The Capturing Our Coast (CoCoast) team have launched a national survey to look at sperm puddles on the shore produced by lugworms. This is what CoCoast are asking citizen scientists to do:
“The lugworm Arenicola marina is an important food source for birds and valuable for intertidal fisheries as they are used for fishing bait. But we know little about how and when they reproduce. Scientists have observed though that lugworms at a specific beach all ‘do it’ at the same time. We want to find out when the lugworm breeds in the UK, and what causes that ‘synchronous’ spawning event. This information will help us understand how changes to our environment, such as climate change, may impact this an important species.
All we ask you to do is go out to your local sandy beach and record if you see ‘sperm puddles’ – little white specks on the sediment.”
To find out more about Spermwatch and Capturing Our Coast, follow this link.
