Reports of marine wildlife from all around the British Isles, with pollution incidents and conservation initiatives as they affect the flora and fauna of the NE Atlantic Ocean.
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19 September 2007
A large Deepwater Crawfish, Palinurus mauretanicus*, has been caught by commercial fishermen about 200 miles (321 km) from Newlyn, Cornwall. Measuring 59.5 cm (23 in) long, this is a large specimen of a species usually found in more southerly seas and an unusual capture off British coasts. It has been kept in captivity in the Blue Reef Aquarium at Newquay. The usual species of Spiny Lobster is Palinurus elephas, and this is found off the south and west of the British Isles.
(* Species assumed without precise ID.)

Palinurus mauretanicus are recorded off the west of Ireland to 53°N, but only below 180 metres, normally below 200 metres. As there is not much water of that depth close to the UK, they are very infrequent in British landings. Catches in the Western Mediterranean can be of 200 to 300 crayfish at a time, presumably these are breeding groups.

The first specimen of the Deepwater Crawfish, Palinurus mauritanicus, was captured in Irish waters was taken around 1914 from 51 20'N, 11 20'W (400 metres).
Since then occasional specimens (6) have been recorded from western waters, including both inshore (two berried females, one weighing 2.2 kg, from 25 metres depth during September/October 1971) and offshore waters (Porcupine Bank, 400 metres, 1986).
However, during July 1986 and March 1987 a phenomenal number of specimens (1430) were landed by demersal trawlers fishing off the SW coast into Castletownbere and Dingle. Carapace lengths and body weights ranged from 5.4 cm (105 g) to 15.7cm (2.4 kg). None of the females were berried or had spermatophore plugs. The specimens were taken from areas of undulating sand along with fragments of the coral Lophohelia pertusa.
Although there have been no subsequent reports of Palinurus mauritanicus from Irish waters, the two inshore records (from 1971) would suggest that the species is capable of attaining maturity in Irish waters, and it is possible that there may be an established, albeit sporadic, population off the SW coast of Ireland.

September 2007
In the last three weeks we have been observing the fragile String Jellyfish, Apolemia uvaria, in areas of plankton over deep water in various places off Land's End, Cornwall. 

14 September 2007
An Edible Crab, Cancer pagurus, landed at Shoreham, Sussex, and caught in the Selsey area of West Sussex, weighed 3.9 kg and measured 270 mm across its carapace. This is the largest crab on record from Sussex and as big as they get anywhere. 

12 September 2007 
Working from a survey vessel south-east of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands (north of Scotland), we witnessed 40 Fin Whales, Balaenoptera physalis, plus 10 unidentified large whales (probably more Fin Whales) and one Minke Whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata. This was over the course of a sail line some 50 miles in length. We thought we also saw a Sei Whale, Balaenoptera borealis. 
I am sure there are other places in the world that this spectacle occurs, but this area seems to hold a staggering number of these huge cetaceans. I have only encountered such numbers once before, in 2002 and in the same region.

10 September 2007
We were hauling monkfish nets about 20 miles out to sea off Cornwall when a grey strange worm-like creature came up through the net hauler, it had wrapped itself up in the net. It looks like something out of X-files for sure. It had no real visible eyes or mouth. After initially wriggling round frantically for a couple of minutes; it played dead. After taking a couple of photographs with my phone, I scooped it up with the trusty shovel and flipped it over the side. It promptly swam away in an eel or snake-like fashion. It was about 60 cm long.
 

The Nemertean "worm" was identified by myself and Richard Lord (Guernsey) of the genus Cerebratulus. 

It could very well be of Cerebratulus marginatus (definitely Nemertean, and confident it's a Cerebratulus). The species can be up to 1 metre long but can contract to less than half their extended length.
Gibson (1982) notes that Cerebratulus marginatus is rarely found on the lower shore and usually obtained when dredging in sandy or muddy sediments at depths of 20-150 metres or more. It can be caught on fishing lines when mussel flesh is used as bait. It is a strong swimmer and often rotates about it's own longitudinal axis. It tends to fragment when handled. When I get them in a sample they are always in pieces!
NBN Distribution Map
Notes by Peter Barfield (Sea-nature Studies)

5 September 2007
An astonishing 462+ Basking Sharks, Cetorhinus maximus, were seen in the morning between Longships and The Brisons, off the west of the Cornish mainland!  Accompanying the sharks were many Gannets, suggesting that fish and plankton would have been present. Also, in much the same place (10 km sq. SW 33) between 20 and 24 Risso’s Dolphins, Grampus griseus, and 35 Common Dolphins Delphinus delphis, were recorded. 

4 September 2007
A young male Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops truncatus, called "George" followed a boat into the River Adur, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, and stayed for most of the day until coaxed back out to sea by Shoreham inshore lifeboat before it could stranded on the low neap tide. 
This particular Bottle-nosed Dolphin habitually enters English Channel harbours, but for all of last year was found around the French coast. 

120 Basking Sharks, Cetorhinus maximus, were seen in the morning between Longships and The Brisons, off the west of the Cornish mainland!

3 September 2007
60 Basking Sharks, Cetorhinus maximus, were seen in the morning between Longships and The Brisons, off the west of the Cornish mainland!

20 August 2007
An Almaco Jack, Seriola rivoliana, was caught by an angler from a boat at the entrance to Chichester Harbour, Sussex. This southern fish is rarely caught in British seas and was probably the very first one recorded and identified (by Dr. William Smith-Vaniz) in the seas off Sussex. 
Two more Almaco Jacks have been caught since the above one, one from Grand Rocque Bay on the west coast of Guernsey on 29 August 2007 and another from just off Crantock in north Cornwall by Newquay fisherman Phil Trebilcock at the beginning of September 2007. 

Marine Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Mailing Groups

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Each month, at least one special marine image will be published from images sent to the BMLSS. This can be of the seashore, undersea world or any aspect of the marine natural world, especially the underwater life, but not restricted to life beneath the waves. Topical inclusions may be included instead of the most meritorious, and images will be limited to the NE Atlantic Ocean and adjoining seas, marine and seashore species and land and seascapes.
 

1 September 2007

Argyrosomus regius taken in a fish-market on the Bay of Cádiz on the southwestern coast of Spain.  The four fish weighed about 20 kg or so each. 

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The name of the particular coast should be included and the grid reference, if known. Print photographs can be included in Exhibitions and on the BMLSS Web Sites and electronic publications. Electronic images in *.jpg format can also be considered for the web site. They should not exceed 250K in size.

Photographers submitting pictures should indicate if they wish them to be considered for inclusion as confirming permission takes work and time and can delay publication of the news bulletins. 
 

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NEW BOOK:
 

The Gulf Stream
by Bruno Voituriez 
Publisher:  UNESCO 
ISBN:  92-3-103995-4 
222 pages, figures, glossary, bibliography

The Gulf Stream
Amid contemporary scenarios of potential climatic catastrophes and global warming that might be imagined to bring a new ice age, the powerful image of the Gulf Stream rising from the Florida Straits and flowing to the north Atlantic inevitably provokes questions about its ecological significance and whether it might ever stop.
 

JOURNALS:
 

by Otto Larink & Wilfried Westheide

reviewed by Wim van Egmond
 

ISBN  0-9522831-5-8 Available from:

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