Burgas Lake is situated on the Black Sea coast, west of the city of Burgas, between the lakes Atanasovsko and Mandra. Vaya is the largest Bulgarian Black Sea coastal lake, an open liman. Burgas Lake is a shallow brackish coastal lake an open firth with a weak connection to the sea. Burgas lake falls into the boundaries of proposal for Natura 2000 Protected site under the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. The lake is a Ramsar site with territory of 27.6 km2.Habitat Types listed in Annex I to Habitats Directive and in the Biodiversity Act such as 1310 Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand, 1410 Mediterranean salt meadows (Juncetalia maritimi) are well represented in the lake and 1510 Mediterranean salt steppes (Limonietalia). Habitat 1310 is proposed to be delisted from the area.

At the instruction of Natural England, Marine Ecological Surveys Limited (MESL) conducted the survey of intertidal sediments within the Portsmouth Harbour Special Protected Area (SPA)/Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). MESL undertook the Portsmouth Harbour SPA/SSSI assessment in a single survey conducted between the 20th - 22nd of September 2013. The survey was specifically designed to gather information on the littoral sediment features of Portsmouth Harbour SPA/SSSI, and thus a dataset to inform future condition monitoring of the site.