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.

Some events are group under the organiser and this messes up the strict chronological order.

26 to 29 April 2006
Conchology Society Field Trip
Field Meeting to Anglesey
Conchological Society of GB & Ireland

The primary aim of the meeting is to record molluscs from the intertidal of Anglesey and Lleyn Peninsula - but I am sure that there will be opportunities to record other taxa.

Since the post 1991 marine molluscan survey of Anglesey was started, 47 new records for the area have been confirmed. Some of these are Graphis albida, Alvania beanii, Alvania carinata, Sepia elegans, Sepia orbigniana and Rissoa lilacina. Some records have only being previously recorded from western Ireland and north and west Scotland. This may be due to the possible existance of deep water off the end of the Lleyn Peninsula.

The purpose of this meeting is to examine some of the hot spot areas on the
south Anglesey and lower north Lleyn Peninsula coasts with particular interest in shell sand as this is where many of the new records have been turning up. The group will be looking at two areas on south west Anglesey, i.e. Aberffraw, and Rhosneigr and Porth Dinllaen on the Lleyn Peninsula. The latter is a uniquely sheltered location and hosts a large area of Eelgrass Zostera marina.

There will also be two non marine sites on Anglesey at Llyn Maelog and also
at Newborough Warren which will be the first meeting point for the group at the carpark adjacent to Llyn Rhos-ddu SH 426 647 at 10.00 am on Wednesday 26
April 2006. From there the group will move on to Aberffraw to meet at the dunes
carpark at SH 357 690 at 1.00 pm for the first marine event.

Full programs can be obtained from Tom Clifton.
.
Conchological Society Programme of Events (Link)
 

24-26 March 2006
The Isle of Man Conference
Marine Natural History: Past, Present and Future

For those of you who are unaware, Port Erin Marine Laboratory on the Isle of Man will be closing its doors at the end of June 2006, after 114 years of service.

Events have been organised to mark the occasion and Porcupine Marine Natural
History Society, having many members with past links to PEML, wanted to
highlight the contribution of PEML to our understanding of the marine
environment by holding the annual PMNHS conference at the marine station.
This is a great opportunity to visit or revisit the laboratory one last
time.

There will be two days of talks (Friday and Saturday) followed by a field trip on the Sunday. Laboratory space will be available and it may be possible to arrange diving for any truly hardy people! The Isle of Man has extensive and varied rocky shores and sandy coves and also has superb scenery, walks and many other tourist attractions. So you may wish to extend your visit by a few days. Unfortunately the Laboratory will be closing permanently in July 2006 so this may be your last opportunity to visit.

Call for papers: We would be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to present a paper at the conference. Speakers will not be charged the conference fee but will be asked to make a small contribution for refreshments.
Offers of papers to Séamus Whyte (s.whyte@enviromuir.co.uk).

Posters: There is a space for posters adjacent to the lecture hall for easy viewing during coffee/ tea breaks.
Offers of posters to Séamus Whyte (s.whyte@enviromuir.co.uk).

Costs: The conference fee, which includes tea and coffee is £30 (£20 for students and unwaged). Non-Porcupine members may join the Society during the conference (by standing order only) for £5, a 50% reduction. If you wish to take advantage of this offer the total fee will be £35.

Details including location map, accommodation list, provisional programme & membership form (where appropriate) will be sent on completion of the booking form.

Booking Enquiries: Peter Barfield - peter@seanature.co.uk or 01208 851040

The Marine Conservation Society's Annual Conference has a special focus on climate change - one of the greatest impacts on our world's oceans today.

It is now accepted that climate change is happening. This special one-day event will highlight the evidence for climate change; researchers will outline alarming shifts in oceanic environments; you can hear about how UK marine life is being affected; and experts will describe why this problem needs to be challenged and how you can help.

Booking: telephone 01989 566017 or download a form at www.mcsuk.org
 

The programme is packed with informed presenters covering other marine conservation matters, with discussion, film, photography, and more. You'll hear about the range of activities MCS has carried out over the last year, and look forward to new challenges.
 

Guest Speakers on Climate Change:

Ian Totterdell (Met Office) "Global warming: what's in store?"

