Lancing Beach to Worthing Pier

2008 - 2015

Lancing Beach
Ostensibly a sand and shingle beach, but the sea bed uncovered by the low spring tides in places has a hard bedrock and loose rocks. Surprisingly, some of the less common crabs have been discovered between the tides and two species of sea anemones reach their eastern limit up the English Channel at Lancing. One other small species of sea anemone Diadumene cincta is recorded here and only a few other places around Britain. Offshore it is a breeding area of the small orange fish known as Montagu's Sea Snail, Liparis montagui.
 

Worthing Pier
The rock and sand terrain beneath the amusement pier; at first glance, the shore appears exclusively sandy and in all respects one of the  least promising of rockpooling shores. Firm sand leads the explorer out to below mid-tide region where the sand gives away to a mixed ground with rocks buried in the sand, a few looser rocks (cobble-sized), and shallow sandy pools. Under the steel girders of the pier is the best area, with the supports providing attachment points of a sizeable mussel community.

Worthing Pier
Worthing Pier on flickr

25 May 2017
 

An almost unprecedented discovery of a strange sea spider on Worthing Beach was an extraordinary surprise. It looks nothing like the native pycnogonids! This means it was probably an alien species and almost certainly Ammothia hilgendorfi which was discovered once before in 1978 in Southampton Water. This specimen contained eggs.  It originates in the tropical and temperate North Pacific littoral zone of south-east Asia.

6 June 2016

5 June 2016

5 May 2016
A trip to Worthing Pier on a low spring tide was so disappointing not to be newsworthy. There were three small Blennies, Lipophrys pholis, a few small Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus, a Velvet Swimming Crabs, Necora puber, frequent Beadlet Anemones, Actinia equina, occasional but small and inconspicuous Sagartia troglodytes, and two Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis. A small flock of Turnstones foraged amongst the rocks and bedrock. Two Sting Winkles, Ocenebra erinacea, one tiny one, was the most interesting find.
 

2015
 

4 June 2015
Low tide in Worthing was early, around 6:00 am BST (according to the Tide Tables although the tide seemed low at 7:00 am). The fauna was dominated by true crabs (Brachyura) to the exclusion of almost everything else, with scores of small Velvet Swimming Crabs, Necora puber, a handful of Shore Crabs Carcinus meanas including two females "in berry", just two small Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus, a tiny Long-legged Spider Crab Macropodia rostrata, and a sandy coloured Vernal Crab, Liocarcinus vernalis found under a rock.
 

Vernal Crab	Shore Crab	Velvet Swimming Crab	Herring Gull

The inevitable tiny Long-clawed Porcelain Crabs, Pisidia longicornis, and slightly larger Hairy Porcelain Crabs Porcellana platycheles clung on the underside of boulders as expected. There was one Snakelocks Anemone, Anemonia viridis, a few Beadlet Anemones, Actinia equina, and occasional small and inconspicuous Sagartia troglodytes.  Two very small 15 mm 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela, were just past the "mackerel midge" stage when they change colour from silver to brown and start a benthic existence.

18 March 2015
The tide receded to end of Worthing Pier and a small flock of Turnstones probed amongst the rocks.

The intertidal fauna was unexceptional with nothing of note.

22 January 2015

Two large Barrel Jellyfish, Rhizostoma octopus, were discovered washed up on the shore at Lancing.

8 September 2014
 

Worthing Beach	Lesser Spotted Dogfish	Underside of a Rock	Star Ascidian

On a warm afternoon the low spring tide receded a long way on a calm day. The tide seemed to turn too quickly to examine the micro-invertebrate fauna on the underside of rocks, including several species of sea squirts, bryozoans, sea anemones, keelworms and acorn barnacles etc. Workmen were undertaking noisy repairs on the pier, so it was unpleasant to stay around for long and some of the best rocks could not be turned. Immediately, the first of half a dozen large Velvet Swimming Crabs, Necora puber, scampered sideways in the shallow water where a large amount of weed had become snagged on the pier supports and wound around the weed was a couple of Mermaid's Purses, and one contained a live embryo of a baby Lesser Spotted Dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula. The baby shark was released from its Mermaid's Purse and placed in a small aquarium. Other first year fish included juvenile Blennies, Lipophrys pholis, and Rock Gobies Gobius paganellus. In the shallower sandy pools nearer the shore there were hundreds of small Common Gobies, Pomatoschistus microps. The usual species of crabs were present including frequent Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus, just one large Hairy Crab, Pilumnus hirtellus, a few large Shore Crabs Carcinus meanas and the inevitable tiny Long-clawed Porcelain Crabs, Pisidia longicornis, and slightly larger Hairy Porcelain Crabs Porcellana platycheles clinging on the underside of boulders as expected. One small Common Hermit Crab, Pagurus bernhardus, occupied a small winkle shell. However, the exceptional number in excess of thirty Long-legged Spider Crabs Macropodia rostrata, hiding under rocks was unprecedented from this shore. There were a few small Squat Lobster, Galathea squamifera, under rocks. Anemones were under represented compared to good times, with frequent Beadlet Anemones, Actinia equina, frequent but small and inconspicuous Sagartia troglodytes, occasional Daisy Anemones Cereus pedunculatus, and two Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, Small prawns inhabited the small pools of water as expected.

