Poole harbour is one of the most strictly protected environmental areas in the UK and Europe, but as the frantic clean-up taking place on Monday showed, it is not immune to pollution from oil spills.
As a site of special scientific interest, a European special area of conservation and a marine protection zone, the harbour and its waters support an abundance of species, from rare and endangered birds to the seagrass meadows in its waters that are carbon sinks.
