ISLE of Wight residents are being urged to back the creation of two proposed Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) by a leading marine charity.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is urging the public to support government proposals to create two new MCZs, one at Bembridge and the other between Yarmouth and Cowes which could come into force in 2019.

A public consultation is only open until July 20th and MCS wants as many people as possible to support the proposals.

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, MCS Principal Specialist, Marine Protected Areas, said the public consultation gave everyone the opportunity to make a difference, and there's clear evidence that people feel better when they're helping bring about a healthy, thriving sea.

He said: "The public has less than a month to take part in a consultation that could mean more protection for English waters. While marine protection isn't as simple to understand as the damage plastic is doing to our oceans, it's equally as important. These sites are home to some of our most familiar and also threatened marine wildlife - from oysters to dolphins - and need your support".

"We are intrinsically linked to the oceans whether we live in Birmingham or Bodmin. If we throw away this last chance to protect more of the seas around England, we will be missing a momentous opportunity to at last help our seas recover from decades of damage."

"The public have been brilliant in turning the tide on plastic with millions giving up their addiction to single use items. Now we need them to get behind this final push to protect English seas."

Sue Ranger, MCS Conservation Engagement and Education Manager, has studied the connection between the sea and our wellbeing and says that, even though we live on an island, most of us have little idea about how much we all depend on it in our everyday lives.

She added: "Our economy depends on the sea....most of the goods we buy and use every day were transported here on it. But research shows that visiting the coast brings calm into the chaotic lives that so many of us lead.

"The wildlife and habitats in these Marine Conservation Zones connect us to the ocean by playing an unseen role in our lives. If we look after it properly now, seagrass will go on stabilising the seabed and storing carbon; oyster beds will go on filtering the water and improving its quality; estuaries will continue to provide nursery grounds for fish. As people, many of us just need to know that wild places and wild things exist in order to feel that all is well with our own world."

Fifty Marine Conservation Zones already exist around the English coastline, having been designated in 2013 and 2016. 41 proposed Marine Conservation Zones in English waters were put forward for public consultation by the Government on June 8. If the Government doesn't hear that there is strong public support they may not designate all of the sites.

The charity is calling on people on the Isle of Wight to get behind the two proposed sites around the island's coastline to ensure they become a reality.

Anyone wishing to support the proposals vist: www.mcsuk.org/help-protect-english-seas