Wembury Marine Centre facts for kids
The Wembury Marine Centre is a special place located in the small village of Wembury, close to the city of Plymouth in England. This centre is managed by the Devon Wildlife Trust, an organization that works to protect nature.
Every summer, the Wembury Marine Centre hosts fun events called "rockpool rambles." During these rambles, about 20,000 people each year learn about the amazing creatures that live in the sea. They also discover why it's so important to protect these animals and their homes.
The area around Wembury Marine Centre is very important for nature. It is officially known as a Special Area of Conservation and a Voluntary Marine Conservation Area. This means the area is protected to keep its marine life safe and healthy. The Wembury Voluntary Marine Conservation Area stretches for about four miles, from Bovisand in the west to Gara Point in the east.
Exploring Wembury's Marine Life
When the tide is low, it's the best time to explore the rockpools at Wembury. These are like small, natural aquariums left behind by the sea. You can often spot many different sea creatures living in these pools.
Common Rockpool Creatures
Here are some of the cool animals you might see during your visit:
- Shore Crab (Carcinus maenas): These crabs are very common and have strong claws. They often hide under rocks.
- Common Prawn (Palaemon serratus): These see-through creatures are a type of shrimp. They are great at camouflaging themselves in the water.
- Common Blenny or Shanny (Lipophrys pholis): This small fish is often found resting on the bottom of rockpools. It can breathe air for a short time out of water.
- Cushion Starfish (Actinia equina): This isn't a starfish, but a type of sea anemone! It looks like a jelly blob when the tide is out, but opens up like a flower underwater.
- Hermit Crab (Pagurus bernhardus): Unlike other crabs, hermit crabs don't grow their own shells. Instead, they find empty snail shells to live in and carry them around for protection.
