Compass Jellyfish -RS31885-Peter Bardsley

Your wildlife sighting reports are helping make a difference to our ocean. We use scientific data, like this, to campaign for real change in the way we manage and protect our seas.

Your contributions make a difference

People from all over the country have been contributing to scientific research by telling us what they spotted on their trip to the coast.

A huge thank you to all of you who reported your sightings. By telling us what you spotted, we are able to discover more about the health of our oceans.

1,737

Jellyfish sightings reported from Oct 2022-Sept 2023 is helping to build a clearer picture of the health of our seas

Here's what you found

Wildlife Sightings jellyfish 2023

A deeper dive

Wildlife Sightings Annual Report

We've been collecting and analysing your Wildlife Sightings over the past year, and have created this report to highlight what you found.

We had over 1,700 jellyfish reports from hundreds of you across the UK and Ireland, as well as 12 turtle sightings! You can read the full report below.

Jellyfish

We work with universities to publish the data collected as part of this project. If you fancy a deeper dive into our wildlife sightings, read the latest published paper on the Sea Turtle website.

We've been running the jellyfish survey for 20 years and we used your sightings to publish the below above, which was the first time jellyfish distribution had been mapped since 1970. We're currently working to publish the latest trends on jellyfish in UK waters. Stay tuned to find out what your sightings tell us!

Turtles

We are a leading partner in The UK Turtle Implementation Group. Together with other organisations, we contribute our data to an annual report of marine turtle sightings around the UK and Ireland.

In 2023, 47 marine turtles were reported. The most reported species was the loggerhead, with 28 sightings recorded. 13 leatherbacks were spotted, as well as 6 Kemp's ridley turtles.

Turtle sightings 2023 graphic

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Green Recovery Challenge Fund Logo

This project is funded by the Government's Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.

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Help us protect and restore our ocean