A Clouded Yellow Butterfly flew over the shingle of east Worthing beach by Brooklands.

19 May 2014
Shoreham beach was in bloom. Of most notice were the large amounts of Red Valerian, flowering Sea Kale, swathes of Sea Thrift, clumps of Sea Campion, and the Tree Mallow as I cycled past. Two vanessid butterflies alluded a close look but were thought most likely top be Small Tortoiseshells, and there was a Large White Butterfly fluttering by the beach huts by the caravan park.
 

Red Valerian	Sea Kale	Velvet Swimming Crab	Chiton

An early morning rockpooling expedition (biological collection for Adur World Oceans Day 2014) to the beach underneath Worthing Pier seemed at first to be a wasted journey because of the exiguous fauna. After about fifteen minutes the only finds were the first two, (of four), Velvet Swimming Crabs, Necora puber, and a few Shore Crabs Carcinus meanas. A small Blenny, Lipophrys pholis, was left in the pool underneath a pier support.  I persevered turning rocks to the east of the pier and eventually I found small frequent Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus, occasional small Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, and the inevitable tiny Long-clawed Porcelain Crabs, Pisidia longicornis, under boulders as expected. One Common Hermit Crab, Pagurus bernhardus, occupied a dogwhelk gastropod shell. Anemone fauna was almost entirely absent until a few were found as the tide receded to lap against the pier supports. Occasional sea anemones of Sagartia troglodytes, occasional Beadlet Anemones, Actinia equina, two Daisy Anemones Cereus pedunculatus, and two Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, were recorded. The absence of the sea anemones indicated it was too early in the year for many finds on this particular beach. Molluscs were the usual mussels, limpets, Grey Topshells, dogwhelks but also a chiton and a Sting Winkle, Ocenebra erinacea. The only other fish seen was a sub-adult Butterfish, Pholis gunnellus, underneath a rock.

13 February 2014

A dead Lumpsucker, Cyclopterus lumpus, was discovered washed up on Lancing Beach.

28 September 2013

Starry Smooth-hound
Photograph by Sean Clark

24 July 2013 In the early evening one Bluefire Jellyfish, Cyanea lamarkii, was discovered washed up on the shore on Lancing Beach. Other specimens of this stinging jellyfish were seen in the shallow water. This jellyfish has not been recorded on the shore locally in my records and the species is usually associated off the western coasts of Britain although there have been North Sea reports. Report & Photograph by Carol Thomson  BMLSS Jellyfish Adur Coastal 2013

7 July 2013
On the warmest day of the year (26.4 °C), a Common Seal was reported from Lancing Beach by Widewater.

29 May 2013
An overcast morning was a least dry and with little or no wind, it was the first opportunity of a shrimping expedition with the small one metre wide net to Lancing Beach by Widewater on the low (0.2 metres) incoming tide from 9:11 am. There was disappointingly little caught apart from a pint of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon,  one small Common Hermit Crab, Pagurus bernhardus, one South-clawed Hermit Crab, Diogenes pugilator, a few tiny flatfish, but no larger flatfish or sand crabs for Adur World Oceans Day 2013.  A small Shore Crabs Carcinus meanas and one prawn Palaemon serratus, were incidentals together with a dozen Slipper Limpet, Crepidula fornicata, clusters and a clump of Squid eggs.

