Marine Conservation Society

Have you thought about taking part in a beach clean but you don’t live near the sea? Don’t worry, you can still help by taking part in a Source to Sea Litter Quest! A worrying 80% of marine litter comes from our towns, parks and rivers. Every item dropped in the street has the potential to pollute our seas by travelling down rivers and streams, being washed down drains or by being blown onto our beaches. All of the data you collect helps us campaign for change. We’ve used data collected in previous years to make the case for the 5p carrier bag charges across the UK and are campaigning for Deposit Return Schemes for all types of drinks containers. By picking up and recording litter from parks and streets, you can still make a difference and help reduce ocean pollution. Get involved in the Great British Beach Clean, wherever you live: https://lnkd.in/dW3teX5i Cully & Sully Limited

Meet the Yarrell's blenny, the very charismatic star of this week's #SpeciesSpotlight 🐟 Here are some interesting facts about these baffled-looking fish: - They can grow up to 20cm long and can be found in rock crevices around the British coast, although they tend to favour the cooler waters of Scotland. - Like all blennies, Yarrell's blennies lack the buoyancy of a swim bladder and look more like they are wriggling than swimming. - What they like in swimming skills, they make up for in camouflage prowess. Yarrel's blennies are masters of disguise, and their ability to blend in with their rocky surroundings makes them difficult to spot. 📸 Kirsty J Andrews, Dan Bolt, Cathy Lewis, James Lynott

Wow, we’ve been getting lots of reports of #jellyfish being seen at the coast. If you see any be sure to let us know! It’s easy to do, just hop on our website, ID the jelly and tell us a few details. Check out the video and we’ll show you how 👍 Your reports provide us with important data and enable us to help protect these precious species 💙 mcsuk.org/sightings

Do you work for a company that is looking to squeeze in a fun team away day with purpose this summer? We might have the answer! 🙌🏻 The Marine Conservation Society Team Beach Clean team still have spaces on a variety of dates for their group event days throughout the summer 🚮 Locations include: Sand Bay, Whitstable, Troon, Brighton, Cleethorpes, Cardiff, Southend, West Kirby and Bognor Regis! 📍 Our events include a citizen science based litter survey activity, quizzes, team building games and of course as much beach cleaning as we can squeeze into the day! All whilst educating our attendees about marine issues and our mission towards cleaner seas 🌊 If your team would like a day at the beach making waves for ocean conservation, please do check information via the link below. T&Cs and costs apply. We hope to see you on the pebbles! 🪼 https://lnkd.in/e5F-BqnB #teambuilding #oceanconservation #beachclean #litter #ocean #citizenscience #volunteer #event #marinelife #corporate #ocean #conservation #company

Dolphins are a favourite among many because of their friendly and playful nature, but how much do you know about these clever cetaceans? Dive into our list of interesting facts to learn more about these majestic mammals 🐬 https://lnkd.in/eKXA62yf

How are your litter sleuthing skills? 🔎 Can you guess what these beach litter items are? Let us know how you got on in the comments 👇 #GreatBritishBeachClean

Our #turtle conservation work in UK overseas territories continues 🐢 We've been: - Conducting nest surveys: We’ve been monitoring turtle nesting on East Caicos for over 16 yrs, and our research has helped to protect their green and hawksbill turtle populations - Tagging and tracking: Satellite tagging turtles helps us better understand different populations’ travel routes and habits so we can focus our conservation efforts where they’re needed - Developing a Turtle Recovery Action Plan: Habitat destruction because of infrastructure and tourism developments, and extreme weather events such as hurricanes pose a huge threat to turtle populations . We work with local partners and communities to secure effective protection and management of marine turtles that will also contribute to the islands' prosperity Read the full update on our turtle work over on our blog: https://lnkd.in/e2siUzkU

We're thrilled to announce that the Marine Conservation Society will be joining the Ocean Film Festival World Tour as a Presenting Partner for another year! 🎬 The Ocean Film Festival travels up and down the UK showcasing a selection of breathtaking, thought-provoking short films spotlighting the joy the ocean brings us, as well as ground-breaking marine conservation projects from around the world, seafaring voyages, extreme watersports, and much more. We cannot wait to get on the road with this tour. More information and tickets are available here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ezhectPB

Exciting sea slug sighting! A young nature enthusiast and their dad found the beautiful rainbow sea slug close to Wembury, Plymouth and it's believed to be the first time this species has ever been recorded there One of our Sea Champion volunteers, Dr Paul Naylor, who's a marine biologist and underwater photographer, said it was "an amazing find" We thought we’d share a few fun facts about these fascinating, brightly-coloured creatures: - There are over 3,000 species of sea slugs aka nudibranchs, and around 100 species found in UK waters - They range in size from microscopic to over a foot and a half long - They are found in all the world's #oceans, from cold water to warm water - They are carnivorous and their prey includes sponges, coral, anemones, hydroids, barnacles, fish eggs and other nudibranchs - They actually get their bright colours from the food they eat. These colours may be used for camouflage or to ward off predators - Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, meaning that they have both male and female reproductive organs - Similar to their relatives the land snails, they leave a slime trail, full of chemicals, which can warn other slugs of danger ‼️or be used to find a mate 💓 📷: Paul Naylor

Jellyfish season is in full swing and we've been getting some questions about stings. Which jellyfish sting? How bad is it? What do you do if you get stung? So we've put together some infographics to help 👇 If you want to find out more about the different species of jellyfish that visit UK & Irish waters, take a look at our ID guide: https://lnkd.in/ecQ2-n8T