The shore visited this month were Traeth Coch (Y Fenai a Bae Conwy/ Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC); Porth Meudwy (Glannau Aberdaron SSSI) and Llanddulas (Bae Lerpwl/Liverpool Bay SPA).

Surveys completed

Number of quadrats: 14; Number of volunteers: 8 (new attendees -2) 

Walkover survey area covered: 632m²

Seasonal findings usually here we introduce something that’s linked to the season we’re in and that we’ve seen on shore. Since the Wildlife Trusts have joined with other environmental organisations in a UK-wide blue carbon mapping project which recently made the news we decided to concentrate on the overall change in Climate this month. Blue carbon is the carbon stored in various ways by our marine environment and which need protecting and enhancing to help us reach our 2030 target of Net Zero (a target which we actually need to reach beyond to carbon negative if we’re to have a chance of reducing many of the reported expected impacts). A pilot project has already helped to map the Blue carbon in parts of the North Sea and has found that the particular area of the North Sea studied held carbon stores equivalent to 20% of that stored in all the woodlands and forests in the UK, so it’s no lightweight. You can find out more about Natural solutions to Climate Change here.

Species features we thought we’d complete the theme set above and concentrate this month on those species on which we’re collecting information which are indicators of our changing Climate.

Dabberlocks/llywethau’r môr (Alaria esculenta) – we found a couple of fronds of this species this month at Porth Meudwy. It’s a kelp species and is, like Sugar kelp/môr-wiail crych (Saccharina latissima), a species which likes relatively warmer waters compared to other kelp species. Dabberlocks is seen in Northern and Eastern parts of the UK more, these days. It has a single, frilly frond, like sugar kelp, but also has a clear midrib and later in the season, near its holdfast, has finger-like breeding bodies.

Both of these species are found on our timed species surveys list as Climate Change Indicators (CCIs) for the Irish Sea. In other areas of the world kelps are being lost directly or indirectly due to Climate Change, so assessing what kelp we have is an important first step to helping to maintain our beds. In the UK we have a large number of the various kelp species. Kelps are also species which can utilise Carbon, locking it up, away from our atmosphere for a while. Making our kelps heroes of their own (and our) history, when it comes to Climate Change.

Grape pip weed also called false Irish moss/lafwr piws (Mastocarpus stellatus) is another CCI, but is on the Irish Sea timed search list due to it being well established here. It’s a trickier species to ID, but still ID-able from within a difficult group – the red algae. Back at Porth Meudwy, however, you couldn’t miss it, as it was showing off its “pips” which have led to one of its common English names. Another ID feature to look for can also be seen in these pictures and that’s the channel at the back of the frond (sometimes only seen where the frond is close to the attachment to the rock).

Snakelocks anemones/anemoni nadreddog (Anemonia viridis) are common on our rockier shores, not so much on the rocky edges to our sandier northern coasts of North Wales. These are common here, but are a species which likes warmer waters and because of that has a distribution around the warmer coasts of the UK (Southern and Western) and appears to be completely absent from the rocky shore of our eastern shores. We’ve introduced snakelocks in September’s blog last year and mentioned the various colours you can find it exhibiting. The bright green colour is not, as commonly thought, due to the symbiotic algae living within its tissues and on which it relies on for survival. The green is down to a protein called Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). Present in corals and other anemones etc, this is the protein which allows the animal to glow under U.V. light.

Chthamalus stellatus – it’s a barnacle species and together with Chthamalus montagui might be found more commonly on rocks on shore, but at the expense of another species, found commonly right now, Semibalanus balanoides. The Chthamalus species find themselves at their northern limit in the UK at the moment, but this is expected to change with Climate. Semibalanus balanoides is, on the other hand, a colder water lover and with changing conditions as well as competition from these two other species, is likely to be seen less and less commonly on our shores in the years ahead. 

It’s not just about movement (changes in distribution), however. Some species will feel the impacts of Climate Change by way of its evil twin – ocean acidification. Certain species of molluscs and algae might not be able to access certain building blocks of their bodies and as a result will find it difficult to grow at the very least. Pink encrusting algae is one of those species. We find it commonly at the moment, but expect to see changes in its presence and extent over the coming years.

The impacts on algae and animals at the base of marine food chains, comes with inevitable and widespread consequences further up, so doing all we can to reduce our carbon output can’t be soon enough.

The Shoresearch surveys are designed to help monitor some areas of shore by volunteers recording what they find using various types of surveys. Training is given to the volunteers who sign up to help us carry out these surveys.

We are liaising with other organisations to hone these surveys, so they become a vital tool in the help to monitor wildlife in our intertidal areas. Whilst they can also help to introduce volunteers to the species which live in this intertidal zone, the ideal is to build up some regular teams to regularly survey certain areas, building a clearer picture over the long term and in particular to keep an eye out for Invasive species and Climate change indicators.

If you would like to join us to volunteer your time at our repeated survey sites, then please get in touch. It is likely to be just one 2-3 hr session out on shore once every month at the least, as well as any time you can spare to do online training or website reading. 

Want to help with Shoresearch volunteering

Of course, feel free to help in other ways too via becoming a member, donating or buying a gift membership for someone. Thank you.

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