Forty-one new marine conservation zones on England’s coast will create a ‘blue belt’ of protected waters for marine wildlife eight times the size of greater London, as the Guardian reports.

The string of new protected areas runs from Bournemouth to Goodwin Sands in Kent and covers 12,000 sq km of marine habitat, bringing to 355 the total number of marine protected areas around Great Britain.

New sites in the Irish Sea include South Rigg, between the Ards Peninsula and the Isle of Man, which is a habitat for Dublin Bay prawns and ocean quahogs; and Queenie Corner east of Dundalk Bay, which is home to sea cucumbers and brittle stars.

Despite criticism that activities such as dredging are still permitted in zones that fall outside of inshore waters, conservationists say that the initiative has been making a difference in a number of vulnerable areas.

The Guardian has more on the story HERE.