Seasearch

Seasearch is a national project involving volunteer sports divers in marine biological surveys. The project is administered nationally by a steering group, chaired by the Marine Conservation Society.

Seasearch contact: Kathryn Dawson: 01305 264620,

Recording the Seabed

Since 1995, Seasearch divers have collected information from over 600 sites in Dorset. This information is being used in a variety of ways - to help map seabed habitats, to identify potential protected areas, to influence fishery management decisions and to inform the licensing of developments in the marine environment. Seasearch records are stored on the Dorset Marine Database, held at the Dorset Environmetal Records Centre (DERC)

Seasearch projects have studied priority species and habitats such as mussel beds, maerl, eelgrass beds and pink seafans. Exploratory dives, based on available remote sensing data, have revealed some exciting new dive sites.

Training of Volunteer Divers

Volunteer divers are offered training in marine biology, species identification and survey techniques by accredited tutors - the Dorset tutors are Nick Reed and

There are three levels of SEASEARCH diver:

SEASEARCH Observer - this is the entry-level qualification which introduces the diver to marine life, seabed habitats and basic recording techniques. This would normally involve a one-day training session.

SEASEARCH Surveyor - this is the standard level for most SEASEARCH projects. Training will build on the participants knowledge of marine habitats, species and ecology. This would normally involve a two-day training session.

SEASEARCH Expert - at this level you would be expected to plan and undertake specialist ecological diving surveys and have a detailed knowledge of marine ecology