The Glaucus 2001 CD-ROM has been sent out to Premier Members for last year. This information packed disc contains the British Marine Life Study Society web pages and other wildlife information (some not available through the web site). This was a limited distribution copy because of technical difficulties and the the next CD-ROM to be produced will be the Glaucus 2002 CD-ROM.

Details of the availability of the new disc will be available to British Marine Life Study Society members as soon as possible. 

MARINE WILDLIFE NEWS

8 June 2002 Official WORLD OCEANS DAY World Oceans Day was first declared as 8th June at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Events will occur all around the world on and around this day. World Oceans Day offers the opportunity for people in many parts of Britain and around the world to increase their understanding of the marine environment and wildlife of the oceans. World Oceans Day Events page   7 June 2002 A rarely discovered Sowerby's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon bidens, was washed up dead on Praa Sands, Mount's Bay, Cornwall. Nick Tregenza and David Ball identified it as Sowerby's Beaked Whale, an adult female, about 4 metres in length. The freshly dead mammal was hauled with some difficulty above the high tide to enable the Natural History Museum to take samples which will become part of the scientific collection. This only the fourth record of this whale from Cornwall. One of the previous records was of a live specimen that was rescued.  Report from Stella Turk on the Cornish Mailing List This whale is rarely discovered and rarely seen alive long enough for a positive identification because it usually inhabits deep waters, usually seen breaching the surface of the sea over the 1000 metre isobath. Rarely is it possible to differentiate which species of beaked whale from these brief unexpected encounters, but Sowerby's is the commonest of the four species of ziphids (=Ziphiidae) that live regularly in the seas around the British Isles.  Marine Mammals of the English Channel Smart Group 3 June 2002 Between Chanonry Point and Fort George, near Inverness, Scotland, two Bottle-nosed Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, attacked and killed a young Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena. The sustained attack lasted from around 14.30 until 15.00 hours. The tide was just beginning to rise when the two dolphins, over on the Ardersier side of the Chanonry narrows began to chase and catapult a juvenile porpoise out of the water. The body of the  porpoise floated past Chanonry towards Inverness, where the dolphins eventually lost interest in it and began to forage for food in the tidal current. Report by Charlie Philips via UK Cetnet BMLSS Cetacea 1 June 2002 Adur WORLD OCEANS DAY Exhibition at Coronation Green, Shoreham-by-Sea.           Adur was one of the leaders in the United Kingdom when it presented an Exhibition celebrating the official World Oceans Day. The event took place on Saturday 1 June 2002 in Shoreham-by-Sea, on Coronation Green (TQ 216050), adjacent to the footbridge over the River Adur, with the start of the Adur Festival. Adur World Oceans Day Picture Portfolio 2002 (by Ray Hamblett) Adur World Oceans Day 2002   Programme of Events Adur World Oceans Day Picture Portfolio World Oceans Day Smart Group   Shorewatch Newsletter Volume 6 The first issue for 2002 was the World Oceans Day special edition sent to paid up members in May 2002. 27 May 2002 "Millions" of Velella velella, the By-the Wind Sailor were discovered by Nick Darke on Porthcothan Beach, Cornwall. They are freshly dead, the float having the animals or at least fragments of the soft tissue, still present. They are probably all along the north coast, especially at Perranporth, so I will be interested to have an idea of the maximum density per sq. metre. The last really big incursion was in June/July 1981 when Rennie Bere counted 150 to 200 per sq. metre, as they came in on the tide (i.e. not heaped up in catchment areas) and he estimated 100,000 for the stretch of shore at Bude. Report from Stella Turk on the Cornish Mailing List Many By-the Wind Sailor were also discovered washed up further east on the shore at Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset.  