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Marine Life & Conservation

A Seagull And An Unforgiving Sea

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It was a bright winter morning on the cliff tops near Sennen Cove in Cornwall. The dark clouds had rolled away leaving a bright sun and a brisk wind. The sea was a clear blue with cresting white water on the wave tops crashing onto the shallow shoreline below.

The Gulls were wheeling high above as well as skimming the cliff face with all the grace and skill of any flying bird. Simply gliding they would race along the rocky edges before turning away to be taken by the updrafts into the clear sky. Others held station a few feet from the cliff tops as if supported by an invisible hand. The shear aviation ability and skill of these birds is truly remarkable. They were calling loudly to one another. What they were saying I have no idea. Maybe they were just calling with sheer pleasure.

Seagulls are too often maligned for being a nuisance; stealing our chips, making too much noise, messing on our cars, etc. But perhaps we should give a moment to consider where the fault actually lies. We have taken much of their habitat, we have destroyed much of their food, we have polluted their environment. Then we take great delight in feeding them when it pleases us, only to complain when they gather around our takeaway pasties.

I think it is in fact remarkable how seagulls have adapted to the modern day world. It has always amazed me when out on a diving boat how one single bird will track and keep an eye on us no matter how far out to sea we go. Then if there is even a slight hint of a free meal, within minutes where there was one there may now be ten or twenty. How do they do that?

Below me at the base of the cliffs a large swell was crashing on the foreshore. Thirty or forty gulls were swimming on the turbulent water looking for food. As each wave approached, the birds easily lifted into the air to let the foaming water pass before once again they settled back down to their foraging. Their timing was impeccable. Then as I watch a juvenile got it completely wrong and got caught by a large wave. The gull was taken under the water and disappeared. I heard myself say ‘Oh no’. Then the bird resurfaced, but it was now well inshore of the breaking surf. I could see it was in shock and panic as it tried to swim its water soaked body out into deeper water. Another wave hit it and once again the young bird disappeared only to resurface even nearer to the shore. It was too waterlogged now to try flying and was desperately swimming out towards the other gulls that seemed quite oblivious to its peril. Even if they were aware there was nothing they could do. Juvenile birds are watched over by adult males and will stay in the flock until old enough to breed, but this bird was very much alone.

Another wave hit it and almost took it into shore. I was calling out to it. ‘Go ashore…. the other way… go to the beach….’ but in its blind panic, even though only a few meters from the safety of the pebble beach, the bird continued its struggle out to sea. Again the gull was taken under the water by a large wave and this time it did not resurface.

I sat and watched in silence and with great sadness as the sea continued throwing its waves on the beach and gulls only fifty meters or so out continued their search for food. I felt quite helpless.

I am always sad when I see an animal die, especially if it is unnecessary. In reality animals die in the wild all the time; we just hardly ever get to see it happen. In the great scheme of things nothing was really lost at the passing of the bird. It was a personal tragedy for it alone. The inexperience of life, the fear, the panic, the pain of drowning.

As divers, we all face the sea on a regular basis and often become complacent to its unforgiving power and indifference. Yet the sea is truly a huge and powerful living organism, sustaining life as well as taking it. Next time you are in its company, have a thought for the gull and consider the untold struggles for life the oceans witness every day.

Jeff is a multiple award winning, freelance TV cameraman/film maker and author. Having made both terrestrial and marine films, it is the world's oceans and their conservation that hold his passion with over 10.000 dives in his career. Having filmed for international television companies around the world and author of two books on underwater filming, Jeff is Author/Programme Specialist for the 'Underwater Action Camera' course for the RAID training agency. Jeff has experienced the rapid advances in technology for diving as well as camera equipment and has also experienced much of our planet’s marine life, witnessing, first hand, many of the changes that have occurred to the wildlife and environment during that time. Jeff runs bespoke underwater video and editing workshops for the complete beginner up to the budding professional.

Marine Life & Conservation

New report shows simple measures needed to cut beach plastic pollution

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The Marine Conservation Society has launched its annual State of our Beaches 2023 report, highlighting the need for less single-use plastic items and more refillable options.

The charity’s beach cleaning programme, now in its 30th year, asks volunteers to record all litter that they find within a 100-metre stretch of beach. By gathering vital data from across the UK and Channel Islands, the charity creates change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet through policy and industry change. Last year, over 148 kilometres of beach were surveyed by volunteers, who removed 17,208kgs of litter from our coast.

Using data collected by over 14,000 volunteers, the State of our Beaches 2023 report shows that half of all litter collected came from public sources – either dumped, blown or washed onto our beaches.

Drinks-related litter, such as plastic bottles, caps and cans were one of the most found items, with an average of 16 found per 100 metres of beach surveyed. This figure is up 14% compared to the charity’s 2022 report.

Plastics caps and lids were recorded on 89% of surveys, with over 30,000 found in total. Plastic bottles were also commonly collected, with 73% of surveys finding this single-use item – a 4% increase compared to 2022. The charity’s inland litter pick survey, Source to Sea, also reported finding plastic bottles on 92% of cleans.

