News from MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland

Bioblitz Mount Edgcumbe

2011-09-20 13:01:14

Friday 30th September 2011, 2:30 pm - Mount Edgcumbe

Last year we found over 1,000 dierent species and we are hoping to beat this! Beginning at 11.00 on Friday 30th September, finishing at 13.00 on Saturday the 1st October. Come and join us throughout the FREE event, but activities will be taking place for everyone at the following times:

More details can be found on the Bioblitz Mount Edgcumbe page.

Gloves off: scientists chart Chinese mitten crab invasion

2011-09-20 13:00:05

Become a nature detective and record the invasion of the alien Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) in rivers of England and Wales.

Scientists from a consortium of UK research institutes, including London�s Natural History Museum are asking the public to become nature detectives this autumn to better understand the full extent of the Chinese mitten crab invasion and the threat these crustaceans pose to our rivers and waterways. Anglers, waterway workers, boating enthusiasts and other nature lovers can use an online survey, to identify and record any sightings of the alien species. The recordings will be used by scientists to clarify the full distribution of the exotic crabs in English and Welsh rivers.

Chinese mitten crabs are now one of the most notorious aquatic invasive species featuring in the international list of the world�s 100 worst invasive species and they are here in the UK. They are regarded as a pest because they cause immense economic and ecological damage such as damage to fishing gear and unprotected river banks, block water systems as well as compete with native species for food and habitat.

Current records show that mitten crabs have established populations in the Thames, Medway, Ouse Washes, Humber and the Dee Estuary. There are a number of areas where our records are incomplete. Researchers are particularly interested in any sightings in the Thames west of Windsor to beyond Reading; Tyne, Tees and Wear in the North East; Dee and Merseyside and from the Severn Estuary to the Isle of Wight in the South West. However records from other rivers and watersheds are also most welcome.

Becky Seeley, Marine Life Records Officer at the Marine Biological Association said "These crabs can be quite large and conspicuous and by helping us track them, the public and river users in particular will be doing something positive for the environment by helping to tackle their further spread."

Research and Government agencies and Nature lovers can report their finds by phone, email or online and upload their photographs by visiting www.mittencrabs.org.uk.

To find out more about mitten crabs and the survey visit

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/staff-directory/zoology/p-clark/index.html and www.marlin.ac.uk/marine_aliens.

Welcome to hotlips, zipperback and the gangly lancer

2011-07-27 08:23:00

Ten species enter the English language for the first time as winners of the 2011 'Name a Species' competition are announced.

Emerging from obscurity, ten previously unnamed British species are now enjoying some long-awaited limelight as the results of the competition to give them popular names were announced today (Thursday 21st July).

Thousands of people submitted entries in response to the 'Name a Species' competition organised by Natural England and The Guardian. The competition invited the public to give popular names to ten British species that have until now been listed only in Latin.

The overall winner, suggested by 12 year-old Rachael Blackman, was �hotlips� � Octospora humosa � a disc-shaped fungus that is a vivid orange-red and often resembles puckered lips. Among this year�s winners is the shimmering-ruby tail � nee Chrysis fulgida � a species of cuckoo-wasp named for its metallic-rainbow colouring. The fountain anemone, Ascot hat and scarlet lady were previously only known as Sagartiogeton laceratus, Xerocomus bubalinus and Coryphella browni, respectively. They now join the ranks of the more familiar bluebell, bladderwrack and Devil�s coach-horse, having popular names that describe their characteristics.

Dr Pete Brotherton, Head of Biodiversity for Natural England, said: �This competition set out to inspire the nation, drawing attention to some less well-known species that have, until now, been without a common name. The public have come up trumps with some vivid and imaginative suggestions to rescue these forgotten species from obscurity.�

The ten winning names announced today are:

Shimmering ruby-tail (Chrysis fulgida): a shiny bright wasp
Zipperback (Chrysotoxum elegans): one of nature�s gardeners
Hotlips (Octospora humosa): a red high pressured fungus
Ascot hat (Xerocomus bubalinus): a tree-nurturing mushroom
Sunburst lichen (Lichenomphalia alpina): a lichen that thinks it�s a mushroom
Neptune�s heart sea squirt (Phallusia mammillata): Britain�s largest sea squirt
Scarlet lady (Coryphella browni): a recycling seaslug
Fountain anemone (Sagartiogeton laceratus): a many tentacle anemone
Serpent�s table brittlestar (Ophiura albida): a snaky star in the sand
Gangly lancer (Nymphon gracile): an undersea spider with a straw

Today�s ten new species names were selected from over 6,000 entries by a panel of five judges: Dr Peter Brotherton of Natural England, Dr Keith Hiscock of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, Liz Holden of the British Mycological Society, Matt Shardlow of Buglife and George Monbiot author and Guardian columnist.

