The table to the right shows how many Phylum Common Name Number of Common Species species were recorded in each group Porifera 5 Bread-crumb panicea and some of the most widely Anemones, Corals, 22 Dead men's fingers digitatum distributed species. Hydroids, Jellyfish Dahlia anemone felina Plumose anemone Metridium senile Ctenophora Sea gooseberries 1 Nemertea Ribbon worms 1 Annelida Segmented worms 8 Sand mason Lanice conchilega Keelworm Pomatoceros sp. Peacock worm Sabella pavonina Chelicerata Sea spiders 1 Crustacea , crabs, 25 Balanus crenatus Common lobster Homarus gammarus Hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus Squat lobster Galathea strigosa Anemones, Corals, Hydroids & Edible crab Cancer pagurus Jellyfish Velvet swimming crab Necora puber This was the most diverse group of Mollusca Shells, sea slugs, 26 Grey top shell Gibbula cineraria recorded - 22 different octopus Painted top shell Calliostoma zizyphinum Curled octopus Eledone cirrhosa species. Hydroids were common (10 Sea mats 2 species) especially the bushy Echinodermata Starfish, sea urchins 13 Purple sunstar Crossaster papposus Halecium halecinum. Amongst the Common starfish Asterias rubens r a r e r h y d r o i d s P o l y p l u m a r i a Brittle star Ophiothrix fragilis & frutescens occurred on the cobble and mixed sediment at the Mill Door. Common esculentus The daisy anemone Sagartia elegans Tunicata Sea squirts 11 Light-bulb ascidian Clavelina lepadiformis Ciona intestinalis was abundant on many of the rock Pisces Fish 22 Ballan wrasse Labrus bergylta faces whilst the burrowing anemone Butterfish Pholis gunnellus Cerianthus lloydii was found in the Seaweeds 24 Enc. coralline algae Corallinaceae sand. Amongst the less common Sea beech Delesseria sanguinea anemones was the northern species Landlady's wig Desmarestia aculeata B o l o c e r a t u e d i a e w h i c h i s or Cuvie hyperborea occasionally found on the east coast Shells, Sea slugs and Octopus of but is rare on the west. Crabs and lobsters Grey and Painted top shells were Dead men's fingers Alcyonium were common throughout thearea, Isle of May Survey common in the kelp forests and both Male cuckoo wrasse digitatum were common at most sites, often hiding in the boulder holes and crevices. Rock wall King and Queen scallops were particularly on vertical faces. One of Lobsters, edible and velvet crabs were found present on the sediment sites. There the more unusual finds was the around the whole island. 4 species of squat were 8 species of sea slug recorded, Summer 2001 & 2002 stalked jellyfish Haliclystus auricula lobster were recorded, with the bright red often from the gully walls where they which attaches itself to kelp fronds. Galathea strigosa in crevices and Munida were feeding on bryozoans and strigosa on the sediment. The masked crab hydroids. The Octopus Eledone Corystes cassivelaunus was found on sand at Summary Report cirrhosa was reported from 7 sites on The Bishop. the east coast, often hidden among boulders. Fishes The most common fish were wrasse with Starfish, Sea urchins and Sea Ballans found at most sites and Goldsinny cucumbers c o m m o n . N o r w e g i a n t o p k n o t w e r e Light bulb ascidian The sea urchin Echinus esculentus is camouflaged on the open rock at several sites one of the most important animals and Leopard spotted gobies were often seen Sea squirts around the island as its large numbers hiding in crevices. Amongst the rarer fish were a Sea squirts were an important exert a heavy grazing pressure on the Wolf fish off the east coast and, unusually for the component of the fauna with Light bulb seabed. The bright red sunstar , a Sunfish south of the Mill Door. ascidians on the open rock throughout C r o s s a s t e r p a p p o s u s w a s Octopus Nudibranch, Flabellina pedata the area and the yellow ringed Ciona conspicuous at many sites. Brittlestars intestinalis in crevices and between Ophiothrix fragilis and Ophiocomina boulders. Colonial ascidians were nigra were abundant as dense beds on common in the surge conditions of the the bedrock steps at both ends of the cave and gully walls. island. Wolf fish

