Marine Plankton in Milford Haven

Pembrokeshire UK

Aims of the Site

To share marine plankton information
Display photos of plankton biodiversity
Provide an educational resource

Welcome. This site covers coastal plankton washing on to the stunning shores of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. There is an amazing biodiversity of microscopic life living in every drop of seawater. Collections are made around Milford Haven, part of the Special Area of Conservation, with the most regular ones made in Dale. Other locations. Before looking at the details of The Species you may want to have quick look at the Biodiversity page while Methods looks specifically at how the samples are taken and photographed.

Photo of the Month

Commonly called Hooded Shrimps, this is a cumacean, a strange little crustacean, 3 mm long and no compound eyes, that lives in the surface of sediment sifting through detritus for particles to eat. Every year at this time they appear in my plankton samples, sometimes in high numbers. By why? It is an example of tychoplankton, entering the water column for a short time possibly to find a mate or to disperse.

Collected and photographed on 13th February 2025.