Selsey Lifeboat Station

Selsey Lifeboat Station (50° 43.673' N 0° 46.738' W) was situated on Selsey Bill the western headland of West Sussex that is the county’s most southerly point. As a hard structure it provided suitable habitats for encrusting marine organisms as well as an area for fish and other life to gather. Despite its small size there was a rich and diverse fauna associated with the area with in excess of 100 species recorded by divers. Its location in the west of the county means that more westerly distributed species could be found here. In addition to the lifeboat station’s supporting metalwork provided habitats the seabed is also rich in life.

Selsey Life Boat Station view SSE
Selsey Life Boat Station view SSE at low water slack.

The gently sloping seabed starts as a fringing shingle beach which grades into sand with shingle and cobbles, however a dominant feature is the masses of slipper limpets, Crepidula fornicata (see http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=3086), an introduced species from the Atlantic coast of eastern USA (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_slipper_shell ) that arrived in British waters in the 1950s and has proven highly invasive. The mixed sediment and slipper limpet biotope (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotope ) has its own diverse range of species.

The location of the site meant that strong tidal current occur. Although no longer there a the area can be dived, see Mulberry Divers. For best visibility and safety dive the site on the slack three hours after high water; for slightly less good visibility it can be dived on the slack four hours before high tide. For tide times see Tidetimesuk. . If you wish to dive this site it is a good idea to contact Mulberry Divers.

A gallery of images can be seen here. Anyone wishing to provide further information, species or images (duly acknowledged and copyrighted) should contact me.
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The species so far recorded from the site are as follows:

Algae Chlorophycota (green)
Enteromorpha
Ulva lactuca

Algae Phaeophycota (brown)
Ascophyllum nodosum
Chorda filum
Desmarestia aculeata
Dictyota dichotoma
Fucus vesiculosus
Halidrys siliquosa
Halopteris catharina
Laminaria saccharina
Saccorhiza polyschides
Sargassum muticum

Algae Rhodophycota (red)
Calliblepharis ciliata
Chondrus crispus
Corallinaceae
Dictyopteris membranacea
Dilsea carnosa
Foliose red algae
Furcellaria lumbricalis
Heterosiphonia plumosa
Lithothamnion
Plocamium cartilagineum
Polysiphonia

Rhodophycota indet.(non-calc.crusts)
Porifera, Sponges
Amphilectus fucorum
Clathrina coriacea
Cliona celata
Dysidea fragilis
Esperiopsis fucorum
Grantia compressa
Halichondria bowerbanki
Halichondria panicea
Haliclona oculata
Hemimycale columella
Hymeniacidon perleve
Oscarella lobularis
Pachymatisma johnstonia
Polymastia boletiformis

Porifera indet crusts
Scypha ciliata
Stylostichon plumosum
Suberites ficus
Tethya citrina

Cnidaria Hydroida, Hydroids/Seafirs
Abietinaria abietina
Aglaophenia pluma
Dicoryne conferta
Diphasia attenuata
Obelia geniculata
Orthopyxis integra
Plumularia setacea
Sertularia argentea
Sertularia cupressina
Tubularia indivisa

Cnidaria Actinaria, Sea Anemones
Actinia equina
Actinothoe sphyrodeta
Anemonia viridis
Anthopleura ballii
Caryophyllia smithii
Cereus pedunculatus
Cerianthus lloydii
Corynactis viridis
Diadumene cincta
Metridium senile
Sagartia troglodytes
Urticina felina

Cnidaria Alcyonacea, soft Coral
Alcyonium digitatum
Platyhelminthes, Flatworms
Prostheceraeus vittatus
Annelida Polychaeta, Ragworms
Apomatus similis
Arenicola marina
Bispira volutacornis
Eulalia viridis
Eupolymnia nebulosa
Filograna implexa
Lanice conchilega
Pomatoceros lamarcki
Pomatoceros triqueter
Sabella pavonina
Sabellaria spinulosa
Spirorbis spirorbis

