Divers beat difficult underwater conditions to survey Cornish sea life

This is Cornwall - 

Marine experts have battled difficult underwater conditions in an inaccessible part of the Cornish coast to document hundreds of species – some of which have never been recorded in the area.

Over 180 different types of seaweed and more than 100 sponge samples were collected during the survey, organised by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

Conservationists say that the exposed coastline of North Cornwall is so battered by surf and winter storms that there has been very little underwater marine survey work carried out there.

A team of 20 volunteers, led by experts including Professor Juliet Brodie from the Natural History Museum, undertook the challenge of exploring the coastline and recording everything found.

Interesting finds included a sea slug – Trapania pallida – which has never before been recorded off the north coast of Cornwall, and an unusual tiny cushion star called Asterina phylactica.

They also discovered a huge range of sponges that encrust the rocks "like bright splashes of paint", some of which have also never been sampled from the area.

The trust was keen to collect the data in light of new Marine Conservation Zones which are being developed around Britain's coast.

Angie Gall, of the Wildlife Trust, said: "The zones are being developed to protect seabed habitats and species and it is important to know exactly what is down there so that we can understand how to effectively protect it.

"We were unlucky with the conditions. That we achieved so much despite this is a credit to our volunteers."

All the data will be held by the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

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