Dr Brotherton continued: �Biodiversity is the foundation of our own existence and we cannot afford to take it for granted, which is why we are getting the issue out from under the microscope and into the limelight. We�re delighted that this competition has continued to inspire the public�s imagination and encouraged so many to find out more about the amazing range of wildlife we have in this country.�

Adam Vaughan, editor of environmentguardian.co.uk, said: "The fact that a 12 year-old girl won the Name a Species competition puts paid to the lie that today's young generation are not interested in nature. By dubbing a fungus with the witty, memorable and salient name of 'hotlips', Rachael Blackman has probably done more for the conservation of Octospora humosa than any naturalist before her. The quality of this year's entries was superb and I hope Neptune�s heart sea squirt, the gangly lancer, and shimmering ruby-tail will soon find a place in our collective cultural memory."

This is the second year of the competition, which was originally inspired by Natural England�s Lost Life - a report that showed that nearly 500 species have become extinct in England in the last 200 years � and the subsequent call by George Monbiot, author and Guardian comment writer, for a competition to enable the public to become more familiar with the species that we are in danger of losing.

World's oceans in 'shocking' decline

2011-06-27 10:21:07

The report was written by the panel of the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO). One of the report authors, Professor Dan Laffoley (who is a member of MBA Council) is quoted as saying that there are 'vast challenges' ahead.

Read the full report on the BBC website

Public urged to name Britain�s forgotten wildlife

2011-06-16 14:12:19

Marine creatures stand out as Natural England and The Guardian launch a public competition to rescue unnamed British wildlife from obscurity

Now in its second year, the 'Name a species' competition, run by Natural England and The Guardian, was launched on Saturday 11 June 2011 with the aim of finding a common name for 10 unknown, but amazing, British species. Five of the 10 unnamed species are marine creatures.

A host of seemingly forgotten species exist in Britain and many are disappearing fast. Known to just a few scientists and identified only by Latin names, they lack the common touch and their decline risks going unnoticed as a result. The competition aims to rescue Britain's unnamed species from obscurity by asking the public to suggest memorable common names.

Dr Pete Brotherton, Head of Biodiversity at Natural England said: "There is a wonderful array of fascinating creatures in this year's competition, from sea spiders and sea squirts, recently discovered mushrooms and rare hoverflies. Giving English names to these species will help give them a popular identity they are crying out for."

The five marine creatures featuring in the competition's list of 10 unnamed species are:

Coryphella browni - a recycling sea slug
Nymphon gracile - an undersea spider with a straw
Phallusia mammillata - Britain's largest sea squirt
Sagartiogeton laceratus - a many tentacled anemone
Ophiura albida - a snaky star in the sand

Common names have been given to species throughout history. Frequently colourful and highly descriptive, these names have often been the best way for the public to become familiar with the species' characteristics and behaviour.

Dr Pete Brotherton said: "Scientific study needs the precision and discipline of Latin names, but it's difficult to fire the imagination with a name like Pachycerianthus multiplacatus - 'fireworks anemone' is much more exciting. There are some amazing forgotten gems in this competition - we want to remind people of the importance of all species, because each of them has a role to play in sustaining the health of the ecosystems upon which we depend."

The first Natural England/Guardian 'Name a species' competition was inspired by the environment writer George Monbiot. Adam Vaughan, editor of environmentguardian.co.uk http://environmentguardian.co.uk/ , said: "We were overwhelmed by more than 3,000 entries in the competition's first year, which was a testimony to the British public's love of nature. Governments are waking up to biodiversity loss as a serious issue - last year they agreed new targets for protecting wildlife and habitats by the end of the decade. But we need the public to sustain the pressure, and giving species colourful and memorable names is a vital step in protecting them."

Anyone can enter the competition by visiting the Guardian's web site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/series/name-a-species

The closing date and time of the competition is 12 noon on 25 June 2011. Our expert panel will judge the entries, and the winning names will be announced in a special Guardian feature on 16 July 2011.

Last year the overall winning name was the Queen's Executioner, a type of beetle that feeds on the larvae of other beetles and is found only in Windsor Great Park. Other winning names included the sea piglet and witches' whiskers.