🚨 Dataset Update 🚨 Our vascular plants dataset was recently update with almost 2000 validated records submitted from Q2 of this year. This dataset now sits at 364,123 records across 1,795 taxa. Pic: Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris)

🚨 Update🚨 Our Citizen Science Portal will continue to be offline today and over the long weekend while we carry out essential security updates following the security alert affecting PHP, software used to run websites. We thank you for your patience with this issue.

Our Citizen Science Portal will be offline while we carry out essential security updates following a security alert affecting PHP, software used to run websites. This is a precautionary measure to protect the service & its data. We’ll update when the portal is available again.

🚨 Dataset Update🚨 Our new ladybirds dataset has recently been updated. You can view the dataset, which now has 2071 records across 30 species here on Biodiversity Maps - maps.biodiversityireland.ie/… Harlequin Ladybird was the most commonly recorded species last month.

Top 100 Explore Your Shore! species - #46 - Spiral Worm / Tiúbphéist Chorntha / Spirorbis (Spirorbis) spirorbis is found growing on seaweeds, especially Bladderwrack and Serrated Wrack on the rocky shore. Shore: Rocky. Distribution: all coasts. exploreyourshore.ie

Did you know that Red Squirrel was the most commonly recorded species during the first half of October. Remember you can submit your sighting through Ireland's Citizen Science Portal: records.biodiversityireland.…

SURVEY FOCUS. A species you are very likely to come across while doing our Great Rocky Shore Bioblitz is Dulse / Duileasc / Palmaria palmata. This 'leafy' red seaweed is generally found on the lower shore. Found all around the Irish coast. exploreyourshore.ie/surveys/…

Blow-ins... In July snorkelers off the West Cork coast had an encounter with some Atlantic Wreckfish / Breac Raice / Polyprion americanus - more commonly recorded in the western Atlantic. There have been 44 previous records in Ireland. exploreyourshore.ie/

🚨 Recording Activity Update🚨 In September 13,780 records were submitted through Ireland's Citizen Science Portal. Moths were the overall most heavily recorded group, while species like Red Admiral, Painted Lady & Hummingbird Hawk-moth were in the Top 5 most recorded species.

Which species should I record? is a question often asked by Explore Your Shore! volunteer recorders... and our answer is ALL SPECIES. We want people to record as many species as they can find during each survey, including very common species. exploreyourshore.ie/surveys/…

Happy #WorldOctopusDay ! 🐙 Ireland’s most frequently recorded octopus species is the Curled Octopus / Ochtapas adharcach / Eledone cirrhosa which has a single row of suckers on each arm. 🌊 Explore More: exploreyourshore.ie/

🚨 Essential Maintenance🚨 We will be carrying out essential maintenance to our systems throughout the day. You may notice some disruption to your use of Ireland's Citizen Science Portal and Biodiversity Maps later today. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

THEN AND NOW... The distribution of shore crab (Carcinus maenas) around the Irish coast has not changed since pre-2010. Explore Your Shore! has helped fill some gaps but this species is still found all around the Irish coast. exploreyourshore.ie/

How do tides drive the pace of life on the seashore ? ... discover the answer to this and more by completing our FREE online course in Marine Biodiversity Citizen Science. See: learn.biodiversityireland.ie…

OCEAN ODDITIES! Gargamella rosi is a very distinctive Nudibranch, looking more suited to tropical seas. Records are becoming more frequent in the Southwest of Britain and there are now three known records from Ireland. Please record any sightings at exploreyourshore.ie/

SURVEY FOCUS. A species you are very likely to come across while doing our Big Beach Biodiversity Survey is the Thick Troughshell / Sliogán Trach Tiubh / Spisula solida. It often has dark bands integrated into the shell. exploreyourshore.ie/surveys/…

As we roll into late September it's interesting to see that Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Hummingbird Hawk-moth are currently the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most commonly recorded this month. Remember you can submit your sightings here: records.biodiversityireland.…

One to look out for when completing a Great Rocky Shore Bioblitz is the Red Speckled Anemone / Bundún Deargbhreactha / Anthopleura ballii. They are found on the Lower Shore, with most records coming from western and southwestern coasts. exploreyourshore.ie/surveys/…

We’ve recently updated several features on Biodiversity Maps. Clear browser cache and reload the page. Instructions are available for by clicking the following links for Chrome, Edge and Firefox. support.google.com/accounts/… support.microsoft.com/en-us/… support.google.com/accounts/…

Top 100 Explore Your Shore! species - #47 - Blue-rayed Limpet / Bairneach Mín / Patella pellucida is found growing on kelp fronds or burrowed into kelp holdfasts. Often cast ashore on beaches. Shore: Rocky. Distribution: all coasts. exploreyourshore.ie