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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5 November 2005
Marine Conservation Society Conference
Exeter University
9:30 am to 5:00 pm

Details below

25 October 2005
An Angler Fish, Lophius piscatorius, weighing 51 kg was caught on road and line of Norway. This was a large fish as the international angling record for this species is 57.7 kg off Norway.

18 October 2005
A Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, was washed up on Porthmeor beach near St. Ives, on the Cornish coast. Its injuries seemed to indicate it was caught in a fishing net before it perished. 

A new species of marine worm Osedax mucofloris that lives off whale bones on the sea floor has been described by scientists. The creature was found on a Minke Whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, carcass in relatively shallow water close to Tjarno Marine Laboratory on the Swedish coast. 

A 10 kg Tuna was discovered in a crab net south of Göteborg in south-west Sweden. I think this is a small specimen of the Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus. This large fish is now rare in these northern seas and the smaller ones very rare. . 

September 2005

Stuart Johnson (in the picture), and he caught a female Tope, Galeorhinus galeus, on rod and line (it took 15 minutes to land) eight miles off Brighton Marina, Sussex, in about 30 metres of water. It was weighed at 25 lb (about 11 kg) and the shark was tagged and returned to the sea alive and unharmed. Tope are unusual captures off the Sussex coast. 
BMLSS Sharks

18 October 2005
I found two Aeolidiella alderi under rocks on the mid-shore of La Valette, east coast of Guernsey. The smaller of the two specimens appears to be parasitized by a copepod. What I find interesting is that I found another specimen of Aeolidiella
alderi on 28 October 2004. It seems that Aeolidiella alderi may arrive on the east Guernsey shore in October. I have not found it inter-tidally at any other time of year. 

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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October 2005

In Saundersfoot, south Wales we found a Lesser or Curled Octopus, Eledone cirrhosa. It was very much alive and although stranded by the receding tide, when placed in a nearby deep rockpool where it became quite active, changing colour.

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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.
 

The small wading birds foraging around on the gravel beneath the wharf  were too small to recognise at a distance. Confident in their own effective camouflage, the Turnstones came within camera range still probing for food. Location: Kingston Buci Beach, Shoreham Harbour, Sussex

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
 

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