Hi, I’m Anna and I have been the Seaquest Coordinator for Falmouth Marine Conservation since moving down to Falmouth in 2020 for my degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology. The volunteers who come to the surveys are brilliant – it’s a great way to meet new people and chat about the myriad of marine life we have here on our doorstep. A Seaquest highlight for me was spotting a pod of common dolphins in the bay! It’s been lovely to have Peter on board as another Seaquest Coordinator this year, we’re really looking forward to running more surveys as the weather brightens up!
My name’s Peter and I’m a Conservation Masters student at the University of Exeter. When I moved to Cornwall in 2018, I was excited by the prospect of being able to live in an area with such rich wildlife from dolphins to Peregrine falcons – I knew I’d chosen the right place to live! In order to find out more about the range of marine life in the area, and meet like-minded nature and outdoors enthusiasts, I started coming along to the Seaquest surveys at Pendennis. I realised how much I enjoyed sharing wildlife experiences with other people and became a Seaquest Coordinator too – it’s a great way to get outdoors to spot wildlife, while raising awareness about the presence of marine life in our local area!
What is Seaquest Southwest?
Seaquest Southwest is a marine citizen science project run by Cornwall Wildlife Trust to collect data on marine wildlife. Data is collected through monthly observational surveys (which the public can join) and from trained Seaquest volunteers on an ad-hoc basis, such as on their weekend hikes. This gives us fantastic insights into the presence, range and distribution of marine life in Cornwall, including some of our most charismatic marine species such as dolphins, porpoises, sharks, whales, seals and turtles. This means we can understand how to better conserve these species moving forward. Another aim of the project is to engage our volunteers and members of the public with the marine environment.
How can I get involved?
At FMC we run the Falmouth Seaquests – these happen on the first Sunday of every month from 11am-1pm at the iconic headland of Pendennis Point. Anyone from the public can join us to help survey the sea and record whatever marine wildlife may show up on the day. All you need is your binoculars (we also have a few pairs you can borrow) and a warm coat on the windy days and you’re ready to go! We can’t wait to meet you!
If you have any questions or want to know more about Seaquest, email us at seaquest@falmouthmarineconservation.co.uk
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