Microplastic contamination of the oceans is one of the world’s most pressing environmental concerns. The terrestrial component of the global microplastic budget is not well understood because sources, stores and fluxes are poorly quantified. We report catchment-wide patterns of microplastic contamination, classified by type, size and density, in channel bed sediments at 40 sites across […]

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Background Working with Natural Processes (WWNP) to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk (FCRM) involves implementing measures that help to protect, restore and emulate the natural functions of catchments, floodplains, rivers and the coast. WWNP takes many different forms and can be applied in urban and rural areas, and on rivers, estuaries and coasts. Rivers […]

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Supermarket support helps marine charity clean up rivers as well as beaches 20 river cleans planned as part of Marine Conservation Society and Waitrose partnership. The UK’s leading marine charity, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), will be cleaning up river banks and recording the litter found for the first time, thanks to the support of […]

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Environment Agency launches consultation to give communities more say in how rivers are managed A consultation which aims to give communities and local organisations more say in the ways in which rivers are managed and maintained, has been launched today (15th January). The Environment Agency has been working with partners to consider proposals to ‘re-designate’ […]

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New report reviews role of trees in flood alleviation CEH ‘Further calls for the inclusion of natural solutions in flood alleviation schemes were made following the severe floods in Cumbria, December 2015. Acknowledging ongoing debates around the evidence for tree cover as an effective flood mitigation measure, the UK’s Centre for Ecology & Hydrology today […]

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Two notes from different perspectives: 1.  Fish Legal take Environment Agency to task over River Wear hydropower scheme Fish Legal has written to the Environment Agency highlighting local anglers’ concerns about potential over-abstraction and design flaws in a hydro-electric scheme on the River Wear resulting in fish deaths at Framwellgate weir in Durham city centre. […]

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