27 May 2013
In an early evening (8:00 pm) visit to under Worthing Pier at a very spring low tide, the notable discoveries included one sub-adult 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela, two tiny thread-like juvenile Butterfish, Pholis gunnellus, and one slightly large one, a smallish Velvet Swimming Crab, Necora puber, one Dahlia Anemone, Urticina felina, and the usual species of crabs and sea anemones, although Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, were smaller and only occasionally spotted. The usual species included small (winkle-sized shells) Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, two small Squat Lobsters, Galathea squamifera, common sea anemones of Sagartia troglodytes, occasional Beadlet Anemones, Actinia equina, a few Daisy Anemones Cereus pedunculatus, with tiny Long-clawed Porcelain Crabs, Pisidia longicornis, under boulders as expected.

26 May 2013
An Adur World Oceans Day 2013 collection visit to Lancing Beach was an early start at 6:30 am and I only managed the beach opposite Lancing Beach Green (western end) to catch the incoming spring tide. There were not many rocks that could be lifted and the haul was small with the only invertebrates of interest were a small Common Starfish Asterias rubens, two Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, one in small Whelk shell and the slightly smaller one in the smaller Dogwhelk shell, one small Hairy Crab, Pilumnus hirtellus, a few tiny Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus, a handful of the smaller Shore Crabs Carcinus meanas, and four sea anemones Sagartia troglodytes. The most interesting discovery were two Small-headed Clingfish, Apletodon dentatus, which I had not seen since 2005.
BMLSS Rockpooling

15 July 2012

4 June 2012 An Adur World Oceans Day 2012 collection visit to Worthing Pier was more productive than expected although only a small haul was taken home. Most impact will be achieved with the two large Velvet Swimming Crabs, Necora puber, but I most pleased with a handful of small Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, in winkle shells, a single Common Starfish Asterias rubens, one Dahlia Anemone, Urticina felina, a Brittlestar, one small Long-legged Spider Crab Macropodia rostrata, and one sub-adult 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela.

A Bullhead Taurulus bubalis., several Blennies, Lipophrys pholis, including a full grown adult, and Shore Crabs Carcinus meanas and frequent Edible Prawns, Palaemon serratus, were all left in-situ.
 

Yellow-horned Poppies	Snakelocks Anemone	Common Brittlestar

A Greater Pipefish, Syngnathus acus, was rescued from the beak of a Herring Gull (but this might be too badly damaged and looked ill when I arrived home: it died over night). Small Squat Lobsters, Galathea squamifera, and very small Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, were spotted under rocks. Large (30 mm disc diameter) Daisy Anemones, Cereus pedunculatus, included quite a few in chocolate brown hues. Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, were common as usual with frequent Beadlet Anemones Actinia equina.
 

The study shows the banded underneath of the brittlestar. It is probably the abundant species known as Common Brittlestar, Ophiothrix fragilis. It was discovered in open water with the incoming tide. When inverted this Brittlestar quickly (within 10 seconds) rights itself.

Brittlestars of Cornwall

28 May 2012
A special shrimping trip to Lancing Beach (by Widewater) (with Selena Barr and Philippa Lane from Field magazine, and Peter Talbot-Elsden) in ideal weather conditions (1.5 metre neap low tide) caught three pints of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, between us. There was not much else in the nets: frequent flatfish fry, two small Lesser Weever, Echiichthys vipera, one swimming crab Portumnus latipes with "fleur-de lis" markings, one Vernal Crab, Liocarcinus vernalis, one badly damaged (but still alive, it nipped me) Masked Crab, Corystes cassivelaunus, a few large green Shore Crabs, Carcinus maenas, and a small Plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, (or possibly a Flounder?).

6 May 2012
 

Crow with Mussel		Hairy Crab

The low equinoctial tide at Lancing receded as far as had seen it uncovering rocks that are rarely seen. It was early in the year and the intertidal fauna was exiguous: two Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, frequent Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, one Short-legged Spider Crab Eurynome aspera, and one 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela, were notable (and the first wild sea anemones, crabs and fish I had noted this year.) I also discovered a small brown Beadlet Anemone Actinia equina, just the one sea anemone Sagartia troglodytes, and one small Squat Lobster, Galathea squamifera.

                               5-Bearded Rockling

NB: The Beadlet Anemone (now a strawberry type) collected last year is still alive in my marine aquarium.

