PORCUPINE MARINE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER December 2002 Number 11 ISSN 1466-0369 Porcupine Marine Natural History Society Newsletter No. 11 December 2002 Hon. Treasurer MEMBERSHIP Jon Moore Ti Cara Chairman Point Lane Julia Nunn Cosheston Cherry Cottage Pembroke Dock 11 Ballyhaft Rd Pembrokeshire Newtonards SA72 4UN Co. Down BT 22 2AW 01646 687946 [email protected] [email protected] Porcupine MNHS welcomes new members- scientists, students, divers, naturalists and Hon. Editor lay people. We are an informal society Frances Dipper interested in marine natural history and 7 Rutland Green recording particularly in the North Atlantic Hilton and 'Porcupine Bight'. Members receive 3 Huntingdon newsletters a year which include Cambs proceedings from scientific meetings. PE28 9NT 01480 830507 Individual £10 Student £5 [email protected] COUNCIL MEMBERS Roger Bamber [email protected] Peter Barfield [email protected] Judy Foster-Smith [email protected] Paul Brazier [email protected] Jon Moore [email protected] Anne Bunker [email protected] Julia Nunn [email protected] Susan Chambers [email protected] Shelagh Smith [email protected] Frances Dipper [email protected] Peter Tinsley [email protected] Frank Evans [email protected] CONTENTS Editorial 1 Council Minutes 2-3 Porcupine meetings, Other meetings 4-5 News and adverts 5 PORCUPINE PROBLEMS Ballan wrasse – John Kirby Bluemouth – Douglas Herdson 6 PORCUPINE PIECES Function and phylogeny of falcigers and spinigers. Peter Gibson 7-9 A giant squid captured to the west of Scotland in 2002. Douglas Herdson 10-13 The Porcupine Recording Scheme. Jon Moore 13-14 PMNHS Field Trip to Rhoscolyn September 2002. Paul Brazier 15-23 PAPERS FROM PORCUPINE 2002: Changes in Marine Biology over the last 25 years. Broad scale mapping in the Forth:The Firth of Forth Spatial Project. Abstract only. Richard Park 24 Monitoring the sublittoral at the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal: Data from the 1990s. Trevor Baker 24-37 EDITORIAL E-mail addresses Thank you to all of you that have sent Your Council would like to apologise their e-mail addresses to me over the for the fact that there was no past few months. We are still trying to July/August issue of the Newsletter combine the various lists we have so if this year. This was because you have sent your address and we insufficient copy was received and so are still not using it, please bear with there was nothing to publish. The us. Anyone who has NOT told us their general way in which things work is e-mail address and would like to that papers from the Annual Meeting in receive information such as reminders March are published in the two of meeting, in this way, please send to following newsletters (i.e April and me or to Julia Nunn. July/August issues). The November/December issue sweeps up Obituary anything left over from previous It is with the deepest sadness that I meetings. Contributions received from have to tell you that Annette Little died members, write-ups of field trips etc., in July, after losing her long battle with are published in whichever issue cancer. Annette was a much valued follows their receipt. Following the member of Council and friend and will annual meeting in March this year be sorely missed. She supported (2002) it has proved extremely difficult Porcupine to the end, attending both to persuade those that presented their the Annual Meeting in Edinburgh in papers, to actually write them up. I had March and the field trip to Dunbar lots of promises and I’m sure everyone immediately following. She died had good intentions but, in spite of peacefully with her family around her. numerous appeals, very little happened. In future we will be asking all speakers at the annual meeting to provide their written papers at the time of the conference (assuming they want their papers published). COPY DEADLINES March 1st for April issue Meanwhile, I would also like to June 1st for July issue encourage more members to contribute to the newsletter. LETTERS to the Editor, short ARTICLES, requests for INFORMATION, book REVIEWS, scandalous STORIES NEW WEB ADDRESS about other Porcupines, PHOTOGRAPHS – all are Note new web acceptable!! address: So please get writing. As you have all www.pmnhs.co.uk been so busy you must have something to write about! Web site. Please note the new web site address below. Please VISIT the site and send your comments to Ann Bunker. Please also send in any photos you would like to see on the site plus interesting articles. An article on the web site is a valid publication. PMNHS Newsletter No. 11 December 2002 1 Porcupine Marine Natural History Society (www.pmnhs.co.uk) newsletter archive Summary of Minutes of the Council without going through a third person. Meeting held on November 16th The new server can host forms. 