Press Release

Press Release Archive: Wednesday 25 August 2010

Discover what's living in Lincolnshire's Living Seas No. 5

The empty razor, cockle and other shells that we find on our beaches indicate the presence of just a handful of species that live off the Lincolnshire coast. Under the waves, it isn´t a barren wasteland of sand and mud. The undersea landscape is dramatic and varied, and home to a diversity of wildlife.

If you could walk out to sea from Boston you might cross Black Buoy Sand and Butterwick Low before entering Boston Deeps. Compared to the open sea, here in the Wash it is relatively sheltered allowing shellfish to breed and providing a safe haven for flat fish whose nursery grounds teem with young plaice and sole. You'd pass vast colonies of mussels, beds of cockles and living reefs made by a worm called Sabellaria spinulosa that lives inside tubes made from grains of sand. You’d see clusters of brittlestars all waving their arms in the current catching morsels of food and may spot lobsters buried in the slopes of sand banks. As you continued out to the open sea you might see sea birds diving past you chasing their prey or harbour porpoises and seals. If you could walk far enough, you’d reach the giant sand dunes of Dogger Bank rising up to 60 metres high: as high as the Grimsby dock tower. Between the sand hills there are more open plains with clams, sea potatoes (urchins), shrimps and huge shoals of sand eels; diving headfirst into the sand at the slightest hint of danger. These are the hunting grounds of larger predatory fish such as thornback ray, cod and dog fish. Years of exploitation have led to a perception of the North Sea as empty and lifeless but hidden beneath the waves is an astonishing array of wildlife. The North Sea is also rich in resources, many of which we use in our day to day lives. Fishing, extractive and renewable industries are all vying for space, whilst North Sea waters are amongst the busiest in the world for shipping traffic. We need to find a balance to ensure our marine wildlife is protected and that the sea continues to provide us with the everyday resources we need. The Wildlife Trusts have been campaigning for many years for comprehensive legislation to achieve better protection for marine wildlife and effective management of our seas. Living Seas is the Wildlife Trusts’ vision for the future of the UK’s seas where marine wildlife thrives from the depths of the oceans to the coastal shallows. Find out more on the Living Seas pages of our website.       Make your own Living Sea in a bottle Download the instructions. Make_a_ Living_Sea_in_a_bottle.pdf    Download sea creature templates. Living_Seas_in_a_bottle_templates.pdf

Notes to Editors

1. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and wild places throughout the historic county of Lincolnshire – from the Humber to the Wash. The Trust is Lincolnshire’s leading nature conservation charity with over 25,000 members and around 100 nature reserves. The Trust is a member of a nationwide network of 47 local trusts which work to protect wildlife - The Wildlife Trusts. www.lincstrust.org.uk
   
   
2. The Wildlife Trusts. There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone.  With nearly 800,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species, whether they be in the countryside, in cities or at sea. 135,000 of our members belong to our junior branch, Wildlife Watch.  We manage 2,256 nature reserves covering more than 90,000 hectares; we stand up for wildlife; we inspire people about the natural world and we foster sustainable living. Visit www.wildlifetrusts.org

 

For further information please contact

Rachel Shaw, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01507 526667   (ansaphone out of office hours)
Fax: 01507 525732
Email: Rachel Shaw

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Banovallum House
Manor House Street
Horncastle
Lincolnshire LN9 5HF

Website: www.lincstrust.org.uk