Mollusca Cephalopoda, Cuttlefish etc
Sepia officinalis
Sepiola atlantica

Mollusca Lamellibrancha, Clams
Aequipecten opercularis
Clinocardium ciliatum
Mytilus edulis
Ostrea edulis
Pecten maximus
Pholas dactylus
Venerupis

Mollusca Opisthobranch, Sea Slugs
Acanthodoris pilosa
Aeolidia papillosa
Aplysilla
Archidoris pseudoargus
Crimora papillata
Flabellina pedata
Goniodoris nodosa
Janolus cristatus
Jorunna tomentosa
Trapania pallida

Mollusca Prosobranchia, Sea Snails
Buccinum undatum
Calliostoma zizyphinum
Crepidula fornicata
Gibbula cineraria
Gibbula umbilicalis
Hinia reticulata
Nucella lapillus
Patella vulgata
Trivia monacha
Turritella communis

Phoronida, Horseshoe Worms
Phoronis hippocrepia
Crustacea, Barnacles, Shrimps, Prawns, Crabs, etc
Balanus
Cancer pagurus
Carcinus maenas
Crangon
Galathea dispersa
Galathea squamifera
Galathea strigosa
Homarus gammarus
Hyas araneus
Inachus dorsettensis
Inachus phalangium
Liocarcinus depurator
Macropodia tenuirostris
Maja squinado
Necora puber
Pagurus bernhardus
Palaemon serratus
Pilumnus hirtellus
Pisidia longicornis
Porcellana platycheles
Semibalanus balanoides

Bryozoa, Sea Mats
Alcyonidium diaphanum
Alcyonidium parasiticum
Bryozoa indet crusts
Bugula plumosa
Bugula turbinata
Cellepora pumicosa
Chartella papyracea
Crisia denticulata
Electra pilosa
Flustra foliacea
Hydrallmania falcata
Membranipora membranacea
Nemertesia antennina

Echinodermata, Starfish, Urchins, Sea Pens, Brittlestars
Asterias rubens
Neopentadactyla mixta
Psammechinus miliaris

Tunicata, Sea Squirts
Aplidium punctum
Ascidiella aspersa
Botrylloides leachi
Botryllus schlosseri
Ciona intestinalis
Clavelina lepadiformis
Dendrodoa grossularia
Diplosoma listerianum
Diplosoma spongiforme
Distomus variolosus
Molgula manhattensis
Morchellium argus
Styela clava

Vertebrata Pisces Chondrichthyes, Skates, Rays, Sharks
Scyliorhinus canicula
Vertebrata Pisces Osteichthyes, Bony Fish
Blenniidae
Callionymus lyra
Chelon labrosus
Ciliata mustela
Conger conger
Crenilabrus melops
Ctenolabrus rupestris
Dicentrarchus labrax
Entelurus aequoreus
Gadus morhua
Gobius niger
Gobiusculus flavescens
Labrus bergylta
Labrus mixtus
Lipophrys pholis
Myoxocephalus scorpius
Nerophis lumbriciformis
Parablennius gattorugine
Pholis gunnellus
Pleuronectes platessa
Pollachius pollachius
Pomatoschistus microps
Pomatoschistus minutus
Pomatoschistus pictus
Spondyliosoma cantharus
Syngnathus acus
Taurulus bubalis
Thorogobius ephippiatus
Trachinus draco
Trachurus trachurus
Trisopterus luscus

May 2013; Selsey Life Boat Station Gallery
Click on image to enlarge.

Selsy Life Boat Station Sussex anemone
Selsy Life Boat Station Sussex
Anemone, sponges, etc
Selsy Life Boat Station Sussex anemone
Selsy Life Boat Station Sussex Anemone - Diadumena cincta?
Selsy Life Boat Station Sussex Anemone
Selsy Life Boat Station Sussex Anemone - Diadumena cincta? and buttefish, Pholis gunnellus
Selsy Life Boat Station Sussex Anemone
Selsy Life Boat Station Sussex Anemone

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Unless otherwise stated all images are Copyright of Gerald Legg, naturaimaging. If you would like to use any images, then high resolution ones can be obtained by contacting me.

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