Rebecca Chesney

Five Rivers Winter Gardens, Morecambe. 2008
Research project and exhibition

Morecambe Bay is the second largest bay in the UK covering an area of 310 km sq. It is the largest continuous inter-tidal area in the whole of Britain and consists mainly of inter-tidal sandflats and mudflats. The Bay is broad and shallow with a large tidal range of up to 10.5 metres at spring tides and an ebbing tide that can fall back to 12 km.
There are five main rivers flowing into Morecambe Bay: Kent, Keer, Leven, Lune and Wyre with many other smaller ones also running into it.

The importance of Morecambe Bay's marine, inter-tidal, coastal, ornithological and natural heritage has been widely recognised and the Bay has received many conservation designations, nationally and internationally. Morecambe Bay is a designated European marine site (Ems). It is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) designated under the European Union's Habitats Directive for its salt marshes and inter-tidal mudflats; a Special Protection Area (SPA) designated under the Birds Directive for its internationally important populations of waterfowl, seabirds and migratory species; a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention; and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) notified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.


L-R: Middleton Sands on 15/06/08, Kents Bank on 02/06/08, Heysham Old Port on 15/06/08

I collected water samples from 18 points on Morecambe Bay on two dates in June 2008 (2nd and 15th): Roa Island, Aldingham, Park Head, Kents Bank, Holme Island, Arnside, Jenny Brown’s Point, River Keer, Hest Bank, Sunderland Point, Cockerham Sands, Knott End on Sea, Fleetwood, Middleton Sands, Heysham Old Port, West End Morecambe, Central Morecambe, North Morecambe.

The water was then tested for pH levels and for nitrates. All readings were constant with pH 7 and no nitrates detected except at Park Head and the River Keer. Both had pH 8 and had 44.3 mg/L Nitrate detected in the samples.


Left: Testing the collected water samples for pH and nitrates.
Right: pH tests for the River Keer collected 02/06/08


Bay
Installation shots at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe 2008
3.2 x 2 x 1.2 m Metal tubing, steel cable, glass shelves, jars of sea water, phials of tested water, universal indicator paper



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