|
MCS: Lancashire area group |
|||||||
|
Above: Close up of a lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata (L.)), by Gordon Fletcher. This photograph was taken by thrusting the camera through the screen of tentacles and photo-graphing blind towards the bell of the animal. The lion's mane is notorious amongst bathers and divers for the vicious stings it can inflict - fortunately Gordon was wearing gloves when he took this photo! |
Useful linksOnline ID giudes are gathered together at the foot of this page: Link to ID guides Adopt a beachIf you are concerned about beach litter, you can find more at the MCS 'Adopt a Beach' website. This encourages people to clear up and collect records from beaches all around the UK. Of course, you can take it further, and join our 'Adopt a Beach' surveys, or start one of your own on a beach of interest to you! British Marine Life PicturesJason Gregory's collection of marine life photos from around the British Isles, some nice photos to help you ID what you've seen! Coral reefs - early indicators of global warmingFollowing Dr Charles Sheppard's talk (21st February 2007), here are some links for further information: Coral Reef Degradation
in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO) Cumbria wildlife trustSupported by over 14,000 members, the Cumbria WLT work in partnership with landowners, local authorities, other conservation organisations and businesses to conserve and protect wildlife and wild places throughout Cumbria. Fish onlineIf you are concerned about declining fish stocks and the welfare of our seas the Marine Conservation Society FISHONLINE website can help you identify which fish are from well managed sources and/or caught using methods that minimise damage to marine wildlife and habitats. Fleetwood museum - see Netting the Bay, belowLancaster Maritime Museum - see Netting the Bay, belowThe Marine Conservation Society (MCS)The MCS is the UK's national charity dedicated to the protection of the marine environment and its wildlife. Since 1977, the MCS has worked successfully to highlight issues of concern and threats to marine wildlife and the wider marine environment, bringing them to the attention of the public, media, politicians and Government agencies. MCS involves thousands of volunteers in surveys and other projects, and has several regional groups. Current projects include Seasearch and Beachwatch, which you can get involved with through the Lancashire Area Group (see our diary), Adopt a turle, the Coral reef campaign and more... Morcambe Bay PartnershipThe Morecambe Bay Partnership works towards sustainable management for the coast by improving the co-ordination and communication between local people, local authorities, agencies, industries, and voluntary bodies. It addresses many of the issues of interest to people on the Lancashire and Cumbria coastline. Netting the BayThis website is a partnership between Fleetwood museum and the Lancaster Maritime Museum. It has galleries devoted to the marine wildlife local to the area, as well as images of fishing people, the boats they used and their equipment. PorcupinePorcupine an informal society interested in marine natural history and recording, particularly in the North East Atlantic region and the Mediterranean Sea. Its aims are to promote a wider understanding of the biology, ecology and distribution of marine organisms, through interaction and exchange of information between those with interests in different aspects of marine biology, amateur and professional alike. SeasearchSeasearch is a national project run by the Marine Conservation Society for volunteer sports divers who have an interest in what they're seeing under water, want to learn more and want to help protect the marine environment. The aim is to map out the various types of seabed found in the near-shore zone, up to about 5 miles off the coast or 30m depth around the whole of the British Isles. In addition Seasearch is recording what lives in each area, establishing the richest sites for marine life, the sites where there are problems and the sites which need protection. The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North MerseysideOur local WLT now has a new online 'Learning and Discovery' section devoted to the Irish Sea, and has many activities organised over the summer months promoting this vital area for wildlife. Identification guidesThe Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN)MarLIN aims to provide the most comprehensive and easily used source of information about marine habitats, communities and species around Britain and Ireland. MarLIN is bringing together from a range of sources - Universities, Government agencies, NGOs, and volunteers. It provides a lot of information on the web about the known distribution of species. Marine Species Identification PortalThe Marine Species Identification Portal offers regional keys for identifying major groups of organisms. The keys for NE Atlantic and Mediterranean are fairly comprehensive, other areas of the world are less well represented. These ID guides are based on pictorial keys - so fairly easy to use. Weed SeenSeaweed focus an online ID guide to help you identify the slippery stuff! Catalogue of LifeAims to catalogue every species on the planet... FishBaseScientific names of fish... OBISLets you search marine species data from around the world. |
|
|
© Lancashire MCS and contributors 2009, design by www.cookandkaye.co.uk | ||