Hunt for Mermaid's Purses on Cork's Beaches This Easter in Aid of Marine Science

An Taisce's Clean Coasts programme and the #2MinuteBeachClean campaign are calling on families and community groups across Ireland to take their Easter egg hunt to the beach this year, searching for the egg cases of sharks, skates, and rays, and recording their findings for marine scientists.

The initiative, which runs over the Easter period, pairs a quick beach clean with a citizen science hunt for egg cases, more commonly known as "mermaid's purses," the distinctive leathery pouches found along the wrack line where seaweed and debris are deposited at high tide.

Anne Marie Kirwan, #2MinuteBeachClean Campaign Officer with Clean Coasts, said:

"An egg case hunt and a #2MinuteBeachClean go hand-in-hand, both are simple to do, both are fun, and both make a real difference."

Participants are encouraged to search at low tide, hold any cases up to the light to check for eggs inside, and photograph their finds before leaving them in place. Findings can be submitted to the National Biodiversity Data Centre through its Explore Your Shore! programme, or directly to Marine Dimensions' Purse Search Ireland database.

Dave Wall, Citizen Science Officer at the National Biodiversity Data Centre, said:

"Join Clean Coasts' Easter Egg Case Hunt to discover as many 'mermaid's purses' as possible and help map vital nursery areas for Ireland's sharks, skates and rays. By submitting your records to Purse Search Ireland, you can contribute to marine conservation while exploring our coastal ecosystems."

Bríd O'Connor, Director of Marine Dimensions, said:

"Sharks and skates are a vital part of Ireland's marine ecosystem, quietly helping keep things in balance, even if we rarely get to see them. When you come across an egg case on a beach, you're discovering proof that these animals live and breed right here in Ireland. By reporting your find, you get to learn more about the kind of shark or skate that laid that particular egg, while also helping make a real difference in protecting some of Ireland's most vulnerable and misunderstood marine animals."

Bronagh Moore, Clean Coasts Manager, said:

"Joining in an egg case hunt and doing a #2MinuteBeachClean is a great way for everyone, particularly children, to connect with nature, which will hopefully inspire them to explore our shores and seek to protect them for years to come."

The #2MinuteBeachClean campaign is hosting an official Easter Egg Case Hunt event at Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford, on 6 April at 2pm, with participants meeting at the bottom of the steps on The Burrow Beach. Those outside the Wexford area are encouraged to organise their own hunt at a local beach, using identification resources available from The Ray Project at therayproject.org/resources.

More information on the Clean Coasts programme is available at cleancoasts.org.