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More Artificial Habitats for Whitby Harbour

Wednesday, 5 April 2023 06:00

By Matthew Pells

A 2nd phase of artificial habitats have been installed at Whitby Harbour to bring water quality benefits.

New artificial habitats including a living sea wall, rock pools and hanging fish shelters have installed at Whitby Harbour as part of a pilot project to boost biodiversity and improve water quality in the River Esk.

The man-made marine habitats are being created as part of Beach ESK, a partnership project between the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Groundwork North East, supported by private local landowners, Scarborough Borough Council and Yorkshire Water.

The second phase installation includes:  

  • 9 domed fish refuges that will attach to the vertical wall below New Quay (alongside the Living Seawall panels already installed) - visible from the pontoon alongside New Quay Road
  • 6 suspended fish shelters - moulded shelters suspended on chains - below Fish Quay - only visible by the public from boats on the water
  • 9 flat-bottomed artificial rock pools on concrete shelves below Fish Quay
  • 6 flat-bottomed artificial rock pools on concrete shelf behind Grape Lane – which will be visible from the Swing Bridge
  • 9 Micropools - small artificial rock pools encased in steel and attached to steel piles on the corner of Endeavor Wharf with magnets – visible only by boat
  • Rock pools cut into existing rock armour at Scotch Head, visible from the bandstand area at the start of East Pier

The aim of the project is to trial a range of innovative artificial marine habitats including products developed by two UK companies, Artecology and Biomatrix Water, to identify which have the most success attracting marine life species and colonisation. The School of Biological and Marine Sciences at Hull University will monitor the results.

It is hoped that the pilot will pave the way for interventions to be rolled out in other estuaries in future.

 

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