However, the charity’s State of Our Beaches 2023 report also indicates that some types of litter are on a downward trend. Although still in the top 10 litter items, disposable plastic cutlery, trays and straws were found on 5% fewer beaches across the UK, showing that bans on these plastic items between 2022 – 2023 could be working. The presence of plastic cotton bud sticks also dropped by 14%.

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said, “Half of the litter found on our beaches originates from public sources, underscoring the pressing issue of single-use plastic. Evidence shows that refillable alternatives and litter return schemes effectively reduce rubbish, as demonstrated by the decline our data has shown in items like plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

“Urgent and decisive action from UK governments is needed to accelerate our shift towards a circular economy, where we reuse, repair and recycle. The public needs greater access to refillable products and systems need to be implemented in which manufacturers are responsible for their waste.”

Governments across the UK have committed to delivering deposit return schemes from October 2025. However, the proposed scheme in England does not include glass items, despite glass being found on 52% of beaches in 2023. The charity is calling for governments across the UK to introduce compatible all inclusive deposit return schemes as soon as possible. This would see aluminium cans, and plastic and glass bottles have a 20p deposit which would be returned when recycled which would reduce drinks-related pollution.

Businesses are, however, starting to take refillable and reusable options into their own hands. Supermarket chain, Aldi, the largest corporate funder of the charity’s 2024 Beachwatch programme, is already leading the charge in refillable items by trialling refillable options for cereals and porridge oats in their stores over the past 5 months.

Plastics and Packaging Director, Luke Emery, from Aldi, who are running 4 beach cleans for staff and volunteers in 2024, said, We are continually working to reduce single-use plastics and packaging, and making unpackaged product options more commonplace for our customers is a key part of this. We are really pleased with the uptake of our refillable range so far by customers. Not only are we making sustainable shopping more accessible, but we also offer refill products for a better price than the packaged alternative, helping our customers save money.”

Marine litter is one of the biggest threats to our seas, with plastic breaking down over time into microplastics and threatening marine life which can ingest or become entangled in them. The Marine Conservation Society is urging the UK Government to move faster on its policies to cut down plastic waste and prevent items from reaching our seas.

To find out more about the charity’s beach cleans and how to get involved, please visit mcsuk.org/beach-cleans

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Guarding Against Coral Invaders

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Protecting (Dutch) Caribbean Reefs from Unomia stolonifera

Recent reports highlight the concerning spread of the invasive soft coral, Unomia stolonifera, currently devastating Venezuela’s marine ecosystems and detected in Cuba. With the potential threat of its expansion to the (Dutch) Caribbean islands, urgent action and awareness are essential to safeguard marine biodiversity and local economies from possible catastrophic consequences.

Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. These species can have major ecological effects by decimating native flora or fauna. They can also cause large economic losses and impact human health. Invasive species also pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, including the Dutch Caribbean. Among these invaders is the octocoral species Unomia stolonifera or “Pulsing Xenia”, originally from the Indo-Pacific. With its rapid growth and lack of natural predators, this species can outcompete native species and disrupt fragile marine habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Background

The invasive soft coral U. stolonifera was first identified in 2014, off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been introduced via the illegal aquarium trade.  Since this species can reproduce sexually and asexually (or fragment), even small pieces can regenerate to spread.  Once introduced it quickly took over shallow reefs and hard substrate at depths of 0-50 meters, outcompeting local corals and seagrass for space.  Follow on surveys found that this coral species exhibited average percentage cover as high as 80%, vastly outcompeting native corals. In highly colonized areas, fish are disappearing due to loss of habitats.

In 2022, during a survey conducted in Cuba by the University of Havana, an unknown octocoral was discovered which was later identified as the invasive Unomia stolonifera. It is suspected that the coral larvae arrived in ballast water from fossil fuel ships originating from Venezuela, as nearby sites adjacent to Venezuelan ports have been heavily affected by the invasion.

How to help

Prevention through continuous monitoring, particularly in high-risk areas such as marine harbors and oil facilities, is paramount. Early detection plays a pivotal role in mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera.

The public’s involvement and awareness are also vital. Local communities, recreational divers, tourists, and all stakeholders are urged to participate in early detection efforts by reporting sightings (photo, location and date) of this invasive coral to their respective Protected Area Management Organization (PMO’s)- the Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)STINAPA BonaireCARMABI Curaçao Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). If an invaded area is confirmed, follow the recommendations by the local PMO’s.

Keys to Success

Despite the challenges, early detection is key to mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera. With continued vigilance, research, and community engagement, there is hope for containing this potential issue before it becomes a major threat.

About the DCNA

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) supports (science) communication and outreach in the Dutch Caribbean region by making nature related (scientific) information more widely available through amongst others the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database, DCNA’s news platform BioNews and through the press. This article contains the results from several scientific studies but the studies themselves are not DCNA studies. No rights can be derived from the content. DCNA is not liable for the content and the in(direct) impacts resulting from publishing this article.

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