MCS Plymouth Local Group - Monthly Meetings

The MCS Plymouth Local Group meets on the last Thursday of each month to host a series of talks about the marine environment. The talks start at 7pm at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) on Plymouth Hoe, unless otherwise indicated.

Meetings are free to Local Group members (£10/year for entry) and members of the MBA, or £2 on the door for all others.

For a map showing the location of the MBA, click here.

We are always looking for new speakers! If you are interested in giving a talk, please contact Sally Sharrock on mcsplymouthlocalgroup@hotmail.com. PhD students welcome! Come and talk to us about your project!

2010

Thursday 28th January
Speaker: Tam Sneddon
For our first monthly meeting of 2010, Tam Sneddon, Environment Management Officer for Fisheries, will be explaining the complex rules and regulations covering fishing in and around Plymouth Sound.
The talk will be held on Thursday 28th January at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 25th February
Speaker: Nigel Mortimer
For our second monthly meeting of 2010, Nigel Mortimer, Estuaries Officer for the South Devon AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) will be telling us about the intriguing delights of estuarine mud - the bacteria love it!
The talk will be held on Thursday 25th February at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 25th March
Speaker: Liz Wood
Liz Wood, MCS Coral Reef Conservation Officer, will be talking to us about, "Conservation Action for Corals, Giant Clams, Curios and Fish" - how MCS Coral Reef programmes are helping to conserve coral reef biodiversity and promote sustainable use of resources in Malaysia, the Maldives and the Western Indian Ocean.
The talk will be held on Thursday 25th March at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 29th April
Speaker: TBC
Our April meeting will be followed by the Local Group AGM. Speaker TBC.
The talk will be held on Thursday 29th April at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 20th May
Outdoor meeting
In May, we will be holding our first outdoor meeting - a mud low tide ramble at Oreston, led by Keith Hiscock.
We will be meeting at 5.30pm at Oreston and returning to the King's Arms afterwards if you wish.

Friday 18th June
Outdoor meeting
For our June meeting, we will be running a low tide snorkel and rockpool ramble at Wembury. Low tide is at 5.15pm.
Meet any time after 5pm at Wembury to either snorkel or rockpool, look at seaweeds, etc.

July
Outdoor meeting
July outdoor meeting - details TBC.
Meeting place TBC.

August
NO MEETING.

Thursday 30th September
Speaker: TBC
September monthly meeting - details TBC.
The talk will be held on Thursday 30th September at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 28th October
Speaker: TBC
October monthly meeting - details TBC.
The talk will be held on Thursday 28th October at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 25th November
Speaker: TBC
November monthly meeting - details TBC.
The talk will be held on Thursday 25th November at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

December
NO MEETING.

2009

Thursday 29th January
Speaker: Richard White
For our first monthly meeting of 2009, Richard White from Devon Wildlife Trust will be giving his talk, 'Seas of Plenty'. The meeting will be followed by the MCS Plymouth Local Group AGM.
The talk will be held on Thursday 29th January at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 26th February
Speaker: Colin Munro
For our second monthly meeting of 2009, Colin Munro will be talking to us about 'The canoe fishermen of Mbour - a snapshot of artisanal fisheries, depleted stocks and environmental degradation problems in Senegal'.
The talk will be held on Thursday 26th February at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 26th March
Speaker: Paul Naylor
Paul Naylor will be talking to us about the behaviour of underwater species.
The talk will be held on Thursday 26th March at 7pm at the Diving & Sailing Centre, Coxside. For directions, click here.

