Category: Conservation

Catch me if you can! Cephalopod defences & predator avoidance

6th Apr 2021

Written by Rhodri Irranca “An old trick well done is far better than a new trick with no effect.”– Harry Houdini. Gargantuan ocean-dwelling beasts have been depicted globally in folklore since the dawn of human existence, such as the kraken described by Pontoppidan in his mid-18th century work “The Natural History of Norway”. Subsequent works … More Catch me if you can! Cephalopod defences & predator avoidance

The Antarctic: Ecosystem Services and Future Threats

15th Mar 2021

Written by Rebecca Greatorex The Antarctic, as one of the most pristine environments on earth, is under the protection of a treaty agreed to by many countries to protect and preserve it. The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) protects everything south of 60oS which includes the entirety of the Antarctic Continent. It was implemented to highlight … More The Antarctic: Ecosystem Services and Future Threats

The kids are alright – or are they? How warming oceans affect life stages differently

24th Feb 2021

Written by Oscar Speed Anthropogenic climate change is causing global rises in both air temperatures and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) through the pumping of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. This is no longer debated. Extreme Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predictions show potential SST increases of over 3°C by 2100. Though … More The kids are alright – or are they? How warming oceans affect life stages differently

Seagrasses: The ocean’s real superheroes

10th Feb 2021

When we think superheroes, we think big, powerful and majestic, right? So, in the ocean, the superheroes have to be the all-powerful orcas, stealthy sharks or sentient whales? Wrong! These apex predators constitute an integral part of the marine food web and represent the top tier within the hierarchy, but the magic begins right at … More Seagrasses: The ocean’s real superheroes

Great white sharks: top predators or unlikely prey?

25th Jan 2021

Written by Eve Dean The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) has been portrayed as a ferocious ‘mindless eating machine’ for generations. Fears, fuelled by the media and movies, lurk in the back of people’s minds every time they step into the ocean. However, there is a creature who has, in recent years, gone head to … More Great white sharks: top predators or unlikely prey?

More than just a pretty reef: why corals are so important and how they might be saved

5th Jan 2021

Written by Alicia Shephard In 2020 it was announced that the Great Barrier Reef had lost more than half of its corals since 1995, due mainly to warmer seas driven by climate change. But it was also the year that plans for a huge coral biobank were announced in Australia. The purpose? To provide a … More More than just a pretty reef: why corals are so important and how they might be saved

Over 1.5 billion Covid-19 face masks estimated to enter oceans in 2020

11th Dec 2020

A new report released this week has revealed that the global Covid-19 pandemic has seriously increased the amount of plastic pollution entering the marine environment due to a surge in disposable face masks and other PPE. It highlights yet again how our short sightedness is negatively effecting the world around us. As if 2020 hasn’t … More Over 1.5 billion Covid-19 face masks estimated to enter oceans in 2020

Fish carcasses deliver toxic mercury pollution to the deepest parts of the ocean

26th Nov 2020

A new study into deep-sea fish and crustaceans has revealed the presence of anthropogenic mercury pollution at the deepest points in the ocean, including the Marianna Trench. Researchers suggest that the most likely source of the toxic chemical is the sinking bodies of dead fish from the surface. Mercury pollution in the ocean is an … More Fish carcasses deliver toxic mercury pollution to the deepest parts of the ocean