Berwickshire Marine Reserve

18m

13.5

Anarhichas lupus

Wolffish

Wolffish earn their name from their two fang-like front teeth. They are usually found in deep waters, but here in Berwickshire, wolffish can be found at relatively shallow depths, which is rare. To help them survive the cold water, their blood contains a natural antifreeze, giving them a blue-ish colour.

Berwickshire and Northumberland Special Area of Conservation (SAC)

55m

6.0

Myxine glutinosa

Hagfish

These slimy scavengers live in deep, cold waters all around the UK. Hagfish have long, smooth bodies and a star-shaped mouth, used for feeding on dead and rotting fish on the muddy seafloor.

Berwickshire Marine Reserve, Scotland

10m

9.0

Labrus bergylta / Taurulus bubalis

Ballan Wrasse / Long-Spined Scorpion Fish

These large wrasse grow up to 60cm long and have mottled green, brown and orange markings. Although not traditionally eaten in the UK, Ballan Wrasse have begun to be fished in recent years for export to Asia and use in salmon farming as cleaner fish.

Berwickshire MPA, Scotland

5m

11.0

Unidentified

Juvenile fish in Scottish waters are very difficult to tell apart – these darting juveniles could be a mixture of baby cod, pollack, gobies and other species!

St Abbs Head cliffs

Fulmarus glacialis

Fulmar

They are members of the petrel family, also known as ‘tube-bills’. These grey and white birds have unique flight patterns, using air currents to glide and soar above the waves. The chicks produce a smelly, oily liquid from their stomachs that they squirt at predators as a defence mechanism.

St Abbs Head cliffs

Alca torda

Razorbill

Razorbills have distinctive black and white plumage and a characteristic sharp bill, used for catching fish underwater. They live most of their lives in the sea but come onto coastal cliffs to nest, often alongside their cousins, puffins and guillemots.

Berwickshire MPA

6m

8.0

Halichoerus grypus

Grey Seal

Over the winter, grey seals gather on beaches in the north of Berwickshire to give birth to their pups, which can be spotted from far away because of their fluffy white fur. These pups feed from their mother almost constantly and can gain up to 2kg in weight every day!

St Abbs Head

3m

12.0

Uria aalge

Guillemot

The rocky cliffs around St Abbs Head make excellent nesting sites for breeding seabirds. Among them are the Guillemots, who spend most of their life out at sea. In spring, they return to the cliffs to breed and lay their eggs. These penguin look-alkies are supreme swimmers, spending much of their time hunting underwater to find food for their chicks.

Gull Rock, St Abbs

8m

11.15 am

The rocks along Berwickshire’s coastline extend underwater creating caves, crevices and tunnels. Together, this creates a “rocky reef” habitat which provides sanctuary for marine animals including soft coral, barnacles and anemones. Above the water, these rocks provide homes for breeding seabirds such as herring gulls, black headed gulls and common gulls.

St Abbs

Most of the underwater footage captured for the Berwickshire Ocean Observatory was captured by our fantastic team of professional scuba divers. They descend to the depths wearing a full dry suit and carrying a range of camera and safety equipment. Would you give scuba diving a try?

St Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland

100m

6.45 am

St Abbs is a small fishing village on the Berwickshire coast. The village has their own independent lifeboat (the Thomas Tunnock) and a state-of-the-art Marine research Station where scientists’ work focuses on conservation, coastal ecosystems and training marine scientists.

St Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland

80m

7am

St Abbs is home to a productive crab and lobster pot fishery, as well as providing some of the best diving and recreational fishing opportunities in the UK.

Berwickshire MPA

2-10m

10-14.0

Laminaria digitata and Laminaria hyperborea

Kelp, oarweed, tangle or cuvie

Kelps are tall brown seaweeds that grow all around Scotland’s coasts, forming dense forests that shelter marine life. In Scotland, kelps forests are a ‘priority marine feature’ which means that the government must work to protect them.

Berwickshire Coastline

5m

10.0

Shallow rocky crevice

In shallow areas, where sunlight is bright and plentiful, a diversity of seaweeds can photosynthesise and grow. This provides food and shelter for many marine creatures, including starfish and sea urchins. This rocky substrate is also perfect for soft corals known as Dead Man’s Fingers.

Berwickshire Marine Reserve

7m

9.0

Mixed seaweeds

In the shallows of Berwickshire, seaweeds provide homes for many marine creatures including crustaceans and juvenile fish. Scientists are currently researching the role seaweeds play in absorbing carbon and helping us tackle climate change.

Berwickshire Marine Reserve

21m

8.0

Rocky Boulders

The hard surface of these rocky boulders provides the perfect place for colourful forests of anemones and soft corals to grow. These corals, known as Dead Man’s Fingers, stick out from the boulders like hands. These habitats also help protect Berwickshire’s coastline, by slowing down water movement and reducing coastal erosion.

Fast Castle Head

21m

6.0

Homarus gammarus

European Lobster

Lobsters are “decapods” which means “ten feet” in Latin. Their ten legs work in pairs, each with a different and important function. The lobsters’ front pair of legs are adapted into large pincers, a crusher and a pincher, which help them to devour their prey.

Owen Flowers

Berwickshire Coast

9m

13.0

Necora puber

Velvet Swimming Crab or Devil Crab

These crabs live up to their name. Their flat, paddle-like legs allow them to swim quickly through the water and short soft hairs on their shell look just like velvet when underwater.

Berwickshire Marine Reserve

1m

12.0

Galathea squamifera / Pagurus bernhardus

Olive Squat Lobster / Common Hermit Crabs

Squat lobsters are closely related to hermit crabs. To defend their territory, they often wedge their body into a protected, rocky crevice and wave around their large claws.

Berwickshire Coastline

2m

10.0

Staurophora mertensi / Cyanea capillata

Cross Jelly / Lions’ Mane

The cross jelly is quite rare in the UK and is usually found further north. But sometimes, cold currents bring the cross jelly down to Berwickshire in large numbers. Lions’ mane jellyfish have beautiful flowing tentacles, but watch out, they have a nasty sting!

The Dove

Around 1911

43m

7.0

Shipwrecks provide lots of nooks and crannies for marine life to live in. Whether they are hiding from predators or seeking prey, these species benefit from ships that sink to the seafloor. Some people refer to shipwrecks as “artificial reefs” because of the life they attract.

Bib, urchins, starfish, dead man’s fingers, barnacles.. and more!

HMT Fortuna

1941, by a German Aircraft

Steam Trawler

St Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland

55m

9.0

The Dove

Around 1911

Possibly a 19th Century Whaling ship

Around 15 miles north of St Abbs head

45m

7.0