The ecology of the sandy estuaries of North Devon and Carmarthen Bay

The estuaries of the Taf, Tywi, Gwendraeth and Loughor (Carmarthen Bay, South Wales), and the Taw and Torridge (North Devon) were surveyed during the spring and summer of 1988, as part of a four year study of harbours, rias and estuaries in southern Britain commissioned by the Nature Conservancy Council. The aims of these surveys were to describe the major marine habitats and communities present in each estuary, and to assess their nature conservation importance. This paper outlines the results of these surveys, concentrating on the many environmental similarities between the six estuaries.