South West Ramblings 18

Mark Webster · Issue 89, Mar/Apr 2016 · pp. 67–72

Products mentioned: Nikon D200, Nikon D300, Subal ND2 housing, 10-17mm FE zoom, Subtronic Mini flash guns

I recently described the unusual local habitat of the maerl beds here in the south west and mentioned in passing the adjacent eel grass beds in the river Fal. I thought it would be worth dedicating this ramble to this particular habitat as it is found in a number of locations around the UK and does offer a unique environment and some great image opportunities for the photographer looking for something a little different, with sometimes challenging conditions. The sea grass (Zostera marina) that we have in the south west of the UK is a hardy species found throughout the Atalantic and Pacific. Distribution is patchy in the southwest, but it is also found on the Dorset coast, Solent estuary and Isle of Wight, Wales, western Ireland and western and eastern Scotland including Orkney and the Shetland Islands. It can withstand quite cold water conditions and surprisingly will be found within th…