22 Dec 2025
The European Commission has opened a public consultation to overhaul the rules governing the protection of Europe’s seas, following warnings that current measures are failing to halt a decline in marine biodiversity. The initiative seeks to revise the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the EU’s primary legal tool for managing ocean health, after […]
20 Nov 2025
Image description: A house being constructed in the foreground with fields and trees in the background. Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash In direct contradiction to claims made by government ministers, and inquiry by MPs has determined nature is not a blocker to housing growth. The cross-party Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) branded recent anti-nature […]
04 Nov 2025
Photo by Ben Stern A milestone in marine restoration has been achieved after 50,000 native oysters were deployed into the Daugleddau Estuary in Pembrokeshire as part of a large-scale effort to rebuild natural oyster reefs. The oysters are expected to improve water quality, capture carbon and create habitats for marine life. Foundational to ecosystem health Bridget […]
04 Sep 2025
Image description: a water vole nibbling on river vegetation. Image by Jonathan Ridley on Unsplash 150 water voles have been released in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire along the River Wey as part of plans to return the animals to the area, having not been seen in about 20 years. The voles were released at […]
04 Sep 2025
Major river restoration projects are proposed at two sites in Devon. A project is proposed for land adjoining the River Yeo at Mornacott Farm, near South Molton, in a bid to restore natural floodplain processes, boost biodiversity and improve water quality. A separate scheme initiated by the National Trust is moving forward with plans […]
29 Jul 2025
Photo by Ian Cylkowski The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has granted marine licences for several pioneering projects aimed at protecting and enhancing England’s marine environment. The approved initiatives range from habitat restoration and biodiversity enhancement to renewable energy development and critical infrastructure upgrades. New habitat structures to boost biodiversity in Teesside The Tees Rivers […]
29 Jul 2025
A groundbreaking international study of brittle stars—ancient marine invertebrates—has revealed a hidden web of global connectivity in the deep sea, upending long-held assumptions of isolation. Global links hidden in museum specimens Researchers analysed DNA from 2,699 brittle star specimens held in 48 museums worldwide, with samples spanning equatorial to polar regions and depths exceeding […]
24 Jun 2025
A new study highlights the unevenness of our knowledge of ocean biodiversity. Despite decades of ocean exploration, basic answers to one of the most fundamental ecological questions is still lacking: where is marine life found, and why? Biodiversity data underpin everything from habitat protection to climate impact modelling. The current data gaps mean that scientific […]