Report by Peter Tinsley (Dorset Wildlife Trust) On 30 May 2002 thousands of Velella velella were also washed up along the tide line on the beach at Nicholston Burrows on the Gower peninsular, South Wales. Report by Helen James By 5 June 2002 there were millions of Velella velella  washed ashore on Rhosilli beach, a west facing beach at the end of the Gower peninsula in Wales. Report by John Davies (Swansea University) On 4 June 2002 many washed up Velella were discovered hidden amongst the pebbles on Aberystwyth south beach, west Wales on the Cardigan Bay coast. Report by Suzanne Breeze On 2 June 2002 I have had two reports of hundreds of Velella velella being washed up on the South of the Isle of Man, one report from Scarlett Point and another at Chapel Bay, Port St. Mary. Report by Mike Bates (Port Erin Marine Lab.) c. 9 June 2002 Thousands of Velella are washed up on the north Devon strandline from Westward Ho!, Croyde and Woolacombe.  Report by Gavin Black (Devon Biodiversity Records Centre) BMLSS Velella velella Bionomics of Velella (notes) 27 May 2002 A pod of dolphins, probably Bottle-nosed Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, were seen off Lancing beach, West Sussex. They appeared dark in colour, described as black rather than the grey of the life-sized artificial dolphin on display at Adur World Oceans Day 2002. Dolphin observations from the shore an unusual off Sussex, although a few occur every year.  Report by Russell at Adur World Oceans Day  Sussex Dolphins c. 12 May 2002 A male Cuckoo Wrasse, Labrus bimaculatus, caught by a boat angler at a mark known as the Waldrons off Littlehampton, one of the few places off Sussex where this fish is regularly found. The fish was kept alive and returned to the sea at Shoreham Harbour. Report by Bob Squires (Southwick) BMLSS Wrasse page 9 May 2002 A pod of six Killer Whales, Orcinus orca, are seen from the Fetlar ferry in the Bluemull ‘triangle’. (Fetlar is an island in the north-east of the Shetland Isles.) They were probably the same pod that was seen in March. Report on Shetland Wildlife News (Marine Life) 9 May 2002 With the swarms of jellyfish it is does not come as a surprise that a predatory Leatherback Turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, was seen by Ian and Joy Olford 50 metres from the shore off Polruan, Cornwall (SX 125 511). The jellyfish Rhizostoma octopus was seen nearby and jellyfish are the principal diet of these turtles. Reports from Stella Turk on the Cornish Mailing List BMLSS Turtles EuroTurtle The Marine Conservation Society have produced a laminated Turtle Advice Sheet (endorsed by DEFRA). The guide contains reports numbers and advice. Turtle Report Numbers MCS Turtles 7-9 May 2002 Whilst on Colin Speedie's Basking Shark survey last week we were almost continually among the jellyfish Rhizostoma octopus (from Lands End to Fowey, Cornwall), some areas had particularly dense aggregations of them. Report by Gavin Black (Devon Biodiversity Records Centre) Huge numbers of Rhizostoma octopus were seen between Falmouth and the Lizard, Cornwall. Report by Peter Tinsley 4-7 May 2002 There have been reports of  jellyfishes from the Cornish and Devon coasts, including Rhizostoma octopus at 50 cm diameter with a purple rim to the bell stranded near the swimming pool at Devil's Point (Western Kings) on the Plymouth foreshore on 7 May. Richard White (of Devon Wildlife Trust) saw lots of Rhizostoma at Church Cove on the Lizard, Cornwall, on 5 May. A report arrived via Brixham Coastguard from a member of the public; that a large jellyfish (one metre across) had been found in the Imperial Recreation Ground in Exmouth, Devon, on 6 May 2002. Report from Doug Herdson (National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth) Large numbers of Rhizostoma octopus are reported from the Manacles rocks, off south Cornwall, by by Roger Dadds, (Plymouth Sound SAC) on 4-5 May. Report by Keith Hiscock via the Marine Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Group Large numbers of jellyfish up to one metre in diameter are also reported from off Chesil beach and around Portland Bill, and also the Erme estuary and Bigbury Bay (south Devon). It seems this is a year of exceptional abundance for Rhizostoma octopus. (Several reports.)  By 1 June 2002 the Rhizostoma octopus had reached as far east as Sussex with one specimen of nearly a metre in diameter washed up at Shoreham Beach. Report by Martin Ward at Adur World Oceans Day Adur Nature Notes (Spring 2002) for Shoreham Beach Nature Reports BMLSS Jellyfish 2 May 2002 A baby Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, is washed up alive on Pagham beach, Sussex, but dies shortly afterwards. Report by Stephen Savage (Sea Watch Foundation) Another Harbour Porpoise was washed up with the umbilical cord attached on Rozel beach, Normandy. It was a female and measured 92 cm long. Photo link.  Report by Gérard Mauger (Groupe d'Etude des Cétacés du Cotentin)

