Deben Estuary SSSI

Deben Estuary SSSI is a 981.1-hectare (2,424-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) covering the River Deben and its banks 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from its mouth north of Felixstowe to Woodbridge in Suffolk.^[1][3] It is a Ramsar internationally important wetland site^[4][5] and a Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.^[6][7] It is also in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.^[8] It partly overlaps two geological SSSIs, Ferry Cliff, Sutton and Ramsholt Cliff.^[9]

Deben Estuary

Site of Special Scientific Interest
Location	Suffolk
Grid reference	TM 296 434[1]
Interest	Biological
Area	981.1 hectares[1]
Notification	1991[1]
Location map	Magic Map

Designations
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Deben Estuary
Designated	11 March 1996
Reference no.	794[2]

The site has been designated an SSSI for its overwintering waders and wildfowl, and for its diverse saltmarshes. It has internationally important overwintering redshanks and nationally important numbers of dark-bellied brent geese, shelducks and black-tailed godwits. The estuary also has three nationally rare plants and a nationally rare mollusc.^[9]