Marine Life & Conservation
Discover the wonderful world of rock pooling
All around the UK’s coast, rock pools offer a fascinating insight into life beneath the waves. This summer, the Marine Conservation Society and the Rock Pool Project have teamed up to produce a free, comprehensive video introducing viewers to the wonders of rock pooling.
In the film, Marine Conservation Society ambassador, Inka Cresswell, and rock pooling expert and marine biologist, Dr Ben Holt, share an introduction into the world of rock pooling; equipping novices with all the information, safety advice and confidence they need to explore the world beneath the waves.
British rock pools are magical windows into the ocean and a free, accessible way for anyone to get a sense of the wonders which usually lie hidden beneath the sea.
Inka Cresswell, Ocean Ambassador for the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Rock pools are a fantastic way to explore life underwater, whilst keeping dry! From velvet swimming crabs to anemones and starfish, there are so many incredible creatures to be discovered. Rock pooling is free, fun and educational, so it’s a great activity for families spending time at the seaside. Why not see what you can find?”
The strong tides found along UK coastlines provide countless opportunities to discover rock pool wildlife with many different species of crabs, stunning anemones, charismatic fish, starfish, seaweeds and much more.
Top rock pooling tips, from experts:
- Plan a visit for low tide when more rock pools and wildlife will be exposed
- Take good footwear for protection and to prevent slipping
- No need for buckets and nets, a small takeaway food tray is ideal for viewing wildlife and can be easily carried
- Take a reusable water bottle, ocean safe sun screen and a camera to record wildlife
- Carefully turn over stones to see if there are creatures hiding beneath (and always return them)
- Use an ID guide and record findings
- Be careful not to harm any creatures or keep them out of the water for too long
Dr Ben Holt, who runs the Rock Pool Project, said: “British rock pool habitats are some of the best in the world. They’re freely available to everyone, and rock pooling is a great activity for people of all ages. Exposure to nature and to the sea provides numerous health and well-being benefits, and rock pooling is an activity that allows you to completely immerse yourself in the marine world.”
The Marine Conservation Society’s sightings programme is another fantastic way to share vital data with the charity while exploring the coastline. The charity is asking beachgoers to share sightings of animals including turtles and jellyfish via its website.
To make sure that everyone can enjoy the coast when they visit, the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean is a week-long series of beach cleaning events which not only clears the seaside of litter, but gathers information which has led to new laws including single-use plastic carrier bag charges across the UK.
The Rock Pool Project has a free rock pool wildlife survey programme that people can perform at their local beaches and also runs expert-led rock pool safaris based in Falmouth and Plymouth.
For more information on enjoying the UK’s coast, please visit the Marine Conservation Society’s website.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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