National Marine Week

25th July - 9th August 2020

Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Dive in

National Marine Week is The Wildlife Trusts’ nationwide celebration of all things marine. Despite the name, it lasts 15 fun-filled days to allow for the variation in tide times around the country. This year is slightly different, due to the Covid-19 crisis, but there's still lots to get stuck into it! Dive in...

Report your sightings!

Want to be a citizen scientist? You can report your shoreline sightings to us!

We're particularly interested in sightings of Pacific oyster, wireweed, slipper limpet, Chinese mitten crab, oarweed, snakelocks anemone, stalked jellyfish, shore crab, beadlet anemone and common limpet, but feel free to report any other sightings as well.

Take a look

Be a champion for our seas!

Our seas need YOUR help! We're telling the Government that we need Highly Protected Marine Areas as soon as possible. These special areas would ban all damaging activities and give the wildlife there a chance to recover and thrive. 

Will you sign our letter? 

Try one of our awesome events!

Some of these events will take place face-to-face, in accordance with current Government guidance and ensuring social distancing is in place at all times, whereas other events will take place digitally, or will be self-led by participants. Take a look below!

Toddler girl peeking around tree
North West Wildlife Trusts

Beach Tots (Virtual) - 27th July

In our virtual Beach Tots session on Zoom, your mini marine biologists will learn about the wonders of the sea. Aimed at 2-6 year olds.
Coastal Creations
North West Wildlife Trusts

Beach Art - 28th July

Join us for a fun Beach Art competition! Great for the family. Booking essential. Social distancing measures will be in place.
Thick topshells
North West Wildlife Trusts

Seashore Detectives

Become a seashore detective as we explore the coast for marine life! Booking essential. Social distancing measures in place.
Alderney
Alderney Wildlife Trust

Seawatch - 25th July

Join us to see what we can spot out to sea at Tourgis!
Rockpool
Alderney Wildlife Trust

Rockpooling - 25th July

Come and explore the rock pools at Longis, what wonderful marine creatures will we find?
Common seals
Alderney Wildlife Trust

Seabirds and seals boat trip - 29th July

Join our boat trip for the chance to see seabirds and seals! Meet at 2pm at the RNLI station. Booking essential.
Eelgrass bed by Paul Naylor
Alderney Wildlife Trust

Eelgrass workshop - 30th July

Join us to discover the wonderful world of eelgrass!
Beach clean
Alderney Wildlife Trust

Beach clean - 1st August

Do your bit, come join us for a big beach clean!
Kayakers at dawn
Alderney Wildlife Trust

Kayak safari - 1st August

Join us for a kayak safari at Braye, what marine wonders will we discover?
Thresher shark leaping from the water
Ulster Wildlife Trust

Shark Conservation talk - 30th July

Join us as we talk all things shark!
Nudibranch
Ulster Wildlife Trust

Nudibranch talk - our sea butterflies - 29th July

Be amazed by the wonder that is the nudibranch!
Minke whale breaching
Ulster Wildlife Trust

Ocean giants talk - 28th July

Be amazed by the giants of the ocean! Join us on our Facebook page for an insightful talk.
Sunset beach with man and his dog by Lauren Heather
Essex Wildlife Trust

The Essex Coastal Challenge

Walk, run or cycle - the choice is yours!
Join the challenge and help us raise vital funds!
Devil's-bit Scabious
North West Wildlife Trusts

Bioblitz, CNC finale - 7th-8th August

We're calling for all wildlife enthusiasts to come along to Lytham St Anne's Local Nature Reserve over Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August!
mermaid's purse
North West Wildlife Trusts

Eggcase hunting - 6th August

Come and join us for an egg hunt with a twist! We'll be hunting for shark, skate and ray eggcases (mermaid's purses) on the strandline.
A common seal with its head out of the water, The Wildlife Trusts
North West Wildlife Trust

Sea Watch at the Glitterball, Blackpool

Spot sea birds and other coastal species. Social distancing will be in place.
Sand Dune - David Tipling 2020VISION
North West Wildlife Trust

Tale Trail Storytime

Join us on a virtual, mythical adventure of the sandy beach, sand dunes and muddy saltmarsh.
Common hermit crab on maerl
The Wildlife Trusts

Wild LIVE: A Way back to living seas

Our new series of monthly discussions hosted by The Wildlife Trusts' Chief Executive, Craig Bennett.

Tune into some amazing marine life videos

From kayaking in Alderney, to meeting the dolphins of Wales, there's so much to explore!

Take a look...

