Our joint Fox Club and Shoresearch event at Bammaluz beach near St Ives was a fantastic day out
We walked down the slip way that runs alongside the rubble from the so called New peir or wood pier which was constructed 1n 1860 and many years ago as an outer breakwater to extend the harbour. wooden piles can still be seen but the pier itself didn't last long and now all that remains are the piles and a huge area of rounded blue elvan stone boulders. These create a fabulous habitat for marine life in a part of St Ives bay that has a little protection from storms but is still very high in energy. The stones themselves have been smoothed over the years but their shape provides large gaps between the stones with resulting good water flow and lots of filter feeding organisms such as bryozoans, both encrusting and tufted, barnacles, sea squirts and sponges teeming on these underboulder communities.
We had a great day with bright sunshine and a nice warm breeze and a good turnout! The shore is busy with montagues crabs and large edible crabs were found in between the stones
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| Fox Club days out are great fun!! |
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| Osurkovia littoralis a common encrusting bryozoan, lots of barnacles, a gem anemone and can you spot a sea spider? |
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| very large and craggy montagus Crab - possibly harbouring a parasitic barnacle which has prevented it from moulting and will eventually kill it, |
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| Hairy Crab about 1 inch wide |
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| unusual colour morph of common beadlet anemone |
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| This shanny has its breeding colours - dark edges to the fins and a swollen head crest - felt soft, filled with fluid? |
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| Aolida papillosa - sheep sea slug |
Lovely to see this, what an interesting experience - for adults and children.
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