Shoresearch Week 2017

Shoresearch week 2017 was held between October the 6th and 10th during the largest spring tides of the autumn, and despite being slightly later in the year than in previous years we were very lucky with the weather and we had a great team of surveyors join in! This is a five day rockpooling mission taking in all five of Cornwall's Voluntary Marine Conservation Zones - St Agnes, Fowey, Helford, Polzeath and Looe. Here are some highlights in photos:

Happy Shoresearch crew on the shore at Readymoney Cove Fowey

Anthea with sea scorpion Taurulus bubalis,

Tiny cushion star, Asterina phylactica  found by Heather at Readymoney, Fowey  Matt Slater

Dahlia anemones -  Polzeath -  Adele Morgan

Blue Rayed Limpet - Matt Slater 

Celtic Sea Slug, Onchidella celtica, Readymoney, Fowey  Adele Morgan

Cocks Comb weed Adele Morgan, Prisk Cove

Pterocladiella capillacea - St Agnes Matt Slater 

Gem Anemone Aulactinia verrucosa Matt Slater

C

Checking a fish trap

Giant goby 22cm long found at Prisk Cove by Sue Scott 

Giant goby  at Hannafore - found by Niki Clear

Matt and common prawn

Spiny Starfish, Marthasterias glacias

Juvenile Montagu's blenny Coryphoblennius galerita Matt Slater 

Devonshire cup coral Carophyllia smithii

Cancer pagurus - the Pasty Crab  Matt Slater

Polyides rotunda - red seawed Matt Slater 

Sea Lemon, Doris pseudoargus Hannfore point, Looe  photo Matt Slater 

Common Shanny Photo Adele Morgan

 Common Shanny shows its impressive teeth! used for biting the legs off barnacles! 

Sphareoma serratum -  Photo Matt Slater

Sphareoma serratum  - an isopod which rolls in a ball when disturbed! Was abundant amongst rocks on the high shore, Prisk Cove.

Velvet swimming crab Polzeath 

Tompot blenny, St agnes photo Matt Slater 

To celebrate the end of Shoresearch Week Adele made this delicious vegan chocolate cake! 

Shoresearch Spring 2017

The sun has been shining and six spring surveys have been completed!  Due to the large spring tides we've had, we have been able to explore and discover species and habitats that wouldn’t be feasible on a normal neap tide. We have surveyed four new locations and recorded a large variety of fascinating organisms. 

Codium and Corralina rockpool landscape Matt Slater 

South Fistral beach, Newquay

Our first spring event in Newquay was a huge success. After five minutes of exploring we had already recorded a large abundance of purse sponge, Grantia compressa that covered the lower shore, numerous chitons, Polyplacophora sp and colourful anemones which lined gullies and hidden caves. The cave of dreams (first found here by shoresearch volounteers in 2014) was the ultimate highlight however, with the presence of  Scarlet and Gold cup corals, Balanophyllia regia, Oaten pipe hydroids, Tubularia indivisa, Celtic sea slugs, Onchidella celtica Dahlia anemones, Urticina felina and a variety of sponges. We also spotted two juvenile Sea Hares, Aplysia punctata which marked the beginning of sea hare season!

Celtic sea slug, Onchidella celtica and a Beadlet anemone, Actinia equina photo by Adele Morgan

Scarlet and Gold cup corals - Balanophyllia regia photo by Adele Morgan

Snakelocks anemones - Anemonia viridis  Photo by Adele Morgan

Porth Mear, Park head

Porth mear was one of the new locations we were super excited about surveying! We got in contact with Richard Pierce, a gentleman who has been surveying the shore for over 50 years who led us to a pool that was filled with St Pirans crabs, Clibanarius erythropus, a warm water hermit crab that was rediscovered on a Shoresearch survey last year in Falmouth. Since then they have been popping up everywhere and are a key species we look for on our surveys. We discovered numerous Shore Cling fish, Lepadogaster lepadogaster, A Great grey sea slug, Aeolidia papillosa  and large variety of crabs species. Another highlight was finding a gully lined with Scarlet and Gold cup corals, including a rare yellow colour morph. So exciting!

St Piran's crab - Clibanarius erythropus photo by Adele Morgan

A sea Hare - Aplysia punctata by Matt Slater

Scarlet and Gold cup corals  - unusual pale colour morph of Balanophyllia regia Photo by Adele Morgan

 Castle Beach, Falmouth

A beautiful sunny survey in Falmouth. With such a low tide we were able to explore the lower rocky reefs and kelp beds. We recorded Green leaf worms, Eulalia viridis, bright orange breadcrumb sponge, Halichondria panicea, chitons, Polyplacophora, a Fan Worm, Megalomma vesiculosum and many hiding crabs. We even spotted a Corkwing Wrasse, Symphodus melops and a Kaleidoscope Stalked jellyfish, Haliclystus octoradiatus. 

