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Science
The Portuguese man o’ war, once thought to be one species worldwide, is actually at least four distinct species, each with different morphology, genetics, and distribution.
Shark skin samples can reveal their reproductive status, offering a simple, less invasive way to study them.
Scientists have introduced a method to assess coral reef health by analysing seawater microbes, offering a quicker, more cost-effective alternative to traditional visual surveys.
Fisheries
“David Attenborough’s Ocean film, made for National Geographic, is the one I’ve been waiting for all my working life. An epoch ago, when I worked in the BBC’s Natural History Unit in the mid-1980s, some of us lobbied repeatedly for films like this, without success. Since then, even programmes that purport to discuss marine destruction have carefully avoided the principal cause: the fishing industry.”
Ghana plans to expand its Inshore Exclusion Zone for small-scale fishers from 6 to 12 nautical miles to protect artisanal fisheries from illegal trawlers, with stricter enforcement underway.
Peru has initiated training for fishers to safely release sea turtles and other marine animals accidentally caught in fishing gear, aiming to reduce bycatch.
UK Overseas Territories
As we celebrate World Albatross Day, Birdlife have shared the story of a Snowy Albatross chick named Alberta and highlighted the challenges albatrosses face.
The images from a 35-day deep-sea expedition to South Sandwich Islands reveal bright and busy underwater communities that scientists didn’t know about before.
The UK and Cayman Islands are deepening their collaboration on key issues such as ocean protection, financial transparency, and security. In their recent meeting, they reaffirmed their commitment to marine conservation, highlighting the importance of the Blue Belt Programme and Darwin Initiative.
At a conference in London, the UK Defence Secretary addressed the Chagos Islands deal and its implications.
Marine Protection
The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu plan to create the world’s first Indigenous-led Ocean reserve, covering over 6 million square kilometres in the Pacific Ocean.
At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, leaders and experts came together to tackle urgent ocean challenges, making notable progress on marine conservation with advances in the High Seas Treaty and new marine protected areas; however, concerns about deep-sea mining remain, and key questions linger: Will Trump push to fast-track it? Which stance will New Zealand take? And what will be the impact on marine life?
A study of the Wadden Sea found that nearly a quarter of species, like fish and shellfish, are dropping in number, while only a few non-native species are increasing.
Scientists warn that wild seaweed is at risk of disappearing by 2100 due to threats like climate change, pollution, and overfishing, and are calling for urgent global action to protect it.
Conservation
Antarctic seal populations have plummeted over the past 50 years due to climate-driven sea ice loss, with some species declining by more than half. In contrast, seal numbers are rebounding in the U.S., but they still face challenges, as their recovery has sparked increasing human-wildlife conflicts, highlighting the delicate balance between conservation success and human interests.
Claims that whales consume excessive amounts of fish, as often argued by industrial whalers or fisheries, have been challenged as rooted in pseudoscience and a misunderstanding of marine ecology. There are huge ecological benefits of whale recovery, including their vital role in nutrient cycling and supporting marine biodiversity.
A recent study suggests that the reported dramatic 70 per cent decline of the critically endangered angelshark in Wales between 1970 and 2016, mainly due to bycatch in seabed fishing nets, may have been overestimated.
The Sea Around Us has launched a free, multilingual video course to train researchers worldwide in catch reconstruction, enhancing the accuracy of global fisheries data and supporting sustainable marine management.
Climate Crisis
Ocean waters are becoming greener at the poles and bluer toward the equator, reflecting shifts in phytoplankton distribution due to climate change. This “ocean greening” could alter marine food webs and impact global fisheries.
Climate change has made 32°C heatwaves in England 100 times more likely. As ocean temperatures rise, some endangered sharks, rays, and oysters may expand into new areas and increase in UK waters, while other species could struggle to adapt. Climate warming is also causing Arctic peatlands to expand.
Vietnam’s first marine protected area, Nha Trang Bay, has lost nearly 200 hectares of coral since 2002 due to development, warming seas, and starfish outbreaks, showing a need for stronger protection.
Two ship disasters near India are causing pollution on Sri Lanka’s coasts, with oil spills and plastic pellets washing ashore, threatening the environment and marine life.
Converting closed coal mines into solar farms could generate enough electricity to power a country the size of Germany, according to a new report.
Misc
This week’s wildlife photos.
“The reduction in salinity and increase in acidity in the oceans are deeply altering marine ecosystems, directly affecting phytoplankton, considered the lungs of the world. Without it, there is a risk of imbalances throughout the marine food chain and impacts on the planet’s climate. These changes are occurring more rapidly in the polar oceans, which are particularly sensitive to climate change, and without them, we would have 40% more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”
“Insects are in trouble. Around the world, scientists are reporting catastrophic declines in their numbers, even in nature reserves that are largely protected from human touch. We are also beginning to see huge drops in the populations of other animals – such as birds – that depend on insects as food.”
