Share

Dive into National Marine Week 2019!

John MacPherson/2020VISION

Spot seals, search the strandline for shark egg cases and ramble those rockpools this summer!

Make the most of the coast with The Wildlife Trusts and spot shoreline treasures and ocean giants this National Marine Week. The celebration runs from 27 July - 11 August 2019 – a fortnight to take advantage of the tides – and showcases wonderful seaside wildlife around the UK, from the tiniest crab to the wibbliest, wobbliest jellyfish.

A fabulous programme of events including rockpool rambles, egg case hunts and strandline surveys is on offer across Lancashire, while Wildlife Trusts across the country will be launching their own National Marine Week events, too. The Wildlife Trusts will also be launching a new version of their popular citizen science project, Shoresearch, and are calling on everyone to get involved in monitoring marine life on UK shores. The data collected through Shoresearch will help experts monitor our fragile sea life and better understand the effects of pollution, climate change and invasive alien species.

Sea urchins and starfish resting on the bottom of the ocean

Sea urchins and starfish by Paul Naylor

The Wildlife Trusts have also published a fabulous range of colourful sea-side spotter guides and marine activity sheets to help all ages enjoy the beach and rockpools. There are guides to marine megafauna, rockpool wildlife, seabirds and jellyfish, as well as tips to reduce your plastic use and even a guide to how to make your own felt crab!

Joan Edwards, Director of Living Seas at The Wildlife Trusts, says:

“The seas around the UK deserve their own celebration. Every summer, millions of people are drawn to the coast and are delighted by the wildlife they can see there. The Wildlife Trusts have some fantastic events and activities lined up, with details online too.”

Our Lancashire's Living Seas Project Officer, Eleanor Falch, says:

"With six new Marine Conservation Zones in the Irish Sea including two on the coast of Lancashire, it’s the perfect time to celebrate our wonderful marine and coastal environments! We have a programme of exciting events coming up including mud dipping in the Ribble estuary, watching sea birds and marine mammals, exploring rockpools and investigating signs of marine life washed up on the shore.

"National Marine Week will also bring the relaunch of the citizen science project, Shoresearch. This is a chance for volunteers to collect important data which will improve our understanding of life in UK seas. Head to the Living Seas North West website to find out more."

In the UK, we are never more than 70 miles from the coast. The Wildlife Trusts’ campaign for better protection for wildlife and its home around the UK and, as your local Wildlife Trust, we campaign tirelessly for better marine protections for our local seas and estuaries. We recently welcomed the news that the government is designating a third phase of new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), bringing the total to 91 of these specially protected underwater landscapes around our shores. Six of these are in the Irish Sea, while in Lancashire, the Ribble, Wyre and Lune estuaries have all received a new level of protection as MCZs.

Follow #NationalMarineWeek on Twitter and Instagram to learn more about our amazing sea life, and to stay up to date with marine celebrations across the country. And don't forget to tag us in your own National Marine Week updates!

Related news