Common lobster.

Divers exploring beneath the waves off Durham’s Heritage Coast have uncovered a great environmental success story.

Once one of the most polluted stretches of coastline in the UK, a Seasearch survey reveals it is now host to a colourful variety of marine life.

Divers encountered a varied undersea landscape of kelp forests, sandy sea bed and sponge-encrusted rocky reefs reclaimed by nature from the county’s industrial past that saw millions of tone of coal rubble dumped off the coast.

The Seasearch divers have recorded numerous species including lobsters, many types of crab, squat lobsters, northern prawns, little cuttle, sea slugs, urchins, common starfish, brittle stars and colourful anemones. Various types of fish have also taken up residence including plaice, bib and the ferocious sounding but harmless long-spined sea-scorpions.

Seasearch diver Carrie Pillow who has 25 years experience of diving in the UK said: “A lot of divers just go to the well-known dive sites like St Abbs and the Farne Islands, but the North East Coast has so much more to offer! We have some amazing sites that are just teeming with life and they are so tranquil.”

Heritage Coast Officer Niall Benson welcomed the survey news, “The principle work of this partnership is to protect and enhance the landscape and nature conservation areas and this is coastal management at its best.

“Looking at the fantastic photographs the divers took showing a stunning array of wonderful wildlife makes all the planning and hard work worthwhile. I am really delighted that we can now boast such a rich natural heritage.”

The coast is managed by the Durham Heritage Coast Partnership which supported the survey. When the collieries were working and before the Turning the Tide Millennium clean up project the water was black with coal dust and many areas were almost devoid of life.

Anyone who is an experienced diver and is interested in helping Seasearch to map the marine habitats and species of the North East Coast should contact Carrie Pillow carrie@seasearchne.org.uk or visit the website at www.seasearchne.co.uk

Photos (L-R) Harbour crab – specks of coal dust are still visible in the sand. The wonderfully named nudibranch cuts a dash on the Durham coastline seabed. Brittle star on sponge. Little cuttle fish. Northern prawn. A plaice merges with the sea bed. Click on any thumbnail to enlarge the image.

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