FINAL REPORT 1 | P a g e Salcombe Bioblitz 2015 – Final Report Salcombe Bioblitz 2015 This year’s Bioblitz was held in North Sands, Salcombe (Figure 1). Surveying took place from 11am on Sunday the 27th September until 2pm on Monday the 28th September 2015. Over the course of the 24+ hours of the event, 11 timetabled, public-participation activities took place, including scientific surveys and guided walks. More than 250 people attended, including 75 local school children, and over 150 volunteer experts and enthusiasts, families and members of the public. A total of 1109 species were recorded. Introduction A Bioblitz is a multidisciplinary survey of biodiversity in a set place at a set time. The main aim of the event is to make a snapshot of species present in an area and ultimately, to raise public awareness of biodiversity, science and conservation. The event was the seventh marine/coastal Bioblitz to be organised by the Marine Biological Association (MBA). This year the MBA led in partnership with South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Ambios Ltd, with both organisations contributing vital funding and support for the project overall. Ambios Ltd were able to provide support via the LEMUR+ wildlife.technology.skills project and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Support also came via donations from multiple organisations. Xamax Clothing Ltd provided the iconic event t-shirts free of cost; Salcombe Harbour Hotel and Spa and Monty Hall’s Great Escapes donated gifts for use as competition prizes; The Winking Prawn Café and Higher Rew Caravan and Camping Park offered discounts to Bioblitz staff and volunteers for the duration of the event; Morrisons Kingsbridge donated a voucher that was put towards catering; Budget Car Hire provided use of a van to transport equipment to and from the event free of cost; and donations were received from kind individuals. The following organisations provided vital support, running activities and helping to survey the are: Devon Wildlife Trust; Herefordshire Wildlife Trust; Lemur +; National Marine Aquarium; Plymouth University Marine Institute; SAHFOS; Devon Birds; Sea Search; Butterfly Conservation; Exeter University; Kingsbridge Natural History Society; Plymouth Marine Laboratory; Plymouth Environmental Action; DASSH (The Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats); A-P-H- O-T-O WILDLIFE IMAGE LIBRARIES; Marine Photo; Wye Valley AONB; Plymouth Sound BSAC; British Myriapod and Isopod Group; Coastwise North Devon; National Biodiversity Network; EcoLogic Consultant Ecologists LLP; Bumblebee Conservation Trust, ;Devon Moth Group; Wembury Marine Centre. Figure 1: Rocky shore along ruins of Fort Charles, just off North Sands Beach, Salcombe (Image MBA) 2 | P a g e Salcombe Bioblitz 2015 – Final Report The Survey Area The survey area (Figure 2) was located within the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary. As well as being part of the South Devon AONB, the estuary is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a local nature reserve and lies within the South Devon Heritage Coast. With no large river feeding it, the estuary is unusually an almost entirely a marine system, possessing a very rich and diverse intertidal and sub-tidal flora and fauna, with certain communities being outstanding examples of their type in the North-east Atlantic. The lower estuary, where the survey took place, is characterised by rocks and sandy bays, home to unusual and important species including Eel-grass Zostera marina; fan mussels Atrina fragilis, Sea Potato Echinocardium cordatum with its commensal bivalve Montacuta ferruginosa, and an array of rare marine alga like Chondria coerulescens, kelp Laminaria ochroleuca, red algae Gracilaria foliifera and all four British species of Gigartina. Figure 2: Map of the Survey Area. 3 | P a g e Salcombe Bioblitz 2015 – Final Report Surveys and Base camp activities A marquee was set up on the green at North Sands Beach and used as a Base camp (Figure 3). Base camp was well equipped with microscopes, cameras connected to screens, reference materials and survey equipment for all to use. Figure 3: Base Camp during the day (A, Image MBA) and at night during the total eclipse of a supermoon (B, Image David Fenwick) Inside the marquee, Marine Photo, SAHFOS, Ambios Ltd, Plymouth University, APHOTO, Devon Wildlife Trust, South Devon AONB, The MBA and several other organisations displayed images, specimens and interactive resources to engage schools and the public (Figure 4a, 4b). Ambios’ stand attracted much attention at base camp where an enormous white board was updated with highlights and species tally updates throughout the event. The Data team from DASSH worked hard, day and night to process wildlife records over the course of the two days (Figure 4d). Basecamp was used as a meeting point for activities and the surrounding area was home to gazebos manned by the National Marine Aquarium Community Seagrass Initiative (CSI), South Devon AONB and Beach Rangers (Figure 3a). Stands offered arts, crafts and interactive activities to explore and learn about wildlife, raising awareness of the unique local habitats (Figure 4c). 