Protecting the UKs marine wonders for future generations The UKs seas host some of the most diverse habitats in Europe, from vibrant cold-water coral reefs in the hidden depths to towering underwater mountains that are hot spots for marine life – acting as feeding stations for whales and dolphins. The UKs marine environment stretches out […]
Starry Smoothhound Shark (Mustelus asterias) feeding within the Medmerry site Environment Agency Andrew Gilham, Blog: The news about the sharks in Sussex caused a flurry of excitement on Twitter. We’re proud of our work to build natural flood defences and protect nature at Medmerry. The footage of the Starry Smoothhound Shark (Mustelus asterias) feeding within the Medmerry […]
It is not clear where this idea has come from. A way of putting existing designations in a wider local context. A mini-MSP? A city MP has launched a campaign to turn Plymouth Sound into the UK’s first National Marine park. Labour’s Luke Pollard has outlined his intention to turn the city’s famous bay into […]
Marine reserves can mitigate and promote adaptation to climate change In recent years, leading marine scientists have said that protecting large areas of the sea as oceanic reserves carries the added benefit of helping ocean life weather the impacts of climate change. Support for that claim was spread across numerous disparate studies—until now. In a […]
Lundy was one of the first UK voluntary marine reserves, and in 1973 had one of the first management plans; 44 years on the new management plan provides a useful model. Click here to download.
Bob Earll ‘Good news and bad. The bad news is that the flame shell bed had to been badly damaged before Scottish Government acted. The good news is that once notified their response has been quicker than anything known in the history of MPAs in UK providing a valuable precedent.’ Scottish Government has announced today […]
PML ‘If you haven’t already done so, by the end of May, please take time to complete a questionnaire for a survey that is being conducted by researchers at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) to assess the evidence on the economic benefits of marine protected areas and other spatial protection measures? The survey can be accessed […]
EAC ‘Marine Protected Areas Revisited’ The Marine Protected Areas Revisited report published today, found MPAs are not being effectively managed, and the Government needs to do more to protect vulnerable marine habitats, features and species once a site is designated as an MPA. The Committee also expressed concern that the Government had moved the goal […]