Category: 1. Observations

Stella Turk has passed away (April 2017) – watch video

David Fenwick ‘It is with great sadness that I have to bring the group this news about a member and an avid supporter of the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. I have copied and pasted the following from an e-mail I have just received from Ian Benallick of the Cornwall and Isles of …

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April 2017 Strandings of pink sea fan “sea fangles” – new paper implicates marine litter

Dr Emma Sheehan, Plymouth University Marine Institute There is now about 30 days of free access to the paper https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1UpdM1R~e3ELh Animation   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9SsNb6cK7g   Protected Pink Sea Fans are mass stranding each winter entangled in marine debris. The marine debris comprises mostly fishing gear and some domestic litter. Evidence for ghost fishing causing the stranded “sea …

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January 2017 The Mystery of the dead fish on the Marazion beach solved

The Mystery of the dead fish on the Marazion beach solved Whist the MMO web post on the Dec 19th left the reason for the fish on the beach as unknown the fishermen involved have owned up ….   Mike Kaiser wrote a piece on the 22nd also attributing strandings to a local fisherman   …

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Illegal fishing – dredging around the Eddystone – Fishermen prosecuted

November 2016   Illegal fishing – dredging around the Eddystone – Fishermen prosecuted   A Plymouth skipper and the owner of his boat face a court bill of almost £11,000 after admitting illegal scallop fishing. David Thomas, 29, of Kiln Close, Plymouth, and Portsmouth-based Viviers UK Ltd both pleaded guilty to nine fisheries offences – including dredging in environmentally sensitive …

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Humpback whale returns in Devon ‘like Blue Planet’

A humpback whale has returned to Devon bay and is attracting large numbers of spectators hoping to catch a glimpse. The creature was first spotted more than a week ago off Start Bay near Slapton. There have been reports on social media of its return in recent days and some photos now show it spouting …

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Spider Crab Invasion

Spider crab invasion ‘like an underwater horror film’ found off Devon coast (Plymouth Herald)

Dead Fin Whale

Dead fin whale washes up on Devon beach  (BBC)

Fronts & Gannets

http://phys.org/news/2016-09-ocean-fronts-wanderersforaging-gannets-front.html

Dolphin Brixham

Following the death of a dolphin in Brixham the Marine Management Organisation has clarified the regulations covering attempts to rescue them. See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mmo-clarifies-rules-around-rescue-of-cetaceans