Marine Plankton
Milford Haven
Pembrokeshire UK
Aims of the Site
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To share marine plankton information
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Display photos of plankton biodiversity
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Provide an educational resource
Welcome. This site covers coastal plankton washing on to the stunning shores of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. There is an amazing biodiversity of microscopic life living in every drop of seawater. Collections are made around Milford Haven, part of the Special Area of Conservation, with the most regular ones made in Dale. Before looking at the details of The Species check the specimens chosen each month in the Previous Photo of the Month. The monthly Blog is full of photos of the latest species found. You may want to have a look at the Biodiversity page that gives a plankton overview while Methods looks specifically at how the samples are taken and photographed. More below
Photo of the Month
The conditions for sampling on 21st January were the worst I have experienced with heavy seas and strong wind. The diversity of zooplankton was very low in the turbulent water. Strangely, the sample had quite a number of the marine rotifer Synchaeta, one of the few genera found in the sea. As a group the rotifers are successful and found in many environments. Possibly, this ability to adapt enabled it to survive the harsh, exposed conditions. Some years the rotifer can be abundant in Dale during the spring but this is the first time I have seen them in January.
None had eggs but almost certainly these are asexual females that produce eggs by parthenogenesis.
An asexual female rotifer Synchaeta sp. Photo taken 21st January 2026