20 Oct 2026
Photo by Paul Einerhand Coastal states have agreed total allowable catches (TACs) for blue whiting and Norwegian spring-spawning herring for 2027, with both set in line with scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The agreement, announced by the Norwegian government on 15 October, sets the blue whiting […]
06 Oct 2026
Photo by Jack B A colony of nationally rare pink sea fans (Eunicella verrucosa) has been discovered off the south-west coast of England during a joint government seabed mapping survey. It was identified from camera tow imagery and data collected during CSM2026, a four-week survey in April and May involving scientists from 11 organisations. Pink […]
29 Sep 2026
Photo by Dorian Mongel The UK government has committed to building a new research ship in British shipyards. The ship will lead a new national system for monitoring the UK’s seas, bringing marine surveys, data and technology together in one place to help manage fisheries and the marine environment more effectively. Chancellor John Healey pledged £115 […]
25 Aug 2026
Photo by Wim van ‘t Einde The Dutch Fishermen’s Association has called for greater research and monitoring of electromagnetic fields generated by offshore wind farm cables, warning that significant knowledge gaps remain even as cable networks expand rapidly across the North Sea. The concerns, reported by The Fishing Daily, follow new research carried out under […]
18 Aug 2026
Photo of Maunsell Forts in the Thames Estuary, by James Boreham UK waters have been gripped by a marine heatwave since February, with the southern half of the country still experiencing category I-III conditions in mid-August and pockets of the Dorset coast reaching category IV, “Extreme,” the most severe classification on the scale. Scientists […]
11 Aug 2026
Photo by Sebastien Gabriel Global sea surface temperatures reached their highest level ever recorded for the month of July, according to new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), as a prolonged marine heatwave around the UK edges towards rare “extreme” territory and much of England and Wales is declared officially in drought. […]
06 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Matt Hardy The marine heatwave that has gripped UK waters for much of 2026 could reach extreme levels this week, the Met Office has warned. Surface waters around north-west Europe are running at strong to locally severe conditions, reaching temperatures normally seen in August and averaging around 2°C above normal, with some offshore […]
16 Jun 2026
Photo credit: Nicola / Adobe Stock The Caribbean island of Montserrat has joined the Blue Belt Programme, the UK Government’s flagship international marine conservation initiative, making it the eleventh UK Overseas Territory to enter the scheme and the fourth from the Caribbean. The announcement was made on 8 June, World Ocean Day, as the programme also marked its tenth anniversary. Known as the “Emerald Isle […]