The British Marine Life Study Society web pages are available for permanent reference on the CD-ROM. 
 

The Homepage can now be accessed by typing in:
http://www.glaucus.co.uk

Sub-directories cannot be accessed directly through this domain. 
 

Please send any reports of missing links and images to: Glaucus@hotmail.com

FORUM

MARINE WILDLIFE of the NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC OCEAN EFORUM PAGE   (LINK TO) Forum for discussion about the marine life of the North-east Atlantic Ocean, including the North Sea, English Channel and all the seas around the British Isles including Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal. This page can be used by members to report finds, ask questions, queries over identification, concerns about environmental issues etc. This eForum is participated in by members of many groups studying the marine environment. Go to menu bar above and click on Database and then on Marine Life Organisations to find a list of web sites.  Photographs and illustrations are best uploaded to the Document Vault and should not exceed 75K in size (*.JPG). Andy Horton (Manager)

DIARY

In chronological order, the most recent events are at the top of the page. Events open to the public, free or for a nominal charge only are included. Most Seminars need to be booked in advance

BIOSIS  Conference Calendar for Zoology
(Major Link of all biological conferences around the world)

SAMS Seminar Series   The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Dunbeg, Oban, Argyll PA37 1QA Tel: 01631 559000 Fax: 01631 559300 Email: mail@dml.ac.uk For more details/how to find SAMS see our website: http://www.sams.ac.uk Unless otherwise stated, seminars are held on Fridays at 4:15 pm in the SAMS Conference Room ** Followed by the Friday R&R **     25 January Rebecca Dean  (SAMS / UHI) Sediment metal concentration around fish farms - naturally contained or a cause for concern? 22 February Eric Breuer   Comparison of sediment oxygen uptake rates determined by in-situ microprofiling and shipboard/laboratory incubations from contrasting marine environments. 5 April Pei Sun Loh (SAMS-UHI) Contribution of terrigenous organic carbon to total organic carbon in Scottish Sea Lochs. 19 April Dr Lukas Keller (University of Glasgow) In breeding depression in natural populations. 3 May Clara Morri (SAMS – UHI) North Atlantic deglaciation. 17 May Dr Michael Burrows (SAMS) Foraging in an ecosystem context - does behaviour matter? 31 May Johanna Fehling (SAMS / UHI) Amnesic shellfish poisoning in Scottish waters. 14 June Jose Gonzalez-Vecino (SAMS / UHI) The use of nucleotide-enriched diets for fish broodstock nutrition. 28 June Dr Eric Fouilland (SAMS) Primary production in the Clyde. 12 July David Nairn (SAMS / UHI) Mechanoreception in halibut larvae 9 August Aditee Mitra (SAMS / UHI) Of Microbes and Models..... 23 August Dr Kate Willis (SAMS) Toxicity of sea lice medicines to non-target marine copepods. 6 September Sarah Swann (SAMS) Fish otoliths – a mine of information?

