16 Jun 2026
Photo by Dear Sunflower A dramatic surge in common octopus populations off the south-west coast of England has spread as far as Scotland and Wales, with sightings now reported across a range of coastal sites that would have been almost unthinkable just a few years ago. New findings from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) confirm that […]
03 Mar 2026
Photo by Yuriy Kostin A mother-and-daughter team of citizen scientists has discovered what is believed to be the world’s largest known coral colony on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – a structure stretching approximately 111 metres and covering nearly 4,000 square metres, roughly the size of a football pitch. The coral was found late last […]
24 Feb 2026
Photo by Jay Alexander New data from a national survey of British coastal waters has found average microplastic concentrations of 59 particles per cubic metre of seawater, more than double the levels recorded in comparable surveys in 2022 and 2023, which found averages of 23 and 20 MP/m³ respectively. The highest single reading, 418 […]
26 Jan 2026
Photo by Igor Francetic More than 100,000 whales, dolphins, porpoises and other marine species were reported in Scottish seas during 2025, making it a record year for marine megafauna sightings according to the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust. Common dolphins, once considered rare summer visitors, made up more than 35 per cent of all […]
06 Nov 2025
Image description: The Tower Bridge as seen from City Hall on the South Bank, with the Thames flowing beneath it. Photo by Call Me Fred on Unsplash Environmental Charity Earthwatch Europe has just published the results from our Great UK Waterblitz, a biannual campaign calling on citizens to go out and test the quality […]
22 Jul 2025
Photo of a beach in Penzance by Dominik Pearce In a sweeping snapshot of environmental change and ecological resilience, the Marine Biological Association (MBA) has published its latest South‑West Marine Ecosystems – The State of South‑West Seas in 2024 report. Drawing on a mix of scientific research and grassroots observation, the report paints a vivid picture […]
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 […]
08 Jan 2025
Citizen science testing of river water quality will expand this year in an attempt to make the data part of official monitoring of waterways, the head of an independent environmental research group has said. Photo credit: Zowie Green The use of ordinary people across the country to test river water quality for pollutants […]
