Biodiversity-report-Q2-2026.knit

Iconic Taxa in Q2 2026

Species are grouped into higher-level “iconic taxa” categories based on their taxonomic ancestry. This grouping simplifies complex species-level data into broader biological categories (e.g. molluscs, crustaceans, algae), allowing clearer interpretation of community structure across sites and time periods.

Quarter 2 Records by Hub

Each hub represents a local coastal site where volunteers return to record marine life over time. These locations form the backbone of the Big Rock Pool Challenge network.

Because each hub has been running for different lengths of time, and is explored by different groups of people, the number of records varies, but every contribution adds valuable information about rock pool communities at that site.

Hubs are arranged in alphabetical order.

Hub	Observations	Contributors	Species
Beadnell Haven	455	11	162
Castle Beach	3012	65	750
East Sands	332	17	145
Firestone Bay	378	17	182
Kilve Beach	669	14	252
Lee-on-the-Solent	1438	48	351
Menai Bridge	278	11	223
Mount Batten	629	20	285
Ovingdean	630	29	199
Shoeburyness	239	13	135

Top Scoring species in Q2

During BioBlitz Battle games, all species recorded earn a score. These scores reflect how often this species is recorded in the overall Big Rock Pool Challenge dataset. The higher scoring species are those that are recorded less often within the project and may represent more unusual or less commonly observed species.

In this report, scores are given between 1-100, according to our current scoring system 2.1

The highest scoring species recorded during this period are presented below.

Highest scoring species across all hubs in Quarter 2

(c) François Roche, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by François Roche

Score: 100

Observed by
leo_muid1

Hub
Castle Beach

(c) Femorale, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Score: 100

Observed by
alison_ruscoe

Hub
Lee-on-the-Solent

(c) Sylvain Le Bris, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sylvain Le Bris

Score: 100

Observed by
brittasaffron

Hub
Mount Batten

Top contributors in Q2 2026

The Big Rock Pool Challenge is powered by people. Every observation and identification is a contribution to a shared understanding of coastal biodiversity.

Some participants frequently attend events and submit records, while others help out by identifying species through verification on iNaturalist- all contributions are equally valuable in building the dataset.

The top recorders and identifiers are presented below- thank you for your efforts!

Q2 Top Recorders

kamil_maj

396 records

hamlet_ben

317 records

amybioblitzer

253 records

Q2 Top Identifiers

aqualydon

1,142 identifications

kamil_maj

1,045 identifications

rachel_edworthy

816 identifications

National BioBlitz 2026

The National BioBlitz 2026 was a UK-wide citizen science initiative coordinated by The Rock Pool Project, bringing people together to explore and record biodiversity on rocky shores. This annual event is a part of The Big Rock Pool Challenge.

Held between 23rd and 31st May 2026, it invited individuals, families, and wildlife groups to survey intertidal habitats and contribute data to marine research and conservation.

As this event took place during the Q2 recording period, the data recorded are included in this report. Full details about the event, including the event report exploring data collected, can be found here: https://www.therockpoolproject.co.uk/national-bioblitz

During the National BioBlitz, 3,781 records were collected by 98 observers, of 544 species.

Below is a map showing the location of all records collected during the 2026 National BioBlitz.

Hub Summaries

A breakdown of records collected at each Big Rock Pool Challenge hub is presented below, including key contributors, iconic taxa grouping, and top scoring species.

New hub · Q2 2026

Firestone Bay

Firestone Bay joined the Big Rock Pool Challenge in Q2 2026 through a new partnership with the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. The partnership began with a pilot event in May, followed by the hub's first public event in June, extending community biodiversity recording into a new part of Plymouth Sound.

Funded by the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.

Beadnell Haven

Quarter 2: 01/04/2026–30/06/2026

455 observations · 11 contributors · 162 species

Iconic Taxa Composition

Top iconic groups: Molluscs, Crustaceans, Other

Top Recorders

georginafuller

165 observations

janedixon13june70

113 observations

sedabley

95 observations

Top Identifiers

janedixon13june70

279 identifications

georginafuller

153 identifications

sedabley

83 identifications

BEADNELL HAVEN SIGNATURE SPECIES

Fifteen-scaled Worm

Harmothoe imbricata

Beadnell Haven accounts for 22 of the 34 Big Rock Pool Challenge records for this species.

(c) Christine Morrow, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Christine Morrow (CC-BY-NC)

Top Scoring Species

(c) Brenna Green, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Brenna Green

Pyropia perforata

Rarity score: 81

Observed by
janedixon13june70

(c) Christine Morrow, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Christine Morrow

Mesogloia vermiculata

Rarity score: 75

Observed by
janedixon13june70

Amblyosyllis spectabilis

Rarity score: 55

Observed by
by_pr0xy