The Shore Thing Project

www.marlin.ac.uk/shore_thing

Shore Thing Aims

“To generate records of marine wildlife by facilitating intertidal biological surveys at sites around the British Isles, and to make the results available to all on the Internet.In addition we aim to raise awareness of marine conservation amongst the participants and the wider community”.

CLIMATECHANGE

Climate ChangeCauses• CO2 Emissions from cars, aircraft, power plants• Methane• Nitrous Oxide from fertilizers, cars with catalytic

converters and burning of organic matter• Deforestation

Climate Change

Impacts• Sea level rise• Melting of polar ice caps• Change in weather patterns becoming more

unpredictable• Ocean acidification• Rise in sea temperatures

– Change in the distribution of species

Sea Surface temperatures(Plymouth)

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1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000Year

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MarClim Project(www.mba.ac.uk/marclim)

Tectura testudinalis

Osilinus lineatus

Over 4 years scientists surveyed rocky shores around the country and compared contemporary data with historical records.

THE PROJECT

Why take part in the Shore Thing?

Scientists need information now on the distribution of certain marine species, from as many locations as possible in order to track patterns and changes related to climate change.

ParticipationParticipation

• National project• Began in April 2006• Over 250 surveys

completed at 128 sites around the UK

• 40 schools • Over 3,000 participants

Survey ProtocolSurvey Protocol

• Designed using standard field techniques and MarClim methodology

• Has to be followed so data can be compared

• Surveys take place twice a year, summer and autumn

• In two parts:• Transect survey• 20 minute timed species search

Arrival at the shore

• Check tide tables – time of low water

• Health & Safety – risks on the shore

• Seashore Code• Find suitable site for survey or

locate start point of previous survey from compass bearings/GPS reading/photographs

Finding the middle station

• From local tide tables determine the height of the middle shore.

• Take largest tide of the year and divide the height of high water by two.

• One person stands at upper station with ranging pole• Second person walks down the shore with the other pole• Upper shore person looks along their pole at a certain height

to a height on the second pole and then out to the horizon• When all our level that is the middle station.

Levelling

Transect Survey

• Shore sampled at 3 stations; upper, middle and lower.

• Four quadrats should be placed randomly at each station.

• Do not sample rockpools as they are a different habitat.

• Algae and animals such as barnacles should be recorded as percentage cover.

Canopy

• At the middle and lower stations you will need to record % cover of the large seaweeds.

Undercover

• Gently move the canopy to one side to reveal the seaweed and animals below.

• Be careful to check for any animals within the weed. They need to be included in the quadrat record.

Climate change and non-native speciesClimate change and non-native species

• Search for 20 minutes in one of three habitats: rockpools, boulders/crevices/overhangs or open rock

• Each student searches for one or two species

• Use ‘Flash’ cards to help with ID• Record abundance as:

Timed Species SearchTimed Species Search

Abundance Scale

• Abundant (A): Definitely found at certain level on the shore.

• Frequent (F): Definitely found after a little searching.

• Rare (R): Intensive search for 1 or 2 individuals

• Not found (N): Not found after searching. • Based on SACFORN

PhotographsPhotographs

• Important to relocate survey site• Permanent record of species within quadrat• Can verify species ID

Data handling Data handling www.marlin.ac.uk/shore_thingwww.marlin.ac.uk/shore_thing

MySQL Database

Retrieving Data

Google MapsGoogle Maps

National Biodiversity NetworkNational Biodiversity Network

ROCKY SHORE ECOLOGY

• Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun

• There are generally two tidal cycles in 24 hrs

• The rise and fall of the tide varies depending on whether it is a neap or spring tide

• Tidal range varies around the UK coast.

