The Wildlife Trust's North Sea Wildlife Project

New Seasearch survey site reveals rich marine life off the Holderness Coast

Less than a kilometre from where the Langeled gas pipeline connects Norway to Easington, a Seasearch survey reveals the seas of the Holderness Coast to be host to a colourful variety of marine life.

Divers from the Seasearch North East team embarked on a virgin dive in the waters north of Spurn point and encountered a variety of undersea landscapes including cobbles and pebbles, rock boulders and some mysterious sponge-encrusted clay mounds, perhaps reclaimed by nature from the area’s heavily industry based land use.  The seabed was also littered with the deserted shells of Horse Mussels, significant due to its status as a Biodiversity Action Plan species.  It is hoped that repeat Seasearch surveys of the area may discover some living specimens.

 

Coordinator for Seasearch North East, Carrie Pillow noted:

“We fully expected to find a sandy or muddy seabed, characteristic of the Spurn and Humber area.  The habitats we found instead were much more contusive to a site rich in marine life and that was reflected in the number of species we recorded.”

The Seasearch divers have recorded numerous species including common lobsters, four species of crab, humpback prawns, sea slugs, a variety of species of starfish, and colourful anemones. Various types of fish have also taken up residence including common sole, topknot and the aptly named slippery looking butterfish.

 

Kat Sanders, Seasearch diver and Marine Awareness & Research officer with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said:

“I was truly surprised and delighted to find such a rich variety of marine life, these dives were a first for Seasearch North East and we really had no idea what to expect.  For me, this is what Seasearch is all about; exploring new sites, recording what we find there and telling others about it. The data that Seasearch collects is now as important as ever as the new protected areas are established for the North Sea as part of the Marine Bill.  Seasearch North East is not only providing an invaluable service by gathering much needed data on our area’s marine fauna and flora but is also raising awareness of local marine life by engaging directly with local divers and other users”

 

Outer Humber Officer, Andrew Gibson welcomed the survey news:

“All too often I am asked what is out there in the muddy waters of the Holderness coast and this data together with pictures are real evidence of the wealth of species that make up this coasts living sea. It was also a great surprise to me to see so little sand on the sea bed at these locations but is this because it is constantly shifting.’’

The Seasearch North East team is now seeking funding to allow them to organise further surveys of the area and increase the level of information on this little known area of seabed.  Anyone who is an experienced diver and is interested in helping Seasearch to map the marine habitats and species of the North East Coast should contact Carrie Pillow carrie@seasearchne.org.uk or visit the website at www.seasearchne.co.uk