Lagoon Sand Shrimp Gammarus insensibilis
The Lagoon Sand Shrimp (Gammarus insensibilis) is a nationally scarce crustacean confined to saline and brackish coastal lagoons – one of Britain’s most threatened and restricted habitat types. Unlike its common relatives, it is specifically adapted to lagoonal conditions and cannot survive in open marine or fully freshwater environments. Suffolk’s sheltered coastline supports a number of coastal lagoons and brackish pools, particularly in the Blyth and Minsmere areas, which provide critical habitat for this species. The management of water levels, salinity, and lagoonal connectivity is essential for sustaining populations, which are acutely vulnerable to coastal change and sea-level rise. Image: © Andrea Bonifazi, iNaturalist.
Find out more: iNaturalist, Marine Life Information Network, Freshwater Habitats Trust - factsheet
Suffolk’s Priority Marine Life Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
