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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20-21 November 2005
Two or three Bottle-nosed Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, are seen off Portland Bill.

18 November 2005
A large dead whale seen floating in the Solent off the Isle of Wight coast was believed to be a Fin Whale, Balaenoptera physalis. The 10.7 metre long whale eventually washed up on a sandbank between Seagrove Bay and Bembridge.

15 November 2005
A Common Seal, Phoca vitulina, swam up the tidal area of the River Ouse in East Sussex up a narrow winding river for three miles to Southease. 
Marine Life of Sussex
BMLSS Seals
Sussex Ouse Conservation Society

7 November 2005 >
There has been an influx of Grey Phalaropes, Phalaropus fulicarius, all over the south and west coasts of England and Wales. The arrivals followed a spate of gales. This bird is blown in during most years, but there may be more this year? 

The photograph shows a first winter bird on Brooklands Boating Lake, Lancing, Sussex, where it remained for a week and was joined temporarily by a second bird. 
Picture Page
Better Images on Birds of Sussex
Adur Nature Notes (November 2005)

5 November 2005
A deep water crab Atelecyclus undecimdentatus was caught and returned to the sea in five metres of water of the coast of Jersey. The carapace length of this circular crab was 40 mm. This species of crab is rarely (if ever) recorded in the English Channel because it usually lives at greater depths. It is recorded more often off the south-west coasts in the vicinity of deeper water. 

on the Marine Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Group

29 October 2005

Colin Naman caught a a Derbio, Trachinotus ovatus, amongst a school of Garfish, Belone belone, in Portland Harbour. This fish was released back into the sea and swam away unharmed. It is one the jacks classified in the family Carangidae. It is a southern fish which is moderately common in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean but rarely encountered in British seas where it is usually associated with surface feeding shoals of fish.

Report by Phil Whiting (UK Aquarium)

The 34 kg Broad-billed Swordfish captured by the Swedish professional fisherman Gert Larsson.

Swordfishes are an oceanic fish supporting a small fishery in the stormy mid-Atlantic Ocean. They are rarely found inshore and records of this fish from around the British coast are very rare. 

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.

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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 150K 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. 

Shore Topography Portfolio
 

Click on the album for more links (On-line link)