FINAL REPORT Batten Bay Bioblitz 2014 This year’s Bioblitz was held in Batten Bay, Plymouth. Surveying took place from 10am on Friday the 12th September until 2pm on Saturday the 13th September 2014. 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 450 people attended, including 200+ local school children, over 100 volunteer experts and enthusiasts, and 100 more families and members of the public. A total of 1027 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 collect a snapshot of species present in the area and ultimately, to raise public awareness of biodiversity. Figure 1: Base Camp, Mount Batten Watersports & Activities Centre. (Images MBA) Base camp (Figure 1) this year was located at the Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre; an excellent outdoor education centre. We were able to make use of three separate class rooms and a marquee, as well as of the adjacent car park. The overall running of the event benefited from the great flexibility and hospitality of our host. The event was the sixth marine/coastal Bioblitz to be organised by the Marine Biological Association of the UK (MBA). This year the MBA worked in partnership with Plymouth University Marine Institute and South West Fish, both of which contributed with vital funding and support for the project overall. Funding was also provided by Aquanauts, Wild Nature Press and Mount Batten Centre, who kindly contributed rewards for a successful Crowdfunder project, thanks to many generous groups and individuals. 2 | P a g e Batten Bay Bioblitz 2014 – Final Report The Survey Area The survey area (Figure 2) was located within the Plymouth Sound and Estuaries Special Area of Conservation (Natura 2000), including the Shore and Cliff SSSI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) from Mount Batten Breakwater to Jennycliff. This designation is for the variation in geology and exposure, supporting typical rocky shore communities with good seaweed zonation and rich fauna, particularly that of under-boulders and overhangs. Species of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) in the area expected to be found included the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), the Pink Sea-fan (Eunicella verrucosa), and Lesser Horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros). Care was taken not to undertake any operations likely to damage the special interest features of this site and permission was granted in advance from Natural England. 3 | P a g e Batten Bay Bioblitz 2014 – Final Report Figure 2: Map of the Survey Area. 4 | P a g e Batten Bay Bioblitz 2014 – Final Report Surveys and Base camp activities Base camp was well equipped with microscopes, cameras linking up to a big TV screen, reference materials and interactive stands where experts had trays with specimens for examination and for the public to look at (Figure 3a, 3b). Thirty organisations and projects took part, including: Marine Photo, Wild Nature Press, Bug Life, Plymouth University Marine Institute, South West Peregrine Falcon Group, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS), A- P-H-O-T-O, Wilderness Woman, Devonshire Association, British Myriapod and Isopod Group and individual experts (Figure 3). A B C D E F Figure 3: Microscope linked to big screen (A). Members of the public exploring microscopic marine life (B). Paul Naylor (Marine Photo) engaging with the public about marine life (C). Species count updates board (D). Beach Rangers Interactive ‘Make a Rockpool Creature’ activity (D). Angela Carpenter (PU/PEGASEAS) running the ‘My Channel interactive Workshop (Images MBA) The car park area surrounding basecamp was used as a meeting point for activities and gazebo stands from Devon Wildlife Trust, National Marine Aquarium, Shark Trust, Marine Conservation Society, Newquay College and Beach Rangers (Figure 3E). Stands offered arts, crafts and interactive games to explore and learn about wildlife. The South West Fish market stall (Figure 4B) was also present, where visitors could see and touch locally caught fish and where delicious sustainable mackerel baps, crab wraps and homemade pasties were being prepared to order for all. 5 | P a g e Batten Bay Bioblitz 2014 – Final Report Inside the centre, Marine Photo, SAHFOS, South West Peregrine Falcon Group, Plymouth University, APHOTO, Wilderness Woman and several other organisations displayed images, specimens and other interactive resources to engage schools and the public. The PEGASEAS team, funded by INTERREG IV ran an interactive stand, called My Channel (Figure 3F). The stand explored how people felt about the management of the English Channel and the results were used to contribute to the wider work of the project. Questionnaires were also undertaken in Basecamp as part of BNHC (Bristol Natural History Consortium’s) Beyond Biolblitz project The centre was also equipped with internet connection so the Data team from the MBA were able to upload new records, totals and photos live onto Facebook, Twitter and continuously tally the species count over the course of the two days (Figure 3d). 