Ringed Plover -feeds between low and high tide and nests in the salt marshes
Insects:
Common Blue Butterfly -commonly found on higher marshes
Wold Spider
-clings for hours to submerged stems of cordgrass to wait for low tide and food
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How the salt marsh is under threat
The salt marsh is retreating by upto 6m a year
-sea-level rise threatens a squeeze of the salt marsh as it lies between the sea and a sea wall
The salt marsh has been under threat from the breaching of the Hurst Castle spit during several storms
-In 1989, 50-80m of salt marsh was exposed to the sea due to a storm, and it was eroded in under 3 months
In 1996 rock armour and beach nourishment were used to increase the height of the spit, in order to prevent breaching
Increasing numbers of people want to visit the salt marsh for leisure and tourism
-careful management is required to prevent damage
-the area is popular with mariners who moor their boats there
Keyhaven Marshes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
-Part of the salt marsh is also a National Nature Reserve - so is carefully monitered
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