Science

Two new species of wart sea slugs have been discovered in Indonesia.

Different fish species have evolved unique hunting techniques, each relying on their own set of visual cues.

Magellanic penguins swim straight home when the sea is calm, but when the currents pick up, they ride the waves, saving energy and enjoying a rolling buffet along the way!

 

Fisheries

Overfishing has caused a dramatic decline in Baltic Sea cod size, with mature fish shrinking from around 40 cm in 1996 to just 20 cm in 2019.

Russia, Greenland, and others have been criticised for overfishing mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic, particularly for targeting them during the summer months when the fish are especially vulnerable after spawning.

ICES has released a report on cod populations in the North Sea, West of Scotland, the eastern English Channel, and Skagerrak, highlighting the challenges and complexities involved in managing these vulnerable stocks.

Two months after the introduction of the Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (I-VMS) licence condition for English under-12m fishing vessels, 90 per cent have installed the required devices, improving fisheries management and marine planning.

Since 2009, large trawlers have swept across an area off Canada’s Pacific coast larger than Ireland, harming vital salmon habitats, while limited transparency keeps the full extent of their impact hidden.

 

UK Overseas Territories

Greenpeace and Bermudian groups are calling on the UK to help protect the Sargasso Sea by swiftly ratifying the High Seas Treaty. Add your support here.

Anguilla’s 16,633 residents are worried about cruise ships discovering and impacting the delicate 2-mile coral sanctuary at Shoal Bay.

Caribbean Fisheries Ministers have identified new policy directions at their latest meeting aimed at protecting fish stocks, supporting small-scale fisheries, improving data management, combating illegal fishing, and tackling climate challenges.

The Cayman Islands government has approved plans for new legislation that would ban non‑Caymanians from fishing.

The Falkland Islands‘ loligo squid fishery is preparing to reopen.

 

Marine Protection

The UK Government has proposed banning destructive bottom trawling in 41 Marine Protected Areas. Add your support by backing the consultation and writing to your MP here.

Hawaiian coral reefs could face extreme ocean acidification within 30 years.

Female angel sharks near the Canary Islands are shifting their mating areas due to increasing ocean temperatures, which could disrupt breeding and threaten the survival of this endangered species.

Campaigners on South Korea’s Jeju Island are advocating for legal status to protect vulnerable bottlenose dolphins from threats like fishing gear, boat traffic, and pollution.

 

Conservation

The Baltic ringed seal population has increased from 5,000 in the 1970s to 25,000 today due to hunting bans and reduced pollution.

A marine biologist in Indonesia is helping endangered zebra sharks recover by releasing captive-bred individuals into the wild, with plans to release many more each year because the sharks have struggled to rebound on their own.

Rising ocean temperatures are causing North Atlantic sharks to delay their migration by up to a month, while also slowing the spread of the deadly Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease.

Researchers have discovered that the seagrass species, Nanozostera japonica, common in the Northwest Pacific, actually comprises two distinct species.

 

Climate Crisis

The UK’s Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, has warned that opposing net-zero policies betrays future generations, yet the UK is still struggling to expand its clean electricity supply quickly enough to meet climate targets, with renewable capacity still forecast well below the 170–190 GW required.

Sea temperatures in Portugal’s Algarve have hit record highs, rising more than 5°C above average, causing a marine heatwave that is threatening marine life.

Indonesia is revisiting its sea sand export policies after a court overturned part of a regulation over environmental concerns, as experts warn that dredging damages marine life and threatens ocean ecosystems.

Brazil’s Congress has passed a “devastation bill” that threatens key environmental protections, while the country’s COP30 head calls on wealthy nations to take the lead in phasing out fossil fuels as Brazil moves forward with expanding offshore oil drilling near the Amazon.

Natural climate solutions like protecting forests and restoring ecosystems can help fight climate change, but progress remains slow.

 

Misc

See this week’s wildlife photos.

“People talk about climate change and rising seas, but for me, it was simple – the mangroves were going or gone, and the sea had nothing to hold it back. I couldn’t just sit back and watch the forest vanish.”

“Hope isn’t enough – we need action when it comes to climate change.”

“More science will save lives.”