CONSERVATION ISSUES - MARCH 2006

The Marine Conservation Society, in conjunction with The Cornwall Wildlife Trust, is carrying out a Pink Sea Fan Survey, and sports divers can help with this survey. The nationally rare sea fan Eunicella verrucosa, is actually quite abundant in some locations, and some of the best areas are around Cornwall.

Special Sea Fan recording dives are being arranged, but it is hoped that most of the information will come from divers who are regularly diving these areas as part of their general dive programme for the year. All you need are copies of the forms and guidance notes, a slate and means of measuring underwater, ( The Seasearch Slate, which I think some of you already have, has a scale on them, so are ideal). You are also asked to look carefully for the Sea Fan anemone, a tiny anemone which grows on the sea fan, and were once thought to be quite common,

Pink Sea Fan at 110 ft at the base of the Penwin Pinnacle off the Manacles. It does not look pink at this depth.   Photo Ray Dennis

but now seems to be extremely rare. They have been found at Land’s End, The Manacles and off Plymouth, but nowhere else. Even at these sites less than 1% of sea fans have anemones on them. There are two recording forms, one for general use and one for use on deep wrecks where bottom time is very limited. There are separate guidance notes for the general form and the simpler wreck recording form has them printed on it.

FREE DOWNLOADS FROM THE CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST WEBSITE

 www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk

You can download the files listed below for free. You will need the Adobe Reader, but if you don't already have it, you can get it free of charge from www.adobe.com.

All items are also available by post, and can be obtained from the HQ at Five Acres, Allet, Truro, TR4 9DJ; free of charge, but a donation would be appreciated to cover cost of postage etc.

Guernsey has a small resident population of about a dozen Grey Seals, but a month old pup was found suffering from malnutrition at Jaoneuse Bay. There was no trace of the mother, and it was thought that it had been molested by dogs. It was taken to the Guernsey Shelter for animals and is due to be moved to the Gweek Seal Sanctuary which is better equipped  to deal with young seals. It could be released within two months, once the pup has regained a full layer of blubber.  

Bottlenose Dolphins were reported 6 times during February, all on the north coast from St Ives to The Rumps, which is the east side of the Camel Estuary. Pod sizes reported ranged from 3 to 15. Four other reports of dolphins were probably also Bottlenose, all on the north coast again, with pod sizes ranging from 3 to 12. Only 2 reports came in of Common Dolphins, A pod of about 5 was seen moving about in Plymouth Sound and 50 were seen about 4 miles off Dodman Point. Most reports that came in were of Harbour Porpoises. There were 13 reports, mainly of 3 or less, and all around West Penwith except one report of 7 seen in Rosemullion Bay. The largest pod however was of 10 off Penlee Point. The only report of a Grey Seal was of one bottling close inshore near Pedn-mên-an-mere, Fin Whales were reported twice. One was seen 4 miles off Dodman Point on 2nd February, being followed and bow ridden by the 50 or more Common Dolphins already mentioned, and another was seen from the air and filmed  off Portloe, which appeared on television, on the 7th. February.

Three very large cetaceans were also seen off Porthgwarra. Sea conditions were not very good for viewing and only three large triangular fins were seen close together, so these were probably female Pilot Whales. Large male Pilot whales have a swept back dorsal with a bulbous end. I have not received a detailed report of strandings for February but there have been many more, adding to the 35 carcasses found in January.    

Conservation Officer Raymond Dennis

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