During July Coastwise members took to the shore equipped with lines and quadrats to count plants and animals under the expert guidance of Pip Jollands from the Hallsannery Centre. For the fourth year running they were taking part in “Shore Thing”, the national monitoring scheme run by Marlin, part of the Marine Biological Association at Plymouth.
A bright green sea slug with iridescent blue spots should be easy to see in a rock-pool, but it is not and it took Malcolm Robert’s keen eye to spot one during the Coastwise visit to Croyde for Paul Madgett’s shore profile. The small slug, less than 40mm, was found on the upper shore in a shallow pool fringed with gutweed and other seaweeds with which it blended well.
Recently four Coastwise volunteers joined up with National trust wardens Jonathan Fairhurst and Jemma Lowin to host a Rockpool Ramble for 60 children on Barricane Beach.
The MBA's Bioblitz – Coastwise was there and got the T-shirt !
Eight Coastwise members took part in the MBA’s Bioblitz at Mothecombe, South Devon on 11/12 June ….and got the T shirt to find that it sported our logo in illustrious company. What a wonderful welcome.
The bioblitz was organized by the Marine Biological Association under the Natural History Museum’s OPAL project, and brought together experts and volunteers for a 24 hour count of life in the vicinity of the mouth of the Erme estuary.
Life is hotting up on the shore and the animals you find there have interesting ways of coping. Just how interesting in this mating season is one of the things you will learn on the Coastwise North Devon shore safari for the Festival, for June. Coastwise invites anyone interested to join them at Barricane Beach, Woolacombe on 16 June 2 – 4 pm, to learn more about the weird and wonderful wildlife of our shores.
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