TidesTides

The Rocky Shore EnvironmentThe Rocky Shore Environment

• All species specially adapted• Marine and terrestrial• Exposure high• Changing conditions• Different zones on the shore• Location important for

identification

Upper shore

Lower shore

Desiccation

Salinity variation

Temperature variation

Light

Exposure

Feeding time

Environmental VariationsEnvironmental Variations

‘‘Splash’ ZoneSplash’ Zone

•Extremely exposed•Salt spray•Conditions extremely variable•Dominated by lichens•Rarely submerged

Upper shoreUpper shore

•Very exposed•Conditions very variable•Diversity low dominated by

channelled wrack and small periwinkles

•Submerged for short periods•Exposed for long periods

Middle shoreMiddle shore

• Moderately exposed• Conditions moderately

variable• Dominated by fucoids,

barnacles, molluscs and gastropods

• Species depends on exposure

• Submerged and exposed every tide

Lower ShoreLower Shore

• Less exposed• Conditions relatively stable• High diversity of specially

adapted marine species• Dominated by kelps, red algae,

sea squirts and sponges• Submerged most of the time,

only exposed on low spring tides

Major groups/phylum of species are:• Algae (seaweeds)• Lichens• Marine Invertebrates (animals without backbones)

• Porifera (sponges)• Cnidaria (anemones/jellyfish/hydroids)• Crustacea (crabs/barnacles)• Mollusca (top shells/limpets)• Echinoderms (sea urchins/starfish)

• Marine Chordates (animals with backbones)• Tunicates (sea squirts)• Fish

Rocky Shore IdentificationRocky Shore Identification

•Brown – Wracks and Kelps•Green •Red – includes encrusting algae•Flowering plants such as seagrass

Marine AlgaeMarine Algae

• Fungus and algae living together in symbiosis• Often an encrusting layer on rocks • Found in the splash zone

LichensLichens

•Porifera - Sponges– Attached to surfaces– Very simple animals, covered with pores– Rounded or branched forms– Often need microscope to identify them

Marine InvertebratesMarine Invertebrates(animals without backbones)(animals without backbones)

• Cnidaria - Anemones, corals, hydroids and jellyfish– ‘Mouth’ surrounded by tentacles– Attached and free swimming forms– Sometimes forming large colonies

• Crustacea - Crabs, lobsters, shrimps etc.– Segmented body covered in hard plates– Divided into three segments– Jointed limbs– Adapted to live in every marine environment

• Mollusca - Snails, bivalves, chitons, limpets, sea slugs etc. – Largest most diverse group– Gastropods have large muscular foot– Bivalves body surrounded by two shells held together with

a hinge

•Echinoderms - Starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and brittlestars

–Tube-feet, internal skeleton of bony plates–Often external skeletons

• Tunicates – Star of ascidian and sea squirts– Larval stage has a backbone– Two openings body covered in ‘tunic’ of jelly– Colonies sometimes confused with sponges

Marine ChordatesMarine Chordates(animals with backbones)(animals with backbones)

• Fish – Shanny, blenny, rockling, clingfish etc.– Divided into two main groups, elasmobranchs (sharks, rays etc)

and teleosts (bony fish)– Elasmobranchs have a skeleton of cartilage– Teleosts skeleton is bony

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesCone shaped shell, up to 2.5 cm high

Tooth on inside of mouth opening

Shell grey-green

Shiny ‘mother of pearl’ inside shell opening

Bushy brown seaweed

Covered in what looks like small leaves and tiny round floats

Very dense, feels coarse and wiry

May form long lengths (like a washing line)

1

Prominent midrib

Pairs of almost spherical gas bladders

Dark olive brown

Up to 1 m long

Large round hole on underside of the shell

Dull greenish in colour with reddish-purple broad diagonal stripes

Small top shell 1.6 am high. 2.2 cm across

2

3 4

• Cone shaped shell, up to 2.5 cm high• Tooth on inside of mouth opening• Shell grey-green • Shiny ‘mother of pearl’ inside shell opening

H

Osilinus lineatus

Species No. 1Species No. 1

• Bushy brown seaweed• Covered in what looks like small leaves and tiny round

floats• Very dense, feels coarse and wiry• May form long lengths (like a washing line)

D

Sargassum muticum

Species No. 2Species No. 2

• Prominent midrib• Pairs of almost spherical gas bladders• Dark olive brown• Up to 1 m long

F

Fucus Vesiculosus

Species No. 3Species No. 3

• Small round hole on underside of the shell• Dull greenish in colour with reddish-purple

broad diagonal stripes• Small top shell 1.6 cm high. 2.2 cm across

C

Gibbula umbilicalis

Species No. 4Species No. 4