2 June 2011
After the amount of weed washed up on the shore after the sustained period of over a week of Force 5 Breezes, it was not promising for shrimping off Lancing Beach by Widewater with the sand just showing on 1.5 metres low tide in the early evening.  My fears were well founded, there was too much weed to make shrimping practical, with under ten Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, in just over half an hour push-netting. One very young Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus, fry that came with the weed and quickly wriggled to escape through the mesh of my smaller metre-wide shrimp net. It was the first capture, followed by two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, in Netted Dogwhelk shells, one small Arch-fronted Swimming Crab Liocarcinus arcuatus, just one small Sand Sole, Pegusa lascaris, and two small flatfish fry. To compound the poor day, I cycled to the beach on the loaded Trade's Bike against a south-westerly Force 3, and whilst I was shrimping the wind turned to the north-east and rose to Force 4 and I could see this on the sea as the white crests on the braking waves increased in frequency. I had to cycle back against the wind as well.

22 May 2011
A steady Force 6 westerly Strong Breeze (26 mph), gusting to Gale Force 7, was kite-surfing weather and because the low tide was 1.1 metres the most easterly exposed shore was south of Brooklands. The pools were rippled by the wind and there were few rocks to turn and an even poorer fauna: a few Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, just three Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, a small stripy green Beadlet Anemone, Actinia equina, one dark Edible Crab, Cancer pagurus, a Shore Crab Carcinus meanas  and a small Squat Lobster, Galathea squamifera. The shore was strewn with small empty mussel shells.

19 May 2011
A large plain green specimen of the Beadlet Anemone, Actinia equina, collected on Worthing Beach on 18 April 2011 suddenly diminished in a manner seen before in the Actinia sea anemones. The green specimen with a basal diameter of approximately 60 mm and a larger tentacle span shrivelled up into a smaller version that looked as though it might be dying, and the tentacles became thinner than those of the Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, and the oral disc disappeared from view covered by the partially retracted tentacles. On 20 May 2011, I noted that sea anemone had returned to its normal appearance. On 21 May 2011 I noticed that its column was covered in spots which were pronounced enough to be nearer in appearance to the designated species Actinia fragacea. Its spots were distinct light green but the background colour of the column became brown rather than red. It was slightly smaller with a basal diameter of about 50 mm. Intermediate forms or Actinia equina with green lines and spots are known to occur occasionally. This anemone has green tentacles whereas the usual "strawberry type" has crimson or red tentacles.

Actinia fragacea has strawberry-like (usually green on a red column) spots all over the column of the anemone. The similar species Actinia equina can have green stripes and dotted lines, so there can be confusion between the species as the dividing line is not clearly demarked by appearance.
BMLSS Sea Anemones

23 April 2011
There were almost ideal condition for shrimping of Lancing Beach (east Widewater) with a gentle almost imperceptible swell, almost negligible Light Breeze Force 5, (5 mph, NNE), pleasant weather with an air temperature of 18.9 °C on the 9.50 am low tide of 1.1 metres. Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, were common (200+ caught in 40 minutes), although some were too small for the pot. The water was clear and free of weed, but there was very little else around. I caught two young Plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, one of which escaped and a handful shot off at the approach of the smaller (one metre) semi-circular shrimp net, and the only other incidentals were three very small Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, (i.e. not Diogenes) in Grey Topshells and Netted Dogwhelk shells. Advection fog set in over the sea as the tide turned and the visibility was diminished to under 50 metres.
Met Office: Shoreham

Both Grey Sea Slugs, Aeolidia papillosa, laid their white coils of spawn in two separate aquaria.

18 April 2011
The low tide around Worthing Pier was very rich in multi-coloured seaweeds especially the alien Sargasso Weed and pink clumps which I first thought were Corallina, but now I am not so sure. They  might be Jania rubens (to be confirmed) which is a coralline algae. I disturbed three Turnstones feeding at the water's edge at the end of the pier. They squawked and flew away.
 

However, the fauna was poor and there were not many rocks to turn over. Of most note were the frequent Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, and two clumps of fish eggs* possibly of the Bullhead Taurulus bubalis. Two anemone-eating nudibranchs Grey Sea Slugs, Aeolidia papillosa, were discovered under rocks under the pier. Occasional  Squat Lobsters, Galathea squamifera, just three Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, frequent tiny Long-clawed Porcelain Crabs, Pisidia longicornis, a handful of undersized Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus, a few large green Shore Crabs Carcinus meanas and frequent Edible Prawns, Palaemon serratus, completed the crustacean list.
 