Surveyors taking part were R. Bayne, C. Bronsdon, J. Campbell, F. This Seasearch survey was organised as a part of the Marine Crouch, A. Davison, C. Duncan, F. Fortune, A. Fraser, G. Galfskin, M. Conservation Society’s Members’ Dives Programme with financial Harding, R. Hay, C. Holland, C. Howson, G. Hutchinson, D. Jackson, J. support from Scottish Natural Heritage Khan, J. Lamb, V. Leighton, J. Manson, S. McDonald, M. McGarrity, C. McWhirr, S. Midgely, S. Miller, C. Munro, L. Parks, L. Patchell, K. Seasearch is a volunteer underwater survey project for recreational Pritchard, J. Sarginson, G. Swan, P. Udez and E. Whinfield. divers to contribute to the conservation of the marine environment. Financial support for the project during 2003 and for the production of We would like to thank Cameron this summary report has been given by: Small and Brian Anderson, the skippers of the Thistle B. Calum Duncan organised the surveys and this report was prepared by Christine Howson. Photographs are by C. Howson. Sunstar rock life RH Life on gully wall Isle of May bryozoan crusts and keel worms, with abundant Sediment Deeper, -dominated rock sea urchins and sparse dead men's fingers were The Isle of May or May Isle lies on the east coast of Scotland at the junction of the sheltered A plain of mixed coarse sand abietina common. Other Circalittoral rock extended to at least 28m on found all around the island, often extending from waters of the Firth of Forth and the more open expanses of the North Sea. This small, and shell with cobbles and species present included sand the south-east of the island, 25m on the the bottom of the kelp zone to the rock-sediment elongate rocky island, with sheer cliffs and caves on its west coast and more gentle rocky boulders was found beyond gobies Pomatoschistus spp., southern tip at Maiden Hair and 22m on the interface. There were few species on the open slopes on its eastern shore, is home to thousands of seals and seabirds. Strong tides run the rock around most of the northern tip. Along the east coast, a mixed rock with the red sunstar Crossaster papposus dragonets Callionymus lyra, and the common starfish Asterias rubens found around its headlands, and the rocky reefs in these tide-swept waters support kelp forests and island, with more clean shell hermit crabs, the sand mason sediment plain began at between 9 and 17m. turfs of anemones, sponges and hydroids. These communities provide foraging grounds for At most sites there was a mixture of stepped at many sites, anemones Urticina felina and gravel at the northern end. worm Lanice conchilega, the Metridium senile, ascidians such as Ciona the seals which bask on the rocky shores. These mixed sediments swimming crab Liocarcinus bedrock and boulder slopes with the fauna on the boulders and bedrock broadly similar. intestinalis and Ascidia mentula and scattered appeared to support a fairly depurator, scallops Pecten clumps of sea firs such as Halecium halecinum. The island supports the fourth largest Grey seal Heavy grazing by sea urchins restricted the rich fauna and flora although maximus and Aequipecten diversity of community types. breeding group of grey seals in the British Crevices and boulder holes sheltered a greater Isles, and, as the UK has about 40% of the they were not surveyed in any opercularis, burrowing bivalves detail. In places there were Mya sp. and Ensis sp., Rock and boulders dominated by algal and variety of animals, including squat lobsters world population of grey seals, the island Galathea spp., edible crabs Cancer pagurus, is of international conservation significant scour-tolerant b u r r o w i n g a n e m o n e s hydroid communities on the lobsters Homarus gammarus, octopus Eledone importance. In recognition of this, the Cerianthus lloydii and the cirrhosa, velvet swimming crabs Necora puber, island has been proposed to the EC as a cobbles and boulders with brittlestars Ophiura ophiura and sea cucumbers Pawsonia saxicola and shrimps. European marine site to afford protection species such as Sertularia Ophiura albida. Fish were common with Cuckoo and Ballan for the seals and the rocky reefs on which argentea and Abietinaria wrasse found, wolf fish, scorpion fish Taurulus they breed and feed. The island has also bubalis and Bull rout Myoxocephalus scorpioides. At sites where the boulders been designated as a Special Protection extended out onto the sediment plain the fauna Area to protect the thousands of breeding was more diverse, with a greater variety of sea Guillemot seabirds. firs including Abietinaria abietina, Polyplumaria frutescens and Sertularia argentea and the large Dead men’s fingers dahlia anemone Urticina eques. Kelp forests Rock in shallow water all around the island was dominated by kelp forest, with the dominant species being Laminaria hyperborea. Kelp reached a maximum depth of 13 m on the exposed south-eastern tip of the island, but was only recorded to 3 m at Horse Hole on the west coast, one of The Middens Maiden Hair the most sheltered sites dived. The kelp forests also extended deeper on the east coast than on the Steep rock and very large boulders down Off the islet of Maiden Hair, on the southern west, where, despite the availability of suitable rock and boulders, the large bushy alga Desmarestia aculeata replaced Laminaria below the main forest. Grazing by sea urchins was very to 16 m at The Middens are covered with tip of the May