This report was commissioned by Teignbridge District Council, on behalf of the South-west Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme. Through conducting a range of surveys including aerial, bathymetric, wave and tidal surveys, and ecological mapping, the programme aims to promote and implement a repeatable, standard, and cost-effective method of monitoring the coastal environment. The overall objectives of the programme are to provide data that meet the operational monitoring requirements of shoreline management plans, coastal strategies and individual schemes, between the limits of the Portland Bill, Dorset to Avonmouth, Bristol. This report focusses on the ecological mapping component of the programme. It is intended that this in turn will inform action plans and strategies for coastal management in the future.

One of the key responsibilities of the statutory nature conservation agencies in the UK is the identification and protection of a series of sites intended to conserve important wildlife and earth science features. Such sites may be designated under national legislation (e.g. Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)), or European legislation such as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the Habitats Directive, and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the Birds Directive. Regular monitoring of sites is undertaken in order to assess the effectiveness of legislative and policy measures in contributing to biodiversity conservation. The intertidal mudflats and sandflats are a designated interest feature of the Solway Firth estuary, and as such, the survey reported here has aimed to provide data to support the overall monitoring programme of the site. Ultimately, the data will form a part of the ongoing condition assessment for the site.