# European beach or coast line biodiversity identification guides **URL:** \ **Category:** Nature Talk\ **Created:** [August 17, 2020, 8:15am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524 "2020-08-17T08:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 8:15am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/1 "2020-08-17T08:15:44Z")
Hello everyone, My 1 week summer vacation at the beach here in Portugal made me photograph a lot of coastal wildlife. From fishes to crabs, going through mussels, oisters, star fish, etc, I’ve photographed a bit of everything. The thing is: now I need to ID them. I tried looking for guides or identification keys for the different groups, but I haven’t found any. Does anyone know any good guides for European coast-line biodiveristy? (my main priorities are mussels, starfish and limpets, but I’m open to all suggestions) Thank you all in advance! ---
**Author:** ![rowan\_m](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/rowan_m/32/8280_2.png) [@rowan\_m](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/rowan_m)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 8:39am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/2 "2020-08-17T08:39:05Z")
Following this topic in the hope of good recommendations - I’ll be going up to Scotland in a couple of weeks, and I plan to do some beachcombing. Also, if anyone knows of a good guide to seaweeds, please give me a link. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![earthknight](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/earthknight/32/32879_2.png) [@earthknight](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/earthknight)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 9:18am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/3 "2020-08-17T09:18:03Z")
Not seaweeds, but the _Collins Complete Guide to British Coastal Wildlife_ is probably a good place to start, and the [guides on this page](https://www.glaucus.org.uk/guides.htm) are worth looking into. The _[Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland](https://www.nhbs.com/seasearch-guide-to-seaweeds-of-britain-and-ireland-book)_ is probably worth getting a copy of. Here’s an online copy of _[A Field Guide to the British Seaweeds](https://magnusgaard.com/onewebmedia/EA%20Seaweed%20reference%20manual.pdf)_. ---
**Author:** ![canalero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@canalero](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/canalero)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/4 "2020-08-17T16:35:24Z")
This maybe is not what you are looking for, but a complement (published by spanish goverment). IBERFAUNA. Banco de dados da fauna ibérica [http://iberfauna.mncn.csic.es/](http://iberfauna.mncn.csic.es/) And a reference of a book: [http://www.naturfun.pt/index.php?route=product/product&product\_id=706](http://www.naturfun.pt/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=706) Maybe you can find a specialised library around?¿ ---
**Author:** ![rowan\_m](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/rowan_m/32/8280_2.png) [@rowan\_m](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/rowan_m)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/5 "2020-08-17T17:19:18Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/6 "2020-08-17T19:00:05Z")
Thank you very much! I didn’t know IBERFAUNA, it will be a helpfull resource. As for the book, I wasn’t sure it was still available for purchase. But I contacted the library and it still is! ---
**Author:** ![deboas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/deboas/32/45_2.png) [@deboas](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/deboas)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/7 "2020-08-17T21:41:32Z")
I have found the Collins Pocket Guide **Sea Shore of Britain and Europe** useful in the past - it’s a good introductory guide and covers most of the commoner species. If you want to go up a level, perhaps you can get hold of **A Student’s Guide to the Seashore** (authors Fish & Fish) through a library or secondhand. Otherwise it is quite pricey. ---
**Author:** ![optilete](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/optilete/32/1908_2.png) [@optilete](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/optilete)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 9:17am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/8 "2020-08-18T09:17:30Z")
For the dutch coastline I advise Zeeboek [https://www.jeugdbondsuitgeverij.nl/product/zeeboek-2/](https://www.jeugdbondsuitgeverij.nl/product/zeeboek-2/) ---
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 11:21am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/9 "2020-08-18T11:21:51Z")
Thank you very much! I’ll try to find any of the two ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 11:21am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/european-beach-or-coast-line-biodiversity-identification-guides/15524/10 "2020-10-17T11:21:54Z")
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