Join the Big Seaweed Search

• When? All year round
• Where? UK seashores
• Who can take part? Everyone!
• How long does it take? About one hour

We’ve teamed up with the Natural History Museum to encourage people to participate in the Big Seaweed Search. Knowing which seaweeds live where can help us protect our coastal environment – find out how you can help.

UK coasts and shallow seas are nicknamed a “goldilocks” zone for seaweeds – it is not too hot, not too cold for them. In fact, conditions are just right! Over 650 species live and thrive around our shores.

But marine environments are changing. Sea temperatures are increasing, sea levels are rising and the ocean is becoming more acidic, which is affecting the distribution of different species of seaweed.

We want to know more about some of the seaweed species found in UK waters, identifying exactly where they are found and tracking how this changes over time.

Here’s where you come in: we want you to head to the coast and start exploring! It’s easy to take part. The Big Seaweed Search guide explains what you need to do, and helps you to identify each of the seaweeds we are focusing on.

You can then complete the simple survey on a mobile, tablet or pc.

For an update of findings so far, click here to read a project report.