Alien Invaders....

Coastwise members have for many years carried out the MBA's structured Shore Thing Surveys, contributing to a national database of marine flora and fauna which acts as a baseline for changes.

Funding difficulties have paused this process, and a new survey format has been established to identify Invasive and Non-Native Species - INNSHORE surveys.

Coastwise members Nicola Mello and Pip Jollands successfully applied for funding that allowed the MBA's Jack Sewell to visit for a training day at Lee Bay.

This covered identification and characteristics of some 40 species that have been seen in the UK, and on which more data are required to understand extent and amounts.

Attendees then had a chance to get hands-on with samples that Jack had brought with him from Plymouth, and familiarise themselves with look and feel of the various examples.

Later, people went down to the shore to start looking for INNS.

The survey programme starts at Lee Bay and Westward Ho! on 7th and 8th May.