100 Species Project - watch our art work taking shape

Moon jellyfish by Anna Coffey

I think moon jellyfish are amazing as they have no organs and they absorb oxygen from the sea through their translucent skin. Also, unlike other jelly fish they can’t sting you! I love that they look alien-like and seem to glow like the moon. They can change colour depending on what they have eaten. That’s why I chose to make mine from a sheer iridescent fabric which changes colour depending on the angle. I formed its shape and gonads from pipe cleaners.

Grey Seal by Hugo EMAS

At EMAS School we have been learning about the species that live in the Forth and why it is important to protect our environment. As well as researching species we made models using recycled materials to represent our chosen sea creature.

Pogge by Archie EMAS

At EMAS we have been learning about the species that live in the Forth and why it is important to look after our environment. As well as researching our chosen species, we made models using recycled materials to represent our sea creature.

Moon Jellyfish By Tiger EMAS

Sand Eel By Erin M. EMAS

Humpback Whale by Aidan EMAS

Ringed Plover by Thea EMAS

Fuzzy sea cucumber by Lucy EMAS

Sea Turtle by Erin M

Cat Shark by Fenella

At EMAS we have been learning about the species that are in the forth and why it is important to look after our environment. As well as researching our chosen species, we have been making models using recycled materials to represent our sea creature.

Harbour seals by Linda McDermid

Last summer the RSPCA rescued a number of Harbour seal pups, stranded on Wardie Bay beach after they had become separated from their mothers. Harbour seals (so called because they will follow schools of fish into harbours) are under threat both from humans and Scotland’s other native seal, the Grey. Grey seals are bigger and stronger and have been taking over the traditional ‘haul out’ areas of isolated rocks and beaches to rest, nurse pups and moult forcing the smaller and more timid Harbour seal onto public beaches. Since the 1990’s there has been a 40% decline in their numbers. I had no idea they were so endangered. Since the start of the Covid pandemic, there has been a huge rise in human activity on the beaches of the Forth. In early 2021 two pontoons were refurbished as designated haul out spaces for Harbour seals visiting Granton Harbour, they were...

Sand Goby – by Jonna Lange

With the project raising awareness about all the different species living in the forth, I liked the idea of the sand goby blending in with their environment. The fish is very abundant along the coast and with their sandy colours and speckles they become part of the seabed. I carved the two sand gobies out of wood and added some wood shavings as the fins. By creating them true to size and presenting them in sand I tried to recreate how they are camouflaging under water.

Basking Shark by Kailash EMAS

Lions Mane Jellyfish by Youth 1st Cowdenbeath Media Crew

Youth 1st recently worked with Cowdenbeath Media Crew to research the Lions Mane Jellyfish. They produced a short informative video you can watch here.

Lions Mane Jellyfish by Youth 1st Youth groups

Youth 1st choose the species Lions Mane Jellyfish, they have been working with Youth groups in Fife to create these amazing drawings and discovered many facts, some of these facts are: Jellyfish have no nervous system Oxygen in the water has dropped by 2% over the last 50 years Jellyfish move very slowly They eat and poo from their mouths They can grow so big they are one of the longest species in the ocean They have no brain

Great (King) Scallop by Sue Proudlove

I love to see interesting shells when walking along beaches, and the scallop shell is always a favourite to spot. I have learned that the major environmental issue relating to scallops at the moment is probably the damage caused by the dredger vessels that fish for them. Dredging causes enormous, and long-lasting, damage to the seabed, and especially to seagrass. As we now know, seagrass is a threatened habitat that not only provides homes for many creatures, but also helps to act as a carbon sink. It is therefore a vital contributor to the battle against the climate crisis, and must be protected and reinstated. I’m vegetarian myself, so don’t eat scallops, but for those that do, there are more sustainable ways of harvesting them without collateral damage to other species and habitats. I made a collage of the scallop from scraps of fabric.

