Marine Conservation Society

We did it - the #GreatBritishBeachClean 2024 is complete! What an incredible 10 days it's been 🙌 A massive thank you to everyone who came out to help us show our coastline some love, despite the great British weather dishing out some very stormy weather. Your passion for protecting our beaches and ocean has been incredible. We couldn’t have done it without you! 💙 We'd also like to say a big thank you to this year's sponsor, Cully & Sully Limited. The team got stuck in cleaning up our beaches and kept our volunteers fuelled with some delicious soup too We're busy tallying up the vitally important data that was collected and are looking forward to sharing the results 👏

This week's #SpeciesSpotlight is on the blubbery wonders of the Arctic - the magnificent walruses! Let's dive into some fun facts about these iconic marine mammals: - Both male and female walruses have long tusks that can grow up to 1m. These tusks are used for various purposes, including climbing onto the ice, defending against predators and establishing dominance during mating rituals. Interestingly, walrus tusks continue to grow throughout their lives. - Walruses are known for their long naps, sometimes sleeping for up to 20 hours a day - that's more than cats! - Females walruses give birth after about 15 months and they are known for ­doting on their calves, cuddling them like ­human mothers and caring for them for up to 5 years. - Walruses have air sacs known as “pharyngeal pouches” on their throats that can hold up to 50 litres of air and inflate like pillows. When these pouches are full, walruses can doze off vertically in the water, ensuring they stay afloat and safe from drowning. - Although they are not picky eaters, walruses are particularly partial to molluscs - adults may eat as many as 3,000 to 6,000 clams in a single feeding session! - While walruses are mostly found in the Arctic Circle, there have been 27 walrus sightings in UK waters over the past 130 years. The melting of sea ice due to climate change poses a significant threat to walrus populations, as they rely on it for resting, feeding, and breeding. Join the Marine Conservation Society and help us protect our ocean and the amazing species that inhabit it for generations to come: mcsuk.org/become-a-member.

📢 Join us on Sunday 3rd Nov as we #MARCHFORCLEANWATER on the streets of London to reclaim our right to clean and abundant water for all people across the UK Together, we're asking the new government to enforce the law and deliver new legislation to restore our rivers, lakes and seas to full health by 2030 Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eb78HJrP See you there! #Floodthestreets #Followtheflow #WeAreWater

What is the Water (Special Measures) Bill? Why is it important? Has it been passed yet? How will it give regulators power to crack down on environmental damage caused by water companies? Read our latest blog to find out the latest details 👇

Following the latest update to ratings on our #GoodFishGuide, we’re calling for the UK Government to address the continued and increasing threat to crab and lobster populations. With better management, fishing with pots, traps and creels could be one of the most sustainable ways to fish Find out more 👇

We've been getting reports of Portuguese Man O' War turning up on UK beaches the past few weeks Although it’s not technically a jellyfish (it’s a floating colony of hydrozoans) we’d love for you to let us know if you spot any at the coast as part of our #NationalJellyfishSurvey: mcsuk.org/sightings P.S. These pack quite a sting so remember, look but don’t touch! #CitizenScience #JellyfishSighting

We've got a real cutie for this week's #SpeciesSpotlight - the Sea Otter. We dare you not to fall in love with them after you read these facts 👇 - Sea otters can live their entire life without leaving the water - Sea otters can’t swim at birth, so mothers will swim on their backs whilst carrying their young on their stomachs for the first few months until the pups can swim on their own - Their fur is the densest of any animal - an estimated 1 million hairs per square inch. Because, unlike its other marine mammals, it has no blubber to keep it warm - If a sea otter’s fur becomes dirty, it has trouble absorbing the air needed to keep it warm so they spend a lot of their time grooming, which includes scratching and brushing their fur. They do this all while floating in the water, often holding on to kelp so they don't float away -They sometimes use a tool to help them hunt and feed. They wedge a rock between their chest and foreleg and pound shells against it to open them up - And our personal favourite... To keep from drifting apart while they get some sleep, sea otters often hold paws As human activities continue to impact our ocean, all species, from tiny plankton to majestic whales are in danger. If you’d like to support our work, you can contribute to vital research, education, and advocacy efforts aimed at restoring and preserving our ocean for generations to come by becoming a member: https://lnkd.in/eichbccK

Last Saturday we ran our 5th #VoiceForTheOcean youth event in the beautiful Inverness. This event saw young people come together to learn about and celebrate our ocean 🌊 The day included: - Marine conservation conversations - Interactive workshops - Learning about our #GreatBritishBeachClean & the importance of citizen science - Artistic fun & creativity around campaigning - A Source to Sea inland litter quest - Policy & advocacy work - And an amazing wildlife boat trip with Dolphin Spirit Inverness 🐬 It was a brilliant day filled with hope and optimism. It was great to bring together members of our Youth Ocean Network who until then had just met online and welcome new young people into our work No dolphins were spotted this time.... but lots of new friends were made 💙 If you're aged 13–25 and interested in becoming a voice for our ocean, visit https://lnkd.in/eMPmJTys to learn more about our Youth Ocean Network and how to get involved Big thanks to Katie Macfarlane, Catherine Gemmell-Simpson, Kaitlin Magliano, Katie Gillham, Katie Dyke and NatureScot for contributing to the day and making sure more young people could attend 📷: Paul Campbell Photography

Positive Ocean News 🌊 We've rounded up a selection of the positive news stories for our seas from September - dive in for a dose of ocean optimism 💙 👉 https://lnkd.in/eS42-Qhd

What a battle of the bands! A huge thank you to Will Oulton and the wonderful team at #sustainabilityrocks for choosing us as the headline charity. Currently the event is on track to raise a phenomenal £5,000 for our work towards a cleaner, healthier, and better protected ocean. 🌊