Isle, steep bedrock steps pronounced around the whole island, reducing the diversity of species found within the kelp forests, dead men's fingers, keel worms reach a depth of 25 m. In shallow water, and this is probably one of the major factors limiting the maximum depth of kelp. A second factor is Pomatoceros sp., and the anemones the rock is covered with kelp with some almost certainly the differences in available light on the more exposed east (more light) and more Sagartia elegans and Metridium senile plants of the sugar kelp Laminaria sheltered west (less light) coasts. with occasional sunstars Crossaster saccharina and the furbelows Saccorhiza papposus and the Devonshire cup coral polyschides mixed amongst the Laminaria Rock beneath the kelp was at most sites covered by coralline, dark red and brown algal crusts with large Caryophyllia smithii, an unusual find on hyperborea plants. The inshore rock is Grazed kelp forest numbers of sea urchins Echinus esculentus, keel worms the east coast of Britain. From 16 m there dissected by colourful, steep-sided gullies Pomatoceros sp. and barnacles Balanus crenatus and is a more gradual slope of smaller with anemones, sponges and hydroids on . Other conspicuous species included the boulders with brittlestars Ophiothrix their walls; seals are often seen swimming dahlia anemone Urticina felina, Sagartia elegans, the fragilis and Ophiura albida and here. Beyond the kelp, projecting ridges velvet swimming crab Necora puber, the common starfish occasionally the peacock worm Sabella and vertical faces are covered with dead Asterias rubens and ascidians including the light bulb pavonina, grading in to a plain of mixed men's fingers whilst the deeper rock steps Clavelina lepadiformis. Top shells Gibbula gravel, cobbles and boulders with sand are carpeted with brittlestars, Ophiothrix cineraria, hydroids Obelia geniculata and bryozoans gobies and hydroids. fragilis. Membranipora membranacea were common on the kelp plants. Red algae in the less grazed areas included Cryptopleura ramosa, Bonnemaisonia asparagoides, Delesseria sanguinea, Phycodrys rubens and the northern species Odonthalia dentata. A feature of many of the kelp sites was large numbers of fish, particularly Ballan wrasse, Mill Door Goldsinny wrasse, Two-spotted gobies and Butterfish. At the Mill Door, caves, arches and gullies penetrate the cliff face with vertical walls covered Tide-swept rock with an encrusting, surge-tolerant fauna. A At a number of sites where there was more colourful turf of sponges such as Clathrina tidal movement, and particularly around the Caves and gullies coriacea, Leuconia nivea and coriacea, seasquirts, bryozoans and anemones, northern and southern ends of the island, Esperiopsis fucorum and ascidians particularly dwarf plumose anemones Metridium dead men's fingers Alcyonium digitatum and Steep-sided rock gullies and caves including Lissoclinum perforatum, senile and Sagartia elegans cover the gully and the plumose anemone Metridium senile were were common in shallow water, and Botryllus schlosseri and Clavelina Sagartia elegans cave walls. Outside the caves, the seabed more abundant. Where the tides are sea urchins have much less impact lepadiformis. Nudibranchs were consists of a slope of large, angular boulders dropping to bedrock steps and then mixed strongest there were dense beds of Ophiothrix fragilis on these walls than on the more level common amongst this rich turf with Polycera faeroensis brittlestars Ophiothrix fragilis which covered rock. These gully walls supported a several species recorded including the sediment. Kelp and Desmarestia aculeata cover the rock steps over much of the circalittoral. much richer, more colourful faunal brightly coloured Flabellina pedata and the shallow rock with urchins and dead men's These were particularly abundant on the turf than elsewhere, with large Polycera spp. Mobile, clean cobbles fingers dominating the deeper rock. The slightly deeper rock off Maiden Hair and the numbers of surge-tolerant species were a feature of these sites with few Desmarestia was covered with large numbers of northern tip of the island. Associated species including the anemones Sagartia species recorded as associated with small caprellid amphipods during the survey. were relatively few, as the large numbers of elegans, Metridium senile, dead them, although brittlestars and Urticina Whilst the fauna on the open rock is fairly sparse, brittlestars tend to smother other species, but men's fingers, sponges such as felina were present in places. the boulder holes support conger eels, octopus were generally similar to those found in the Halichondria panicea,Clathrina and squat lobsters and fish including Ballan and rocky habitats. Urticina eques Goldsinny wrasse are common.