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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25 June 2006
Martin Elliot and myself have recorded large numbers of Basking Shark, Cetorhinus maximus, off West Cornwall in perfect sea conditions throughout the day. Because of movement between the morning and evening it is hard to be exact on numbers but involved a minimum of 60 animals and a maximum of 100.

15 June 2006
The River Walks TV company with Charlie Dimmick filmed on Lancing beach (at the Shoreham end near Widewater), referred to as Shoreham-by-Sea, featured shrimping with Peter Talbot-Elsden (British Marine Life Study Society).

12 June 2006
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was caught and landed in an eel-bow-net at Skalderviken, south-west Sweden by Hasse Edelin. The fish measured 53 cm and weighed 1.5 kg.
 

Hasse Edelin with the Ray's Bream, Brama brama. Report and Photograph by Kent Andersson Fiske-Kent / American Fisheries Society

There have been several reports of this pelagic fish washed up dead on North Sea coasts over the winter of 2005-6. 
Discussion and Extra Information

10 June 2006

Adur was one of the UK leaders in presenting an environmental exhibition of World Oceans Day on Coronation Green, Shoreham, as part of the Adur Festival.

Adur World Oceans Day 2006 was bathed in a heatwave, but the show was over before the warmest day of the year so far was recorded as the air temperature measured 25.8 ºC at 5:40 pm. The crowds were concentrated in the morning because of the dubious alternative afternoon attraction of England versus Paraguay in the World Cup 2006. 
 

Len and Wayne Nevell and Samantha (British Marine Life Study Society), and Marc Abraham (PETS) presented the lobster and large crustacean display, Andy Horton (BMLSS) with the rockpool aquaria, John Knight and Kathy Eels (West Sussex County Council Rural Strategy Unit) with the strandline display, David and Marion Wood (FOWL) with the shingle flora photographs, Dee Christensen (Nature Coast Project) with the help of the Beach Wardens, Steve Savage (Sea Watch Foundation) dolphins exhibit and ORCA (Organisation Cetacea), the national cetacean group based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
Images 2006

Shoreham Beach Nature Reserve was declared at Adur World Oceans Day 2006.

8 June 2006
WORLD OCEANS DAY
World Oceans Day was first declared as 8th June at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

c. 8 June 2006
A Sea Horse, Hippocampus sp., was spotted and collected in a bucket by Edward Wilson (aged 8) near the entrance of the outer harbour of Brighton Marina, Sussex. The adult fish of an estimated height of 150 mm (6 inches) was seen to swim away in a healthy condition. The identification was confirmed by a photograph. Sea Horses were regarded as rare from the seas off Sussex until this year. 

7 June 2006
The largest* Atlantic Halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, ever recorded was caught and landed by professional net fisherman Rolf Larsen (62 years old), at Stamsund, Lofoten, Norway (within the Arctic Circle but with seas warmed by the Gulf Stream). This massive fish weighed 282 kg and would have probably weighed 290 kg when first caught. The difference was because of the loss of blood after capture. Its total length was 262 cm. The fish was sold for display. 

(* My current information has the previous largest as 266 kg and 365 cm long.)

BMLSS Halibut
BMLSS Large Halibut
Halibut (Wikipedia)
 
 

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.

The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom launched a new full colour magazine, GLOBAL MARINE ENVIRONMENT in 2005, which will appeal to people who wish to read accurate, interesting and entertaining articles about the world's oceans and its inhabitants.
Much of the source material for this new magazine is the Journal of the Marine Biological Association (JMBA). Whereas the journal is full of excellent scientific papers, GLOBAL MARINE ENVIRONMENT takes some of the most interesting studies and, in full colour, writes a more understandable summary of the findings.

The first issue of Global Marine Environment may be purchased in hard copy for £1.75 (see below) or downloaded from the web at the following
address:

http://www.mba.ac.uk/PDF/mbaglobal%20news.pdf 

Coastal Plankton 
Photo Guide for European Seas

by Otto Larink & Wilfried Westheide

reviewed by Wim van Egmond
 
 
 

ISBN  0-9522831-5-8 Available from: