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
South Shore Estuary South Shore Estuary The South Shore Estuary is an estuary located along the south shore of Long Island, between the mainland and the outer barrier islands, in eastern New York state. It stretches for over from West Bay in Nassau County to the Shinnecock Bay in Suffolk County. The South Shore Estuary includes a series of interconnected bays, rivers, streams, wetlands and small islands located along Long Island's south shore between the mainland and the barrier islands. Reynolds Channel, West Bay, Middle Bay, East Bay, South Oyster Bay, Great South Bay, Patchogue Bay, Moriches Bay and Shinnecock Bay are part