Eggcase

The Great Eggcase Hunt

The Shark Trust coordinates this national project.

In recent decades several species of skate and ray around the British & Irish coasts have dramatically declined in numbers. The empty eggcases that wash up on to our beaches all year round are an easily accessible source of information on the whereabouts of skate and ray nursery grounds.

For details see http://www.sharktrust.org/cgi/eggcase/index.html

Jellyfish Survey

In an effort to understand the ecology of leatherback turtles - which visit the Irish Sea every summer pursuing swarms of jellyfish, their staple diet - the Marine Conservation Society would like you to help record jellyfish strandings on local beaches and jellyfish swarms at sea.

See http://www.mcsuk.org/turtles/turtles.php?title=jellyfish%20survey for details.

Seasearch

Seasearch is a national project for volunteer sports divers who have an interest in what they're seeing under water, want to learn more and want to help protect the marine environment. The Marine Conservation Society coordinates it. The main aim is to gather sub-tidal data and map out the various types of seabed found in the near-shore zone around the whole of the British Isles. In addition, species are recorded to establish the richest sites for marine life, where there are problems and the sites that need protection. Seasearch also aims to raise awareness of local marine biodiversity amongst divers and enable them to become involved in conservation-orientated work.

The National Seasearch Co-ordinator provides guidance and materials for Seasearch, but Seasearch projects are led locally by a variety of organisations, mainly Wildlife Trusts and local authorities.

Around the Irish Sea, there are currently Seasearch projects based in the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, West Scotland, North Wales and West Wales.

For further details see http://www.seasearch.org.uk

Seawatch

The Sea Watch Foundation aims to achieve better conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the seas around Britain and Ireland by involving the public in scientific monitoring of populations and the threats they face, and by the regular production of material to educate, inform and lobby for better environmental protection.

There are several regional groups around the Irish Sea. For more information see http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/map.htm

Shoresearch

Shoresearch was developed by the Kent Wildlife Trust and is being taken on by all the Wildlife Trusts in the South East of England. It has similar aims to Seasearch but will focus on the inter-tidal rather than sub-tidal, so there is no need even to get wet - unless it rains!

Unfortunately The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside currently has no funding to develop a parallel project around the shores of Lancashire and North Merseyside. However, we hope to be looking into the possibilities of a joint project with our colleagues and partners around the Irish Sea.

If you'd like more details on the project in southeast England go to http://www.southeastmarine.org.uk/frameset2.htm.

MarLIN: The Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland

For information about recording marine life generally around the British Isles see the MarLIN website at http://www.marlin.ac.uk

Cumbria Wildlife Trust's South Walney Seal Survey

The South Walney Seal Group is a group of volunteers led by Kay Foster. The main aim of the group is to study the lives and habits of the growing population of grey seals that live off Walney, the large island next to Barrow-in-Furness. Particular efforts are being concentrated on estimating the number of seals, whether they have pups in the area and to what level they are disturbed by humans and associated recreational activities. If you are interested in seals and wish to join the group, then please contact Isabel Thorne on 01539 816 300.

For more information see http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cumbria/Surveys/South%20Walney%20Seal%20Survey.htm