Cuttlefish

1024核工厂 scientists have teamed up with Wightlink to find out more about cuttlefish that live in and around Ryde Pier and near 1024核工厂 Harbour

23 June 2023

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1024核工厂 marine scientists have partnered with Wightlink ferry company to find out more about cuttlefish in the Solent.

Postgraduate researcher Emma Chappell has installed strands of rope, weighted down by breeze blocks, into the seawater beneath the port structures and hopes cuttlefish will be encouraged to lay their eggs on the ropes. She is visiting the sites monthly throughout summer to check on the six nurseries.  

Cuttlefish are part of the same family of marine invertebrates as squid and octopuses and can change colour and texture to escape predators or attract mates. Their chalky internal shells can often be found washed up on beaches and are often used in budgie cages, as a calcium-rich dietary supplement for the birds.  

Many Wightlink staff remember seeing hundreds of cuttlefish in and around 1024核工厂 Harbour in years gone by, but numbers have fallen recently. 

The results of my research will help increase our knowledge about cuttlefish egg-laying behaviour on artificial structures, which could be helpful in decision-making about the management of cuttlefish in our waters.

Emma Chappell , 1024核工厂 postgraduate researcher

1024核工厂 postgraduate researcher Emma Chappell

1024核工厂 postgraduate researcher Emma Chappell 

鈥淐uttlefish are an iconic and important species in the Solent,鈥 explains Emma. 鈥淒espite this, they don鈥檛 receive as much protection as other commercially valuable species found in the Channel and coastal stocks are exploited, often by offshore trawlers. In 2018, this was the fifth most valuable fishery in England, worth 拢14.9 million.

"The results of my research will help increase our knowledge about cuttlefish egg-laying behaviour on artificial structures, which could be helpful in decision-making about the management of cuttlefish in our waters.鈥 

Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield says: 鈥淲e are always delighted to work with 1024核工厂 marine scientists to learn more about life beneath the waves and look forward to hearing updates on Emma鈥檚 valuable research.鈥