Survey run by the Institute of Offshore Engineering for English Nature (Peterborough). All these records relate to "Sheader, Sheader (1992) - A survey of Blue Lagoon, Poole Harbour, with special reference to the anemone, Nematostella vectensis" A copy of the report is held at English Nature (Dorset Team).
The Startlet Anemone, Nematostella vectensis, was recorded at Blue Lagoon, Poole Harbour in 1984. A proposed dredging scheme for the site was identified as a potential threat to the population, so English Nature comissioned a survey to determine the current status of the species. The survey concluded that the species is no longer present at the site. The abundance of Nematostella at Blue Lagoon, as documented in 1984, was extremely low and the habitat was documented as being atypical for the species. In this survey, six sites were sampled in the lagoon at low tide over a 3-day period in September 1992. No coordinates were stated in the paperwork, so site locations have been estimated from the map provided. Both quantitative and qualitative samples were taken. Quantitative sampling involved the collection of 5 cores (6cm diameter, 20cm deep = 141.5cm2) at each site. Qualitative sampling consisted of a general collection of weed, and sieving on site (0.5mm mesh) of surface sediment. A single species list has been compiled from both methods.
