Category: "news"
Arctic melt-water leads to enhanced storms
Freshwater in the ocean leads to extreme cold patches in the North Atlantic, which has major implications for weather over the surrounding land-masses. This is according to National Oceanography Centre (NOC) led research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Letters last year. This... read more »
MMO South Marine Plan 3 year report
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is pleased to announce that the first Three-Year Report on the South Marine Plan was published by Defra on 14 July 2021. The South Marine Plan was adopted in July 2018. The publication of the Report marks the conclusion of over 12 months of work in gathering data, analysing the findings and reporting on the effectiveness, and effects, of... read more »
Deep Sea Microplastics
Seafloor microplastics are controlled by deep sea currents according to a new report published in the journal Science. This study shows how deep-sea currents act as conveyor belts, transporting tiny plastic fragments and fibres across the seafloor. These currents can concentrate microplastics within huge sediment accumulations, which the authors... read more »
Climate Indicators
Climate indicators for 2020 show a worsening of the climate globally it was revealed in a recent World Meteorological Office report. The State of the Global Climate 2020 highlights the latest indicators of the climate system, including greenhouse gas concentrations, increasing land and ocean temperatures, sea level rise, melting ice... read more »
Algae - an alternative to plastic
A French think tank called Atelier Luma is investigating whether treated algae can be used an an alternative material to plastic. It showed off the technology at the World Economic Forum 2020 summit in Davos, Switzerland. Follow... read more »
Independent Environmental Regulator
The Environment Bill will establish a new independent environmental watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). This strong and independent body is a key part of the government’s vision to lead the world in protecting our environment and building back greener from the COVID pandemic. Follow this link to read... read more »
Marine and coastal areas linked with better health and well-being
A new study suggests that exposure to coastal environments can play a significant role in boosting human health and well-being, due to the ‘therapeutic effects’ of marine and coastal landscapes. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and UK Research and Innovation-led review in collaboration with... read more »
Greening the post-Covid Recovery
In May the Committee held a session on the environmental implications of the Covid-19 crisis. Witnesses stressed how critical it would be to align the post-crisis recovery stimulus with the UK’s goals on climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development – given the short window of opportunity remaining to keep... read more »
Highly Protected Marine Areas
An independent review led by former Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon and published on Mon 8 June, World Ocean Day 2020, is calling for the introduction of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in English waters. The review was commissioned on last year’s world ocean day by then Environment Secretary Michael... read more »
'Sea for Yourself'
'Sea for Yourself' is a new marketing campaign launched by Defra in March 2020 and supported by Seafish that aims to get more of the British public eating fish. One of the key messages of the campaign is that you can get all the benefits of eating lovely... read more »