Grey Sea Slug attacking a  Beadlet Anemone	Daisy Anemone	Piddocks

Four of the largest Piddocks, Pholas dactylus, I have ever seen were underneath a rock that had already been broken in half. Two juvenile Long-spined Bullheads, Taurulus bubalis, and one first year Blenny, Lipophrys pholis, were netted. Beadlet Anemones were frequently seen, with a few sea anemones Sagartia troglodytes, and a few Daisy Anemones, Cereus pedunculatus.
(* The eggs hatched out in the home aquarium. They could very well be Blenny eggs.)

20 March 2011
In the early evening, I recorded by first wild fish of the year a 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela, on the kelp-covered shore by Brooklands (west Lancing, west of the pipeline) plus my first crab, a very small Velvet Swimming Crab, Necora puber. The shore was very poorly inhabited with frequent Squat Lobsters, Galathea squamifera, occasional small Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, and tiny Long-clawed Porcelain Crabs, Pisidia longicornis, one very small Edible Crab, Cancer pagurus, one large green Shore Crab Carcinus meanas. Two Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, had not quite completed their division into two, and there were occasional small sea anemones Sagartia troglodytes. As it was getting too dark to see clearly, a tiny thread-like juvenile Butterfish, Pholis gunnellus, eluded my cold fingers. An Edible Prawn, Palaemon serratus, jumped backwards from under a weed-covered rock.
 
 
 

October 2010 These two Sand Smelt, Atherina presbyter, were caught off Worthing Pier.  Report and Photograph by John Nalaskowski This fish is abundant in the shallow seas and estuaries of Sussex and can be seen in autumn trapped in the larger sandy pools underneath Worthing Pier at low tide.

25 May 2010
I made an unplanned visit to Worthing Pier as the tide was out. Under the many small rocks, there were two adult Blennies, Lipophrys pholis, and a few undersized Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus. The most notable discovery on the underside of a rock was a tiny nudibranch sea slug Facelina auriculata. Its cerata and overall appearance were bright crimson.

21 May 2010
My first shrimping outing of the year using my smaller three foot wide shrimp net on the medium tide on Lancing Beach (Widewater West) yielded a rather poor 30 or so Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, but not enough exhibits for Adur World Oceans Day 2010: a left-eyed flatfish* that was too large for the aquarium, only a very small Sand Sole, Pegusa lascaris, two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, one very small Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis, and an even smaller tiny swimming crab Portumnus latipes was the total catch in an hour on a tide that had not receded enough.
 

*The flatfish was identified as a Turbot, Psetta maxima, measuring 180 mm (excluding the caudal fin) long and 80 mm wide (excluding fins) and weighing about 125 grams.

29 May 2009
Shrimping was possible after some poor weather. And the conditions were ideal off Lancing Beach (near the Church of the Good Shepherd) but the haul of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, amount to about thirty all after the tide turned and with the incoming tide. Luckily (because the expedition was to get exhibits for Adur World Oceans Day 2009) the haul with my smaller U-shaped net including two medium-sized Lesser Weevers, Echiichthys vipera, amongst the weed so I had to be careful of the venomous fins, two adult Sand Sole, Pegusa lascaris, one intact Vernal Crab Liocarcinus vernalis, half a dozen flatfish (probably Plaice) fry, one small Plaice, two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, one swimming crab Portumnus latipes, and a very young Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus. A Painted Lady Butterfly fluttered around my head.

24 May 2009
A rockpooling trip to the rocky shore by the Half Brick, east Worthing was a serious disappointment with hardly anything of interest. It took at least 30 minutes to find a Velvet Swimming Crab Necora puber, three Shore Crabs Carcinus maenas, a very small Common Squat Lobster, two Snakelocks Anemones Anemonia viridis, a large one-clawed Edible Crab Cancer pagurus, a Prawns Palaeamon serratus, one very small Common Hermit Crab, Pagurus bernhardus, a few Sagartia troglodytes sea anemones and two Daisy Anemones Cereus pedunculatus. It was ten minutes before I spotted a Chiton (a mollusc in the class Polyplacophora) probably Lepidochitona cinerea. There were a few elusive (evaded capture) adult Common Gobies, Pomatoschistus microps, in breeding livery with fry is the shallow sandy pools. In a deeper pool, a solitary Sand Smelt, Atherina presbyter, cruised by.

