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
Grand Codroy Estuary estuary since 1974. The estuary consists of adjoining marine and intertidal habitats with an elevation no more than one metre. Four islands are located within the estuary, and the intertidal sandbars give way to mudflats "supporting rich growths of Zostera". The site is surrounded by cultivated grasslands. The marine area is shallow, at most two metres deep in intertidal areas, and somewhat deeper in the river channel. It is bounded by privately owned land, the Codroy Valley Provincial Park, and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Nearby are the Grand Codroy and Little Codroy rivers, which are popular fishing destinations. The