Science
Hawaiian monk seals use at least 25 different underwater sounds, four times more than previously expected!
Scientists estimate that each Hawaiian short-finned pilot whale eats between 82 and 202 squid daily, totalling 88,000 tonnes annually for the entire population, vital information for ensuring their protection.
Researchers using drones and ground surveys have mapped the nesting behaviour of loggerhead sea turtles on Florida beaches, offering valuable new insights. Likewise, drone technology has enabled a non-invasive method to monitor whale health by collecting their breath.
Fisheries
As the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) concludes its 44th Annual Meeting today, the EU says it is “deeply concerned” that despite clear scientific warnings about declining mackerel and blue whiting stocks, members rejected its proposal to follow scientific advice, putting these vital fish stocks at continued risk of overexploitation.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended a dramatic 69 per cent cut in the 2026 catch quota for haddock in the Irish Sea due to population concerns.
The UK Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is consulting on a proposed two-year closure of king scallop fishing in certain UK waters to help protect and recover stocks.
UK Overseas Territories
Bird flu has killed nearly half of the breeding female southern elephant seals on South Georgia raising major concerns for the future of this huge seal population.
During the second reading of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, members of the House of Lords debated issues including sovereignty, defence, and the ongoing concerns surrounding the Marine Protected Area (MPA).
An audit has found serious problems with Cyprus’s water management.
Marine Protection
Deep-sea mining could release nutrient-poor sediment into the ocean’s “twilight zone,” causing plankton to mistake it for food, leading to starvation and disruption of the marine food web, further adding to the mounting environmental concerns associated with deep-sea mining.
Global levels of chlorophyll have dropped over the past two decades, especially in coastal waters, potentially threatening marine food webs and reducing the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon.
A severe pollution incident has caused the deaths of around 1,000 fish, including prized carp, in a small lake in Oxfordshire, prompting an investigation by the Environment Agency and Thames Water.
A new $68 million EU initiative is starting to help 13 West African countries fight illegal fishing, offer ocean protection and support sustainable fishing.
Conservation
New laser‑satellite data reveal that the Southern Ocean emits about 40 per cent more carbon dioxide in winter than previously estimated, highlighting major gaps in climate models.
Scientists have published the updated ecosystem overview for the Central Arctic Ocean and adjacent ecoregions, providing new insights into ecological status and pressures in those waters.
Boat engine noise has been found to disrupt the behaviour of reef-dwelling snapping shrimp and their goby partners, but their cooperative relationship remains strong despite the disturbance.
Male seahorses use male hormones to build a special pouch for their babies and reduce their immune response to protect the embryos.
Climate Crisis
Brazil is hosting COP30 with big climate goals, but some worry its recent support for Amazon oil drilling, ending the Soy Moratorium, and weakening environmental rules make those goals less achievable. Analysis shows over 1,600 fossil‑fuel lobbyists are attending COP30 in Brazil, outnumbering almost every country’s delegation.
African leaders at a summit in Cotonou called for more renewable energy to help fight climate change, protect nature, and support fair development across the continent.
Developers met with UK ministers dozens of times about the planning and infrastructure bill, while ecologists, despite repeated requests, were entirely shut out of the conversation.
Millions of tiny, toxic plastic “bio‑beads” have washed up on Camber Sands beach in the UK, sparking fears of a major environmental catastrophe for wildlife.
Over 220 communities in Sierra Leone have made a carbon credit deal to protect 79,000 hectares of mangroves.
Misc
This week’s wildlife photos.
A seal being hunted by a pod of orcas made a lucky escape by leaping onto a photographer’s boat!
Rare footage captures “sucker” fish, known as remoras, skilfully detaching from and reattaching to a breaching humpback whale during its migration off Australia, effectively hitching a ride on a high-speed ocean cruise!