4 | P a g e Salcombe Bioblitz 2015 – Final Report A C B D A Figure 4: Members of the public exploring basecamp (A, Image Nigel Mortimer). Microscope linked to big screen (B, Image MBA). Community Seagrass Initiative Stand raising awareness of seagrass beds (C, Image MBA). Data Team at work (D, Image Rob Jutsam) Many activities took place over the course of the weekend including scientific surveys, guided walks and self-guided activities run by scientists and experts from participating organisations and attending as individuals. Activities took place throughout the day and night exploring the local beaches, rockpools, marshes, woodlands and surrounding areas. Work with schools We welcomed over 75 local school children from Salcombe, Modbury and Stokenham Primary schools, as well as six home schoolers. The pupils joined experts on marine and woodland based activities, and were invited to visit stands and participate in activities at basecamp (Figure 5). The activities were cooperatively led by the participating organisations and took place in a carrousel style format. We are very pleased by the great feedback we received from the schools, both from the children and supporting staff. C 5 | P a g e Salcombe Bioblitz 2015 – Final Report A B C Figure 5: Sea shore (A), Basecamp (B) and woodland (C) during the school visit. (Images MBA) Public Surveys Fourteen timetabled public activities took place throughout the event, kicking off with the ‘Seashore Safari’ led by the MBA who were joined by over 30 volunteers and members of the public. As a way to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of English naturalist George Montagu, who spent much of his time exploring and documenting the wildlife found on the shores at Salcombe, participants were challenged to follow Montagu’s footsteps and see how many species could they find that were first described by him after finding them in the local area. In the meantime, ‘Team Fish’ led by Richard Ticehurst from Plymouth University Marine Institute and Douglas Herdson prepared for the Fish Survey that followed. Many helpers and observers gathered, to see experts use a seine net and push nets and to help sort through and identify the catch (Figure 7a). Species recorded by the group included common dragonet Callionymus lyra, five- bearded rockling Ciliata mustela, plaice Pleuronectes platessa, but also new records for the area, including corkwing wrasse Crenilabrus melops, sand smelt Atherina presbyter and European sprat Sprattus sprattus. 6 | P a g e Salcombe Bioblitz 2015 – Final Report B A C Figure 6: What did we find on the shore? Participant proudly presents a juvenile squat lobster Galathea strigosa (A). Little cuttlefish (Sepiola atlantica) (B). Beautiful seaslug Polycera quadrilineata (C). (Images MBA) The Big Bug Hunt and the Woodland Walk that followed saw the British Myriapod and Isopod Group join forces with Ambios and the Devonshire Association, who guided approximately 20 members of the public in identifying trees, flowers, minibeasts, fungi and anything that caught their attention during the walk. Equipped with nets, tubs and magnifying glasses, the team returned with records of flowering plants like native meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, non-native species like ground-elder Aegopodium podagraria, ferns such as soft-shield-fern Polystichum setiferum and bracken Pteridium aquilinum, and the well-known red admiral butterfly Vanessa atalanta. At four pm on Sunday, approximately 20 people joined the Plymouth Environmental Action (PEA) group to explore the local marsh looking for fresh water invertebrates and wild-flowers (Figure 7b). The Bioblitz team were very pleased to have the PEA volunteers join us and contribute to the marsh and freshwater dimension of our event. Species found during this survey included Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa and new records for the area such as Gammarus pulex and Common Bithynia Bithynia tentaculata. Immediately after the Marsh Walk, event attendees had the opportunity to watch and learn everything about seagrass. This colourful, comfortable and interactive stand was manned by Expert CSI (Community Seagrass Initiative) staff who were on hand to answer questions about seagrass beds and explain why and how they are such an important feature of our marine environment (Figure 4c). The Plankton Survey was led by the MBA, PML and SAHFOS. Together, the team collected and sorted through water samples collected from the beach at high tide and caught the attention of an intrigued crowd of 10 people or more (Figure 7c). 7 | P a g e Salcombe Bioblitz 2015 – Final Report Figure 7: Crowd gathered to sort Team Fish seine net’s catch (A, Image MBA). Keen participants exploring the marshes for freshwater invertebrates (B, Image Rob Jutsam). Well-equipped volunteer to collect plankton far into the swell (C, Images MBA) As twilight approached, Andrew Charles from Ecologic Consultants guided 12-20 people on a Twilight Nature Walk around marshes and woodland paths equipped with hand-held bat detectors and sharp vision on the lookout for terrestrial mammals,.