Gilkicker Lagoon

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.7761, -1.1381

Open in the interactive map →

Also within

Hampshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SZ608977 — Favourable 4.07 2022-04-13

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Habitats

Coastal vegetated shingle

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Coastal

Description

Area, 4.12 hectares Description, Gilkicker Lagoon represents a rare habitat in Britain, where there are relatively few saline lagoons. It is a relict of a former defensive moat which in turn is thought to have been partially derived from an ancient fleet extending parallel and to the rear of the apposition beach of Gilkicker Point. The Lagoon is linked to the sea by an intake through the shingle beach separating it from the sea. It usually maintains a salinity comparable to that of the sea water in the Solent. Saline lagoons characteristically experience large variations in water chemistry and other environmental parameters and thus support a specialised flora and fauna. The flora of Gilkicker lagoon comprises three species of charophytes one, Lamprothamnium papulosum being a national rarity, green alga Enteromorpha species and tassel pondweed Ruppia maritima. The invertebrate fauna includes at least 10 species of molluscs and 3 species of Coelenterata anemones and allied groups. This assemblage is relatively rich and includes 5 national rarities, one of which the Colenterate Nematostella vectensis is the only British marine invertebrate to be included in the appropriate Red Data Book. ** The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Invertebrate Red Data Book IUCN 1983 documents vulnerable and endangered species.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis None anemone edwardsiidae
beaked tassel-weeds Ruppia maritima LC herb ruppiaceae

Plant communities

MC6 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Hard cliff and cliff slope

Atriplex prostrata-Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima sea-bird cliff community

Daucus carota, Sonchus oleraceus, Taraxacum officianalis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cochlearia officinalis, Silene uniflora, Spergularia rupicola, Atriplex hastata, Malva arborea, Plantago coronopus, Armeria maritima, Polygonum aviculare, Rumex crispus, Bromus hordeaceous, Catapodium marinum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra

SD1 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Rumex crispus-Glaucium flavum shingle community

Solanum dulcamara, Crithmum maritimum, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium vulgare, Helminthotheca echioides, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Lactuca serriola, Leontodon saxatilis, Senecio viscosus, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Crambe maritima, Cerastium fontanum, Honckenya peploides, Sagina apetala, Silene uniflora, Atriplex prostrata, Sedum acre, Euphorbia paralias, Lathyrus japonicus, Geranium robertianum, Glaucium flavum, Plantago coronopus, Plantago lanceolata, Rumex crispus, Potentilla anserina, Ammophila arenaria, Arrhenatherum elatius, Elytrigia atherica, Elytrigia juncea, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Lolium perenne

SD2 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Honkenya peploides-Cakile maritima strandline community

Salsola kali, Achillea millefolium, Cirsium arvense, Eryngium maritimum, Hypochaeris radicata, Senecio vulgaris, Sonchus arvensis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cakile maritima, Cerastium diffusum, Honckenya peploides, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex glabriuscula, Atriplex laciniata, Atriplex littoralis, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Sedum acre, Polygonum oxyspermum subsp. Raii, Rumex crispus, Potentilla anserina, Agrostis stolonifera, Ammophila arenaria, Arrhenatherum elatius, Elytrigia juncea, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Leymus arenarius, Poa annua

SD3 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Matricaria maritima-Galium aparine strandline community

Bolboschoenus maritimus, Juncus bufonius, Juncus gerardii, Ligusticum scoticum, Matricaria discoidea, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Mertensia maritima, Cakile maritima, Cochlearia officinalis, Honckenya peploides, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex glabriuscula, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Rumex crispus, Glaux maritima, Galium aparine, Agrostis stolonifera, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Leymus arenarius, Poa annua