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Science
Researchers have identified the Caribbean’s most resilient coral species.
Scientists have completed the largest global study of soft corals and discovered that soft coral diversity is centred in two hotspots, revealing new insights into their evolutionary history.
California two-spot octopuses can taste with their suckers, helping them avoid bad or harmful food.
Fisheries
The UK has informed the EU that it is now compliant with Trade and Cooperation Agreement obligations, allowing the ban on sandeel fishing in English North Sea waters to stay in place.
Glass eel smuggling is growing fast despite bans, putting the endangered European eel at serious risk.
Decades of overfishing have caused eastern Baltic cod to evolve to be much smaller, with their average size halving since the 1990s due to genetic changes driven by the removal of larger fish. “What we are observing is evolution in action, driven by human activity. This is scientifically fascinating, but ecologically deeply concerning.”
UK Overseas Territories
Wandering, black‑browed, and grey‑headed albatross populations in South Georgia have sharply declined over the past few decades, primarily due to bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries.
Marine Protection
Sweden has announced a ban on bottom trawling in all MPAs.
Members of the House of Lords voiced strong support for banning bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) during a recent debate.
A Greenpeace survey found that vulnerable whales, like sperm whales, live in areas planned for deep-sea mining, raising concerns.
The Indian Ocean’s biggest fish are disappearing due to overfishing and climate change. Urgent action is needed before it’s too late.
Conservation
Killer whales have been observed using kelp to groom each other, showing the first documentation of mutual grooming in marine animals.
Even though leopard seals usually eat many different animals, each seal often prefers just one type of food, like krill, penguins, or other seals.
The brightest coloured reef fish tend to be found in coral-rich protected areas.
Sharks are vital for both nature and the economy.
A new fishing port in Kenya is threatening fish breeding grounds, displacing local fishers despite ongoing legal challenges and protests.
Climate Crisis
Ocean acidification has now crossed a critical planetary boundary, due to accelerated carbon dioxide absorption, threatening marine ecosystems worldwide.
Scientists warn that around 123,000 years ago, sea levels rose in sudden, sharp bursts, suggesting our future sea‑level rise could be much faster and higher than current estimates.
The UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) has reported that the country can achieve its net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050, along with interim carbon budgets for 2030, provided that necessary policy actions are taken.
Water extraction from England’s rivers has surged by 76 per cent over the past two decades, while pollution in Welsh rivers is ‘suffocating the sea’.
A new study has identified key barriers to implementing natural climate solutions.
Plastics
Plastic bag bans and fees in the U.S. led to a 25–47 per cent reduction in plastic bags among shoreline litter, with stricter policies proving more effective.
A study found microplastics in every fish tested from Appalachian streams, raising concerns for ecosystem and human health.
Marine microalgae attach to floating microplastics, making them heavier and causing them to sink to the ocean floor.
Misc
This week’s wildlife photos.
“Humans are the cause of the oceans’ problems—but humans are also the only solution.”
“If tropical rainforests are the lungs of the Earth, then 2024 was a year of respiratory failure.”
“Climate change and habitat loss could cause more than 500 bird species to go extinct in the next 100 years.”
Open Communications for the Ocean are hosting a webinar on identifying and prioritising a portfolio of marine and coastal conservation finance solutions (7pm 20th August) Register here.
