Lancashire MCS Local Group create marine display

Inspiring the general public about our amazing marine life is a difficult task when people can’t get beneath the waves to see the beauty of these precious ecosystems. The Lancashire MCS Local Group however are doing just that. Images and sea-life survey information from their Seasearch dives around Calve Island, Tobermory Bay have been made into a display at the Mull Visitor Centre! The group hopes this will encourage people to take more interest in the wildlife around our coasts. Click on the links to find out more about Seasearch, and the Lancashire MCS Local Group.  

Marine display at the Mull Visitor Centre created by the Lancashire MCS Local Group.

Sea Champions get into the Christmas Spirit!

Sea Champions Bryn Edwards, Katie Macer-Wright and Anelma Roberts got into the Christmas spirit at the weekend at the Christmas Fair in Ross-on-Wye, whilst Scottish Sea Champions braved the cold at the Christmas Fair in Edinburgh.

Sea Champions and MCS staff were delighted to meet so many friends of MCS, particularly the Christmas turkey who took part in Litter-Pick-Panic, the angel and Christmas presents that pledged for 127 Marine Conservation Zones, and the snowman and Christmas pudding who expressed real interest in joining MCS.

Sea Champions are planning to attend many more Christmas fairs throughout December, get in touch with your Volunteer Coordinator if you'd like to help out or attend a fair near you.

Turkeys, angels and Christmas puddings support MCS at the Christmas Fair in Ross-on-Wye!

Basking sharks in Scotland!

Basking sharks have been spotted around the Isle of Arran throughout October. Thanks to all who have been reporting their sightings!

Our Basking Shark Watch programme has generated the largest basking shark sightings database in the world and has been instrumental in identifying surface feeding hotspots.

Sea Champions and other beach goers are our eyes and ears on the coast, reporting their wildlife sightings online.

Why not download and distribute our reporting poster and basking shark Code of Conduct?

For more information on basking sharks, download our basking shark 20 year report.

Basking sharks sighted around the Isle of Arran throughout October

 

 

 

 

We are extInked!

Three years ago, a hundred volunteers became ambassadors for Britain’s threatened species. 

Ultimate Holding Company, a British Art Collective offered 100 tattoos of endangered species to people committed to preserving them. The project, called extInked, is raising awareness of endangered species since tattoos usually make for great conversation.  From deep sea shrimp and native oyster to leatherback turtles and basking shark, many people became ambassadors for threatened marine species.

Scottish Sea Champions went along to the exhibition to celebrate our amazing wildlife and to raise awareness of biodiversity loss.

You can find out how sea horses and other species are benefiting from this unique arts and ecology project by heading down to the “We are extInked” exhibition which is running in the Gateway Gallery, at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh from 12 May to 29 July 2012.  Click here for more info!

The tattoos were done by the UK studio, Ink Vs Steel. Check out more pics of Ext Inked tattoos on their Facebook page or at www.extinked.org.uk.

Are there any events coming up in your area that it might be worth attending?  Then get in touch with your Sea Champions Volunteer Coordinator!

Short snouted seahorse. Photograph by Thomas Bing, at Ultimate Holding Company.

Wildlife Cruise on the Firth of Forth

Scottish Sea Champion Casey Perry talked indepth about seals onboard wildlife cruise co-hosted by RSPB and Sea Champion Volunteer Coordinator Matt Barnes.

From kittiwakes, gannets, fulmars and gilimots to puffins, seals and many more species, around 90 people jumped onboard the cruise to spot some of Scotlands amazing wildlife in the Firth of Forth. 

Whilst Matt and Casey talked about wildlife, Sea Champion Sarah Conner encouraged people to pledge for marine protection in Scotland.

Grey Seal by Dave Boyle

"Run for the Reef"

Pupils at Mary Erskine School in Edinburgh raised an amazing £4,000 for the Marine Conservation Society during their sponsored "Run for the Reef"!

After singing a few hymns in the school assembly for "Environment Day", Sea Champions Volunteer Coordinator Matt Barnes thanked the pupils and talked about the threats of pollution to Scotland's amazing wildlife and how the gratefully received funds will contribute to the campaign for clean seas and beaches.

Pupils from Mary Erskine School running for the reef!

Over a tonne of rubbish cleared from South Queensferry - one of the largest ammounts ever collected during an MCS beach clean in Scotland!

Scottish Volunteer Coordinator Matt Barnes has just become a Beachwatch Organiser as part of the Marine Conservation Soceity's Beachwatch program.

Matt organised the first quarterly clean-up of the beach at South Queensferry in May with a team of 33 volunteers, who bagged up one of the largest amounts of rubbish ever collected during an MCS beach clean in Scotland.

The volunteers were blessed with brilliant spring sunshine and collected over a tonne of rubbish including a sofa, TV, trolley and even some bikes!

You too can become a Beachwatch Organiser!

Follow the link or contact your Volunteer Coordinator for more information.

Volunteers at the first Sea Champion beach clean in Scotland!