Marine Life & Conservation
Marine Conservation Society shares incredible ocean photography from 2021
The Marine Conservation Society has gathered a selection of incredible ocean photography to celebrate life in the UK’s seas. Hear from seasoned divers and photographers about how they captured their images and get inspired to dive in yourself.
While the images below show the colourful and curious world under the surface of the UK’s seas, the fragile ecosystems are in urgent need of protection and restoration. Without a healthy ocean, we cannot have a healthy planet.
For divers and snorkellers, the Marine Conservation Society’s Seasearch programme is a great way of giving back and exploring the UK’s waters. Seasearch volunteers conduct underwater surveys, providing an insight into the state of the UK’s seas. Learn more about the programme, and how to get involved, by visiting www.seasearch.org.uk.
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- Painted goby in shell by Dan Bolt “Springtime along the edges of a Scottish sea loch are full of hope and renewed life. Below the cool waters of the loch itself a similar scene is echoed. “This small painted goby is among many species of fish who prefer to make a nest to lay and look after their eggs. A favoured nesting site is within the hard shell of a dead sea urchin. This provides an excellent haven for the eggs and an easily defended entrance from the claws of hungry crabs. The still-vibrant colours of this shell prove it was not long deceased before this goby moved in.”
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- Bobtail squid by Saeed Rashid “Bobtail squid are one of the smaller squid species, growing to just a few centimetres in length. Living in the shallow waters around the UK all year round, they often bury themselves in sand only showing their eyes. They do this to hide from both their predators and their prey. “Like their larger cousins, octopus and cuttlefish, they have the ability to change their colour. They can also sometimes change the texture of their skin to help camouflage into their surroundings. This makes them incredibly hard to spot but, at night, they’re often attracted by diver’s lights so will come out of hiding for a sneak peek.“
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- Humpback Whale by Peter Shucksmith “I was sat on the pier with all my kit waiting for my boat support for the day. The weather was incredibly calm and sunny a very rare mid-winters day, perfect for what we wanted to try, snorkelling with humpbacks. Time was limited due to the short days in Shetland at this time of year and with the sun being low it can make it quite challenging underwater. We soon found the whales and within seconds a head came out of the water. I heard a blow and lifted my head to see the back of one of the whales that were heading towards me. Putting my eye back to the camera two large shadows appeared at the periphery of my vision and suddenly they were there right in front of me. “
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- Catshark by Sam Mansfield “As a kid on the coast, I’d look for curious leathery ‘mermaid’s purses’ (shark egg cases) washed up along the shoreline. Snorkelling off Cornwall last year, I was ascending from the kelp as the sun dipped toward the horizon and was taken by surprise as this shark brushed past me in the shallows. With the last of my breath I grabbed a picture and watched it glide into the green. “Snorkelling is a wonderful way to see many of the beautiful, weird and gigantic sea creatures that call the UK home. After these years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, wading into the sea with a mask and a lungful of air can bring much needed moments of joy and connection.“
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- Life in a diver’s torch by Dan Bolt “Nature is amazing! She can turn her hand to reclaiming just about anything we leave in our wake, and this old diver’s torch is no exception. It’s now home, and shelter, to a lobster, anemones urchins, starfish and worms, slowly becoming part of the marine environment itself.”
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- Crabs fighting by Martin Stevens “Spider crabs are common in the summer in Cornwall, often venturing into shallow water. “These two crabs were inshore quite early in the spring and I spotted them while snorkelling and freediving between the kelp. At first I thought they would simply pass each other by as they moved between the seaweed. Instead, they jumped at each other and began vigorously fighting, before one gave up and scurried off. Fortunately, I managed to get a few quick shots while the action lasted.“
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- Anemone in mussels by Kirsty Andrew “These mussels are jostling for position at the entrance to an underwater arch where currents, which normally flow freely around the Farne Islands in Northumberland, are forced through a relatively small opening. This unusual water flow causes a ‘high energy’ hotspot where fields of tiny mussels are poised to feed on the nutrients travelling past at high speed. The mussel bed extends as far as the eye can see, only broken up by the occasional hardy anemone. To the naked eye the mussels look brown-black but torchlight brings out their enticing colour.”
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- Cuttlefish by Saeed Rashid “Common cuttlefish can grow to ½ metre in length. They’re the largest cuttlefish found in UK seas and are often spotted by snorkellers and divers.”
