Biodiversity Ireland

🐚🌊 Make a splash for marine biodiversity for #NationalBiodiversityWeek by joining our Seashore Splash! from 15-24 May. Explore your local shore, spot amazing sea life, and help record Ireland’s coastal biodiversity. exploreyourshore.ie/surveys/seasho… 🦀⭐

Have you seen this butterfly recently? This is the Painted Lady which is a migratory species and is currently the 6th most recorded species through Ireland's Citizen Science Portal. Records have come in from Donegal to Cork, so it's well worth keeping an eye out!

16,588 records were submitted through Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal, across 1,986 taxa from 1,453 recorders across all 32 counties. The Orange-tip butterfly was the most commonly recorded species last month with 310 records submitted.

Despite its status as Critically Endangered in Ireland, the European Eel / Eascann / Anguilla anguilla can be spotted on the rocky shores near to the mouths of suitable rivers around the Irish coast. Explore more at exploreyourshore.ie

Top 100 Explore Your Shore! species - #51 - Coral Weed / Feamainn Choiréalach / Corallina officinalis is found on the mid to lower shore, attached to rocks and in rockpools. Shore: rocky. Distribution: all coasts. exploreyourshore.ie

With Bluebells in full flower, it's easy to pass up the beautiful displays of other flowers at this time of year. Greater Stitchwort is one to look out for, with it's distinctive white flowers that can grow in large clumps. Submit your sighting here: #7/53.455/-8.016" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">records.biodiversityireland.ie/record/vascula…

The Black Goby / Gobius niger / Mac Siobháin Dubh lives in shallow coastal waters. It may be found on the extreme lower shore or rockpools. It can be distinguished from similar species by the black sensory papillae on its head. Explore more at exploreyourshore.ie

Why is it important to protect Biodiversity (Nature)? ... discover the answer to this and more by completing our FREE online course in Marine Biodiversity Citizen Science. See: learn.biodiversityireland.ie/courses/marine…

With one species coming into flower and the other one starting to go over locally, here's a quick tip to help with ID: Blackthorn flowers before it get leaves (First Pic) While Hawthorn has leaves before it comes into flower (Second Pic)

Bluebells are out in force locally, so it's well worth seeing if your local woodland has a carpet of this beautiful spring species in flower. Remember you can also submit your sightings here: #7/53.455/-8.016" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">records.biodiversityireland.ie/record/spring-…

Top 100 Explore Your Shore! species - #52 - The Acorn Barnacle / Garbhán Carraige Coiteann / Semibalanus balanoides is found on the middle shore, attached to rocks and boulders. Shore: rocky. Distribution: all coasts. exploreyourshore.ie

Thanks to those who attended our Introduction to Ship-based Cetacean Surveys Workshop at Louth County Library, on Saturday, in collaboration with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. Also to Louth County Council for their support in running the workshop. exploreyourshore.ie

Finding your Monday unbearable? Explore the new dataset of Irish Brown Bear records... fossil records that is... collated by Nigel Monaghan and published in The Irish Naturalists' Journal. maps.biodiversityireland.ie/Dataset/445

🌊 **Ocean Oddities!** The Yellow-plumed sea slug (Berthella plumula) - looks less like a sea slug and more like a weird yellow blob attached to the rocks. Only when it is submerged does it reveal its slug-like features. Explore more: exploreyourshore.ie

Cryptosula pallasiana is a distinctive bryozoan found on hard substrates and kelp holdfasts. It forms broad pale-pink to orange colonies. The autozoids have very distinctive bell-shaped orifices. Explore more at exploreyourshore.ie

Did you know that over 173,000 records were submitted through Ireland's Citizen Science Portal during 2025. If you'd like a recap of the recording activity that took place in 2025, then why not check out our latest blog post: biodiversityireland.ie/irelands-citiz…

More than 12,000 records were submitted through Ireland's Citizen Science Portal during the month of March. The most commonly recorded species during this period was the 7-Spot Ladybird. Remember you can submit your sightings here: records.biodiversityireland.ie/start-recording

Validation for ladybird records submitted in March has been completed and will be loaded to Biodiversity Maps shortly. A highlight for March was this excellent record and picture of Water Ladybird (Anisosticta novemdecimpunctata) by Leon van der Noll (@Corkwildlife)

It's World Health Day! ... and a great time to get out on the shore for some Explore Your Shore! Citizen Science. Being active along the coast can help your physical and mental health. Get involved at exploreyourshore.ie

🌊 **Ocean Oddities!** Meet Neoturris pileata... a small hydrozoan jellyfish with a bell-shaped body, delicate tentacles, and striking red gonads. It is found in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. Explore more: exploreyourshore.ie