Marine Plankton in Milford Haven
Pembrokeshire UK
Aims of the Site
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To share marine plankton information
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Display photos of plankton biodiversity
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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
A nauplius larva of an acorn barnacle, photographed 16th January 2025. These larvae are ubiquitous. Even when the zooplankton is at its lowest density in mid-winter you can be sure there will be a few of these present in every sample. In March and April they will be in very high numbers. So common I felt one deserved to be photo of the month. This is a video stack and the two horns, one on either side of the head (with a single eye) stand out well. Glands inside the horn base produce a secretion rich in tryptophan and tyrosine possibly as an anti-wetting agent so that it does not get caught in the surface tension. It may also deter predators. As the nauplius grows and moults so the horns increase in size. There is plenty of lipid globules storing energy in the body.
