I recently sat down with the lovely Elizabeth to discuss her passion for all things beach combing, shore searching and marine studying! In this week’s post I share what we discussed and Elizabeth’s advice for getting started in the wonderful world of marine life!
If you would like to rewatch our interview you can find it over on Instagram, alternatively keep reading to learn more!
Introductions:
For those that don’t follow Elizabeth over on Instagram (if not, you definitely should!) she is a Norfolk based undergraduate biology student and volunteer data collector for Sea search and Shore search, as well as a member of the Norfolk Beach Cleaners Collective and the Marine Conservation for Norfolk action group. Elizabeth also has an ongoing project -The Plankton Project- dedicated to researching the diversity of near-shore plankton in Norfolk.
Firstly, what is sea search/beachcombing?
Shore search- Is a UK wide community science project dedicated to surveying the intertidal life on the UK’s shores. Volunteers are trained in a number of different survey methods in order to collect data, which is then used to inform scientists of the UK’s intertidal marine life. Shore search data has been used in helping to designate many of the UK’s marine conservation zones.
Beachcombing- Refers to the practice of combing a beach or shoreline for items of interest, value, or utility- such as driftwood, sea glass or other pieces of interest.
Let’s talk about your background and how you got into it:
Well, I’ve always had an interest in marine biology and originally planned to study it when I was younger however ultimately decided it would be too difficult so went in a different direction. However, we moved back towards the sea two or so years ago now when the pandemic struck, I found myself looking for a way to do exercise without it actually feeling like exercise. So, I got involved with the local beach cleaning and never looked back!
From there my interest started snowballing as I started to notice all of these interesting creatures when I went out for walks etc. It was a bit of a revelation really as I started to notice all of these fascinating animals such as sea squirts, sea sponges, nudibranchs, crustaceans etc. I then started getting more involved with local organisations and becoming more interested in helping to engage the general public in this amazing sea life because you just don’t realise its there at all and we have so many amazing habitats we should all be more excited about!
What’s the best thing you have found?
I’m a bit of a neophile really and absolutely love discovering new things, and so every time I go out, I don’t really have a specific thing I just love discovering new species and creatures that I haven’t seen before.
One pretty cool thing that I have seen though was a sperm whale that had washed up onto the local beach (it had already died) but it was still very fascinating to see in person.
Also, in the summer months I do enjoy seeing the different sea squirts because they tend to disappear/regress in the winter, so it’s great to see them again when the weather is warmer. It’s also interesting because they are actually in the same phylum as humans so technically, we are related to them!
Do you have any beginner tips/equipment recommendations?
Good shoes! Wellies or at least some of those dedicated swimming shoes; but make sure they have a good grip because rock pools can be extremely slippery. I wouldn’t bother bringing a net because crustaceans like crabs and lobsters tend to get their limbs stuck in them and this can cause injuries. If you want to take something out of the water, I suggest just gently using your hands. I wouldn’t use a bucket either, they aren’t that useful instead I prefer using a type of tray (like a cat litter tray- although make sure it’s clean first!) and then you will be able to see whatever it is clearly. I also like to take a little paintbrush with me and then if you lift out anything really small or in the sediment you will be able to carefully brush it into your container without causing any damage.
Its best to only lift one thing out of the water at a time/have one thing in your tray because they could get easily stressed if all piled on top of one another! Plus, this makes it much easier to appreciate and have a look at what you do have. Always remember to turn rocks back the way you found them because you don’t want anything drying out in the sun or disturbing too much of the habitat. Finally, take it slow, I know its super fun and exciting (I also get super excited!) but its best to take your time and I like to just choose a rockpool and sit down to see what happens.
You can find Elizabeth over on Instagram, where she posts daily about exciting marine life!
