Report by Chris Cole

Weather conditions good. Clear sky, sunny with a light cold south westerly wind. Atmospheric pressure 1013 and falling.

There is still a lot of light debris on the beach (more to the east of the car park towards E3) and contained between the groynes. The sand was predominantly flat today and the tide went out a long way (Estimate 50m beyond the end of the long groynes). The conditions looked good for finding small specimens like the Abdounia Recticona (last tooth in the attached photo and slightly damaged).

I found most teeth at the car park end. Parts of the E3 reef were visible around the end of the long groyne but submerged. There were a few carditas and turritellas scattered around, but not as many as usual.

There were some other collectors on the beach (a small group from West Sussex Geological Society I think) and John ?? a TRG member from Bognor?? who had found a good size (est. 50mm) Striatolamia Macrota with a damaged root.

The conditions today (Saturday 8^th March) look good. It is currently dry with a high covering of cloud (so the light is pretty good) and a light westerly wind. Atmospheric pressure is 1005 and falling. The forecast for next few days is that a severe storm inbound from the Atlantic with high winds and possibly causing structural damage.

1. Bracklesham finds 7 March 2008.

Weather conditions windy and showery. Sunday was a clear sky, sunny with a stiff cold south westerly wind. Atmospheric pressure 993 and falling.

This report covers both 8^th and 9^th March 2008. I have attached a few pictures of the beach since any access to exposures was poor. I found 23 sharks teeth of which about 50% were damaged. There was an area of Holocene muds showing around S6 and S7i at about 5 o’clock to the sluice. Most of the teeth were found in light debris on a slightly raised section of flat sand just north of the Holocene muds.

There is plenty of evidence of decaying tree stumps visible in the Holocene muds.

Chris Newman walked westwards from West Beach towards Bracklesham as far as Earnley and reported that there were no further exposures between West Beach and the E10 the Oyster Reef.

A severe storm is still forecast to hit the West Country tomorrow (10^th March 2008). Although we are experiencing spring tides at the moment, no flood warnings have been issued for Selsey.

Various sharks teeth found at West Beach, Selsey on 8^th and 9^th March 2008.

West Beach Selsey, Holocene muds – 9^th March 2008. Chris Newman looking for molluscs!

West Beach Selsey, looking East from the Old Flag Post base on 9^th March 2008.

West Beach Selsey, looking West from the Old Flag Post base on 9^th March 2008.

5. A close up of the exposed Holocene muds at West Beach Selsey on 9^th March 2008.