Uk Diving » Skomer Urchin Survey June 07

The Skomer Urchin survey was our first attempt at a practical survey and the discipline of covering the same terrain several times was great for doing a really thorough search for wildlife - though we didn't find many urchins! Previous visits to Pembrokeshire have suffered awful vis so we were thrilled to be able to see where we were going. Many thanks to Kate Lock and the Marie Nature Reserve team for organising the event.

A pair of Crimora papillata getting it on on the bryozoan... P6235419.JPG	More of the same P6235379.JPG	Our mission was to find and measure urchins within the... P6235384.JPG	The closer you look at urchins the better they get, even... RS247795.JPG	A pair of Tritonia lineata slugs feeding on bryozoans P6235391.JPG	Devonshire cup corals are some of our favourite animals -... P6235401.JPG
Another Crimora papillata P6235375.JPG	Another Devonshire cup coral P6235432.JPG	This slug is harder to see, we think it's a Facelina... P6235435.JPG	In this view its clearer that its a Facelina annulicornis P6235437.JPG	Some unidentifed nudibranch eggs on Nemertesia antennina... RS247720.JPG	The candy striped flatworms - Prostheceraeus vittatus -... RS247731.JPG
There's no sign of damage so perhaps its the smell? RS247734.JPG	Devonshire cup corals again - Caryophyllia smithii RS247744.JPG	An orange clubbed sea slug - Limacia clavigera - on a... RS247749.JPG	Unknown squirt - we think it's Archidistoma productum... RS247765.JPG	A cooperative common dragonet - Callionymus lyra - posed... RS247769.JPG	Nerd mode - I'm really pleased with macro lens on my new... RS247771.JPG
The cutely named tiny fried egg sea slug - Diaphorodoris... RS247780.JPG	This picture shows the spikes on its back better RS247782.JPG	More picturesque cup corals RS247793.JPG	Lightbulb tunicates generally grow in clumps RS247799.JPG	Its quite unusual to get a good view of a solitary... RS247862.JPG	The sharp end (face) of a spiny spider crab - Maja squinado RS247809.JPG
This cup coral seems to be glowing from the inside -... RS2478221.JPG	This poor picture is of a sandmason worm - Lanice... RS247823.JPG	The edge of a king scallop - Pecten maximus - feeding... RS247825.JPG	A pair of dirty sponge spider crabs - Inachus spp. - just... RS247838.JPG	Crabs usually adopt the boy on top position whilst they... RS247845.JPG	An orange clubbed sea slug about to pounce on some sea... RS247855.JPG
The spiny starfish - Marthasterias glacialis - much... RS247864.JPG	Barnacles feeding with their modified rear legs RS247865.JPG	The upper kelp was popular with these Facelina auriculata... RS247884.JPG	They are probably hunting for bryozoans RS247892.JPG	This is not a great picture but we left it in as we were... RS247902.JPG	Almost ready for a tropical fish tank. Next time we see... RS247904.JPG

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