Seagrass Science: Outdoor Session

Join us at Belhaven Bay this Autumn to learn about seagrass, the marine super plant! Attendees will learn about this great habitat-forming species, how to spot it and how to monitor its health over time using accessible marine ecology techniques. You can also find our more about our trial restoration site at Belhaven Bay and how to get involved in conserving this valuable coastal habitat.

Who we are

Restoration Forth is a multi-partnership project, which aims to restore seagrass and oysters in the Forth. Along with other actors in the marine conservation field, the Scottish Seabird Centre is seeking to recover UK seagrass meadows through active restoration. Seagrasses are part of a healthy and biodiverse seascape and provide a range of services that benefit humankind and the wider marine ecosystem. Worryingly, the UK’s seagrass meadows have suffered a steep decline in its seagrass extent in the last century. It has become widely accepted that global efforts are required to restore disturbed, degraded and destroyed natural habitats to mitigate climate change. 

Event description

This science session will start and finish at the edge of the Tyninghame beach carpark, taking participants on a return journey along Belhaven Bay. We ask all volunteers to be ready by 12:00pm, at Tyninghame beach carpark. We are entirely dependent on the low tide for our monitoring work, so we will be beginning our activities at 12:00pm sharp and will not be able to wait for latecomers. Together we will walk out to the seagrass meadow site and begin our activities.

We aim to finish our work on the beach ad return to the carpark by approximately 2pm.

Please note that we may be taking photos at this session to document our marine engagement work.

What do you need to bring?

This activity will take place at low tide along Belhaven Bay's sandflat - so don't worry about having to enter the water in your wetsuit. We will be spending most of our time on the water’s edge so wellies, waders or waterproof shoes are a must - seagrass spotting is very muddy work! Please ensure that you bring warm, waterproof clothing appropriate for the weather outside, a warm drink, and any medication you may need. We will be spending several hours outside without any cover, so please ensure that you layer up appropriately.

Accessibility

Please note there are no toilets facilities at Belhaven Bay. There will be no cover when on the beach and no available seating. The paid car park can get very busy and parking fees are £2.50 per day for each vehicle.

We will be on the move for up to 2 hours during this session, and the route includes some gentle slopes, uneven sand, rocky ground, and slippy surfaces. We will always try to adjust the pace and the route to make sure that everyone is comfortable, but please let us know in advance if you have questions or concerns about the distance or the route. Please direct any queries to seagrassofficer@seabird.org

This session is open to all, but children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

To ensure everyone in the community gets a chance to participate, we ask that participants refrain from booking large numbers of tickets. We are a small team and can accommodate only a limited number of volunteers, therefore we are not able to take any large groups at this point.

Keeping everyone safe

Our group leader is a trained first aider and will be carrying a first aid kit and mobile phone.

What if this session is cancelled?

If this event is cancelled due to poor weather conditions, we will get in touch with you the day before to let you know. If there is a sudden change in the forecast, we may be in touch on the day of the event. Please keep an eye on your emails prior to the event. Likewise, if you can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible as spots are few and we have received very high interest from the community.

Need more information?

If you have any further questions please email Marie at seagrassofficer@seabird.org