2002 at the Natural History Museum, London. JM had been approached by Steve Trewhela (non member) asking if we Present: would like to use some of his Roger Bamber photographs on our site. Council Peter Barfield thought it would be useful to have a Anne Bunker bank of photos for use on the web site Frank Evans and that these would be a starting Judy Foster-Smith point. Jon Moore Julia Nunn AB suggested that the next feature Peter Tinsley should be on Sargassum muticum and has approached Dr Steve Morrel from Apologies: Dale Fort Field Centre who did his Mike Bailey PhD on S.muticum to write an article. Paul Brazier It was suggested that previous Sue Chambers features are archived on the site. Frances Dipper Ian Killeen JN has been the only person to Ivor Rees suggest any links to other suitable Shelagh Smith sites. Several other sites were suggested at the meeting. AB will The turn over of council members check the suggestions out and add to was discussed. Three council site if appropriate. members (Ian Killeen, Mike Bailey and Ivor Rees) have resigned. With the Later in the meeting a History page sad death of Annette Little earlier this was suggested. year there are now 12 council members. There is now space for Newsletter. FD had sent report that it people to join the Porcupine Council was becoming increasingly difficult to and current council members were obtain copy and that the next asked to consider whether they knew newsletter could be delayed slightly anyone suitable to recommend. due to her work commitments. Peter Thanks for their previous time and Tinsley offered to assist FD with commitment were expressed to those production of the Newsletter. who have now resigned. Membership drive. In order to Finances. The Hon. Treasurer Jon maintain/increase membership, Moore gave a report. Council decided the following: An A4 poster to go out with the newsletter. A Membership. The Membership membership leaflet to be sent out with Secretary Jon Moore gave a report. the big newsletter after the conference. Send posters out to Poster. This has now been produced. suitable organisations. JN will Thanks to Joshua for designing the produce a distribution list. Ask for poster. member’s e-mail addresses. Web. The address has now been Conference. Friday and Saturday changed to www.pmnhs.co.uk due to 14th and 15th of March. National problems that could not be resolved Museum of Wales, Cardiff. Andy with the previous one. The site is now Mackie. JM has a list of potential back on line and can be managed speakers. PMNHS Newsletter No. 11 December 2002 2 Porcupine Marine Natural History Society (www.pmnhs.co.uk) newsletter archive It was decided to charge £25 (may be Council thanked RB for providing the £30 –ed.) (£15 for students) excellent venue for this meeting. conference fee and to ask for a £10 deposit for the conference dinner. RB treated council members who did not have to rush off to see the Harry Field Trips. Ivor Rees had sent Potter film, or catch a train, to a comments regarding future trips, which fascinating tour of the tank room. were read to the council members present. Paul Brazier had written a report of the recent field meeting to the Inland Sea, Anglesey, which will be published in the newsletter. JN will contact Jan Light regarding a possible future meeting to be held jointly with the Conchological Society. Constitution. JN will make changes to the original constitution and send round to Council for comment and approval. FD plus white tip reef shark in Data Custodians. JN raised the issue Sipadan, Sabah. Photo by Liz Wood of producing guidelines and adhering to the law when reproducing and releasing data. JN will circulate a This is what your editor was doing paragraph concerning this issue for whilst the rest of Council were having comment. This paragraph should be their meeting in London! placed in the newsletter at its first appearance and subsequently be kept on the web site. History of Porcupine. This project is ongoing. JN will contact SS to suggest that FE would be willing to help. In the meantime it was suggested that a summary of Porcupine’s history should go on the web site. FE will e-mail AB with short history and AB will publish it as a page on the web site. Netty (Annette) Little. There was a discussion on the best way to remember Netty. JM suggested an education interpretation board or similar. JM will investigate. AB suggested making the next features page, since it was seaweed one, a tribute to Netty.