Become a citizen scientist and help us learn more about sharks, skates and rays by finding and recording egg cases on your local coastline!
Working in collaboration with The Shark Trust and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, we're looking to raise awareness of our native sharks and rays by carrying out annual Shark Egg Case Hunt events. Data recorded from these events is submitted to The Shark Trust as part of their Great Eggcase Hunt campaign, helping to pin-point exactly where sharks and skates are laying on the UK coastline and help build a clearer understanding of species presence and diversity.
Some sharks, and all true skates, reproduce by laying eggs. These are surrounded by a tough leathery capsule, known as Mermaid's Purses, that protect the embryo as it develops inside. After several months, these are ready to hatch and a fully-formed shark or skate will emerge. Once empty, these egg cases often wash up on the beach and this happens all year round. One of the best places to find them is among the strandline, where the seaweed washes up.
Each egg case is distinctive in its colour, size and shape, so it is possible to identify which species produced it. This data, when fed into The Shark Trust's campaign, provides scientists with a valuable insight into where potential nursery grounds are located and their population numbers. This information is crucial to informing marine conservation strategies around the UK coastline.
The North East coastline is significantly lacking in data submissions in comparison to the rest of the country, but we are working towards changing this. You can help by taking part in your own shark egg case hunts and submitting your finds here. Keep an eye on our What's On page to find out when our next Shark Egg Case Hunts are running!
