Exploring our local coast with school

A week of working with schools visiting the nature reserve.

We have changed location this year due to the river flood defence which is still going on at our usual rock pool beach.

This is part of river flood defence that should protect Shoreham for the next 100 years.


So instead we collected a few sea creatures each morning from another local beach (but suitable for school visits) and set them up on tables for the children to have a close up view and learn about during our presentation and Q&A

 We found some fascinating rock pool life including goby fish and this camouflaged blenny

We also found this live oyster attached to a rock. The juvenile oyster settles on a rock and glues itself on and the shell grows out like a shelf.

There were also lots of juvenile shore crabs.

Their colour matches their surroundings when they are young, but when fully grow have their adult colours, green on top and orange underneath.

Afterwards, the children explored the shingle beach, learning about the rare vegetated shingle habitat, the seashore strandline and also learned about plastic pollution during a litter pick.


Well done to all the schools we worked with this week, you did some amazing work.


All best, Ed the Bear.