01 Sep 2026
Photo by Ray Harrington Atlantic bluefin tuna have recolonised the waters off north-east England for the first time in around 60 years, in a moment researchers are calling a genuine conservation success, albeit one with caveats. The milestone came in two stages: a historic catch off Whitby in mid-August, followed by a University of […]
25 Aug 2026
Photo by Rob Wicks The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has launched a dedicated GOV.UK page to keep the public, industry and scientists updated on the ongoing common octopus bloom in South West England, pulling together sightings data, research updates and monthly landings figures in one place. Since 2025 there has been a marked rise in sightings […]
04 Aug 2026
Photo by NOAA A major new scientific review has found that climate change is already driving large-scale shifts in the plankton communities that underpin UK marine food webs, with knock-on risks for fisheries, seabirds and the ocean’s ability to store carbon. A landmark rolling review The study, from the UK’s Marine Climate Change Impacts […]
21 Jul 2026
Photo Credit: AdobeStock A team led by the University of Exeter has been awarded £939,434 by Natural England to run one of the most detailed investigations yet in English waters into three of the country’s most vulnerable shark species. The three-year project, which will run from July 2026 to March 2029, will focus on […]
30 Jun 2026
Photo by Theirry Meier A new umbrella body, Marine Science UK (MSUK), has been launched to bring UK universities and research organisations together under a single voice, with the aim of feeding more coherent scientific evidence into government and industry decision-making on the ocean. A single voice for a fragmented sector According to its own description, […]
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 […]
02 Jun 2026
Photo by Annie Spratt Cornwall’s inshore fisheries regulator is proposing an emergency byelaw to restrict octopus potting by larger vessels, as concern mounts over the impact of an unprecedented population bloom on the region’s crab and lobster fisheries. Cornwall IFCA announced on 26 May that its members will consider the measure at a quarterly meeting […]
03 Feb 2026
Photo by Stephanie Harlacher A dramatic population bloom of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) off the Southwest coast of the UK is having significant effects on fisheries and marine ecosystems, according to a new report led by the Marine Biological Association in collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of Plymouth and an independent consultant. The […]
