Fantastic Newquay!

Despite the scenes of destruction down at Newquays Towan Beach and despite receiving a massive battering from the winter storms rocky shore creatures are hanging on there at Newquay.
At yesterdays Intermediate Rocky shore training day a team of 27 marine surveyors went out to south Fistral - despite the horrendous rain and winds we found some really cool stuff!

Unusual colour morph of Littorina obtusata - the flat winkle

Dahlia anemone - very rare to see one of these at Newquay

Lots of delicate reds in the pools this one is Plocamium cartilaginum- there was lots of it in lower shore pools

Very thin red sponge in one of the gullies - Possibly Eurypon major

Blue Rayed limpet Patella pellucida and Electra pilosa

Juvenile snakelocks anemones

Isopod  Ideotea granulosa

Corralina officalis  - lots of beautifully lined pools

Fantastic tiny sea slug found by Hazel Selly - most likely a Lamellaria perspicua

The day before I went down to the Gazzel, on the North side of Newquays Towan Head, to get some specimens for the course and the low tide had uncovered a nice area of boulders - possibly rich enough to be classed as under boulder communities?

labrador for scale!