23 May 2009
Shoreham Beach (especially over the border in Lancing to the west of the Church of Good Shepherd) was covered in swathes of flowering Red Valerian and Sea Kale and Viper's Bugloss was in flower (first time noted this year although flowering must have occurred for at least a week) plus the first Slender Thistle in flower this year.
On Widewater a pair of Mute Swans had a handful (I did not count them) of cygnets.

The early evening shrimping expedition at Lancing was exceptionally poor registering just half a dozen Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, with most of them too small and one large one escaped through the net meshing. Incidental captures were exiguous: three very young Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus, three* Sand Sole, Pegusa lascaris,  two one-clawed Vernal Crabs Liocarcinus vernalis,  half a dozen flatfish (probably Plaice) fry, one South-clawed Hermit Crab, Diogenes pugilator,  and a Lesser Spotted Dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula purse with an embryo. There was a much darker brown different pipefish that escaped the net. This could have been either a juvenile Worm Pipefish Nerophis lumbriciformis, or even a juvenile Snake Pipefish Entelurus aequoreus. A clump of the black grape-like Cuttlefish eggs were discovered washed up on the strandline.
(*One was damaged and released and another one swam out of the net.)

3 June 2008
Cycling past Lancing Beach Green, I must have seen at least 70 Crows on the grass and beach huts and possibly more.
 

Plants in flower noted for the first time this year on Lancing Beach shingle and surrounds included Viper's Bugloss, Opium Poppy, Yellow-horned Poppy, Silver Ragwort and Slender Thistle. The seed heads of Goat's Beard were very noticeable on the borders of the shingle and cyclepath. And Tree Mallow by a gate marked Lancing Point to the west of Lancing Sailing Club. The sole butterfly seen on the day was a Large White in the same area as the Tree Mallow.

22 May 2008
 

Hoary Cress, Cardaria draba (white)* and Scarlet Pimpernel	Sea Kale	Red Valerian

7 May 2008
The shore with rocks uncovered on the low spring tide by the Half Brick, east Worthing, was ordinary with the usual fare of with common (100+) SnakelocksAnemones, Anemonia viridis, common and some large Daisy Anemones Cereus pedunculatus, frequent sea anemones Sagartia troglodytes, a few Edible Crabs  Cancer pagurus, frequent Hairy Crabs Pilumnus hirtellus, common Long-clawed Porcelain Crab Pisidia longicornis and a few small Shore Crabs Carcinus maenas and a few Prawns Palaeamon serratus, a few very small Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus  in Grey Topshells, and a few of the tiny shrimp Athanas nitescens in red livery. One healthy Butterfish, Pholis gunnellus, was discovered hiding under a rock. The only thing vaguely unusual was the first nudibranch sea slug, a small Acanthodoris pilosa in a fawn colour and larger than normal. I had not seen one for several years.
BMLSS Hermit Crabs
BMLSS Nudibranchs

5 May 2008
On Bank Holiday Monday, it felt warm for the first time this year as the temperature reached 20.0 °C at midday. The wind veered around to the south-east by the afternoon.
Shoreham Weather

My first shrimping expedition of the year at Lancing produced a moderate amount of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, plus one Lesser Weever, Echiichthys vipera, one small Sand Sole, Pegusa lascaris, two Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis, and two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, (in Netted Dogwhelk shells) amongst more weed than is usual at the beginning of May.
Sussex Marine Life

4 February 2008
 

After the recent storm there was a mass stranding on Lancing Beach east at low tide. I braved the chill westerly breeze and found the usual 'Mermaid's Purses' Dogfish Egg cases (including three with embryos seen inside), Ray Egg cases, orange and white sponges, Whelk shells and egg cases Buccinum, and also hundreds of dead sea anemones, including dead and alive Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis. and larger Dahlia Anemones, Urticina felina.

In the second photograph on Worthing Beach, the clear up of the wood continues.

21 January 2008

Timber on Worthing Beach
Photograph by Viv Lonsdale
 

Timber from Greek registered Ice Prince, which sank about 26 miles (42 km) off Dorset after a storm on 15 January 2008, began getting washed up on Lancing beach in the evening of 19 January 2008 and tonnes of pine planks littered the local beaches from 20 January 2008.

Adur Intertidal 2007

Marine Life of Sussex 2006
Link to Lancing Beach 2004 Reports
Half Brick Beach 2004
Link to Lancing Beach 2003

Lancing Beach (by Ray Hamblett)

Lancing Wildlife News
 
 

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