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Science
Do you know what a red-lipped batfish looks like?
Some phytoplankton are able to navigate vertically upward in the ocean by ballooning to six times their size.
A new shark species has been discovered, the shovelhead shark, which has long been mistaken for the bonnethead shark for its close resemblance. They have only just been discovered and are already facing the threat of extinction.
Fisheries
It will take a decade to recover Canada’s Atlantic mackerel stock…will we see a similar story with mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic? Norway has been criticised for overfishing the Northeast Atlantic mackerel stock, despite scientific advice warning of the stocks near-future collapse.
Marine Conservation Society has released their latest ratings to the Good Fish Guide, highlighting the decline in crab and lobster populations in the UK, which made national headlines this week.
The UK fisheries APPG had its first meeting, with Alistair Carmichael elected as chair. New legislation implementing a range of short-term management measures for certain species of fish was introduced to Parliament on Wednesday.
The Scottish Government has been criticised for failing to meet a 2024 target to deliver 22 Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) which were set out to ensure long-term sustainability of species in Scotland’s waters.
The US Government has responded to a lawsuit filed for the neglect of safeguarding corals and sponges in the Gulf of Alaska that have been subjected to damage by bottom trawling.
British Overseas Territories
Following the UK giving sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, the Tories have been concerned it will be an ‘environmental disaster’, as ocean habitats are described as being ‘left at the mercy of China’. Chagos is argued to be ‘not the same as Gibraltar or the Falklands’.
Rising sea levels and coastal erosion is causing heartache for residents who live on Colombia’s Caribbean coast who say, ‘the sea came in and took it all away’.
Marine Protection
Just 2.8% of the world’s ocean is ‘effectively’ protected. It has been revealed that more than 85% of countries are likely to miss the UN’s deadline to submit new nature pledges ahead of the COP16 in Colombia. Can COP16 push countries to deliver on the 30×30 target?
With the general election looming in Ireland, the Marine Protected Area (MPA) legislation may not be securely in place in time.
Is marine noise and ship traffic driving the decline of the southern resident killer whales of the Pacific?
Oceanographic connectivity has been revealed as a key factor which influences fish abundance across the Western Indian Ocean, specifically herbivorous reef fish, which are essential to coral reef resilience. Connectivity should be incorporated by decision makers into how they prioritise conservation areas. In similar news, scientists have said that more studies are needed which show the link between acidification and marine life so that ‘policymakers can make more informed decisions.’ A new study has also sparked the urgent need for more comprehensive monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic ecosystems, as fish have been found to accumulate high levels of it, even though they are far from the contamination source.
Conservation
Artificial nests have proven successful at boosting penguin breeding success, but penguins are quite specific about how they want their nests, and different colonies prefer different nest designs!! Crucial insights have been revealed about turtle fertility, which could combat declining populations.
Conservation efforts are needed to save red ghost crabs in Bangladesh, and mangrove restoration initiatives have sparked hope and concerns in Thailand and Indonesia.
A newly announced marine sanctuary off the coast of California will be co-managed by the US Government and Indigenous groups in the area.
Fin whales are now experiencing threats by a booming LNG industry. As shipping traffic continues to increase, it appears that ship-whale collisions do too.
Climate Crisis
20,000 people and 3,000 experts have classed climate change as the biggest threat facing the world. Meanwhile, ‘environmental offenders and climate denialists’ have been elected to govern Brazil.
Climate change + agrochemicals = DISASTER for the Amazonian tambaqui fish (and likely many more species). The death of more than 94,000 birds in Northern California has also been linked to the climate crisis.
There are critical concerns around nature’s carbon sink, as trees and land absorbed less carbon dioxide last year than usual. This sudden collapse could accelerate global heating as it was not factored into scientific models. Global carbon dioxide emissions increased by 60% since 2001. The reason? Forest fires. Two thirds of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in tropical forests are experiencing new temperature conditions as our climate changes. In addition, deep ocean marine heat waves are ‘underreported’.
It has been revealed that two of England’s biggest water firms dumped sewage into rivers across the country, Windermere has also been revealed to have had sewage illegally dumped ‘repeatedly for 3 years.’ European rivers and lakes are also in serious trouble as they are suffering from chemical pollution. We are not alone. Canada has launched an independent agency to help manage their freshwater.
In more positive news, scientists have successfully bred corals to improve their heat tolerance. Furthermore, Tesco has signed a deal to power 144 large stores using solar energy, and a new wind farm in Scotland is set to power 45k homes. A community renewable hub is doing great work in Oxfordshire, and Great British Energy gets started.
Plastics
There are many things you wouldn’t expect to see at the deepest point of the ocean…a beer bottle being one!
Microplastic particles have been detected in air exhaled by wild bottlenose dolphins.
Scientists have discovered that cellulose diacetate foam (CDA) is the fastest degrading bioplastic in an ocean environment.
The UN Plastics Treaty must include tackling microplastics.
Aquaculture
Aquaculture’s reliance on wild fish may be higher than suspected.
85% of UK residents believe that farmed fish should be awarded ‘welfare protections to the same extent as other farmed animals.’
Fish farming is reaching a new level in Nigeria.
Misc
How can we repair a growing rift with nature?
Nation states are racing each other to claim remote parts of the seabed with ‘untouched marine resources’ that have been newly discovered.
Open Communications for The Ocean (OCTO) is hosting a webinar on Seagrass in Southeast Asia: Status, blue carbon potential, and recent trends (2am 5th November). Register here.
