......was the question that old Coastwise friend Dr Keith Hiscock MBE, still at the heart of marine biology at the Marine Biological Association, posed to members.

He was reflecting on a year of unusual weather in 2022 and how it might have affected the marine life round our Devon coasts, using data from the South West Marine Ecosystems surveys.

Another of the sources of information was the Porcupine MNHS Bioblitz held on Lundy in the summer, where 461 species were recorded, and long-term monitoring systems were revisited.

.....and All at Sea was the intriguing title of Rupert Kirkwood's talk to Coastwise members.

Rupert, a retired vet is a dedicated kayaker, and has undertaken long trips, including the whole of the marine equivalent of the SW Coastal Path, but also taking in caves, estuaries and rivers.

He's also made the trip out to the Eddystone Lighthouse, Lundy, and back from the Scilly Isles (he took the regular ferry boat out there in a weak moment !).

.......left by it's footprints, as the team, led by the Coordinator Joe Newberry, explained to Coastwise members.

The Finding Nature's Footprints project, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, has an ambitious scope covering a wide range of activities including reviewing and coordinating data sources, linking the many bodies already involved in nature in the area, and helping community involvement to increase. The team has been looking at the various projects already in progress to make use of and build on their results.