2018/09/22-29 Unusual Sea Cucumbers

On our 2018 week long survey in September, an unusual arctic sea cucumber (Parastichopus tremulus) was found in the shallows by Owen Paisley. This sea cucumber is normally not found in UK inshore waters within diving depth but was found near Tanera. Dr Graham Saunders observed on his dive with Andy Jackson around Tanera, a tremendous abundance of sea cucumbers. We also filmed sea hares mating and a mass of feather stars covering rocks like fluffy carpets.

Everywhere the team dived in the Summer Isles shoals of saithe, pollock and juvenile cod were noted by Owen Paisley.  This is significant for Wester Ross Marine Protected Area because these fish are signs of recovery, and that the ecosystem is bouncing back. Scallop spat was widely noted by the divers which confirms what the scallop divers had been reporting locally too.