4 June 2003
We have got loads of By-the-Wind Sailors, Velella velella, in the Fowey estuary, Cornwall, as far up as Wisemans reach. They are coming in by the bucket load. Lots were stranded on Readymoney beach and there were lots washing in the night. I haven't seen any Violet Sea Snails, but am going out on the water this morning so shall look out.

3 June 2003

The famous Boar Fish, Capros aper, died after its aquarium sprung a leak in the middle of the night. (It was caught from the Sussex shore at Hove in November 2002). Quotes are being obtained for having the fish moulded and cast by a professional taxidermist. 

31 May 2003
Shoreham bathed in a heatwave up to 24° C for the opening of the Adur Festival and Adur World Oceans Day 2003 on Coronation Green, Shoreham-by-Sea. About 3000 people attended the event that was steady and busy throughout. 
Exhibits included live fish and lobster in aquaria, colouring and badge-making, whales and dolphins, birds, shrimps, fish-tasting, touch-table, Shoreham shingle beach flora and undersea colour photographs and videos. 

A special thanks to all the participants, especially Len Nevell (British Marine Life Study Society) and Steve Trewhella (Marine Conservation Society). The inflated dolphin was  provided by Steve Savage (Sea Watch Foundation). 

Several groups had special exhibitions including the:

British Marine Life Study Society including Shorewatch (four exhibits)
West Sussex County Council Countryside Unit
Sea Watch Foundation (for Whales & Dolphins)
Sussex Sea Fisheries District Committee
SeaSearch (Undersea Biological Recording)
Shoreham & District Ornithological Society
Sussex Ornithological Society

Adur World Oceans Day 2003
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Popular Information File on Adur World Oceans Day 2003
Acrobat Information File on Adur World Oceans Day 2003

28 May 2003
David Muirhead sailed through a large fleet of By-the-Wind Sailors, Velella velella, on the SE side of Fal Bay. He said they were being tossed around and he wondered if they could capsize.
Michael Ennis reported a number at Nansudwell, Cornwall.

26 May 2003
Hundreds of By-the-Wind Sailors seen approximately half a mile SE of Guernsey, Channel Islands in the afternoon.

24 May 2003
Polurrian Beach, Mullion, Cornwall:  I found hundreds of By-the-Wind Sailors, Velella velella, on the falling tide on Saturday and by the smell/remains they have been coming ashore for several days.

21 May 2003
Ray Lawman has reported to Ruth Williams that he there were about half a million Velella velella at "Soapy Cove" on the Lizard, Cornwall.

Thousands of tiny By-the-Wind Sailors, Velella velella, are coming ashore on the Isles of Scilly . Porthlow on St. Mary's (Porthloo on maps) was covered with them, most only about 10 mm in length with only the occasional larger one, and the larger ones were very large at approx. 50 mm, with none in-between. I don't think I have seen them either as big or as small
before.

20 May 2003
Hundreds of By-the-Wind Sailors, Velella velella, (a jellyfish-like animal) are washed up on Sennen Cove, Cornwall.
Sennen Cove Wildlife Page

By-the-Wind Sailors, Velella velella, are being reported again in the sea and washed up on the strandline on the north Cornish shores and Salcombe Harbour, south Devon.

18 May 2003
Tim Bain reports seeing a 5 metre long Basking Shark, Cetorhinus maximus, in St Ives Harbour, Cornwall, at dusk. This shark is the largest fish found in the seas around the British Isles and is regularly seen off the south-western coasts but only rarely actually enters harbours.

The fish is 106 cm (total length) and 4.2 kg (gutted, so probably an ungutted weight of over 4.5 kg), and is the first record of a Barracuda in British waters."

I initially identified this fish from photographs as Sphyraena sphyraena. However it has now been examined in detail and I was incorrect.

When this specimen was examined at the Natural History Museum by Oliver Crimmen it was found that the edge of the operculum was naked (not covered in scales as it is in).  This, along with a few other features, showed the specimen to be Sphyraena viridensis, known as the Yellowmouth Barracuda.

I am afraid I was misled by the size of the specimen, as the FAO guide to the Mediterranean (1987), the UNESCO Fishes of North-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (1986) and Miller and Loates (1997) all given the maximum size of Sphyraena viridensis as 65 cm (probably standard length) and this specimen was 106 cm (total length).  However FishBase does give Sphyraena viridensis as reaching 128 cm (fork length).  FishBase does also say that the distribution of Sphyraena viridensis is uncertain as it is frequently misidentified as Sphyraena sphyraena.
 

In June 1992,  over 150  Heads of States signed the Convention on Biological Diversity at Rio de Janeiro. They did so to express a shared belief that action must be taken to halt the worldwide loss of animal and plant species and genetic resources.

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.

This query arose from Adur World Oceans Day. 
Can anybody identify the large worn shell, Glycymeris, to species level. It came from Portugal and is 99 mm long. Clicking on the image will bring up a larger photograph. 

Bring wellies, waterproofs and lunch.

Directions:
From the A379 Plymouth - Kingsbridge road follow signs for Mount Batten. Alternatively take the water taxi from the Mayflower Steps, in the Barbican. The event will be clearly signed.

For more information visit www.marlin.ac.uk/learningzone or phone the MarLIN team on 01752 633336.

Summary:
EVENT: Seashore Safari
DATE & TIME: 14/06/03 11:30-14:00
PLACE: Batten Bay, Mount Batten, near Plymouth (SX 488 528)
COST: Free
PARKING: Free
WEBSITE: www.marlin.ac.uk/learningzone
PHONE: 01752 633336
---------
Olwen Ager
Data Researcher
Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN)
Marine Biological Association
Citadel Hill
Plymouth
PL1 2PB