It isn’t something that I’ve given any thought about. But I am excited to find that Gosport has several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It’s quite likely that in the past, I’ve been near one. But, I’ve never thought of it before. It’s another positive thing for which Gosport should be known.
I had a very nice email from the council explaining that the Cockle Ponds are an SSSI, because they are the home of a Brine Shrimp, one of the few locations in the UK where they live. The ponds get emptied because the salinity levels need to be balanced, they open the sluice gates to drain and then the ponds re-fill on the tide. It was good to have confirmation of that. Of course, that conflicts with the story that the ponds are registered as model yacthing site, and the ponds are drained to clear the weeds. But if the SSSI version is correct clearing the weeds would potentially damage the habitat.
Strangely enough, I’ve been looking at SSSI’s of which there are quite a few in Hampshire and supposedly four in Gosport, but actually, I can only find three, and the Cockle Ponds aren’t one of them. Now, I shall make an effort to visit all of them (the ones in Gosport that is) and indeed, see how many of the Hampshire ones I can get in. That would bee quite an interesting project. One to consider.
Bills Posts 