A series of free events aimed at recording as many different marine species as possible, are to take place along the Yorkshire Coastline.
The Capturing Our Coast Yorkshire (CoCoast) team will run marine ‘BioBlitz’ events, from April to October this year.
Capturing Our Coast is a project launched in January, which aims to recruit and train more than 3,000 volunteers to help build a more accurate picture of the marine life all around the UK.
Led by Newcastle University, the project, funded with £1.7 million Heritage Lottery cash, is a national collaboration involving Hull, Portsmouth and Bangor universities, the Scottish Association for Marine Science, the Marine Biological Association of the UK and the Marine Conservation Society.
The CoCoast Project aims to find out more information about the marine species that live on our shores, to collect baseline data on where they live and how many there are, in order to protect them for future generations.
BioBlitz’s are a race against the clock, and in this case the tide, to try to find and record as many different species as possible within the time available.
The first kicks off at Selwicks Bay, which is a stunning area of rocky shore surrounded by chalk cliffs, stacks and sea at Flamborough, on Sunday.
Dr Sue Hull, lecturer in Marine Biology and Ecology at the Centre for Environmental and Marine Sciences (CEMS) at the University of Hull Scarborough Campus, is the University’s CoCoast Principal Investigator.
This is a great opportunity to engage in a bit of rock pooling with a difference.
The more pairs of eyes the better so we can find as many species as possible so we can see how many different species occur on the different shores our area.
Someone may even find a species we have never actually recorded there before.
CoCoast Yorkshire is working with the Yorkshire Naturalists Union and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to discover the diversity of marine species that inhabit our shores.
The CoCoast Yorkshire team, Yorkshire Naturalist Union and the YWT will be on site from 11.45am to meet anyone who is interested in taking part before heading out to the shore.
The events are free to attend and are open to families, naturalists and volunteers.
No previous knowledge of marine species is required, just a willingness and enthusiasm for discovering what species live on our doorstep – so grab your wellies and come and support the event.
If you are unable attend the BioBlitz on Sunday – the team will be posting images of the BioBlitz on Facebook and sending out updates via Twitter.
Subsequent events will also be held on:
- May 8 at Runswick Bay.
- June 5 at Boggle Hole, Robin Hoods Bay.
- July 24 at Filey Brigg.
- August 21 at Sandsend.
- September 18 at South Bay, Scarborough.
- October 16 at South Landing, Flamborough.
To register as a volunteer on the CoCoast Project please visit the project website at www.capturingourcoast.co.uk.
For more information about the BioBlitz events or the Capturing Our Coast Project please contact the CoCoast Yorkshire Team on 01273 357223 or via email at firstname.lastname@example.org.