12 Aug 2025

Photo by alexlesho17    After years of scientific investigation, researchers have finally identified the cause behind one of the largest marine mass mortalities on record—a bacterial pathogen that has killed more than 6 billion sea stars along the Pacific coast since 2013.  A team of West Coast researchers published their breakthrough findings in Nature Ecology […]

12 Aug 2025

Photo by Michelle Pitzel    Officials have shut down the remote krill fishery near Antarctica after trawling for the tiny crustacean exceeded the seasonal catch limit for the first time, marking an unprecedented early closure in the world’s southernmost fishery.  The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the international organisation that […]

05 Aug 2025

Photo of Gannets on Bass Rock by Kristin Snippe   The Scottish Government has approved one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, the Berwick Bank project, despite fierce opposition from conservation groups who warn it could drive vulnerable seabird species toward extinction. The 4.1 gigawatt development, located 23 miles off Scotland’s east coast in […]

05 Aug 2025

Photo by SpaceX   Groundbreaking research using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence has provided the first comprehensive evidence that strictly protected marine reserves successfully deter illegal fishing, offering new hope for ocean conservation efforts worldwide. The peer-reviewed study published in Science analysed 1,380 marine protected areas (MPAs) globally and found that 78.5% had no commercial […]

05 Aug 2025

Photo by Yannis Papanastasopoulos   Ocean oxygen levels are declining at an unprecedented rate, with new research revealing that ancient episodes of deoxygenation caused widespread collapse of deep-sea fish populations, offering a stark warning for marine ecosystems facing accelerating oxygen loss today. A groundbreaking study published in Communications Earth & Environment demonstrates how mesopelagic fish […]

15 Jul 2025

Photo by William Hook   The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) has launched the SkateSpotter app, a new tool designed to aid in the conservation of the critically endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius). This free mobile application allows anglers, divers, and the general public to upload photographs of flapper skates, which are then used to build a photo-identification […]

11 Feb 2025

A team of international marine researchers and economists, led by Octavia Aburto at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, have unveiled a comprehensive framework for Marine Prosperity Areas, or MPpAs.   Marine Prosperity Areas encompass a more holistic approach to marine conservation, employing strategic financial investments and tailored community partnerships to align the realms […]

04 Feb 2025

Defra Minister, Emma Hardy MP, made a string of announcements at the recent Coastal Futures conference. The Minister for Water and Flooding confirmed the Government’s position on accelerating offshore wind growth while announcing new proposals to protect and enhance the marine environment alongside energy development. She reiterated the point that the nature and climate change […]