Alderney Wildlife Trust - Rockpooling species
Alderney Wildlife Trust - Super seaweeds
Aldnerney Wildlife Trust - Kayak around the coast
Alderney Wildlife Trust - Nursehound shark in Alderney's Ramsar site
Alderney Wildlife Trust - Rockpooling for Wildlife Wednesday
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Seaweeds for rockpoolers
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - How to press seaweeds
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Cornish Crustaceans pt1

Cornwall Wildlife Trust - A sting in the polyps
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Cornish sea slugs pt 1
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Photographing and studying Cornish seaweeds
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Great egg case hunt pt 1
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - South west bottlenose dolphin project needs your photos
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Britain's sea monster - the basking shark
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Cetaceans of the south west
Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Crabbing tips
South and West Wales Wildlife Trust - Dolphin Detective (Introduction to bottlenose dolphins)
South and West Wales Wildlife Trust - Bird Bonanza (Introduction to seabirds in Wales)
Living Seas Wales - Meet the Dolphins of Wales: Introduction
Living Seas Wales - Meet the Dolphins of Wales: Bottlenose dolphin
Living Seas Wales - Meet the Dolphins of Wales: Common dolphin
Living Seas Wales - Meet the Dolphins of Wales: Risso's dolphin
Living Seas Wales - Meet the Dolphins of Wales: Harbour porpoise
Living Seas Wales - The Sea and Me: Triggerfish Stories
Living Seas Wales - The Sea and Me: Leatherback Turtle, 1988
Living Seas Wales - Virtual Beach Clean
Essex Wildlife Trust - Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve exploration by water
Essex Wildlife Trust - Estuary Explorations by water
Essex Wildlife Trust - Shore Discoveries pt 2
Essex Wildlife Trust - Shore Discoveries pt 1
Essex Wildlife Trust - East Beach skywatching
Essex Wildlife Trust - Estuary Discoveries
Essex Wildlife Trust - World Wetlands Day
Essex Wildlife Trust - Why are Essex's seals orange?
Essex Wildlife Trust - Restoring saltmarshes in the Blackwater Estuary
Essex Wildlife Trust - Protecting little terns on the Essex Coast
Essex Wildlife Trust - How did the turnstone get its name?
Essex Wildlife Trust - Essex's orange seals
Essex Wildlife Trust - Flocks at Bradwell Shell Bank nature reserve
Essex Wildlife Trust - Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve
Essex Wildlife Trust - Beach cleaning at The Naze Centre
Essex Wildlife Trust - Join a Shoresearch Survey
Essex Wildlife Trust - 4 Ways to Prevent Coastal Pollution
Essex Wildlife Trust - Coastal Critters
Essex Wildlife Trust - Share our Shores - Little terns
Essex Wildlife Trust - Share our Shores - The ringed plover
Essex Wildlife Trust - A Mermaid's Purse
Essex Wildlife Trust - Oyster catcher
Essex Wildlife Trust - Wilder Seas
Ulster Wildlife - Shark School - What is a shark?
Ulster Wildlife - Shark School - Our local sharks
Ulster Wildlife - Ocean Giants - the seals, porpoises, dolphins and whales in our seas
Ulster Wildlife - Ocean Giants - Top Tips for Reducing Marine Plastic
Ulster Wildlife - Threats to ocean life from single use plastic
Ulster Wildlife - Tips to reduce single use plastic (made for Plastic Free July campaign)

Find out more about our amazing marine life

Enter a species name to find out more about them!

Video: cuckoo wrasse ©Andy Jackson

Take action

Many aspects of our everyday lives have a negative effect on our seas. Here's how you can take action to help marine wildlife.

Make a splash on social media

Share what you love about the sea using #NationalMarineWeek on Twitter and Instagram. We'd love to hear all about your favourite marine wildlife, the actions you take to help our sea life, and what the sea means to you. And of course lots of fabulous photos of you enjoying our incredible coasts and spectacular seas!

Other things to do

Seaside activity guides

Go on a beach cleanHow to go rockpooling Top tips to reduce your plasticThe sea and meCreate a bottle basking sharkHave a rockpool adventure

Things to see by the sea

Coastal spotterEstuary wildlifeJellyfish detectiveMarine MegafaunaRockpool wildlifeSeabirdsShoreline detective

 

Competition time!

Have you got an all-time favourite UK marine wildlife experience? If so, send your pictures, videos or stories to marine@wildlifetrusts.org to be in with a chance to win a pair of Opticron binoculars and a copy of the brilliant ‘The Essential Guide to Rockpooling’ book, by Julie Hatcher and Steve Trewhella. Competition closes 11.59pm 9th August. The winner will be chosen at random shortly afterwards.