Landmark win BANS Trawling in Sussex…But for How Long?

In this special edition recording of Oceanographic's Roundtable, we dissect a new bylaw shielding Sussex coast from bottom trawling, meaning that nearly a third of Sussex's inshore waters are now protected, safeguarding rare chalk reefs, seahorses and centuries-old marine habitats

Trawling bans spark recovery for Scotland’s seabeds

Scientists have found a marked resurgence in seabed marine life nearly a decade after protections against bottom trawling and dredging were put in place in an area off the Scottish coastline, which they say underscores the need for better protections.

A summer on the brink: Will Iceland resume fin whale hunting?

Iceland is on the verge of resuming commercial fin whale hunting this summer, with a single ministerial decision now standing between declared government policy and what conservationists are calling irreversible harm.

A summer of whale hunts: Iceland on brink of fin whale hunting

Iceland is on the verge of resuming commercial fin whale hunting this summer, with a single ministerial decision now standing between declared government policy and what conservationists are calling irreversible harm.

Ancient Poo Offers New Insight into Future Seabird Populations

Researchers were analysing the geochemistry of the cores, to get an insight into historic wind speeds on the island, when they found layers of ancient bird poo preserved in the peatland.
This bird poo, or guano, now gives them a window into 8,000 years of seabird history, in one of the most important seabird breeding sites on Earth: Bird Island is home to vast colonies of wandering albatrosses, petrels and penguins.

Gray Whales entering San Francisco Bay are NOT Coming Out Alive

Scientists tracking gray whales in San Francisco Bay have found that nearly one in five individuals identified there died in its waters after becoming victims of vessel strikes, starvation, and a migration route that was never meant to pass through one of the world’s busiest ports.

Into the Marsh: Protecting the UK’s Saltwater Habitats

On a foggy March morning, Eva Cahill spoke to the National Trust’s project manager Katy Gilchrist, and countryside manager Matt Wilson, to get a sense of the work being done in Essex's Blackwater Estuary to protect one of Britain's most storied, and most threatened, landscapes

Nat Geo scientists to map 10,000 never before seen deep-sea sites

The deep-sea covers more than half of the planet’s surface, yet less than 0.001% of it has ever been visually explored – an area approximately a tenth of the size of Belgium.

A new roadmap identifying 10,000 sites for deep-sea visual exploration, unveiled this week, is about to change that. 

Eva Cahill talks to National Geographic Explorer Katy Croff Bell about the team's ambition.

Bottom Trawling Undermines Food Security

This episode is a special recording from Oceanographic's Roundtable panel event.

Bottom trawling undermines local food security, nutrition and livelihoods in coastal communities, according to a new global study.

The destructive fishing practice involves towing nets to catch fish and other marine species living on or close to the seabed. It accounts for over a quarter of total global marine fish catches, and a commonly sold narrative is that the practice is critical to feed a growing population.

However, this new report finds that bottom trawling reduces the availability and accessibility of fish to coastal communities and diverts good-quality, nutritious fish to global markets.