Fan worm - Megalomma vesiculosum By Adele Morgan

Stalked jellyfish - Haliclystus octoradiatus Photo Adele Morgan

The common hermit crab - Pagurus bernhardus Photo Adele Morgan

 Millook, Bude

This incredible rocky reef is famous for surfing but as we discovered it also has a greatAnother new location in the North of Cornwall, known for its abundance of Honeycomb worm, Sabellaria alveolata  and amazing geology. The great quantity of Honeycomb worm reefs covering the area meant that bare rock was unusual and uncommon, yet the area was still rich in life! Down the lower shore we were able to identify two species of Stalked jellyfish, Haliclystus octoradiatus and Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis, Matt found a Molgula species of sea squirt and a large estuary ragworm, Hediste diversicolor.  At the end of the survey, volunteer John Blackburn found an amazing Crystal Goby, Crystallogobius linearis in a High shore pool.

Honeycomb worm reefs - Sabellaria alveolata

Juvenile common limpet - Patella vulgata photo Matt Slater

Molgula sp seasquirt -sand covered

 Porthleven

Our Porthleven survey was one of our favourites! This popular surfing reef is teaming with life including huge numbers of St Piran's crabs Clibanarius erythropus and during out timed species search we identified Dabberlocks, Alaria esculenta, purse sponge, Grantia compressa and numerous painted top shells, Calliostoma ziziphinum! Throughout the survey we also discovered spotted cowries, Trivia monacha, lots of anemones, an Orange clubbed sea slug,  Limacia clavigera and a long spinned sea scorpion, Taurulus bubalis.  Matt used his Goby traps and was able to catch and release a Giant Goby, Gobius cobitis which is a rare and protected species under the Wildlife and countryside act 1981.

Montagu's Blenny - Coryphoblennius galerita Photo by Adele Morgan

Orange clubbed sea slug - Limacia clavigera Photo Matt Slater

Giant Goby - Gobius cobitis photo by Matt Slater

Pentewen, St Austell

We were hit by stormy, rainy weather at our Pentewen survey but that didn’t stop us! The shore was rather rocky, making it the perfect habitat for a variety of crab species and marine snails. A few smaller rock pools were lined with beautiful seaweeds, such as Bryopsis mossy feather weeds, that when magnified look like little trees. In the same pool a species of Obelia hydroid was recorded and Blennys were seen swimming under rocks for shelter. 

Barnacle species - Semibalanus balanoides Adele Morgan

Dahlia anemone - Urticina felina, photo Adele Morgan

Bryopsis feather weeds, Adele Morgan

Article by Adele Morgan 

With lots more Shoreserach surveys and extreme eco events planned for this year  all are welcome to get involved and survey the shore! To be added to the shoresearch email list so you will be kept up to date please email matt.slater@Cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk 

for a full list of events for this year visit http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/shoresearch

Shoresearch Dates for 2016 announced!

Dear Shoresearchers

I hope you are all well!
With wild and windy weather its not been the greatest winter for rockpooling but the sea hasn't cooled down much this year and I'm sure we will find loads of life on our next shoresearch survey day coming up soon!
on the 21st February at Polridmouth Cove near Fowey.  Here is the full list for 2016, as usual I include rockpool ramble days organised by our fabulous marine conservation groups around the county- these are not specifically shoresearch events but they are great opportunities for you all to brush up your knowledge, help out and very importantly for you to record what you find and fill in a Shoresearch form!!

Summary of Shoresearch Cornwall Dates 2016

Dates in bold are organised by Matt Slater and will include an organised Shoresearch survey and training, all other are events where Shoresearchers are welcome to help out and carry out own independent surveys, many of which being organised by local marine conservation groups (MCG’s).

21^st Feb, Sun, Polridmouth beach near Fowey,  9am,  Public event and Shoresearch

27^th Feb, Sat,  Newquay, 9am,  Your Shore Conference, booking essential 

12^th March, Sat, Castle beach Falmouth,  1pm, Public event and Shoresearch

12^th March, Sat,  Looe, 1pm,  Rocky shore identification introduction with Amelia bridges, Looe MCG
26th March, Sat, Mousehole, 11am at Mousehole harbour (south end) volunteers training

6^th April, Wed, Polzeath,  10am, Extreme Rockpooling  booking essential via matt

8^th April, Friday, Fowey, Readymoney,  12.30pm, rockpool ramble with Friends of Fowey Estuary

8^th April, Friday, Looe, Hannafore, 12.45pm, Rockpool Ramble Looe MCG

10^th April, Sunday, Helford Passage, 1pm,  Crabs and critters, ramble, book; Helford MCG

23^rd and 24^th April, Trebah gardens,  CWT Wildlife Celebration – with informal rockpooling