Thursday 30th April
Speaker: Jason Hall-Spencer
Jason will be talking about the work he has been involved with on CO2 vents and acidification of the oceans: "Natural carbon dioxide vents on the sea floor are showing scientists how carbon emissions will affect marine life."
The talk will be held on Thursday 30th April at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 28th May
Speakers: Andrew Pillar of Interfish and Jim Portus from South West Fish Producers Organisation Ltd
This talk will be on "Fishing discards - a discussion to look at what can/is being done to improve sustainability in the fishing fleets in this area."
The talk will be held on Thursday 28th May at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 25th June
Speakers: Dr Matthew Frost, Dr Keith Hiscock and Linda Noble
Dr Matthew Frost will be talking to us about the 'History of the MBA', Dr Keith Hiscock will talk on, 'Conservation Science', and Linda Noble, Senior Librarian at the MBA, will give an explanatory tour of the Library facilities.
The talk will be held on Thursday 25th June at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 30th July
Speaker: John Rundle
Our July meeting will be on the breeding and culture of cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, plus the film, "The cuttlefish of Babbacombe Bay".
The talk will be held on Thursday 30th July at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

August
NO MEETING.

Thursday 24th September
Speaker: Peter Richardson
Peter Richardson from the Marine Conservation Society will be talking to us about Turtles.
The talk will be held on Thursday 24th September at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 29th October
Speaker: Keith Hiscock
Keith Hiscock will be giving a talk on, "Reefs Out Of Plymouth - Special Features and Conservation Needs". This will provide a starting point to discuss the achievment of a conservation strategy under the Marine Act.
The talk will be held on Thursday 29th October at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 26th November
Speaker: Sally Sharrock and others
This meeting will be focussed on Recording schemes, including Sally Sharrock - "The Seasearch year".
The talk will be held on Thursday 26th November at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

December
NO MEETING.

2008

Thursday 31st January
Speaker: Dominic Flint
For our first monthly meeting of 2008, Dominic Flint (the MCS Plymouth Local Group Chairman) will be giving a talk on "Tierra del Fuego to South Georgia", which covers sustainable fisheries and how albatross mortality on longlines has been reduced.
The talk will be held on Thursday 31st January at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 28th February
Speakers: Jason Hall-Spencer and Antony Jinman
For our second monthly meeting of 2008, Jason Hall-Spencer of the University of Plymouth will be giving a talk on the first submersible observations of Arctic coral reefs. Jason will have actual specimens of the beautiful coral skeletons to show us. Antony Jinman from Polar Venture will also talk about his forthcoming expedition to Baffin Island, which aims raise awareness of climate change.
The talks will be held on Thursday 28th February at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 27th March
Speaker: Dr John Bishop
Dr John Bishop of the University of Plymouth will be talking to us about "Non-native marine species".
The talk will be held on Thursday 27th March at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 24th April
Speakers: Fiona Crouch and Gavin Black
Fiona Crouch will be talking to us about "The Shore Thing", an initiative of the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN), working with schools and volunteer recorders to collect information on the marine life of rocky shores around Britain. Ali Hood from the Shark Trust will also be talking to us about "All the latest on UK sharks".
The talks will be held on Thursday 24th April at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 29th May
Speaker: Dr Richard Thompson
Dr Richard Thompson of the University of Plymouth will be giving us a talk on "Plastic Debris in the Marine Environment".
The talk will be held on Thursday 29th May at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 26th June - CANCELLED
Speaker: Roger Covey and other speakers Roger Covey from Natural England together with other speakers will join us for an evening about Fish and Fishing.
Unfortunately this meeting has been cancelled.

Thursday 31st July
Speaker: Gavin Black
Gavin Black from Natural England will be talking to us about "Devon's marine megafauna", covering Cetaceans and research and recording schemes.
The talk will be held on Thursday 31st July at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 28th August
NO MEETING.

Thursday 25th September
Speaker: Dr Keith Hiscock
Dr Keith Hiscock of the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) will be giving us a talk on "The ends of the Earth - South America to Antarctica".
The talk will be held on Thursday 25th September at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 30th October
Speaker: Dr Nova Mieszkowska
Dr Nova Mieszkowska will be talking to us about "Climate Change".
The talk will be held on Thursday 30th October at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 27th November
Speaker: Melissa Moore
Melissa Moore, Senior Policy Officer in the MCS Conservation team, will be talking to us about "Marine Renewables".
The talk will be held on Thursday 27th November at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre.

Thursday 25th December
NO MEETING.

