The Otter Estuary MCZ is a small inshore site that covers an area of approximately 0.11 km². The estuary opens into the eastern Channel on the south coast of Devon by the town of Budleigh Salterton. The site extends from the mouth of the river up to the aqueduct near East Budleigh.
The Otter Estuary is a small but important ecosystem supporting a range of habitats and wildlife. It is an essential link from the sea to the River Otter where it serves as a migratory route for European eel, Atlantic salmon, sea trout and shad. The mouth of the estuary is almost completely covered by a shingle bank of intertidal coarse sediment extending from the west coast of the river. The sheltered areas behind the bank have created the perfect environment for the formation of highly productive intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/marine-conservation-zones-otter-estuary
The saltmarshes within the site are important foraging grounds for wading birds and wildfowl, and provide a sheltered refuge at high tide. The Otter Estuary is one of the most extensive saltmarsh networks in Devon and is home to many species of specialised salt and flood-tolerant flowering plants, as well as an abundance of worms, crustaceans (such as crabs and tiny mud shrimp) and tiny snails.
The intertidal muds are a highly productive habitat and support a wide range of species including ragworms, mudshrimps and the commercially important cockle, a bivalve mollusc. At low tide these areas form vital feeding grounds for wading and migratory birds while at high tide, flatfish and others migrate to these areas to forage for food.