Oysters to the Rescue – musical show by P3C Corstorphine Primary School

Corstorphine Primary P3C recently researched the Edinburgh Victorians, and discovered all about oysters. So we decided to make a show about them, which we wrote by ourselves. The show last for about 25 minutes, so grab a tea, coffee or juice and relax and enjoy it! https://youtu.be/iDh6NACNOY8

Caller Ou sung by Newhaven Community Choir

In the 19th century, fresh oysters and other shellfish were plentiful and prices were low so they could be bought by everyone. This song by Dr John Gray describes how the oysters were sold by girls who carried creels of oysters round the doors. “Caller o’u” means freshly caught oysters. This song is beautifully sung by Newhaven Community Choir who welcome new members. https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Caller-Ou-oyster-song-1.mp4

Native oysters by Corstorphine Primary School

P3A class at Corstorphone Primary School had a great day at Cramond Beach learning about seagrass and oysters, playing a few games and decorating oyster shells. Corstorphine message to the sea Corstorphine seagrass and oysters This was all in preparation for their school show ‘Oysters to the Rescue’. They ended the day sending a few oyster shells back out to the sea. https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Corstorphine-Primary-School-visit-Cramond-Beach.mp4

Fish by St Mary’s Primary school

As part of our local procession gala day, we made a big float to parade through the town. We chose a seaside, marine theme and made lots of sea creatures and things you would find on and beside the beach. It was hard work but good fun making all these. This creature is a giant fish which we made using branches, chicken wire, clear plastic and decorated paper.https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/St-Marys-Primary-School-float-Bathgate-Procession-2023.mov

Seagrass Meadow by St Mary’s Primary School, Bathgate

As part of our local procession gala day, we made a big float to parade through the town. We chose a seaside, marine theme and made lots of sea creatures and things you would find on and beside the beach. It was hard work but good fun making all these. This scene setter shows a seagrass and seaweed meadow where little fish and other sea creatures can safely hide from bigger animals that might want to eat them. We made this from paper, board and paint. https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/St-Marys-Primary-School-float-Bathgate-Procession-2023.mov

Seagrass and Fish Flag by St Mary’s Primary School, Bathgate

As part of our local procession gala day, we made a big float to parade through the town. We chose a seaside, marine theme and made lots of sea creatures and things you would find on and beside the beach. It was hard work but good fun making all these. This flag shows seagrass and a little fish which we made using crepe paper, a board and a wooden pole. https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/St-Marys-Primary-School-float-Bathgate-Procession-2023.mov

Crab by St Mary’s Primary School Bathgate

As part of our local procession gala day, we made a big float to parade through the town. We chose a seaside, marine theme and made lots of sea creatures and things you would find on and beside the beach. It was hard work but good fun making all these. This creature is a giant crab which we made using papier mache and paint.https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/St-Marys-Primary-School-float-Bathgate-Procession-2023.mov

Oyster by St Mary’s Primary School, Bathgate

As part of our local procession gala day, we made a big float to parade through the town. We chose a seaside, marine theme and made lots of sea creatures and things you would find on and beside the beach. It was hard work but good fun making all these. This creature is an oyster which we made using and old sand pit, material and a giant pearl. https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/St-Marys-Primary-School-float-Bathgate-Procession-2023.mov

Moon Jellyfish by Robbie and Quinn EMAS

Ringed plover by Neal EMAS

Harbour porpoise by Giona EMAS

Harbour Porpoise by Khaled EMAS

Ringed Plover by Yu-Chang EMAS

Sand Eel by Mark EMAS

Ringed Plover by Kito EMAS

Sea mouse by Noa EMAS

Sand Eel by Sigfried EMAS

Humpback whale by Aggie EMAS

Basking Shark by TJ EMAS

Lightbulb Sea Squirt by Sara EMAS

Velvet Swimming Crab by Kirsty Venters Marks

I wanted to celebrate this species, firstly because I love crabs in general and find them underloved as animals; secondly because this particular species is singled out as being aggressive. I think this is rich coming from humans, to be honest, especially because these crabs are viewed as “good for the table” – who wouldn’t fight back when their lives are at stake? I also love the idea of these crabs swimming around in the water, a different way of travel than is commonly thought of for side-stepping sea-bed dwellers. And then, of course, are the amazing red eyes. What a fabulous animal! The material I used to make my piece is the written word.

