BUDDING young boffins backed British Science Week on the Island this weekend by taking part in Discovery Bay, a celebration of the natural world at both ends of Sandown Bay.


Organised by the Bay Coastal Community Team, the weekend had a focus on uncovering and exploring the Bay area’s extraordinary diversity of natural world. 

A lecture on prehistoric and modern climate change, its fundamental role in shaping the Island and the consequences of its continuing impact, was run by Café Scientifique and the Friends of Dinosaur Isle, on Friday. 

At each talk, the results of research and adaptation projects were presented to over 60 guests.

The first of two open laboratory events were held at Shanklin and Sandown Rowing Club on Saturday.

It featured an array of fossils, museum collections and bugs — and the microscopes and specialist equipment with which to examine them.

Visitors were shown how to pot new plants for the Lost Duver landscaping project, while marine biologist, Alice Hall, collected an array of colourful seaweeds from Shanklin beach.

A walk to Horse Ledge, at the Bay’s southern tip, followed, to explore rock pools and reefs. The find of the day was a tiny common starfish, which was, despite the name, very rarely seen on the Island.

Dinosaur Isle hosted events on Sunday, with its state-of-the-art projecting microscope proving to be a huge hit.

Visitors compared the starfish found at Horse Ledge, with its 110 million year old fossilised ancestor, discovered in Lebanon.

A winter birdwatch across the boating lake, assisted by Tracy Dove of Isle of Wight Zoo, was also run, and there was a 50-strong group that took part in a fossil hunt to Redcliff, along Yaverland beach. The most spectacular find was a plesiosaur vertebra.

Mr Boyd, of Arc Consulting, said: "From marine ecology and ancient woodland, to dinosaurs to lichens, the Bay is a rich biological resource that can be enjoyed by everyone and inspire anyone."