Tunnels is tops – the Victorians knew what they were doing !

On 24th July, 11 Coastwise members had a great time at Tunnels Beach doing a 2009 update of the marine life for the Beach Survey on the website.

In spite of a slightly iffy weather forecast, the sun shone on us and some fascinating new finds were made at low tide level.

Pictured here are Xanthos (Montagu’s Crab), colonies of star Ascidians (what else can you see in the picture ?), a Topknot (which is, believe it or not, a "left-handed flatfish"), Sea Squirts and Devonshire Cup Corals.

All of which, of course, leaves us with the question – if the Victorians hadn’t stripped the beach of marine life in the 1840’s (according to Philip Gosse), would there have been more now, or did that create the environment for new species to colonise ?