06 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Nick Russill Hundreds of jellyfish washed ashore at Summerleaze Beach in Bude, Cornwall, on 2 July, drawing crowds to a striking purple carpet of stranded animals beside the town’s sea pool wall. Scientists at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, who documented the stranding, said the mound was made up mostly of moon jellyfish, alongside blue […]
12 May 2026
Photo by Phill Brown A team of 26 scientists drawn from eleven government bodies is currently mapping the seabed off Britain’s south-west coast in what has been described as the most ambitious collaborative survey of its kind ever undertaken in the UK. The four-week mission, designated CSM2026, is being carried out aboard the research vessel Cefas Endeavour […]
17 Mar 2026
Photo by Ivan Bandura South West Water has pleaded guilty to 18 charges of water pollution spanning six years, in a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency that concluded at Plymouth Magistrates Court on 12 March 2026. Sentencing is expected on 4 June 2026. The charges relate to illegal discharges including raw sewage spills at five […]
12 Mar 2026
Image description: A river with boats moored. Photo by Victoria Feliniak on Unsplash The Environment Agency (EA) has awarded £430,000 payout to the West Country Rivers Trust, following six clay pollution incidents in Cornwall by Imerys Minerals Limited. The EA confirmed the payment after its investigation found multiple failures at Imerys operations, including damaged […]
10 Feb 2026
Photo by Jake Oates Cornwall Wildlife Trust is calling for stronger government policy to protect dolphins and porpoises from fishing nets after 27 animals washed up dead on Cornish beaches in January alone. The charity said a number of the animals were confirmed to have died as a result of getting caught in fishing nets, known […]
25 Nov 2025
Photo by Isabelle Salomon Coastal communities in North Cornwall have expressed devastation after Camel Fish Ltd lodged an appeal against the Marine Management Organisation’s refusal to grant a licence for a seaweed farm in Port Quin Bay, prolonging a contentious planning battle that has lasted over a year. The appeal has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by […]
08 Sep 2025
Photo by Shane Stagner The Marine Management Organisation has suspended a licence for a large-scale seaweed farm off the north Cornwall coast, citing new environmental and safety concerns including doubts over whether proposed infrastructure could withstand the area’s “energetic” waves. The suspension follows an internal MMO review of the licence granted in 2023 to Penmayne Ltd […]
17 Jun 2025
Photo of the Houses of Parliament by R Spegel A cross-party committee of UK MPs has called for a comprehensive reform of the nation’s marine governance system to better involve coastal communities in decisions affecting their local marine environments. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) released a report on 5th June, 2025, recommending the establishment […]
