19 Aug 2025
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen Global negotiations to forge the world’s first legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution have collapsed for the second time in eight months, as countries remain fundamentally divided over whether to limit plastic production or focus solely on waste management solutions. The sixth round of talks under the Intergovernmental […]
19 Aug 2025
Photo by Yomex Owo The Scottish Government’s new seabird conservation action plan has received a mixed reception from conservationists, with leading wildlife groups welcoming the strategy whilst warning that recent offshore wind farm approvals could undermine its effectiveness. The Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan, launched on 13 August at the Scottish Seabird Centre in […]
19 Aug 2025
Photo by Link Bekka A comprehensive new study has developed a standardised method for assessing how highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) could displace commercial fishing activity, providing crucial insights as the UK Government considers expanding its marine protection network beyond the three pilot sites designated in 2023. The research, published in Frontiers in Marine […]
12 Aug 2025
Photo by Luke McKeown A federal judge in Hawaii has overturned the Trump administration’s attempt to allow commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage marine national monument, ruling that commercial fishing remains illegal in the federally protected area in the central Pacific Ocean. Judge Micah WJ Smith’s Friday decision reverses an April letter from […]
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 […]
