Protected areas
The 250km (155 mile) coastline of the Solent is distinctive and dynamic. It has a wide range of habitats from the sandy beaches at Ryde and the shingle bank of Hurst Spit, to the vast natural harbours of Chichester, Langstone and Portsmouth.
This makes the Solent one of the most important places in western Europe for birds. On a typical winter day there up to 125,000 birds along the shore.
For this reason, three areas of the Solent have been designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) by the government. Three areas are also designated as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands).