Steve Hawkins (Marine Biological Association) "Responses in marine life to climate change"

Chris Reid (Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Sciences) "Plankton regime shifts and the key role that the oceans play in climate change "

Carol Turley (Plymouth Marine Laboratory) 'Ocean Acidification - the other CO2 problem'

Michael Hay (British Wind Energy Authority) "Marine Renewables - where we are today"
 

Other speakers:

Trevor Norton (Author, Director of Port Erin Marine Lab) "Underwater to get out of the Rain"

Andrew Davies (Scottish Association for Marine Sciences) "Preserving our deep-sea heritage"

Ben Bradshaw MP "Marine Bill Progress" tbc.

Plus many others for a full day's programme.
Lunch and refreshments provided.

Cost £30 (£20 Student)

PORCUPINE MARINE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Offers of talks and/or posters, either on the theme or on any appropriate subject, are welcome now. We shall attempt to accommodate talks of from 20 to 30 minutes into the programme. Please specify equipment requirements.
 

• Martin Angel: Towards an Atlas of North Atlantic Planktonic Ostracoda
• Geoff Moore: Richard Elmhirst: the 'other' Cumbrae naturalist
• Kim Last: Biological rhythms of Nereis virens
• Brian Bett: Viewing the depths of the sea
• Peter Davis: '19th century marine biology in north east England'
• Kathryn Birch: Overview of the CCW intertidal mapping data
• Julia Nunn: Irish marine Mollusca in the collections of the Natural History Museum, Dublin

• Natasha Lough: Distribution and character of Sabellaria alveolata reefs around Wales
• Tammy Horton: Deep-sea scavenging amphipods of the north-east Atlantic
• Jean-Claude Dauvin: Marine census of benthic invertebrates in The English Channel
• Richard Warwick: An All Taxon Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) for the Isles of Scilly: Progress Report

Wednesday 27th April, 7.00 pm - 8.30 pm

Earthwatch Lecture at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London

Grey Whales & Orca - Feeding Habits & Health

© Chris Newman

Our oceans are powerful indicators of the state of our planet and the incidence of climate change.  There is currently much public interest in whales and their environment, but the information is often poorly reported or interpreted.  Join us to hear about our research into two charismatic species, the coastal grey whale, which can weigh between 30 and 40 tonnes, and the killer whale, the most fearsome predator of the world's oceans - research which also tells us about the health of the oceans they inhabit.

Admission is free but by ticket only.

Plymouth

Talks Series 2004

Tuesday 30 March 2004
"Basking Sharks"  by Colin Speedie

Tuesday  27 April 2004  (changed date)
"Royal Fyshes of Devon and Cornwall" by Kelvin Boot.

Tuesday 25 May 2004
"The Heat Is On" by Doug Herdson
who will be talking about global warming and its effects on the marine life of
the south west.

  Facilities are available for schools, linked to the national curriculum.

Talks start at 7:00 p.m.
at the National Marine Aquarium, Coxside, Plymouth Devon.
Admission – Adults £2.50; Children and NMA members £1.50, inclusive of refreshments will be available.

Please reserve your place by calling the Aquarium on 01752 275204
 

Unless otherwise stated, seminars are held on Fridays at 4:15 pm
in the SAMS Conference Room ** Followed by the Friday R&R **

10 March 2004
Scottish Marine Group Spring meeting, presenting postgraduate research in marine science in Scotland.
Heriot Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh.
For information contact Dr Hamish Mair j.m.mair@hw.ac.uk
 

28 August 2003
SAMS exhibition in the Heritage Centre at The Argyllshire Gathering in Oban.

9 - 12 September 2003
Second International Symposium on Deep Sea Corals, 9 - 12 September, 2003, Erlangen, Germany. For further details: www.cool-corals.de
Registration: cool-corals@pal.uni-erlangen.de
 
 

For more details on the forthcoming talks, please contact Murray Roberts (mailto:mr-t@dml.ac.uk) or tel: 01631 559 000

A series of monthly talks on marine conservation topics
These talks are open to the public, admission is free.

3 July 2003
Marine Life Talk at Southampton Oceanography Centre –
The Shingle Currency – gravel, dredging and marine life off south east England

Sand and gravel, in various combinations, cover most of the sea bed area of South East England, forming an intricate mosaic of habitats. These habitats are home to a diverse assemblage of animals, including rarities such as the ross worm and commercially important species such as scallop and herring.
 

