Marine Conservation Society

By gifting a Marine Conservation Society membership this #Christmas, you’re helping protect our seas, support marine life, and preserve coastlines. It’s a gift that lasts all year and makes a real difference for our ocean 🌊 For over 40 years, we’ve been the leading marine charity in the UK. We are the go-to voice of the ocean, defending habitats and species. Supporting us means supporting vital work for our seas and future. Supporting us also gives access to exclusive member benefits including a welcome pack, Your Ocean members magazine three times a year, and regular updates about our ocean conservation work. 👉 mcsuk.org/ocean-gift

We're getting into the festive spirit this weekend, and what better way to celebrate than with a #SpeciesSpotlight on a beloved sight of UK rockpools and coasts, the very Christmassy common starfish 🌟 - Despite their name, starfish are not fish. They belong to a group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms, which also includes sea urchins and sea cucumbers. - Starfish lack a brain and blood. Instead, they use seawater to circulate nutrients through their bodies, relying on a central nerve ring to coordinate their movements. - One of the most remarkable and well-known features of starfish is their ability to regenerate. If a starfish loses an arm, it can grow back, although this process can take several months to a year. Even more amazingly, some species of starfish can grow an entire new body from a lost arm. - Starfish have a fascinating (some would say disgusting) way of eating; they can turn their stomachs inside out to digest prey like clams and mussels. Their stomach extends and then inserts itself into the shell of the prey, releasing digestive enzymes before retracting back into their bodies. - Starfish can live for a significant amount of time, with some species reaching up to 35 years in the wild. - Each arm of a starfish has an eyespot at its tip, allowing them to sense light and dark. This helps them navigate their surroundings and locate food. - Common starfish are often found in shallow coastal waters but can also inhabit depths of up to 600 meters. They thrive among rocky substrates and coral reefs. Because starfish don't have gills, they are especially vulnerable to lower oxygen levels in our warming seas. By becoming a Marine Conservation Society member, you can help us protect our ocean and all the incredible species that depend on it: mcsuk.org/membership 📸 Paul Naylor, Billy Barraclough, Erling Svenson, Billy Barraclough

Positive Ocean News 🌊 It's been a bumper month for good news stories for our seas - we've rounded up some of our top stories for a splash of ocean optimism 💙 Why not join us a member and have your own positive impact on the ocean? Sign up here 👉 mcsuk.org/join 📷 Queensland Museum

Legislation has been brought forward to deliver Deposit Return Schemes in England and Northern Ireland 🙌 Our volunteers found drinks-related litter on a staggering 97% of UK beaches surveyed last year, so it's great to see the legislation being put to the UK Parliament These regulations will cover England and Northern Ireland, with Scotland then amending the regulations already laid. Following the announcement by Wales last week, we look forward to hearing more detail on their plans which might include glass too - exactly where we want to be going and moving forward towards a circular economy What is a Deposit Return Scheme? You pay a small deposit on top of the price of a drink. Then when finished, you return the drinks container to a collection point where you get your money back. This helps reduce waste, carbon emissions, and keeps litter off our beaches With strong public and political support, we're pleased this tried-and-tested circular economy measure is one step closer to being rolled out by Oct 2027 You can find out more about our work on Deposit Return Schemes on our website: https://lnkd.in/ekngEui3

We're delighted to announce that Seasearch volunteer, Charlotte Bolton, has won the National Biodiversity Network Trust Award for Marine Wildlife Recording 2024 🎉 Charlotte led our Seasearch programme from 2016 - 2024 and during that time, oversaw the collection, collation and quality control of over 300,000 records! Our #Seasearch programme works with #volunteer divers and snorkellers and offers an exciting way to learn about #MarineWildlife whilst also playing a part in protecting and restoring the #ocean. Volunteers collect information about habitats, plants and animals underwater, and help track the health of the ocean Do you enjoy diving or snorkelling? If you do, you could make a difference by becoming a Seasearch volunteer. You don’t have to be an expert to get involved, you just need to be passionate about the ocean! Plus we provide training, so you’ll be fully prepared before diving into your first survey Charlotte shares, "When I discovered Seasearch I was immediately hooked! It's great to put my hobby to good use and collect data to support conservation and management initiatives, not to mention forming friendships with like-minded people.” Huge congratulations Charlotte 👏 Find out more about our Seasearch programme here: www.seasearch.org.uk #NBNawards24 #NBNconf24 #MakingDataWorkForNature

