28 Apr 2026
Photo by Roman Manshin A major new report has concluded that the UK’s whales, dolphins and porpoises are being let down by legal protections that exist on paper but not in practice, with the North Sea, one of the most important cetacean habitats in UK waters, identified as a particular area of concern. The […]
14 Apr 2026
Image description: A puffin with fish in its beak. Photo by Tim Morgan Defra published its updated UK Marine Strategy Part One on 7 April 2026 – the first full update since 2019 and the opening of the strategy’s third six-year implementation cycle. The headline finding is stark: the UK is failing to meet Good Environmental Status in […]
07 Apr 2026
Photo by Rogue Li New research into the acoustic impact of offshore wind farms on marine life has produced a series of counterintuitive findings — and raised questions about how well the industry understands its effects on the underwater environment. PhD candidate and marine biologist Fien Demuynck, of Leiden University, spent years conducting fieldwork along the […]
16 Dec 2025
Photo by Peter Burdon The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented opportunity for scientists to study the ocean’s soundscape during a period of dramatically reduced human activity, with 2020 officially declared the “Year of the Quiet Ocean” by the International Quiet Ocean Experiment. In 2020, Covid-19 led to a 4.1% decrease in global maritime trade. In some […]
25 Apr 2023
Cod larvae are attracted by the noise from offshore wind turbines, a new peer-reviewed study has found. When offshore wind turbines are operating, they create a constant, low-frequency underwater noise that spreads out from a wind farm. “We already know that fish and other sea creatures are sensitive to sounds, and that some species react to […]
18 Jan 2022
It is estimated that there are between 300,000 and 500,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance left over from World War I and II in UK waters. Many of these unexploded bombs lie in areas which are heavily used by marine industries, including offshore wind, and the bombs must be removed to allow safe working conditions. On […]
16 Feb 2021
A global team of scientists, including six experts from three UK institutions, has documented how ocean soundscapes have changed, explored all impacts of noise on marine animals and ecosystems, and identified ways to restore a more natural soundscape. The team set out to understand how human-made noise affects wildlife, from invertebrates to whales, and found […]
28 Nov 2016
A call for underwater noise assessment guidance Elena San Martin, ABPmer: ‘Human activity in or near to the aquatic environment can generate underwater sound potentially affecting fauna in a number of ways. These range from masking biologically relevant signals, evoking behavioural responses and causing hearing damage resulting in physical injury or even death at very […]
