Above: An Egyptian warship at the Battle of the Delta, 1175 BCE. Sketch based on the carved relief from the mortuary temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu, Egypt (BK 2025).
This talk will follow the development of warships from the earliest times – the first recorded naval battle in the late Bronze Age, through the developments in the classical period – the ‘trireme’ and all that! Finally we’ll look at how sailing warships gave way to the first ironclads after the Industrial Revolution.
At Lancaster Maritime Museum, Custom House, St George’s Quay, Lancaster, LA1 1RB
Above: 2024 MCS Christmas quiz, background photo SS Carnatic by Lewis Bambury.
Pit your wits against our quizmaster over a range of general knowledge topics – a chance to unwind from Christmas Shopping and other seasonal stresses!
A talk by Mark Woombs (Lancashire MCS) on Wednesday 9th October 2024 at 19:30
The Red Sea is unique. Its diverse reefs are in stark contrast to the severe desert landscape. Many of the species found there are endemic, that is they occur nowhere else on our planet. The Red Sea has so far proven resistant to coral bleaching due to the corals higher temperature tolerance. Is this still the case or are things about to change?
19:30 Wednesday 12th May 2024 at Lancaster Maritime Museum
Above: Students from Blackpool and Fylde College – (L to R) Bradley Cooke, Jack Dyson and Scarlett Henson. Background – filter feeding mussels (Mytilus edulis) at Roa Island.
This month sees the last of our current series of presentations, and on this occasion we are pleased to cede the floor to the up-coming generation of marine biologists, with presentations from students of Blackpool and Fylde College. I hope you will be able to come along to provide them with a friendly environment to practice speaking in public about their scientific projects:
Microplastic contamination of Mytilus edulis by Scarlett Henson Infection of mackerel by Anisakis Parasites by Bradley Cooke The Impact of pH on coral growth by Jack Dyson
Disappearing diatoms and Sex in Copepods – Knott End Plankton round up, Spring 2024 Talks by Mark Woombs and Barry Kaye (Lancashire MCS) on Wednesday 8th May 2024 at 19:30 at Lancaster Maritime museum.
We are now into our third year studying the plankton at Knott End, and this year we are witness to a failure of the Spring phytoplankton bloom due to poor weather. Perhaps for the same reason, the copepod breeding season has been pushed back two months; though zooplankton numbers as a whole seem to be resilient… Join us to find out more!
If you would liek to check out some of the data from our plankton surveys at Knott End for yourself, there is a graphical interface on our website. This allows you to select plankton by groups or individual species, and follow how their populations have changed over the last eighteen months.
A talk by John Blowes on Wednesday 10th April 2024 at 19:30
Above: The Halton Lune Hydro project turbine room and fish pass are designed to blend in with the traditional architecture on the Lune, photo by John Blowes.
Our talk by John Blowes, Director and Chairman of the Halton Lune Hydro covers protection of the environment by various methods with a focus of the Halton Hydro community project. The talk will touch on environmental issues such as tidal marshes, underwater grasses and pollution, but is otherwise about the Hydro project technical, environmental and financial.
John’s talk will be preceded by a brief public AGM for the group.
A talk by Trevor Lund on Wednesday 13th March 2024 at 19:30
Above: Artist’s impression of the Bay 350 MYA – spot the mistakes! Image by Mark Woombs/Adobe AI.
The area that is now Morecambe Bay was covered in sea once before during the Carboniferous geological period. In this talk we look at the evidence for this in the rocks and fossils of the Bay area. We look at how geologists have used modern marine environments to work out the ecosystems and environments of the past. It is surprising how these marine creatures were adapted in a similar way to their modern equivalents, to survive and flourish in the same kind of environment.
A talk by Joseph Earl (Morecambe Bay Partnership) on Wednesday 14th February 2024 at 19:30:
Above: Restoring our salt marshes is an initiative of the Our Future Coast project.
Driven by climate change, coastal areas globally are facing increased risks of flooding and erosion. We’ll explore the crucial role that natural coastal environments like saltmarshes, found extensively around Morecambe Bay, could play in protecting people and places from climate change into the future.
Joseph’s talk will highlight the unique ecological and coastal defence value of saltmarshes and discover how we can better support and manage them. He will introduce a series of case studies around Morecambe Bay where saltmarsh is being restored through the Our Future Coast project, part of DEFRA’s national flood and coastal resilience innovation programme.
Does the Isle of Muck have the best tearoom in the Hebrides? Come along to Wednesday’s’ talk to find out and look at the amazing marine wildlife that lives around the the Small Isles and the surrounding area.
At Lancaster Maritime Museum on Wednesday 10th January 2024 at 19:30
