As its name suggests, Himalayan balsam is from the Himalayas and was introduced here in 1839. It now an invasive weed of riverbanks and ditches, where it prevents native species from growing.

Goose barnacles often wash up on our shores attached to flotsam after big storms.

As its name suggests, giant hogweed it a large umbellifer with distinctively ridged, hollow stems. An introduced species, it is an invasive weed of riverbanks, where it prevents native species…

Found on rocky shores around the UK, Chitons are a kind of mollusc identifiable by their characteristic coat-of-mail shells.

This small, round sea urchin is (unsurprisingly!) green in colour and can be found on rocky shores around the UK.

Ever noticed lots of little white spirals on seaweed fronds on rocky shores? These are tiny tube worms!

You've probably spotted this long-legged spider hiding in the corner of a house or building.

The common mussel is a familiar sight on shores all around the UK and is a favourite food of people, seabirds and starfish alike.

The ragworm is highly common on our shores, though rarely seen except by the fishermen that dig them up for bait.