Seagrass Monitoring

Activity Plan

Lyle will be running a seagrass monitoring session on the morning of Friday the 6th of September, to assess the health of the seagrass meadow on Burntisland Sands. This event will provide attendees with training in how to conduct fixed transect monitoring of intertidal habitats, in line with guidance set by Nature Scot. This activity will teach volunteers how to set up a monitoring programme and which biological and physical measurements need to be collected in order to assess the health of a seagrass meadow. Three fixed transects will be laid out and volunteers will be required to perform quadrat surveys commencing at the 0m mark and progressing out to the 50m mark, sampling in 5m intervals. 

Volunteers will meet with Lyle at the beach side car park outside the Beacon Leisure Centre in Burntisland at 09:30am. Attendees are asked to come with wellies and clothing suitable for the weather conditions present on the day. Waterproof clothing, especially waterproof trousers are desirable as there is the possibility that you will need to kneel in shallow tidal pools in order to conduct the assessment. Attendees will have to perform a biosecurity procedure before entering the site, this will ensure no invasive or non-native species are introduced to the site. The monitoring site is roughly a 15 minute walk from the car park and will be over soft sediment. 

Event Details:

Event Date: 6th September 2024

Meeting location: Burntisland - Beacon Leisure Centre beach side car park

What 3 Words locator: ///gifted.monument.stung

Meeting time: 09:30am

Event Considerations:

Please note that this event will take place in the outdoors and on Burntisland's sandflat. Please be expected to be on your feet and in the elements for up to 2.5 hours during this activity. Participants will not have access to toilet facilities when we are out on the sandflats. However there are toilet facilities in the Links Park, just before the leisure centre and once the leisure centre opens (usually 10am) their facilities will be open to the public.

Please come dressed appropriately for the conditions on the day, bearing in mind that Burntisland is usually a windy location. It is advised to come with waterproof clothing and wellie boots as we will be in and out of shallow tidal pools, which can inundate walking boots. Also to note, please bring a drink and any medication that you require.

There will be a fully qualified outdoor first aider in attendance for any medical emergencies and they will be equipped with a fully stocked first aid kid and mobile phone.

This event is open to those who have accessibility needs, the Ecology Centre's beach going wheelchair is available on request.

If this event is cancelled due to poor weather, we will get in touch with you the day before to make you aware of any changes. On rare occasions, we may be in touch on the day of the task (if there is a change in the forecast). Please keep an eye on your emails prior to the event.

Likewise, if you can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible to allow for other people to attend.