dated to 4280 BP, and this marsh is important for saltmarsh morphology.<ref name=citation/>

There are important geological exposures for Pleistocene studies at East Mersea; investigation is at an early stage, but they show warm climate deposits from one or more post-Anglian interglacials.<ref name=citation/>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Colne Estuary}}

Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Essex Category:Special Protection Areas in England Category:Geological Conservation Review sites Category:Nature Conservation Review sites Category:Ramsar sites in England