Canvey Island the 30 hectares known as West Canvey marshes, acquired by the RSPB in 2007, and the Canvey Wick nature reserve. Canvey Wick is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at the site of the abandoned and incomplete oil refinery. The foundations of the 100 hectare (0.4 sq mile) site were prepared in the 1970s by laying thousands of tonnes of silt dredged from the Thames; the abandoned and undisturbed area has flourished as a haven for around 1,300 species of wildlife, many of which are endangered or were thought to be extinct; including the shrill carder bee, the
River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network The River, Estuary, and Coastal Observing Network (RECON) is a pioneering waterway observing system founded and maintained by Sanibel-Captiva Conservation. RECON is funded primarily by private donations to SCCF's Marine Laboratory. Seven fixed locations stream water quality data from in situ Satlantic instrument packages. The sensor array includes a chemical-free nitrate sensor (ISUS), a CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) and fluorometer package for depth, turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and chlorophyll a fitted with a bleach injection system (WETLabs, Water Quality Monitor), and a CDOM fluorometer. One of the stations also incorporates a Nortek