2013 Natural England Large Shallow Inlets and Bays within the Wash and North Norfolk SAC

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The Wash and North Norfolk Coast represents one of the Large Shallow Inlets and Bays in UK waters. The Wash is the largest embayment in the UK, and represents Large Shallow Inlets and Bays on the east coast of England. It is connected via sediment transfer systems to the north Norfolk coast. Together, the Wash and North Norfolk Coast form one of the most important marine areas in the UK and European North Sea coast, and include extensive areas of varying, but predominantly sandy sediments subject to a range of conditions. Faunal communities in the intertidal areas include those characterised by large numbers of polychaetes, bivalve molluscs and crustaceans. Sublittoral communities cover a diverse range from the shallow to the deeper parts of the embayments and can include dense brittlestar beds and areas of an abundant reef-building polychaetes Sabellaria spinulosa, also known as Ross Worm. The embayment supports a variety of mobile species, including a range of fish and the common seal Phoca vitulina. features of interest in The Wash and North Norfolk Coast are (i) subtidal boulder and cobble communities, and (ii) Sabellaria spinulosa reefs.