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Southampton Oceanography Centre

 
 
 

Marine Life Talks 2002	Southampton Oceanography Centre
3rd January	Dorset marine life - Ken Collins
7th February	Rocky shores - Roger Herbert
7th March	Experiments with salt water - Ken Collins
4th April	Artificial reefs - Antony Jensen
2nd May	Biscay whales & dolphins - Andy Williams
6th June	Human history underwater - Nick Flemming
4th July	Camouflage, commensalism and critters - Alex Mustard
1st August	Marine life of SE England - Lisa Browning
5th September
3rd October
7th November	Fishy tales - Peter Henderson

 
 

7.30pm first Thursday of every month   http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/PR/NEWS

 

All welcome, entry by free ticket only. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Please send s.a.e. to:   Daphne Woods at SOES, Southampton Oceanography Centre, Southampton SO14 3ZH. Stating the DATE, TITLE of the TALK, and NUMBER of tickets required. Entrance to Southampton Oceanography Centre is through Dock Gate 4, please ask for a map if required. Free parking on site, wheelchair access and facilities for those with disabilities.  For further information contact Daphne on 023 8059 5075 or email dw1@soc.soton.ac.uk

 

For more information, contact: Jenny Mallinson Tel:  023 80 596299 More Information Link Map to Southampton Oceanography Centre

Diary Page (Link)

GATEWAY:  LINKS TO OTHER SITES

The British Marine Life Study Society Web Site has been included as an Encyclopaedia Britannica Recommended Site and included on the BBC On-line Internet Guide.

There are more entries on the GATEWAY pages of the BMLSS Web Site. The logos for the various organisations have been removed to reduce the size of this file. 

Quick reference links:
 
 
 
 

GATEWAY:  Links

GATEWAY:  Further European Links

BIOMAR

BRITISH MARINE LIFE ORGANISATIONS

Courses (Marine Life)

FISHBASE

MARIS Marine Information Service Netherlands

MARLIN (Marine Life Information Network)

MERMAID Marine Nature Conservation Review Survey Database

National Biodiversity Network

World Oceans Day

PUBLICATIONS

NEW CD-ROM

This CD-ROM has not been extensively tested yet. It proves an interesting introduction, but not a comprehensive guide. For the practical method of trying to put a name to an plant or animal you find in the wild, it is not inclusive enough. 
Available through the Kent Ornithological Society.
 
 

THE SPECIES DIRECTORY OF THE MARINE FAUNA AND FLORA OF THE BRITISH ISLES AND SURROUNDING SEAS.
Edited by C. Howson and B. Picton
Ulster Museum & the Marine Conservation Society 1997.
About £27.50 (including CD-ROM 1999)

The project to collate the species that live in the seas off Britain is an ongoing project. The Directory is a list of all the species grouped systematically according to their scientific names, with a comprehensive bibliography. The 1997 edition, not available until 1998, is the latest list and is useful on the rare occasions (about once a week for me) that I have to look up a vagrant, unusual species that is not listed in the usual identification books.

Now available with the CD-ROM, this proves useful list of all the species for professionals, but it could be improved to make it more useful, e.g. facilities for biological recording and an interchange with Recorder 2000.

MCS books On-Line

 
BMLSS: Marine Life Articles in Publications (Link)

PHOTOGRAPHS

This is a simple project or request to members and readers of this Bulletin. It is to take pictures of the coast when you are next down on the shore. Even general views have value, but ideally we would like photographs of the shore showing the type of rock, topography and rock pools, dominant fauna, and information that cannot be described adequately by words on the Report Cards.           Photographs by Ray Hamblett (Lancing Nature) Edited by Andy Horton CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION (ON-LINE) 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 100K in size. Click on the album for more links (On-line link) Shore Topography Portfolio

FULL MEMBERS 2002

British Marine Life Study Society membership information was sent out with the Shorewatch newsletter in January 2002.

If you are unable to view this file with all its images through your EMail software, one way around this is to go to your directory for incoming email, where this file should be stored, and open the file Torped72.html in your favourite browser. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 and above is recommended. 

 
Some of the images may not display if you have changed your directory for downloaded files. The images may also not display properly if your settings on your EMail software do not allow you do this automatically. Unfortunately, I am unable to cater for all the Email software in use nowadays. I am looking into this problem.

Torpedo  compiled by Andy Horton
Background design by Nicolas Jouault

 10 June 2002