The Ferrybridge area covers a wide range of habitats, from saline lagoon to dry limestone banks and this results in many rare and unusual plants and animals being found. The main habitats are:

• Shingle bank
• Saline lagoon
• Salt marsh
• Inter-tidal zone
• Railway embankment
• Grassland
• Dry limestone banks
• Sand dunes
• Tide-swept shallow water

It is impossible to list all the species to be found in this area so only the commoner species which a casual visitor may encounter are described.

The whole area is within the Fleet and Chesil Special Area of Conservation (SAC) because of the special nature of the site.