7^th May, Sat, Trenow (nr Perranuthnoe), 10am, Shoresearch survey and training vols only

8^th May, Sun, Newquay, 12noon, Eco Coasteering with Karl and Matt  £27pp book: 01637 877722

8^th May, Sun,  Looe, 1pm  Seaweed and its uses, Looe marine conservation group

2^nd June, Thurs, Polzeath, 10am – 4pm Marine Discovery day – public rockpooling 1^st thing

4^th June, Sat, Looe, Hannafore- 11.15am, Public Rockpooling with Looe MCG

5^th June, Sun, St Agnes Marine Discovery day, 10am -3pm, public event with rockpooling

21^st June, Thurs, Polzeath, 11.30, Easy access rockpooling, Polzeath MCG booking essential

2^nd and 3^rd July, Lundy Bay nr Polz, 1pm 24hr Bioblitz all welcome, National Trust and Shoresearch

6^th July, Wed, Gweek, 5pm -8pm SUP tour of Helford Estuary, £27 pp, book 0447801438320

26^th July, Tues,  snorkel in a rockpool, for 6-11 year olds only £5pp, booking contact Matt Slater

1^st August Monday, Polzeath, 10am, Public rockpooling with Polz MCG and National Trust

3^rd August, Wednesday, Mounts bay, 10am, Eco SUP and snorkelling £27pp   0447801438320

4^th August, Polzeath 12.30, Public Rockpooling with Polz MCG and National Trust

4^th August, Thurs, Newquay 11am, Extreme rockpooling, with Matt £5pp booking essential

5^th August, Friday, Spit Beach, Par, 1.30pm Rockpool ramble with Friends of Fowey estuary

5^th August, Friday, Looe, 1.45pm, Rockpool ramble with Looe Marine Conservation Group

5^th August. Port Gaverne, 1.30pm Baby lobster release with National Lobster Hatchery and PMCG

18^th August, thurs, Polzeath, 11am, Rockpool Ramble, Polzeath Marine Conservation Group, and NT

21^st August, Sunday, Prisk Cove, Helford, 11am, Rockpool Ramble with CWT’s  Ruth Williams, HMCG

22^nd August, Mon, Polzeath, 2pm, Rockpool Ramble, Polzeath Marine Conservation Group and NT

2^nd September, Friday, Polzeath, 12noon, Rockpool Ramble, PMCG and NT

16^th September, Friday, St Agnes, SHORESEARCH WEEK! BIG TIDES details TBC

17^th September, Saturday, Helford, SHORESEARCH WEEK! BIG TIDES details TBC

18^th September, Sunday, Looe, SHORESEARCH WEEK! BIG TIDES details TBC

19^th September, Monday, Polzeath, SHORESEARCH WEEK! BIG TIDES details TBC

20^th September, Tuesday, Fowey, SHORESEARCH WEEK! BIG TIDES details TBC

18^th October, Tuesday, 9am -4pm, Falmouth, Crustacean Workshop, ERCCIS £40pp

28^th October, Looe, 10.30am, Rockpool ramble with Looe Marine Conservation Group

30^th October, Fowey, Readymoney cove,10.30am, Rockpool ramble with friends of Fowey Estuary

13^th November, Last Shoresearch of the year – location TBC

Please check Cornwall Shoresearch on facebook, and the facebook pages and websites of local groups for more details on any of the above dates nearer the time. Or email matt.slater@cornwallwidlifetrust.org.uk

Shoresearch Week 2015 Day 5, Readymoney Cove Fowey

The last day of our Shoresearch week  - I was getting tired but the enthusiasm of the shoresearch volunteers and members of Friends of Fowey estuary kept me going!! Sadly my camera died - five days of being dunked in rockpools finished it off!! Its a shame as I have been so pleased with the photos that camera has been producing!  Thanks to Rob and Claire for sharing their photos from the day with me!

It is rare to get this low on the shore at Fowey - this gulley is teeming with life but it is very slippery! Photo by Claire Hoddinott

Lots of my favourte little crab - Broad clawed porcelain crab  Porcellana platycheles Photo Claire Hoddinott

We found alot of this red algae - creating fluffy lumps on a north facing reef - it is a non native Caulacanthus oakmuridae and one that we need to be monitoring.

Claire found this starfish literally hanging out - pretending to be spider man! 

a cup coral - probably Carophyllia smithii but not looking very healthy was found by Margaret. Phil Croxton found another one on the North side of the beach too. 

Lots of this Desmaretsia was found at Readymoney - mainly cast up from deeper by the easterly swell- the common name for this is landladies wig as earlier in the year is is all fluffy and hairy - it took a while to identify! 

Here is the holdfast

Claire and Margaret getting stuck into shore identification! 

For more infomation on Foweys amazing wildife visit the Friends of the Fowey Estuary website.