Lightbulbs, Tortoiseshells, Wart Weed and snails painted pink all featured in our excellent survey tally of 101 species at Lee Bay on 15th July.
The weather was perfect, sunny with little wind, and ensured a good turnout of about 25 members. We split into groups some focussing on the upper shore, others mid shore before joining forces for the low shore.
Lee’s seaweed cover from upper to low shore is sufficiently diverse to challenge even seaweed experts Sarah Hotchkiss and Jay Nicholson but with their help we were able to identify many of the larger weeds, though not the abundant filamentous weed.
We found some Thick Topshells painted with pink spots, the subject of research into some aspect of their lives. Many were also very large, perhaps a sign that they are flourishing as the waters warm.
Sediment levels were high and some of the richest low tide gullies remained underwater. Even so there was an interesting range of tunicates just accessible on the low shore including Lightbulb squirts, very abundant along the more sheltered channel shore this year.
Disappointingly few rather small Blue rayed limpets were found and only one Polycera quadrilineata, so numerous a fortnight earlier at Tunnels and Barricane. Instead it was the tunicates, along with a Tortoiseshell limpet, a Green Sea Urchin and an unusual humpback prawn, that were amongst the highlights of a most enjoyable visit.
(Hover cursor over pictures – courtesy of Rob Jutsum and Paula Ferris – for caption)