Explore Your Shore

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Explore Your Shore! is a Citizen Science project of the National Biodiversity Data Centre ().

31/10/2026

What is zonation on the seashore and how does it develop? ... discover the answer to this and more by completing our FREE online course in Marine Biodiversity Citizen Science. See:

This course is designed to enable beginners and those wishing to refresh their recording skills to identify and record common marine intertidal species found around the Irish coastline.

29/10/2026

Happy World Nudibranch Day!! At least 96 species of Nudibranch have been recorded in Irish waters. To give you an idea of glimpse of their amazing diversity, here are just some of the Nudibranch records we have received so far in 2026! www.exploreyourshore.ie

24/10/2026

OCEAN ODDITIES! The Snakelocks Anemone / Bundún Nathairiúil / Anemonia viridis is a often stunningly coloured green with purple tips... but in this rare case the animal is coloured purple, with green tips!! https://exploreyourshore.ie/

22/10/2026

Night divers in Cork make rare sighting of long-snouted seahorse.

It is believed to be the first time a wild seahorse has been filmed in Irish waters

20/10/2026

Top 100 Explore Your Shore! species - #46 - Spiral Worm / Tiúbphéist Chorntha / Spirorbis (Spirorbis) spirorbis is found growing on seaweeds, especially Bladderwrack and Serrated Wrack on the rocky shore. Often found still attached to seaweed cast ashore on beaches. Shore: Rocky. Distribution: all coasts. http://exploreyourshore.ie

17/10/2026

SURVEY FOCUS. A species you are very likely to come across while doing our Great Rocky Shore Bioblitz is Dulse / Duileasc / Palmaria palmata. This 'leafy' red seaweed is generally found on the lower shore or washed up on beaches. Found all around the Irish coast. https://exploreyourshore.ie/surveys/the-great-rocky-shore-bioblitz/

14/10/2026

Blow-ins... In July snorkelers off the West Cork coast had an encounter with some Atlantic Wreckfish / Breac Raice / Polyprion americanus - more commonly recorded in the western Atlantic. There have been 44 previous records in Ireland but none on our system since 2004. https://exploreyourshore.ie/

10/10/2026

Which species should I record? is a question often asked by Explore Your Shore! volunteer recorders... and our answer is ALL SPECIES. Because we are interested in species richness, and changes in species distributions, we want people to record as many species as they can find during each survey, including very common species. https://exploreyourshore.ie/surveys/the-great-rocky-shore-bioblitz/

08/10/2026

Happy ! 🐙 Ireland’s most frequently recorded octopus species is the Curled Octopus / Ochtapas adharcach / Eledone cirrhosa which has a single row of suckers on each arm. Although recorded from all coasts, most curled octopus records are from the east coast. 🌊 Explore More: https://exploreyourshore.ie/

06/10/2026

THEN AND NOW... The distribution of shore crab (Carcinus maenas) around the Irish coast has not changed since pre-2010. Explore Your Shore! has helped fill some gaps but this species is still found all around the Irish coast and is our most frequently recorded species. https://exploreyourshore.ie/

Address

National Biodiversity Data Centre, SETU West Campus, Carriganore
Waterford
X91PE03

Website

http://www.exploreyourshore.ie/

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