	Seas fit for life	The MCS Plymouth Local Group Website designed and maintained by Amy Bugg © 2004-2008
	Home About our Group The Team Dates for your Diary Events Campaigns Latest News Photo Gallery Join MCS Links	Monthly Meetings
		The MCS Plymouth Local Group meets on the last Thursday of each month to host a series of talks about the marine environment. The talks start at 7pm at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) on Plymouth Hoe, unless otherwise indicated. Meetings are free to Local Group members (£10/year for entry) and members of the MBA, or £2 on the door for all others. For a map showing the location of the MBA, click here. We are always looking for new speakers! If you are interested in giving a talk, please contact Sally Sharrock on mcsplymouthlocalgroup@hotmail.com. PhD students welcome! Come and talk to us about your project! 2010 Thursday 28th January Speaker: Tam Sneddon For our first monthly meeting of 2010, Tam Sneddon, Environment Management Officer for Fisheries, will be explaining the complex rules and regulations covering fishing in and around Plymouth Sound. The talk will be held on Thursday 28th January at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 25th February Speaker: Nigel Mortimer For our second monthly meeting of 2010, Nigel Mortimer, Estuaries Officer for the South Devon AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) will be telling us about the intriguing delights of estuarine mud - the bacteria love it! The talk will be held on Thursday 25th February at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 25th March Speaker: Liz Wood Liz Wood, MCS Coral Reef Conservation Officer, will be talking to us about, "Conservation Action for Corals, Giant Clams, Curios and Fish" - how MCS Coral Reef programmes are helping to conserve coral reef biodiversity and promote sustainable use of resources in Malaysia, the Maldives and the Western Indian Ocean. The talk will be held on Thursday 25th March at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 29th April Speaker: TBC Our April meeting will be followed by the Local Group AGM. Speaker TBC. The talk will be held on Thursday 29th April at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 20th May Outdoor meeting In May, we will be holding our first outdoor meeting - a mud low tide ramble at Oreston, led by Keith Hiscock. We will be meeting at 5.30pm at Oreston and returning to the King's Arms afterwards if you wish. Friday 18th June Outdoor meeting For our June meeting, we will be running a low tide snorkel and rockpool ramble at Wembury. Low tide is at 5.15pm. Meet any time after 5pm at Wembury to either snorkel or rockpool, look at seaweeds, etc. July Outdoor meeting July outdoor meeting - details TBC. Meeting place TBC. August NO MEETING. Thursday 30th September Speaker: TBC September monthly meeting - details TBC. The talk will be held on Thursday 30th September at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 28th October Speaker: TBC October monthly meeting - details TBC. The talk will be held on Thursday 28th October at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 25th November Speaker: TBC November monthly meeting - details TBC. The talk will be held on Thursday 25th November at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. December NO MEETING. 2009 Thursday 29th January Speaker: Richard White For our first monthly meeting of 2009, Richard White from Devon Wildlife Trust will be giving his talk, 'Seas of Plenty'. The meeting will be followed by the MCS Plymouth Local Group AGM. The talk will be held on Thursday 29th January at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 26th February Speaker: Colin Munro For our second monthly meeting of 2009, Colin Munro will be talking to us about 'The canoe fishermen of Mbour - a snapshot of artisanal fisheries, depleted stocks and environmental degradation problems in Senegal'. The talk will be held on Thursday 26th February at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 26th March Speaker: Paul Naylor Paul Naylor will be talking to us about the behaviour of underwater species. The talk will be held on Thursday 26th March at 7pm at the Diving & Sailing Centre, Coxside. For directions, click here. Thursday 30th April Speaker: Jason Hall-Spencer Jason will be talking about the work he has been involved with on CO2 vents and acidification of the oceans: "Natural carbon dioxide vents on the sea floor are showing scientists how carbon emissions will affect marine life." The talk will be held on Thursday 30th April at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 28th May Speakers: Andrew Pillar of Interfish and Jim Portus from South West Fish Producers Organisation Ltd This talk will be on "Fishing discards - a discussion to look at what can/is being done to improve sustainability in the fishing fleets in this area." The talk will be held on Thursday 28th May