Location
Portland marina, inner and outer pontoons.
Placement date
January 2024
Design
Two SeaHives, each made from seven 1m tubes.
Depth
1.5m
Sponsor
Funded by Sea Life Centre, Weymouth . Assembled and deployed by Portland and Weymouth Sea Cadets in Portland Marina.
Objective
Team building and education for Sea Cadets to participate in an environmental enhancement programme. Research to identify local filter feeding species and provide refuge for juvenile fish and invertebrates.
Observation
Sea Life Centre and Sea Cadets will monitor diversity and density of marine species living on and in the SeaHives. Images to be posted regularly.
Update 21st July 2024
After only 6 months the Sea Hives in Portland marina have developed an impressive layer of filter feeding animals across their entire surface. Dominated by solitary tunicates, the new ecosystem also has hydrozoans, bryozoans and fan worms.
Update 23rd April 2024
The SeaHives are developing a layer of biifilm and algae after 3 months. This will be consumed by herbivores… snails and limpets … that will soon settle out of the plankton.
Images credited to: Kico and the Weymouth Sea Life Centre
Update 6th April 2024
The two SeaHives in the Portland Marina have started to develop a thick ‘BioFilm’ layer on their surfaces. This will soon be replaced by sedentary animals like Sea Squirts and barnacles as they settle out of the plankton in the surrounding sea water over the next couple of months.
