As Spring is finally approaching and we will be able to organise more activities and events, we are planning to introduce a monthly casual catch up about our ongoing projects. Please do give us a feedback if you believe this format works.

Updates on our current projects

Citizen Science: As part of our funding from the Protected Areas Foundation (PAF) we are planning to organise citizen science events in and around the protected areas of the Moray Firth. We would like to better understand where are they, what are they supposed to protect and if they work. We would like to see if there are any citizen science projects MOC is already involved in within these areas, and if there is any more we could explore. 

We are going to kick-start this with two beach clean and litter surveys at Findhorn on Friday the 20^th February for anyone who is around and would like to join in. This is a chance to see how they run for you to run in other places around the Moray Firth: https://www.mcsuk.org/beach-cleans/findhorn-front-beach-20-02-2026/ 

We are also planning a Citizen Science day in March. A day full of different surveys and methods like Shorewatch, Seaweed search, Oyster shell survey, and perhaps a bio blitz. Make sure to check out our events page for details and if you’re interested to help out, please get in touch. 

We are also planning an Easter Shark Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday. Following the Shark Trust’s Great Eggcase Hunt you could join us for a fun morning on the beach looking for a different type of shark and ray eggcases - you can sign up now on our events page. 

Catherine is really excited to share the Underwater Forest project to survey kelp for the Natural History Museum. If you know of a rocky beach near you where the kelp is exposed at low tide, please let Catherine know!

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Film Festival update: Save the date!

Included in our Protected Area Foundation fund, we are organising a film festival showcasing short films about the sea, conservation, marine protected areas and the power of community. 

Date 29/03/2026 from 3pm in Inverness at Eden Court. We are hoping to get a representative of each film, have a live Q&A and a casual chat and general nice time. 

If there is anyone who would like to help with distributing flyers and spread the word please get in touch with Terrie.

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Seaweed Gardening: Lynne introduced a very exciting new project, the Seaweed Gardening idea inspired by the Oban Seaweed Gardens. It is a community led project collecting seaweed from the shore to use in our gardens as fertiliser. This idea connects us with Sea and the Soil, the roots of our ancestors. You can read about the project in Oban via this link. We are looking for funding at the moment and hoping to start our version in Moray. 

Would you be interested in collecting your seaweed and make your own soap? If the answer is yes, please let us know! We were offered an opportunity to organise a workshop with a local soap maker.

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Seagrass: Terrie and Francis are meeting on with Mike from Burghead Sub-Aqua Club and NatureScot to create a protocol for surveying the subtidal seagrass beds at Burghead Bay. With the correct protocol and method we are hoping that divers will be able to map the area this season.

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1^st of March is world seagrass day, fancy a live stream from a seagrass meadow? Or perhaps something a bit more accessible? While we work out what can actually be done, keep an eye out on the newly established Scottish Seagrass Collaborative created by Project Seagrass and Coastal Communities Network. Their aim is to connect people, share knowledge, and create opportunities for training, resources, and joint action that strengthen seagrass conservation efforts across Scotland. Register to be involved here: https://ow.ly/S4b350Xtop9 

Francis got word of potential subtidal seagrass off Cromarty. That is just another proof how much is out there we don’t know about. If you ever come across seagrass while snorkelling/diving, please share the knowledge. Until we can map the entire seabed, our hide and seek with seagrass continues. If you are interested in why and how the seagrass declined in Scotland, you can read a very detailed report published by NatureScot on this link.  You can also find references of historical seagrass presence; you can check if your area might have had seagrass in the past.

And of course if you missed this interesting find, it is worth a read: https://www.nature.scot/rare-seagrass-fairy-circles-observed-scotland 

There are still a few spaces left this month to plant your own seagrass with Mossy Earth. You can check the availability and book in via this link. If you haven’t managed this time, don’t worry, with the spring coming they’ll have more events coming 

Invasive species: Terrie’s hard work finally seems to pay off as she finished the method for surveying slipper limpet and is ready to launch. As we need low tides, finding suitable dates is a bit difficult, but watch this space for dates and locations to come. We are hoping to have two survey dates a month from March onwards. 

Terrie is also working together with the Marine Directorate (Scottish Government) on the invasive slipper limpet problem on our shores. The Marine Directorate offered to have a drop down video of the areas where live limpets were previously recorded. And while we didn’t get an update about this for some time, they would like the help of MOC volunteers with processing the video. 

We also might have the opportunity to sample for environmental DNA. Using this method, we would be able to show the presence or absence of slipper limpets by collecting water in certain areas. Watch the space for updates! 

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Snorkelling plans: While during the winter our snorkelling plans were swallowed by the cold and dark, Lynne reports that we are ready to go and waiting only for the longer days and better weather. We have SUP boards which could be used to survey over seagrass, we have access to a bathyscope, and we also will be able to purchase emergency oxygen thanks to the PAF fund. 

Very exciting news, that the Scottish Wildlife Trust is organising the Snorkelling for All Festival in the Moray Firth in 2026. While we haven’t got much details just yet, the two potential locations are Hopeman and Buckie. If you can’t make it to the Moray Firth location, good news is that they are planning a Scotland Wide snorkelling festival on the same day with other local groups, to join in. Date and more details to come. 

We know that snorkelling can be a bit scary for those who never tired, and we have people in our community who are very experienced, so we are hoping to create two groups with two different levels of experience, so everyone can find their level. If you are interested, but you have never tried, or if you were born and raised in the waves, let us know!

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As we are a community group and we have many people with different interests and skill sets, it is always nice to share this with each other. This time Gianlucca offered to hold a small workshop to learn, or practice QGIS program to create maps - something we hope to use as part of the Protected Areas Foundation project. If you would be interested, let him know.

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And finally a semi-joke shout out: We think that our name being MOC is way too good of an opportunity, so if anyone out there would like to design a mocktail, works in hospitality and happy to sell this with a small 5% donation from every sold drink, please do not hesitate to get in touch! 

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