Sand and gravel are also a vital resource for the construction industry and are increasingly used in coast protection schemes. In the UK, over 4 tonnes of sand and gravel are consumed per person per year. In London and the South East, around a third of the sand and gravel demand is met from marine sources. The industry is regulated by the Government and there are systems in place to ensure that impacts on the environment are minimised.

But is it really as simple as that? How important is the wildlife of sand and gravel habitats? What effects does marine aggregate extraction have on these habitats and species? Is the damage from dredging temporary or permanent? And what are the Government, the aggregates industry and conservationists doing to get a better understanding of the situation?

For further information about The Wildlife Trusts’ marine work in South England, including the events programme for South East Marine Week 2003, please see www.southeastmarine.org.uk or call Hampshire Wildlife Trust on 02380 688936.

To find out more about the marine aggregate industry see www.bmapa.org or contact the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association on 0207 730 8194.

Lisa Browning is Marine Conservation Officer for The Wildlife Trusts in the South East. She is currently co-ordinating a major project entitled ‘Marine biodiversity and aggregates in South East England’. The project is supported by English Nature, though Defra’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.

Lisa Browning has worked in marine conservation and environmental education for the last nine years, including three years as Marine Ranger at Durlston Country Park in Dorset, and a year freelancing as a marine education consultant in Honduras and the UK.

Mark Russell is Development Manager for the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association, and has worked in the marine aggregate industry since 1995.

With a background in marine geography and marine resource management, Mark’s responsibilities during this time have encompassed the full range of production and resource management issues associated with the industry, including the development of new licences.
 

7 August 2003
Odessa and the Black Sea – Ken Collins

4 September 2003
t.b.a.

2 October 2003
ROV deep sea fish watching – Ian Hudson
 
 

The Marine Life Talks are held on the first Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm, please arrive at 7.15 pm to be met in Reception. Southampton Oceanography Centre is reached via Dock Gate 4 (between Town Quay and Ocean Village).

8 March 2003 (Saturday)
Earthwatch Project: Marine Life talks
10:00 am  - 5:15 pm
Venue: Imperial College, London

Earthwatch Open Day

Earthwatch scientists will provide in-depth information about their projects and the volunteering experience.  There will also be the opportunity to
participate in a series of workshops covering a number of topics from travel
tips to travel photography.

Marine naturalist Colin Speedie will talk about his research into Britain¹s
Basking Sharks, Dr. Vincent Pieribone will describe his project 'Luminous Life in the Great Barrier Reef¹ and Earthwatch volunteer Roger Griffin willbe recounting his experiences on 'Crocodiles of the Okavango¹.

Tickets: Earthwatch members £10.00; Non-members £12.50; Student concession £10.00.  Coffee breaks and a sandwich lunch included.

Contact Earthwatch, Tel 01865 318856; Fax. 01865 311383;
EMail: info@earthwatch.org.uk

Web Page: www.earthwatch.org/europe

 
 

WORLD OCEANS DAY     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. Are you running an event this year? If you are running a World Oceans Day event this year, please send me details so the information can be out on the World Oceans Day web page. Ideally you will construct your web page for your event, so all I will do is put in an Internet link. If you do not have any web space, you can still design a web page and it can be uploaded on space provided on the Smart Groups  World Oceans Day eforum. This forum is for discussion of all aspects of running a World Oceans day event and all marine life exhibitions, including exchange of ideas, resource sources, and mundane matters like Public Liability Insurance.   Adur World Oceans Day 2003    Event:  Adur World Oceans Day  Date:  31 May 2003 (Saturday)  Venue:   Coronation Green  Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex   (TQ 216 050)  Theme:  Education  Main Contact:  Andy Horton  Tel: 01273 465433  EMail: Glaucus@hotmail.com  Web Page URL:   Click on this text (*.pdf)      Adur Exhibition Adur will be one of the leaders in the United Kingdom when it presents an exhibition celebrating the official World Oceans Day. The event will take place on Saturday 31 May 2003 in Shoreham-by-Sea, on Coronation Green at the start of the Adur Festival.

Devon Wildlife Trust

Wembury Bay  Rockpool Rambles
Contact Wembury Marine Centre   Tel:  01752 862538

Leaflet from Devon Wildlife Trust   Tel:  01392 279244.