Community-led Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Project
In February 2022, members of the Field Club made a start on a contribution to the Community-led Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Project. The Project is a joint venture between local communities, NatureScot and Fauna and Flora International, supported by the William Grant Foundation. Its aim is to encourage local participation in the collection of information about shoreline and inshore marine habitats and their wildlife. This will be a long term project, which should yield information about changes to the habitats and their wildlife, and will also identify any invasive species that might occur.
The beach at Clashnessie was chosen because it is easily accessible and has a good sample of the habitats found on local shorelines. The precise site selected for initial study is at the eastern end of the beach (NC060311). It starts in the tar lichen zone on the gneiss sea-cliffs and drops off sharply onto the sandy beach. It then cuts across the beach and through an extensive boulder bed into the kelp beds which appear at low tide.
Clashnessie beach: First visit
Clashnessie Beach: a closer look
Clashnessie beach: Creatures and a Seaweed Puzzle