The curious Montagu's blennyMY FIRST ST PIRANS CRAB!! 15 .3. 17Somewhere on a special shore near you, there may be a shy creature taking shelter in a shell you may just think is an ordinary marine snail! The hermit crab, clibanarius erythropus also known as the St Pirans crab is a small species of crustacean that was rediscovered last year in Falmouth on a public Shoresearch survey by Adrian Rowlands. This species was recorded in Cornwall around the 60's, however after the Torrey Canyon oil spill in 1967, the species seemed to mysteriously disappear. However, they have seemed to recolonise and are now being recorded on many shores around the Cornish coast. Only measuring around 6mm in length, this small hermit crab likes to inhabit empty shells of those usually taken by Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) and other marine snails.
Shoresearch survey #2!
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SHORESEARCH SURVEY Prisk Cove, Helford
Once again.... a beach practically in the middle of nowhere which involved a long trek down from fields and hills has been chosen! The views however were magnificent and it made the long walk up and down much better! The beach, mainly consisting of shingle and some sand, stretched too many miles where rocky habitats were massively abundant with once again very distinct zonation. There was a vast amount of diversity in the area with species I had never seen before and those which still amaze me! Overall a successful survey :D
Hannafore beach a large rocky shore that stretches for miles is found in the Middle of Looe. Copious amounts of kelp species dominate the shore, being left exposed at low tide. Being one of the lowest spring tides of the year, we were able to walk through the eelgrass beds and explore a completely new rocky shore separated by the incoming tide. Although many amazing organisms were found, the shore was primarily dominated by dogwhelks and large brown seaweeds. Many crab species were found lurking under rocks and crevices, along with brittle stars, keel worms and a variety of sponges.
Snorkeling down Durgan beach Helford river
Having previously snorkeled here as part of a snorkel safari with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, I thought I would revisit this lovely area but this time with my amazing new underwater camera! EKK!! :D The visibility was dreadful during the snorkel safari and was not much better this time round! I could barely see a metre in front of me and being honest, I was genuinely a little bit anxious! As a human, a fear of the unknown is typical for us... a fear of not knowing what is beneath us, to the side and in front of us! The thought of a large jellyfish or bull (male) seal suddenly appearing without warning in front of my face petrified me but concentrating on my breathing and getting myself upbeat about the Plumose anemones I saw previous ,allowed me to refocus and swim to my chosen destination.... the buoys afloat on the water ahead. The submerged rope connected to the buoys were teeming with life. A large diversity of seaweeds, Common mussels and Plumose anemones had settled on this so called perfect habitat and made what we would call a boring bit of rope, into a castle of life! With the nervousness disappearing, I managed to snap some pictures, focusing on the area as a whole to show the amount beauty that had formed on this rope.
Swimming back to shore, as there was nothing else to see, I decided to snorkel around the cove next door. To my amazement, the water was much clearer and I was able to see fish and other species around the rocky shore habitat. Barnacles were feeding using their feather like feet to draw in organic matter and Gobies were dashing in and out of crevices whenever there was disturbance in the water. The temperature was warmer than expected but with the sun shining down in this sun trap, this was of no surprise. I would definitely recommend this area for snorkeling if you are a beginner as the beach is small and sheltered with little swell. However, there is no lifeguard service so be aware of boats around you and snorkel as a group for safety. The closest car park is Bosveal, a National Trust site with a pay and display machine for non members (members park for free).
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