This course presented by Professor George Branch demonstrated just how “our shores are enriched by the ecosystem effects of birds and how important birds are in coastal ecosystems”.
After a overview participants went to shore at Greenpoint, the tide was perfect, low tide at 10.30h and allowed everyone to explore life on the rocks, collect material to analyse in more detail later.
See the photos below of what was collected in dishes to examine and learn more about them. Photographs by Priscilla Beeton and Cathy Jenkins.
George, a brilliant presenter, then went on to elaborate more on how rocky-shore life deals with bird predation and how human effects are different, with a focus on Marcus Island ecology, particularly the role of birds.
Shore life discovered.
