Cemlyn is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary this year and the protection it receives comes under the Special Protection Area (SPA) for the breeding terns and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for the terrestrial environment. For lots more info, Cemlyn Wardens have a Facebook page by that name and they've also written a blog or two. While there, we surveyed to a sound track of passing sandwich terns heading back and forth to feed their chicks. We visited the North Llŷn in an area within the huge Pen Llyn Ar Sarnau (SAC), as well and the shore at Colwyn bay (Liverpool Bay SPA) for another early morning survey.

We tried out the walkover survey this time instead of the biodiversity/quadrat survey. This is carried out by walking along a line within the different shore heights documenting everything you can find and ID. Thoughts are that initially, it can be just presence and absence, but it can lead to estimating numbers and percentage cover too.

Number of volunteers overall – 7

Number of walked transects carried out – 2 lowshore, 7 midshore.

Seasonal findings – Decent sized shore crabs/cranc gwyrdd (Carcinus Maenas) were found tucked up all over the mid and low shores. Although Shore crabs can breed all year round, when they get to a certain size, they might only breed once a year and this involves having to moult. Moulting, means coming out of their entire shell and leaving it looking intact as the crab moves to shelter to harden it’s new, larger shape. This is a very vulnerable time, so if you find a soft crab (also termed peeler crab), leave it be. Incidentally, for those shore walks when you find a crab claw and want a trick to help ID it - courtesy of David Leask the colour and spotting of the shore crab pincer doesn’t half look like the side of a trout (and for those wanting to know how to ID a trout……………).

We did also find a Spider crab moult. These crabs moult only once each year, coming into the shallows – males lurk for the ladies, to guard while she prepares to moult. An important task, some take it too seriously and you can find them stranded on the shore by their ardour.  

Species feature: worms are tricky and yet they’re seen regularly on our Shoresearches. They can be grouped, which is helpful, but for many, you do still need a good look at the entire animal. And upclose looks at the head etc. You often only get a glimpse of part of the animal. Oliver managed to get a great picture of an excellent find, so it’s only fair we give it a stab at ID. With help from members of British Marine Life Study Facebook page we can say this is a Terebellid worm (called spaghetti worms) for the wider grouping. Two suggestions for species were Cirriformia tentaculata or else Cirratulus cirratus, Both are fairly common intertidal worm which bury in sediment. The latter can grow up to 12cm. Those red filaments are probably feeding tentacles, but they also have long thin thread-like red gills too!! We were also told that it (one of them) looks like it is full of eggs too, so plenty more mini terebellids are due. Cuties!

There are many fish species you can find in the intertidal zone, most are rockpool specialists and can often live out of water under moist stones or weed for some time. Emma found a lovely, good-sized Shanny/Llyfrothen lefn (Lipophrys pholis) we think. Gobies and Blennies can be difficult to ID, especially when out of water. In Wales there are nearly 20 species to decipher between, too. However, not all are likely finds higher up the shore, so habitat can often be helpful with ID, but keep an eye if you can on the dorsal fin, the pectoral fins and scales on the head.

The Shoresearch surveys are designed to help monitor some areas of shore by volunteers recording what they find using various types of surveys. Training is given to the volunteers who sign up to help us carry out these surveys.

We are liaising with other organisations to hone these surveys, so they become a vital tool in the help to monitor wildlife in our intertidal areas. Whilst they can also help to introduce volunteers to the species which live in this intertidal zone, the ideal is to build up some regular teams to regularly survey certain areas, building a clearer picture over the long term and in particular to keep an eye out for Invasive species and Climate change indicators.

If you would like to join us to volunteer your time at our repeated survey sites, then please get in touch. It is likely to be just one 2-3 hr session out on shore once every month at the least, as well as any time you can spare to do online training or website reading. 

Want to help with Shoresearch volunteering

Of course, feel free to help in other ways too via becoming a member, donating or buying a gift membership for someone. Thank you.

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