Study establishes importance of area

RESEARCHERS at the University of Plymouth have helped to provid key evidence that has led to the designation of sea waters off Devon and Cornwall as an area vital for marine mammals, including England's only resident pod of bottlenose dolpins.

A large area of the western English Channel, stretching from North Cornwall to East Sussex, has been designated as an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA), after the work of university researchers and partners.

IMMAS are portions of habitat identified as having importance to marine mammal species, and the designation is an important step in promoting conservation work or future classification of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).