What is found on the strandline - plastic
23 January 2021
Sadly, an almost guaranteed find in the strandline of any beach is human-made materials, and this is most commonly plastic.
Archive of: Marine
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What can be found on the strandline #5 Eggs
22 January 2021
Mermaid’s purses are not the only egg cases that can be found in the strandline. Common whelk (Buccinum undatum) egg cases are also a fairly common sight. They are a mass of small spongy balls that could indeed be confused for sponges. In the past, sailors did actually use them as wash balls! The first whelks to hatch are cannibalistic and will eat their still developing siblings to give themselves a burst of energy to help them survive in the open ocean.
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What can be found on the strandline #4 Shells
21 January 2021
While beach combing in the strandline, you will likely come across a number of shells from different species of molluscs. These shells are most often empty as the animal inside has died and likely been eaten. We explore the most frequently seen shells on Sussex beaches.
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What can be found on the strandline #3 Crab shells
20 January 2021
If you find a crab shell in the strandline, it is likely not a dead crab but actually a moulted crab shell. Over their lifetime, crabs moult (or shed) their shell many times as they grow.
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What can be found on the strandline #2 Mermaid's Purses
19 January 2021
Mermaid’s purses are a common sight on Sussex beaches. These little pouches are actually the egg cases of sharks, skates and rays.
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What can be found on the strandline #1 Cuttlebones
18 January 2021
Cuttlebones are a common strandline find in Sussex.
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11 Pipers Piping (well, Pipefish)
03 January 2021
Pipefish facts
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Living Seas marine recording round-up
21 December 2020
We have finally reached the end of 2020, and what a year it has been for all the wrong reasons. But we were lucky enough to get out and about on the shore a few times over the summer to create some videos for National Marine Week
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Merry Marine Christmas
17 December 2020
Ella Garrud, Living Seas Officer, shares some facts about festive marine wildlife
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All washed up
29 November 2020
As the winter weather arrives, we often get stormy and turbulent seas, resulting in all sorts of things washed up on our beaches.