Cat Shark – Maggie EMAS

Orca by Tom, Islay and Ophe EMAS

Pochard by Mia EMAS

Common Dolphin by Flora EMAS

Seagull by Ellie

Sea Mouse by Robyn EMAS

Orca by Ena EMAS

Common Dolphin by Halle EMAS

Common Dolphin by Chiara EMAS

Harbour Porpoise by Emilia EMAS

Common Dolphin by Ruhi EMAS

Annelid Polychaete Worm – By Madeleine Shepherd

There are at least 10,000 species of these swimming bristly worms, some of which pop with brilliant colours or light up with a bioluminescent glow. They’ve adapted to every imaginable marine habitat, from deep hydrothermal vents, to crowded coral reefs, to the open ocean Earth has witnessed five mass extinction events, one of which killed some 96 percent of all marine species. Polychaetes survived. One polychaete species can survive without oxygen for 96 hours. The biggest polychaete is ten feet long.

Fuzzy Sea Cucumber – By Daphne (The Queen of crafts)

Craigmillar library held a wonderful eco-fair on Earth Day and invited local families to come along and learn about nature and celebrate it through craft and stories. The children enjoyed decorating oysters shells, collected from Cramond beach, as they learned about this amazing species. Daphne was especially keen to colour pictures as she learned. Her attention and creativity was fantastic!

Native Oyster (Ostrea edulis) – Craigmillar Library Earth Day participants

Native Oyster (Ostrea edulis) – By Brighid O Dochartaigh

I often see oyster shells on Edinburgh beaches & know they used to be often eaten around the Forth, but now they’re rare here because of what humans have done. I wanted to explore their beauty & how we share some of our history with the common oyster. I learned so much that was interesting I made a wee book to hold it all! A brilliant thing is that oysters help clean seawater by filtering out particles and nutrients as they feed – and one oyster can filter over 50 litres of water a day! I made collograph prints on paper – one bigger print and a concertina book. I used a Tetrapak carton from the recycling bin to carve out the designs and inked these Tetrapak plates with black ink. In the concertina book I added handwritten text. The print is 21 x 30cm; the concertina book pages are...

Lugworm – By Daphne

I coloured this at Craigmillar Library Earth Day event. Craigmillar library held a wonderful eco-fair on Earth Day and invited local families to come along and learn about nature and celebrate it through craft and stories. The children enjoyed decorating oysters shells, collected from Cramond beach, as they learned about this amazing species.

Marine Algae Phaeocystis – By Ewen Corke

I have seen this marine foam spread out along the beaches in East Neuk, and wanted to know what it was. I learned that sea foam is a type of microscopic marine algae, that can live as individual cells, or they can form large colonies consisting of many individuals. I have used an A4 sheet of paper and colouring in pencils. It is 29cm by 21cm.

Fatherlasher (Myoxocephalus scorpius) – By Limekilns Primary School

Please meet ‘Gary’ the Short-spined scorpion fish! We were asked to take part in a project with Restoration Forth to create a portable sculpture based on a fish that lives nearby us here in Limekilns. The fish we were allocated was the short-spined scorpion fish which has amazing eyes and patterns. It gains the nickname ‘Fatherlasher’ from its aggressive behaviour of lashing out and ambushing predators, often those that are as big as they are! They are more active at night and have dorsal spines that can hurt you. They have great camouflage for capturing prey and generally choose to live alone. We used a variety of recycled materials to build our sculpture including juice cans, bottle tops, CD’s and newspapers. We added seagrass by using small recycled plastic bags. We spray painted our sculpture using different colours to create the camouflage effect.

Peanut worm (Golfingia Vulgaris) – By Maggie Bartlett

I initially wanted to choose one of the more visible species – one that I had some experience of, bit when I clicked on the maps this one kept coming up and it felt meant to be. I had never heard of peanut worms. I have learned about the habits and habitat of these varied worms, their role in marine food chains and seabed maintenance, and their importance as part of the history of life on our planet. I chose to write a poem. I selected interesting words and phrases from my reading and given the worms’ smallness and hiddenness, a haiku seemed appropriate. I couldn’t fit all I wanted to say into one set of 17 syllables, so I made a set of six. I used one sheet of A4 paper. Take time to look at the small things. Seek them out or wait for them to appear. Not...