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- Sea angel by Kirsty Andrews “Sea angels patrol the open ocean, feeding on sea butterflies, which themselves have an overly pretty name, being tiny swimming sea snails. The ‘wings’ of the sea angel are actually its feet which have developed to propel the sea angel through the water. This angel appeared in torch light during a night dive in the farthest reaches of North West Scotland.”
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- Sea squirt by Ally Moore “The intricate and delicate detail of some of these creatures is quite mind boggling to see. The transparent sea squirt Diplosoma listerianum seen here, is actually a colony of animal called zooids. Colonial sea squirts can form beautiful and very individual patterns, some of which form star and flower shapes, which makes looking at these relatively common creatures, such a delight.”
To learn more about the Marine Conservation Society’s work, and how to get involved with the Seasearch project, please visit the charity’s website: www.mcsuk.org.
Header Image: Starfish by Billy Arthur
6 years ago, The Ocean Cleanup set sail for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with one goal: to develop the technology to be able to relegate the patch to the history books. On 6 September 2024, The Ocean Cleanup fleet returns to San Francisco bringing with it System 03 to announce the next phase of the cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and to offer you a chance to view our cleanup system up-close and personal.
We look forward to seeing you there.
To confirm your presence, please RSVP to press@theoceancleanup.com
PROGRAM
Join The Ocean Cleanup as our two iconic ships and the extraction System 03 return to San Francisco, 6 years and over 100 extractions after we set sail, to create and validate the technology needed to rid the oceans of plastic.
Our founder and CEO, Boyan Slat, will announce the next steps for the cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Giving you a chance to view our cleanup system and the plastic extracted.
Hear important news on what’s next in the mission of The Ocean Cleanup as it seeks to make its mission of ridding the world’s oceans of plastic an achievable and realistic goal.
Interviews and vessel tours are available on request.
PRACTICALITIES
Date: September 6, 2024
Press conference: 12 pm (noon)
Location: The Exploratorium (Google Maps)
Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street), San Francisco, CA
Parking: Visit The Exploratorium’s website for details.
RSVP: press@theoceancleanup.com
Video & photo material from several viewing spots around the bay
We look forward to seeing you there!
ABOUT THE OCEAN CLEANUP
The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. They aim to achieve this goal through a dual strategy: intercepting in rivers to stop the flow and cleaning up what has already accumulated in the ocean. For the latter, The Ocean Cleanup develops and deploys large-scale systems to efficiently concentrate the plastic for periodic removal. This plastic is tracked and traced to certify claims of origin when recycling it into new products. To curb the tide via rivers, The Ocean Cleanup has developed Interceptor™ Solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean. As of June 2024, the non-profit has collected over 12 million kilograms (26.4 million pounds) of plastic from aquatic ecosystems around the world. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a broadly multi-disciplined team of approximately 140. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and opened its first regional office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2023.
Find out more about The Ocean Cleanup at www.theoceancleanup.com.
A shark has been spotted approaching Royal William Yard in Plymouth, much to the surprise of swimmers, paddleboarders and onlookers.
With its distinctive dorsal fin cutting through the water, the sizeable shark swam along the coastline, before turning to head inland towards Firestone Arch at Royal William Yard. The appearance drew a crowd, who were captivated for more than an hour by the unusual sight – and it was all caught on video.
The shark is one of many expected sightings at Royal William Yard over the coming weeks… because today marks the start of Shark Month!
In reality, the ‘shark’ spotted along the Plymouth shoreline was actually a custom-made model, created by the team at Royal William Yard and sailed underwater by Caroline Robertson‑Brown from the Shark Trust, who donned scuba diving gear for the occasion.
The stunt took place to launch Shark Month in style and draw attention to the work of the leading international conservation charity, which is based in Britain’s Ocean City. Spectators were reassured that the water was safe and many entered into the spirit of the performance, swimming or sailing alongside the shark.
Shark Month will take place across Royal William Yard throughout July and will feature an extravaganza of art, entertainment and advocacy for everyone to enjoy. The packed programme of events starts with an art exhibition and ends with a trip on paddleboards with shark experts – with everything from a shark quiz to a Jaws screening in between.
Paul Cox, CEO of the Shark Trust, said: “There are often assumptions and misconceptions when it comes to sharks. This was certainly the case with the shark spotted at Royal William Yard! While the British coastline is home to many species of shark, this was not one of them. However, we’re thrilled it caught people’s attention, because seeing a shark is a special and memorable moment. That is precisely why we want to celebrate these incredible creatures, highlight the need for conservation, and ask for help to safeguard their future.”
For more information about Shark Month at Royal William Yard, visit the Shark Trust Website.
Images and video: Jay Stone
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