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, meadows, coast paths and surrounding areas. Work with schools We welcomed over 200 local school children from Lipson Co-operative Academy, Marine Academy Plymouth, Hooe Primary and Hyde Park Junior School. The pupils joined the experts on bug hunts, explored the strandline with Shark Trust, the National Marine Aquarium and Devon Wildlife Trust, and were invited to visit informative stands at basecamp (Figure 4). There was also the opportunity to experience and learn about scientific drawing with Marc Dando from Wild Nature Press, set up small mammal ink traps, handle a real preserved peregrine falcon with South West Peregrine Group, explore the secret life of Plankton with SAHFOS, and much more. After lunch, all 200 students gathered at Batten Bay beach for a mega seashore safari. By the end of the surveys, schools had contributed many species to the grand total, including Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis), Broad-clawed Porcelain Crab (Porcellana platycheles) and Worm Pipefish (Nerophis lumbriciformis), and pupils had been amazed by finding a Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) - a migrant butterfly seen coming in off the sea, and an enormous Great Green Bush cricket (Tettigonia viridissima)(c. 7cm). We are very pleased by the great feedback we received from the schools, both from the children and supporting staff. A B Figure 4: Bug Hunt (A) and South West Fish stand demonstrations of locally sourced fish (B) during the school visit. (Images MBA) 6 | P a g e Batten Bay Bioblitz 2014 – Final Report Public Surveys The public surveys started with the ‘Seashore Safari’ led by the MBA and the National Marine Aquarium, who were joined by many volunteers and members of the public. New records for the area were found for common species such as the Montagui's stellate barnacle (Chthamalus montagui) recorded by Amelia Bridges and team, and the presence of well established non-native species was confirmed, such as the red algae Pom-Pom Weed (Caulacanthus okamurae) recorded by Esther Hughes and Jo Corke and Japonese kelp (AKA Wakame) (Undaria pinnatifida) recorded by Joseph Butler as part of a Wakame Watch Survey. 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 watchers gathered, who were keen to see the experts use a seine net and to help sort through and identify the catch. Species recorded by Team Fish included Little Cuttlefish (Sepiola atlantica), a giant Common Spider Crab (Maja squinado), Common Pelican’s Foot (Aporrhais pespelecani), Phascolion strombus (Peanut Worm found in Tower Shell), Black Goby (Gobius niger), Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta)and Sand Smelt (Atherina presbyter), which also resulted from a benthic invertebrate trawl off shore (Figure 5). A B C D Figure 5: Richard Ticehurst from Plymouth University Marine Institute with a rather large Common Spider Crab found by Team Fish (A, Image MBA). Phascolion strombus (Peanut Worm found in Tower Shell) (B, Image David Fenwick). Crowd gathered for the seine netting (C, Image MBA). Striped Red Mullet (Mullus surmuletus) (D, Images MBA) At 5pm approximately 30 people gathered for the Botany and Bird Walk, led by Ambios. The group roamed along the coastal footpath and species reported included a Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), the little Dunnock (Prunella modularis) and a Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io), among many others. (Figure 6) 7 | P a g e Batten Bay Bioblitz 2014 – Final Report A B Figure 6: Botany and Bird Walk (A). Eristalis tenax on dandelion (Taraxacum agg.) (rB). (Images MBA) As twilight approached, Marie Hawkins from Plymouth City Bats and Andrew Charles from Bluebell Ecology guided around a dozen people through the coastal foot paths up to Fort Stamford equipped with hand-held bat detectors and sharp vision on the lookout for terrestrial mammals, for the Twilight Nature Walk. Three species of bats, including Common and Soprano Pipistrelles (Pipistrellus pipistrellus sensu lato and Pipistrellus pygmaeus, respectively) and the Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) were detected. Other mammals recorded either through direct encounters or by tracks and signs included a Field Vole (Microtus agrestis), European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) (Figure 7). A B Figure 7: Small European Hedgehog (A). Ink trap set up set up by school groups (B) (Images MBA) The Twilight Walk was immediately followed by a Trap Walk, which aimed to showcase several humane wildlife trap techniques within the marine and terrestrial environments, with participants visiting a number of staged traps.