Cod (Gadus morhua) – By Karen Chambers

Gannet (Morus bassanus) – By Aberlady Beavers

This creation was done by Aberlady Beavers and they selected the Gannet because they enjoy seeing them diving for fish along the coast near Averlady and on the Bass Rock. We all learned about the life of a Gannet and that they fly as far away as Norway to fish. We also learnt about the importance of a clean ocean to their health. We used paper and found materials, including both recycled and natural materials to make a collage. It is approx 300cm X 400cm (it rolls up!)

Kelp or Oarweed (Laminaria digitata) – By Aberlady Cubs

The Aberlady Cubs made art pieces for three creatures. The leaders chose these as they thought it was something we could do collectively with sufficient variety that there was scope for all abilities within the group. They learned that Oarweed provides a safe refuge for sea creatures. We used recycled amazon packaging and straws. All are small handheld creations that the Cubs have taken home now.

Common Starfish (Asterias rubens) – By Aberlady Cubs

The Aberlady Cubs made art pieces for three creatures. The leaders chose these as they thought it was something we could do collectively with sufficient variety that there was scope for all abilities within the group. They learned that starfish have 5 arms and a mouth in the middle. We used felt to create them and we learned to sew! All are small handheld creations that the Cubs have taken home now.

Sand Mason Worm – by Annabelle Murphy

I picked this species because I think it is amazing how they build a tube from sand and shells without any hands to help them! I learnt that the tubes of dug-out sand on the beach are made by Sand Mason Worms. I’ve always wondered what creature makes them. It’s amazing how they stick grains of sand and fragments of shell together to make a tube. I was surprised that they are so long- 30cm. I used the cardboard tube from inside a roll of dog poo bags, some wire, modelling clay, sticky back plastic, glitter glue, sequins, smashed up shells and lots of different coloured beads. It is about 10 cm tall, 8 cm wide and 4cm deep.

Dabberlocks Kelp (Aleria esculenta) – By Bella Tree

Overfishing can devastate it and once gone the undersea habitat becomes much poorer. • 5 different kinds of kelp should be present in the Forth. • They grow fast, to between 2 and 3 meters tall and can make amazing underwater forests. • They anchor themselves onto rocks on the seafloor with claw like ‘holdfasts’ • Kelp is rich in iodine, is used in medicine, beer, ice cream and cosmetics. • Sheep eat it and it makes wonderful fertiliser.

Twaite Shad (Alosa fallax) – By Jennie Loudon

Twaite shad are now rare in the Firth of Forth and are a protected species. This fish is a member of the herring family. This species returns from the sea to spawn in spring, usually between April and June, hence the alternative name of ‘May fish’. The majority of adults die after spawning, though UK populations appear to have an unusually high proportion of repeat spawners – up to 25%. After hatching the fry develop and slowly drift downstream. Population declines in many parts of Europe have been attributed to pollution, overfishing and migratory route obstructions.

Knot (Calidris canutus) – By Niamh McFie-Sneddon

As one of the longest distance migrants in the animal kingdom, the Forth is an internationally important wintering site for long distance travellers like these. Flocks of knots can be up to 100,000 in size. Breeding in the far north of Canada, Europe and Russia, they migrate from the Arctic between August and May. They fly together in a dance-like way called a murmuration. As you can see in my model, there are lots of birds coming in to land to feed in the muddy waters and shorelines. They are a lovely silver grey with white underneath. Their lifespan can be up to 7 years, and when born they are chunky and have stubby green legs.

