Taiji may appear to be a charming little fishing village, but it has a dark and violent tradition of hunting dolphins. After being exposed to the world over a decade ago it seems very little has changed despite strong controversy and opposition. To an unsuspecting visitor the traditional architecture, quaint harbour and crystal clear waters … More The Japanese fishing village with blood on their hands
A recent report suggests there are only ten vaquita porpoises left in the wild. For decades they have been caught as bycatch in illegal gillnet fisheries targeting a different endangered species of fish. Now the outlook for the ‘little cows’ is very bleak unless drastic action is taken. Hold out your hands in front of … More World’s most endangered marine mammal approaching single figures
On March 15th young people around the world skipped school for the day to protest the handling of climate change by major world nations. The ‘Youth Strike 4 Climate’ has put politicians and sceptics to shame and highlights just how passionate the next generation of humanity really is about protecting their planet. The kids have … More Children take the rest of the world to school on climate change
A new technique can speed up coral growth by 25 times by breaking them into tiny little pieces. Discovered accidentally the process could now help replenish coral reefs and protect them from degradation. But how does it work? And why is it so important? Dr David Vaughan was close to retirement several years ago before … More Microfragmentation: how smashing up corals helps them grow faster
A loophole in legislation means one million of tonnes of sludge will be allowed to be dumped on the Great Barrier Reef over the next 10 years. This is an unbelievably big step backwards in efforts to protect the reef. But why is this happening? Who is involved? And how damaging will it be? The … More Company exploits loophole to dump sludge on Great Barrier Reef
Sharks are essential to marine ecosystems but millions of them are being killed every year across the globe. But now the state of Hawaii is aiming to fight back and fully protect their sharks with ground breaking legislation. Hawaii has become the first state in the US to put forward legislation to fully protect all … More Hawaii proposes new bill to fully protect its sharks
Unsuspecting British customers are being sold endangered shark meat in their fish & chips and at their local fishmongers. A new study using DNA barcoding has shown the problem is much more common than you might think. Fish & chips are about as British as it gets when it comes to take away food. … More Fancy some salt & vinegar with your shark?
Plans are progressing for the UK’s first National Marine Park to be created in the Plymouth Sound area. But what does it mean? Who’s involved? And will it be effective? Plymouth is a key part of marine science and conservation work in the UK. Not only does it boast some of the most diverse habitats … More Plymouth set to create the UK’s first National Marine Park
Nurdles are tiny pellets used in the production of plastics that, due to mismanagement and spills, are now polluting the oceans. Despite their size they can cause big problems for marine life and now cover a large portion of our coastlines. If you have never heard of a nurdle before then you are probably not … More Nurdles: the plastic pellets polluting our oceans
In the marine world animals like whales and dolphins rely heavily on sound for communication, foraging and navigation. But increased noise pollution from human activities are impacting these behaviours in a big way. On the surface it is hard to imagine that the ocean could be very noisy but in reality it is filled with … More Noise pollution in the sonic sea
