Ocean news from around the world

Conservation /

UK

Beavers help tackle floodings, new assessment shows

A new assessment by the Environment Agency reveals that beavers can play a pivotal role in mitigating floods. Read More

Read

Indian Ocean /

Marine Life

Sea urchin-killing pathogen is now "global pandemic", say scientists

According to scientists, the pathogen responsible for large scale sea urchin deaths along the coast of the Red Sea is the same pathogen responsible for mass mortality events among the species off the coast of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Read More

Read

Marine Life /

New Zealand

New Zealand's "unusual" egg-shaped sea squirt is a scientific first

Scientists exploring the reefs of Rakiura Stewart Island off the coast of New Zealand have discovered an “unusual” egg-shaped sea squirt - one previously unseen and unheard of in any other part of the region. Read More

Read

Marine Life /

South China Sea

Fish named after Studio Ghibli film bears "message for the world"

A deepwater tilefish bearing face markings similar to a character from the animated film Princess Mononoke from Studio Ghibli has been so named in a hope it will resonate and speak of a 'coexistence between humanity and nature' for centuries to come Read More

Read

High Seas /

Spain

Spain and France first EU nations to ratify UN High Seas Treaty

This year has been earmarked as a pivotal moment for the High Seas Treaty which must be ratified by at least 60 countries for it to enter into full force. Campaigners are on a mission to see this achieved in time for the UN Ocean Conference in June. Read More

Read

Conservation /

Florida

Largest ever great white shark recorded and tagged in the Atlantic

The non-profit research group OCEARCH managed to tag the largest ever recorded great white shark in the Atlantic off the Florida-Georgia coast in mid-January. The researchers now hope that the data provided by the tag will help advance our knowledge of the species. Read More

Read

Endangered species /

Norway

Bounty set for 27,000 salmon that escaped fish farm in Norway

The global seafood company Mowi is offering fishers a bounty of £36 for every one of the some 27,000 escaped salmon they catch, meaning an experienced angler could come home with a £972,000 paycheck. Read More

Read

Canada /

Ocean Plastics

Polyp-ethylene: Cause of microplastic build up on coral uncovered

Researchers from the University of Waterloo used nanotechnology to determine that it is the mucus naturally secreted by coral reefs - a substance that bears strong adhesive characteristics - that traps microplastics floating in the ocean. Read More

Read

Conservation /

Madagascar

Madagascar a hotspot for rare rays, but where are its reef species?

Scientists have recorded encouraging signs for spinetail devil, oceanic manta, and shorthorned pygmy devil rays off the coast of Madagascar but concern grows for the regions' reef rays which remain unsighted for the past decade. Read More

Read