Horse Mussel (Modiolus modiolus) – By Saskia Gavin

Horse mussel beds are listed as priority marine habitats, and are a Priority Marine Feature in Scottish waters. The horse mussel is a large mussel growing to 22 cm (9ins). In Scottish Gaelic, the species is called ‘clabaidh-dubha’ (‘clabby doos’), meaning ‘big black mouths’. It is found growing on hard substrates including shells and stones. By the time they reach about 4 cm long, at an age of 4 years, individuals are too large and tough to be predated upon by starfish, whelk and crabs. Horse mussels can form dense raised beds down to around 100m depth, providing refuge for a wide variety of species. This is just one of several ecosystem services that horse mussel beds provide, including water filtration and locking up carbon. The mussels are extremely long-lived (up to 50 years) and are therefore very slow to recover from damage or disturbance.

Knotted Wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) By Susan McNaughton

I am interested in the beautiful shapes and patterns made by seaweeds, and I thought that the Knotted Wrack had potential to be used in an artwork, specifically an artist’s book. I learned about the products which can be made when harvesting this marine algae, including one which I use regularly – Gaviscon – for indigestion. One of the ingredients in Gaviscon is derived from processing ascphyllum nodosum to create sodium alginate. I used a children’s board book, stripped of its page coverings to make the substrate. Recycled brown paper to print on to form the content of the book. More brown paper to create a frame for a sample of knotted wrack which is contained within the book. Stencils for artwork. It is 19 cm x 15 cm x 2 cm. Susan has kindly put together this little ‘Zine’ demonstrating how to make your own Sailors Whistle. Give it...

Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) – By Valerie Duncan

I chose the bottlenose dolphin because they are smart, friendly, and fun to watch. Bottlenose dolphins can be 4 metres in length when fully grown. They may live 40 – 50 years. The east coast of Scotland has a resident population of around 224 bottlenose dolphins. Changes in the marine environment such as organic pollutants, underwater noise or collision with vessels can impact dolphins. This is a hand painted clay sculpture. Its height is 17cm, width 16cm and, depth 12cm.

Brittle Star (Amphipholis squamata) – By Ellis Tree

The small Brittle star, Amphipholis squamata, also known as ‘brooding snake star’ is related to the starfish. This Brittle star lives in the intertidal zone in shallow water, and can be found under large stones and shells, It walks around on its long, fragile spiny arms, and needs to be handled very carefully as its arms easily break off.

Northern comb jelly (Beroe cucumis) – By Levente Magyar

I have seen one on a picture glowing with bioluminescence. It captured my mind to draw it realistically. Despite looking harmless this creature is a 15 cm long predator. Graphite pencil was the base. I drew the negative version of the picture. After converting I have added colours with Autodesk Sketchbook application.

Bacteria: E.Coli (Escherichia Coli) – By Ruis Corke (aged 7)

I am interested in bacteria after learning about them in school. I thought it would be good to learn more about these organisms through this project. E. coli are a type of bacteria which live in the intestines of warm blooded animals, including humans. Most strains of Escherichia coli are harmless or even beneficial, however, some types can cause serious food poising. E. coli can replicate very quickly under good conditions, allowing the bacterium to spread. I have used my colouring in pencils and a sheet of A4 paper to create my species. It is 29 cm by 21cm.

Knot (Calidris canutus) – By Kathleen Wilson

As the spouse of a birdwatcher I have spent many hours on the trail of various bird species. It is always a pleasure to see coastal birds but I am also aware of their habitat being disturbed by inconsiderate human activity with many people not even aware of their impact. The knot is on the international red list due to climate change and due to loss of food resources from fishing of horseshoe crabs. Also intrigued by its name, Caidris canutus , named after King Canute who allegedly commanded the tide to turn back! I constructed the knot using fabric scraps, including reused vintage fabrics. It is 19 cm high and 21 cm in length.

Gannet (Morus bassanus) – By Levente Magyar

I heard about the avian flu is wreaking havoc on seabirds and they are desperate for help. As far as I know gannet has lost about 50% of its population. I would like to help by raising awareness. The word gannet originates from old english “ganot” meaning “strong or masculine”. It is probably because it is the largest seabird of the northern habitat and has a very bold high speed diving fishing technique. I have used watercolor pencils and paint on paper. Since the paper has been damaged a bit I had enlarged the format with Photoshop and made a 30x40cm canvas version.