at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 25th June Speakers: Dr Matthew Frost, Dr Keith Hiscock and Linda Noble Dr Matthew Frost will be talking to us about the 'History of the MBA', Dr Keith Hiscock will talk on, 'Conservation Science', and Linda Noble, Senior Librarian at the MBA, will give an explanatory tour of the Library facilities. The talk will be held on Thursday 25th June at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 30th July Speaker: John Rundle Our July meeting will be on the breeding and culture of cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, plus the film, "The cuttlefish of Babbacombe Bay". The talk will be held on Thursday 30th July at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. August NO MEETING. Thursday 24th September Speaker: Peter Richardson Peter Richardson from the Marine Conservation Society will be talking to us about Turtles. The talk will be held on Thursday 24th September at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 29th October Speaker: Keith Hiscock Keith Hiscock will be giving a talk on, "Reefs Out Of Plymouth - Special Features and Conservation Needs". This will provide a starting point to discuss the achievment of a conservation strategy under the Marine Act. The talk will be held on Thursday 29th October at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 26th November Speaker: Sally Sharrock and others This meeting will be focussed on Recording schemes, including Sally Sharrock - "The Seasearch year". The talk will be held on Thursday 26th November at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. December NO MEETING. 2008 Thursday 31st January Speaker: Dominic Flint For our first monthly meeting of 2008, Dominic Flint (the MCS Plymouth Local Group Chairman) will be giving a talk on "Tierra del Fuego to South Georgia", which covers sustainable fisheries and how albatross mortality on longlines has been reduced. The talk will be held on Thursday 31st January at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 28th February Speakers: Jason Hall-Spencer and Antony Jinman For our second monthly meeting of 2008, Jason Hall-Spencer of the University of Plymouth will be giving a talk on the first submersible observations of Arctic coral reefs. Jason will have actual specimens of the beautiful coral skeletons to show us. Antony Jinman from Polar Venture will also talk about his forthcoming expedition to Baffin Island, which aims raise awareness of climate change. The talks will be held on Thursday 28th February at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 27th March Speaker: Dr John Bishop Dr John Bishop of the University of Plymouth will be talking to us about "Non-native marine species". The talk will be held on Thursday 27th March at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 24th April Speakers: Fiona Crouch and Gavin Black Fiona Crouch will be talking to us about "The Shore Thing", an initiative of the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN), working with schools and volunteer recorders to collect information on the marine life of rocky shores around Britain. Ali Hood from the Shark Trust will also be talking to us about "All the latest on UK sharks". The talks will be held on Thursday 24th April at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 29th May Speaker: Dr Richard Thompson Dr Richard Thompson of the University of Plymouth will be giving us a talk on "Plastic Debris in the Marine Environment". The talk will be held on Thursday 29th May at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 26th June - CANCELLED Speaker: Roger Covey and other speakers Roger Covey from Natural England together with other speakers will join us for an evening about Fish and Fishing. Unfortunately this meeting has been cancelled. Thursday 31st July Speaker: Gavin Black Gavin Black from Natural England will be talking to us about "Devon's marine megafauna", covering Cetaceans and research and recording schemes. The talk will be held on Thursday 31st July at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 28th August NO MEETING. Thursday 25th September Speaker: Dr Keith Hiscock Dr Keith Hiscock of the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) will be giving us a talk on "The ends of the Earth - South America to Antarctica". The talk will be held on Thursday 25th September at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 30th October Speaker: Dr Nova Mieszkowska Dr Nova Mieszkowska will be talking to us about "Climate Change". The talk will be held on Thursday 30th October at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 27th November Speaker: Melissa Moore Melissa Moore, Senior Policy Officer in the MCS Conservation team, will be talking to us about "Marine Renewables". The talk will be held on Thursday 27th November at 7pm at the MBA on Plymouth Hoe, in the Resource Centre. Thursday 25th December NO MEETING.