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Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Launches Shoresearch
Would you like to learn more about Yorkshire’s weird and wonderful marine life while at the same time contributing to important survey work?
If the answer is yes then join the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust on a Shoresearch survey
Shoresearch is a new and exciting project to record the animals, plants and habitats along the beautiful Yorkshire coastline. With the help of volunteers, the Yorkshire Willdife Trust we will carry out surveys up and down the county in order to gather data that gives us a picture of our intertidal wildlife. All the data will then be fed into the national ‘Marine Recorder’ database. The outcome from each site will be a comprehensive list of all species seen, an estimate of their abundance, and the habitats in which they were found. Over time, such data could highlight changes within the habitat, such as the appearance of southerly species extending their range north as a result of climate change, or the presence of alien and invasive species, such as the slipper limpet.
Anthony Hurd, Marine Conservation Assistant with the Trust said: “We aim to encourage as many people as possible to get involved by joining us on the shore. The intertidal zone is a fascinating habitat full of weird and wonderful creatures that are too often overlooked. The more you explore, the more you will be amazed by the diversity of life to be seen.” He went on to add ”enthusiastic leaders will be on hand to teach about the more unusual aspects of marine life; defence strategies of limpets, parenting arrangements of blennies and regeneration in the common starfish. With a little luck, and some careful searching, we may also discover exciting and beautiful sea slugs, sponges and sunstars.”
All you need to participate in Shoresearch is an interest in your local marine life. You do not need to have any prior knowledge, as expert leaders, alongside your fellow shoresearchers, will be on hand to help with identification. Interested? Then please email anthony.hurd@ywt.org.uk to register your interest.