Grey Seal – Craigmillar Library Kid Craft Club

At Craigmillar Library we have been travelling the world in craft club and this week we have come home to our very own shoreline. As a club we’ve been trying to be more environmentally friendly with the materials that we use every week and so we chose to make our seal out of old egg boxes, and created homes for them out of scraps already in the craft cupboard. We learned all about seals and their environment and how to look out for them in our local harbours.

Sand Goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) by Liz Harvey

I chose the sand goby as it is a small, insignificant, unglamorous fish, but it is just as important to the marine ecosystem as as any more well-known sea creature. I wanted to give it a ‘moment of glory’ by celebrating it in a painting. The picture is painted in watercolour & gouache, mounted on board & protected with acrylic varnish. It measures 54x68cm.

Mackerel by Aberlady Scouts

The Scouts choose Mackerel as they thought that this would be an interesting shape to craft out of plywood with powertools.

Humpback Whale – by Leonie Siri MacMillan

I have been fascinated by cetaceans since I can remember. I once encountered some porpoises in a kayak, they were incredibly graceful and I could actually hear them breathing. Humpback whales are my favourite as they are great to paint with their knobbly fins and playful characters. Recently there has been a humpback whale spotted in the east Neuk of Fife near the Isle of May. The painting materials are oils on board. It measures 36cm x 22cm.

Humpback Whale by Sophie Kirkwood

I look after a children’s art club at Edinburgh Central Libraries for children aged 8 – 12. I chose the species for them – because of time as we don’t have very long for the sessions – but I wanted to pick something that might immediately sit in their imaginations. We discussed whales, and the humpback whale in particular, and we watched a little of a David Attenborough documentary. The children then designed their whale shapes and cut out their stencils. We used a printmaker’s dolly to print with, and lots of household objects; old toys; vegetables; and offcuts of material, to explore what the texture of their whales might feel like.

Humpback Whale by Pablo Hamilton

Humpback Whale by Oresta Kharchyshyn

Humpback Whale by Hania Martynuska

Humpback Whale by Felix Pearcy

Bivalve (Abra alba) by Beth Ekman

I chose the bivalve (Abra alba) which, I learned, is also known as the white furrow shell and can live to be two years old. I made this one from glazed stoneware clay. I chose to make this because of its satisfying shape and because they are so commonly seen on the beach so I thought it important to celebrate them.

Plaice, by Beth Ekman

I chose to create a Plaice from stoneware clay because I love the vibrant red orange of the markings on these fish and I wanted the challenge of representing this with glazes. Plaice have interesting facial features. I learned that they bury themselves submerged in sand during the day, can live to be 50 years old and can be up to 100cm in length

Snakelocks Anemone – by P5’s at Pilton Youth and Children’s Project (PYCP)

We picked the Snakelocks Anemone as we learned it lived just down the road from us! Once we started looking up images we knew it was the species for as us as it’s main colours are green and purple which is our youth club’s colours too! We learnt that they love the sunlight, use their stingy tentacles to catch their dinner of prawns, wee fish and sea snails and they also glow green under ultraviolet lights. As they live in shallow water they are particularly impacted by pollution. We think the Snakelocks Anemone is very special and we should take care of our oceans and species to make sure they always live in their chosen homes. We used variety of materials that we already had in our art room – paints, foam, stones and shells we had collected on a previous trip to Cramond Beach.

Common Sea Urchin – by Angela Mehlert

I loved the picture of the living sea urchin, usually you just see the empty mineral shell. Bizarrely they have 5fold symmetry. They’re Echinoderms [from the Greek for spine] and inhabit many different marine habitats. Painful if you brush against the spines though! I’ve used several strands of wool, mohair, and cotton, mostly from charity shops or from leftovers. It’s knitted on 6mm needles in the round, and I stuffed it before finishing off. I felted it so it shrank and then brushed it to show the mohair ‘halo’ imitating the spines. It is around 12cm

Bladder Wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) by Aberlady Cubs

The Aberlady Cubs made art pieces for three creatures. The leaders chose these as they thought it was something we could do collectively with sufficient variety that there was scope for all abilities within the group. They learned that bladderwrack floats and about how it anchors to rock. We used homemade vegetable dyes to create our paint. All are small handheld creations that the Cubs have taken home now.

