A renowned street artist has unveiled a huge, hand-painted lobster mural near Southampton to complete a series of six artworks that celebrate the Solent’s rare and vibrant marine wildlife. 

The colossal crustacean, roughly measuring seven metres wide and two metres high, adorns the River Hamble Harbour Master’s Office in Warsash and joins two other paintings in Southampton, another near Portsmouth and a pair on the Isle of Wight. 

London-based street artist ATM teamed up with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to shine a light on the incredible wildlife that is found in the south coast’s waters. 

The Trust worked the artist as part of its Secrets of the Solent project, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and celebrates the Solent’s extraordinary waters and the amazing wildlife that calls it home. 

Despite being an extremely busy shipping lane and a major hub for recreational water-based activities, the Solent is internationally important for wildlife. 

Each year, up to 125,000 migratory birds flock to the Solent’s coastlines while its patchwork of marine habitats hosts rare and unusual species from sharks, dolphins and seals to cuttlefish, seahorses and jellyfish. 

ATM’s paintings depict six incredible species found in the 20-mile-long strait between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. 

The artist’s first mural of a spider crab at Hythe Pier near Southampton was completed in June 2021 and was followed by a gigantic, 10-metre-long thresher shark at the Langstone Harbour Office on Hayling Island, plus a short-snouted seahorse located on the Ocean Car Park in Southampton. 

Two artworks were also designed on the Isle of Wight, with a harbour seal painted beside the Lord Louis Library in Newport and a spiny seahorse on the Isle of Wight Distillery in Ryde. 

ATM, who is known nationally for his nature-inspired art, said: “In my paintings I want to capture the essence of what makes these species so special and unique and I use my artistic inspiration to capture the spirit and special qualities of each species. 

“I hope people become inspired and care more about the wildlife in their area and by generating curiosity, I hope my art encourages a desire to protect marine habitats.” 

Each mural was painted freehand and took the artist up to four days to complete with the subject of each chosen via a public vote online. 

ATM, whose real name is Mark Anthony, revealed his sixth and final mural of the lobster ahead of World Oceans Day on June 8. 

Dr Tim Ferrero, the Trust’s senior marine biologist, said: “Within our Secrets of the Solent project, one of our key aims is to celebrate the marine wildlife and habitats of the Solent. 

“We really want to engage people with marine wildlife and these murals introduce people to some important marine species and remind people the Solent is a fantastic habitat with some remarkable wildlife. 

“We’d really love people to seek out these murals, maybe try to visit each one, take a picture and share it on social media so we can get an idea that people are enjoying the artwork and understanding what we’re trying to do with Secrets of the Solent. 

“The murals also form part of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s vision for a wilder Solent. We want to bring back more wildlife and encourage the regrowth and restoration of marine habitats.” 

The exact location of the six murals can be found on our mural map, along with more information about our Secrets of the Solent project.