Download Coastal and Marine poster

As as island nation the UK boasts a large and varied coastline, the approximate
length of the coast is 7,500 miles. The geography of our coastline consists of a variety
of natural features including islands, bays, headlands and peninsulas.
You can try and identify some of the wildlife on this poster whilst you’re on your
course at either our Aberdovey or Loch Eil centres, or on your next visit to the coast.
How many can you spot?
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Variations and zones of coastal habitat,
marine conservation
Shore Crabs
These are very common and
are usually green but can be
brown or orange. They can
be recognised by the jagged
edge to the front of their shell
They grow to about 10cm
across the carapace (shell).
Like most crustaceans they
have to moult their shell every
so often as they grow bigger.
Barnacles
Barnacles are a type of arthropod
and are related to crabs and
lobsters. They attach themselves
permanently to a hard substrate
and are suspension feeders,
reaching into the water with
modified feathery legs to catch
their food.
Mussels
Mussels anchor
themselves to
rocks or even other
mussels, using
strong, sticky
threads, which
work like the guy
ropes on a tent.
Why tides happen
Tides are caused mainly by the pull of the Moon’s gravity on
the Earth’s oceans. As the Moon orbits the Earth, the oceans
are pulled towards it, making high tides on that side of the
Earth - and on the opposite side because of the Earth’s spin.
The Sun’s gravity also pulls the oceans but its effect is much
weaker because it is much further away. Twice a month,
when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in line, the pull of the
Moon and Sun combine to produce extra high and low tides,
called spring tides. When the Sun, Moon and Earth form a
right angle, the Sun’s pull works against the Moon’s pull,
making less extreme tides, called neap tides.
Estuaries
An estuary is subject to both marine influences such as
tides, and river influences such as flows of fresh water and
sediment. Because their sediments are very rich in nutrients,
they can support large numbers of animals, especially
invertebrates. This makes them an important habitat for
fish and birds. Very few plants can tolerate the estuarine
conditions.
High
tide
zone
Common Whelk
On the back of the common
whelk’s foot is a special plate that
seals the opening of the shell
when the whelk retreats inside.
The shell is also thick and ridged
to help the whelk survive the
pounding of the waves.
Middle
tide
zone
Low
tide
zone
Sea Anemones
Sea Anemones
belong to the phylum
of animals known as
the Cnidaria, from the
cnida or sting capsule
that are present in this
major group of animals
that also include
the corals, jellyfish,
hydroids, medusae,
and sea fans.
Kelp
Animal Fact
The Redshank is a wading
bird and can be seen all
year round on the coast of
the UK, feeding on insects,
earthworms, molluscs and
crustaceans.
Common Starfish
Starfish usually live below the level of low
tide, or in rock pools. If they are washed up
on a beach, they will dry out and die. To
avoid this happening, starfish have hundreds
of tube-feet to cling tightly to rocks, sand
and other surfaces. They are also protected
by an external skeleton of tough plates. If
a starfish’s arm is crushed by a boulder, or
bitten off by a predator, it can grow back.
Kelp is the term used
to refer to large brown
seaweeds. Kelp is
very rich in vitamins
and minerals.
Commercial
harvesting of
seaweed can have
significant ecological
effects. You can
help protect them
by leaving washed
up seaweeds on the
beach and not pulling
growing seaweeds
out of the sea.
Zones of life
Plants and animals live in zones on all intertidal beaches, but the zones are most obvious on rocky shores. There
are three major zones: the low tide zone, with animals such as starfish and sea squirts, and seaweeds such as
kelps; the middle tide zone, with animals such as barnacles and mussels, and seaweeds such as wracks; and
the high tide zone, with animals such as periwinkles and limpets, as well as lichens. Plants and animals are
restricted to a zone according to how long they can survive out of the water.
Rocky Shores
The most obvious plants on rocky shores are the red, green and brown seaweeds. They have thick outer layers
and a small surface area to help stop water loss when they are exposed to the air. Most successful animals of
the high shore have shells, which may be white to reflect heat in warmer climates. Shellfish stop water loss at
low tide by keeping their shells tightly closed or by clamping them firmly to the rocks. They may also be able to
breathe air as well as take oxygen from the water. Animals that cannot stand being exposed to the air such as
sea anemones, worms and sponges, have to shelter among the rocks or in tide pools as the tide goes out.
The Marine Bill
As an island nation, the UK boasts around 7,500 miles of coastline
and a wealth of marine biodiversity ranging from basking sharks to
colourful sponges and cold water corals. However, coastal habitats
are under increasing pressure from development, tourism and
climate change, whilst further offshore, marine habitats and species
are threatened by activities associated with fisheries, aggregate
extraction and offshore energy developments.
Conservation organisations have been campaigning for many
years to seek formal protection for our seas and coastline. In
May 2009 the Marine and Coastal Access Bill was introduced to
parliament and was made law in autumn 2009.
outwardbound.org.uk
Poster funded thanks to the kind support of the DHL UK Foundation.
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Coastal and Marine
The Bill will introduce new tools for conservation of
marine wildlife that together with existing ones can: halt
the deterioration in the state of the UK’s marine biodiversity
and promote recovery where practicable, support healthy
functioning and resilient marine ecosystems, ensure
environmental considerations are at the heart of decisionmaking processes, and provide mechanisms that can deliver
current and future European and international conservation
obligations.
The Marine Conservation Society, WWF, RSPB and the
Wildlife Trusts are continuing to campaign to ensure that we
all protect our marine habitats and wildlife.
Find out more at www.mcsuk.org.uk