Pochard by Laura White

I like learning about birds that are new to me and have knitted a few birds over the years, so picking the Pochard to create was an easy choice for me, especially as it has such striking colours. My bird books tell me that Pochards are “neat and well set-up”, “gregarious”, often seen asleep”, “fanatically sociable”, “quick but with no agility” and that their wings “beat too fast”. I’m now hoping to see one with all these attributes in real life. I used wool, felt and beads from my existing craft stash and a pattern by Amanda Berry, and knitted it while watching Eurovision 🙂

Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) – by Rosslyn Clowe

I chose the moon jelly fish as I regularly see them on local beaches and I know they don’t sting humans. Something I am very grateful for while swimming in the sea! They are about the size of a plate, and recognisable by the four circles visible through the translucent white bell. These four circles are reproductive organs located at the bottom of the stomach, and they are normally purple in colour. Moon jellies are common in UK seas and are often found washed up on shore. Jellyfish are 95% water and have no brain, blood or heart. I came along to an Edinburgh Shoreline workshop where I learned how to make eco-jewellery from the recycled inner tube of bicycles. Great fun and great learning. And delighted with the homemade jellyfish earrings I can now proudly wear.

Twait Shad – by East Neuk Beach Crafts

I loved the beautiful iridescent colours and distinctive black spots of this fish. I live in Cellardyke in the East Neuk of Fife. Once a thriving fishing community, in the 19th century over 200 boats filled the tiny harbour. I chose a fish to represent this unique local history. I learnt that the Twait Shad’s numbers have decreased significantly partly due to river obstructions such as dams. Twait Shad swim upriver to spawn, similar to Salmon. Although dams often have ‘fish friendly’ structures, such as the famous Fish Ladder at Pitlochry, Twait Shad are too small to use them. I painted the Twait Shad in watercolour, adding pencil and ink to add highlights and fun textures.

Common Squid (Loligo vulgaris) – by Helen Duncan

I have been fascinated by the incredible speed in which cephalopods can alter their colour, which led me to investigate the common squid. Common squid belong to a class of marine molluscs called cephalopods. Cephalopods are able to control their colour expression through the use of pigment filled sacs at the centre of radial muscles. It is the constriction and relaxation of these muscles which allow these species to alter their appearance. I have used sequin, pipe cleaners, netting, felt and wee googly eyes for my common squid. It is 20cm.

Brittle Star (Amphipholis squamata) – Assisted Volunteers, Ecology Centre

The assisted volunteers were given the opportunity to select one of the species assigned to the Ecology Centre, and they decided on the brittle star. The volunteers learned that brittle stars are close relatives of starfish and that they move in a similar fashion, using hundreds of tube feet to allow them to navigate the seafloor. The volunteers used pipe cleaners and felt to create their representation of a brittle star. It is 15cm.

Herring (Clupea harengus) – by Helen Duncan

Herring’s historical place within the Forth. It is emblematic of the Forth’s fishing and of the Forth’s ability to support its coastal communities for centuries. Hearing stories of the lammas drave and the winter herring were stories of my youth and are a part of my family’s history. Herring was a staple of the diets of many people across the Firth of Forth and led to an explosion in the economy and status of many of the coastal villages around the Forth. Many royal boroughs were created in direct connection to the fishing of herring. I have used scrap fabric and cotton wool to make these three herring.

Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) – by Sean Mcfie-Sneddon

I picked this species because it is my favourite endangered animal. I learned that blue whales are actually grey. They eat lots and lots of krill and lots of little fish. I used A3 paper, pens and watercolour pencils.

Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) – by Helen Duncan

These enigmatic but colossal species are awe inspiring creatures, being the largest species to have ever existed they had made an impression on me from a young age. The blue whale (Balenoptera musculus) is the largest animal to ever live. They can reach a weight of 150 tons and can be more than 30 metres long. Blue whales use their baleen as a filter-feeding system in order to capture and retain large quantities of krill. I have used my sewing ability to recreate this species using fabric pieces that I had spare in my attic.