This week's #SpeciesSpotlight is the majestically graceful manta ray. Here are some interesting facts about them: - “Manta” means blanket/cloak in Spanish, describing the large, diamond- shape of their bodies - They are sometimes nicknamed the ‘devil fish’ because of two horn-shaped fins on the front of their heads - The giant oceanic manta ray can have a wingspan of up to 29 feet (nearly 9 metres!) - Manta rays swim with their mouths open to ‘filter feed’ themselves, catching zooplankton and krill - They can even do somersaults to eat as much krill in the same spot as possible, or work in a chain formation to create a cyclone, trapping their food in a spiral - Manta rays may even recognise themselves in a mirror! They have the largest brain-to-size ratio of any cold-blooded fish 🎥: BR Ranger

Hot off the press! The Winter 2024 edition of Your Ocean, our highly commended members' magazine, is here, and we'd love to share a taste with you 🐙 Dive into 'The illusionists of the sea' where you'll discover the mysterious world of spellbinding colour-changing sea life, from camouflaging octopuses to courting cuttlefish: https://lnkd.in/e_teKCU3 Want to read more? Of course you do! Become a member to get full access to Your Ocean three times a year, a welcome pack, and exclusive access to our latest research and conservation updates. Thanks to our members' support, we can continue to fund vital marine conservation projects to preserve the health of our oceans for generations to come. 👉 mcsuk.org/become-a-member/ 🎥 Jacob Guy

Seagrass conservation project update 🌱 Since 2019, we’ve been proud partners of the ground breaking 5 year LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES seagrass restoration project which came to an end last month. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of project partners and the support of local communities, we’ve achieved wonderful results: - Planted 8 hectares of subtidal seagrass – the equivalent of 11 football pitches! - Engaged with over 2,000 children through our education programme and outdoor events - Installed 17 Advanced Mooring Systems for boat users and 24 swim marker buoys - Established three Voluntary No Anchor Zones - Published the Green Guide to Anchoring and Moorings, which provides practical advice for boat users, with over 5,500 distributed Co-funded by the EU LIFE programme and led by Natural England, the project was delivered in partnership with @TheGreenBlue, Plymouth City Council, Ocean Conservation Trust, Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum Find out more about the project and watch the final project film over on our website: https://lnkd.in/eePypKBY

Our recently released jellyfish report revealed that sightings of Portuguese Man O’ War increased by 16% compared to last year, becoming the second-most recorded species and making up 20% of all jellyfish sightings Here are a few interesting facts about them: - The Portuguese Man O' War is not technically a jellyfish, it’s a floating colony of hydrozoans. Their bodies are made up of 4 individual organisms that form a fixed colony, combining tiny little specialised animals into a greater organism called a siphonophore - Their polyp aka bladder, can be up to 30cm long. It’s filled with gases, such as carbon monoxide, oxygen and argon and sits above the waters surface like a sail - In some countries they are also known as 'Blue Bottles' - Their tentacles can reach over 30m. These dangle into the water and catch on anything soft enough to sting. They then stick onto the prey (most often fish) and inject a paralysing toxin into them - Blanket octopuses use them as a weapon by ripping off their tentacles and using them as a toxic, venomous whip! Each year we see them after strong winds and storms. They tend to come in autumn and winter, so keep your eyes peeled and be sure to let us know if you see them Read our jellyfish report here: https://lnkd.in/erBEURKj #CitizenScience #JellyfishSighting 📷: Friends of Portheras Cove

Do you know much about how the #ocean is helping to protect us against #ClimateChange? - It captures and stores around 25% of the CO2 we release into the atmosphere - Absorbs 90% of the heat produced by emissions - Prevents and reduces coastal erosion and - Helps us to generate renewable energy Find out more about how the ocean is one of our greatest assets and best chances at combating climate change over on our blog 👇 https://lnkd.in/e8yec2aG