Shore Thing
We know that our seas are changing; by 2050 the temperature of our coastal waters could rise by 20C and marine species are on the move right now.
We need your help to monitor these changes.
Research comparing new surveys with those from the 1930s shows that marine species are responding to temperature changes. The Marine Biodiversity and Climate Change Project (MarClim
) found that some ‘southern’ species are moving north and east while equivalent ‘northern’ species are either declining or retreating further north. In addition, invasive species that can thrive in warmer waters, such as wireweed and the Pacific oyster, may be out-competing native species.
Natural England has provided grant aid to Shore Thing, a monitoring project devised by the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN). Shore Thing is encouraging A-level students and volunteers to monitor their local rocky shore to assess change. In four years, over 2,000 students and volunteers have surveyed 71 sites around the UK, 42 of them in England.
The survey is divided into two parts: a transect survey and a timed species search.
Students do both parts, but volunteer groups can choose to do the whole survey or just the timed species search.
The latter involves searching an area of rocky shore for 20 minutes and recording the abundance of the 22 target species in one of three habitats:
rock pools
open rock or
overhangs/crevices/boulders.
Recognition cards with photographs and the key features of each species are used to help identification. Each volunteer will search for just one or two species. Once the survey has been completed the results are uploaded onto the project website and, once verified, passed on to the National Biodiversity Network.
By supporting volunteer surveys, the project gives us valuable data on rocky shore species around the coast of England and raises awareness of the UK marine environment and its vulnerability to the potential impacts of climate. The project also provides curricular linked resources for teachers and students.
We would like to increase the number of monitoring sites along England’s coastline and would be like to hear from anyone who would like to get involved. It’s free, it’s fun and you’ll be helping our understanding of the marine environment.
For further information
Shore Thing - please contact Fiona Crouch (Shore Thing Project Officer), Marine Biological Association, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2PB. Telephone: 01752 633336 or email ficr@mba.ac.cuk.
The MonitoringSurvey resources can be downloaded here
.
Crossley Heath Grammar School
© Shore Thing
North Devon Biosphere Group
© Shore Thing
