Strandlines & flotsam at Chapmans Pool (2)

The shore topography and associated strandlines are different in various locations around Chapmans Pool. In the south east of the bay, the shore is covered in boulders and large cobble-sized stones. This area, extends to the left and the right sides of the boathouses as you look across the ‘pool’. The strandline was indistinct and not continuous on the inner arm of rocky beach but there were some larger items of flotsam scattered on the upper shore. A few single knotted ropes – like the green, blue and orange one illustrated above – were stuck between the rocks.

The inner arm of the boulder beach had a few isolated larger items of flotsam.

These included the tangled mass of multi-coloured fishing ropes shown above …

….and this rusty iron boat engine – what’s left of it.

The outer arm of the boulder beach had a distinct linear strandline comprised mostly of dried brown seaweeds with occasional large masses of dessicating strands of Thongweed. 

You can see from the picture above that the width of the strandline varied and that small quantities of man-made flotsam were included. Most of the washed up debris would have been cleaned up in April during the Great Dorset Beach Clean. 

This natural selection of flotsam included an aerosol can, polythene bottle and a ubiquitous lost trainer. There was also a cuttlefish ‘bone’ and some red seaweeds.

The rusty iron object below was the only large item of flotsam on the strandline of this part of the beach. I’m not sure what it is but it looks as if it might have something to do with the shipwrecked boat engine on the inner boulder beach.

Revision of a post first published 2 July 2009

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