Get involved with ocean conservation
If Blue Planet II has inspired you to help our oceans, then you've come to the right place! Below we share some links and information on the issues our oceans face and how small changes you can make really can make a difference.
No one in the UK lives more than 70 miles from the coast.Did you know?
And remember, the oceans connect us all so what you do doesn't just help marine life in and around the UK coast but will help our oceans globally.
Things you can do!
#2MinuteBeachClean
Simply spend just two minutes doing a litter pick down on the beach, or if you can’t get to a beach then a litter pick anywhere will help to improve your environment. You can even document your efforts online using and share your efforts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be an ocean hero!
We’re inspired by , a very dedicated dog walker who committed to do a beach clean every day for a whole year!
And if you’d like to take part in a bigger organised event near you, check out or
In 2016, 6,000 volunteers cleaned 364 beaches by attending one of the Marine Conservation Society organised cleans!
Simple tips - to reducing your energy consumption:
- Turn off lights, TVs, computers, when not in use
- Turn down the heating when it's cold. Blankets and socks are good for you and better for the planet
- Burn renewable fuel (wood not coal)
- Walk or ride your bike and carpool if travelling greater distances
- Slow down when you are driving and keep tyres inflated to the right pressure. Turn off your engine if stopped for long periods
- Eat less meat, especially red meat. Cattle produce large amounts of methane (Phew!)
- Buy local and try growing your own food
- Use a washing line rather than a tumble dryer
- Insulate your home
- Choose renewable energy and/or get some solar panels
- Plant greenery on roofs, driveways, patios and windowsills
- Take a 'staycation' and avoid short-haul weekend city-breaks abroad
- Carbon offset your flights whether for business or for pleasure
- Recycle. Reusing rather than manufacturing from new materials saves energy
The problem with plastic
What on earth is a nurdle?
These tiny, lentil sized plastic pieces are by-products of various manufacturing processes and end up in our oceans in their millions as a result of mishandling and accidental spilling in industry.
If you find any nurdles, want you to log them on their website to help to show the scale of the problem and to understand more about their distribution.
Microplastics
Some of the world’s deepest living sea creatures have been found to have plastic in them. Researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science sampled creatures off the Western Isles and a staggering 48% were found with plastic in them, at depths of up to 2,000m (6,561.8ft).
These plastics consisted of polyethylene and polyester found in plastic shopping bags and clothing. Polyester fibres can reach the seas in waste water from washing machines and to add to the problem, many household and cosmetic products contain tiny pieces of plastics, known as microplastics. These plastics are washed down the drain when you brush your teeth, scrub your face or clean the house and can end up in our oceans as they are too small to be caught in water filtration systems.
The good news is that the UK government pledged to ban plastic microbeads by 2017 and there’s a free app, which can help you find out whether your face scrub or toothpaste contains plastics.
The Beat the Bead app scans barcodes on household and cosmetic products, checking whether they contain these harmful plastics.
Download the app for your or .
Stop sucking!
Used for just a few minutes, plastic straws can take hundreds of years to decompose if not recycled.
Read more about how some pubs have .
If you eat seafood are you eating plastic?
Become a citizen scientist
Get spotting with Seabird Watch
- The world's seabirds are in decline. By inviting eagle-eyed members of the public (you!) to spot guillemots and kittiwakes on sea cliffs, scientists are better understanding the populations in remote areas of the UK coast and further afield. and report your sightings on the Zooniverse website!
Join the Big Seaweed search
- There are over 650 species of seaweed on UK shores and scientists are keen to better understand distribution. In conjunction with the Natural History Museum you can , which helps you to record a 5m plot of beach, logging the plants you saw.
Report your seagrasss sightings
- Seagrass Spotter is a conservation and education tool for
Sharks lay eggs…
- Report an egg case, to help scientists at the Shark Trust
Take part in a water survey
- Contribute to the Opal water survey to help analysts learn more about
Mammals are some of the most under-recorded species in Britain
- Download the Mammal Society's free Mammal Tracker App and
Report a stranding
- If you come across a whale, dolphin or turtle on a beach, from the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme
Spotted a basking shark, marine turtle or jellyfish?
- to the Marine Conservation Society
Join the conversation
- Our Blue Planet is a digital project to get you talking about our oceans - ?
Angel sharks in Wales?
- Find out more about
Open water safety
- Ensure you know how to
Have you spotted an undulate ray along the Jurrassic coast?
- Report you
Science and conservation while you dive
- and record what you see whilst diving in British waters
The British Seahorse Survey
- Help protect British seahorse species by taking part in the
Current research projects looking at British cetacean species
- Find out more about improving in our understanding of
Spotted a dorsal?
- Get to know more about
Volunteer at the marine reserve Berwickshire
- Find more out at the locally-managed marine area
Guidelines to watching seals safely
- For your own and the seal's safety, when seal watching
Learn more
Take a with United for Wildlife
