Strengthening Sri Lanka’s preparedness to respond to oiled wildlife emergencies
Marine Science Blog
by Jamie Small, JNCC
1M ago
Written by Jamie Small, from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), on behalf of JNCC and Cefas, The UK government's Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) team share updates on oiled wildlife response training recently delivered in Sri Lanka. JNCC and Cefas, through the UK's Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP), have recently supported the delivery of oiled wildlife response training for 30 frontline responders across Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Government of Sri Lanka and delivered by the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB). At ..read more
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The power of plankton: Advancing our understanding of the role and value of plankton as marine natural capital
Marine Science Blog
by Matthew M Holland
2M ago
In this new Marine Science blog, scientists from Cefas, the University of Plymouth, and Environment Agency discuss new research by the Pelagic Natural Capital project (PelCap), which is helping to monitor the impact of human activities on plankton health in our marine environment. The evidence generated will feed into Defra's Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme (mNCEA) helping policymakers to understand the value of plankton as an important source of marine natural capital. What are plankton and why are they so important? Often called ‘the drifters of the oceans’ due to t ..read more
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Safeguarding Global Coral Trade: The Power of a New Visual Guide for Border Inspections
Marine Science Blog
by Joanna Murray
2M ago
It’s a dark, damp evening in February 2023 when staff from UK Border Force’s CITES team are called to Heathrow’s Animal Reception Centre to inspect a shipment of hard coral. A mismatch between the CITES permit and its packing list has been flagged. In the darkness, the inspection is done under red light, but despite the difficulties, Border Force needs to make sure that the coral pieces in the box are what they said they are on the permit and in the right quantities, and importantly, all in good time as they are dealing with live animals. Pieces of hard coral during import check at Heathrow ..read more
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Expanding the concept of 'blue carbon’: Cefas science on coastal ecosystems and their role in tackling climate change
Marine Science Blog
by Ruth Parker
3M ago
Turtle swims across seagrass, Credit Michele Roux/Unsplash The importance of mangroves and other blue carbon ecosystems in mitigating the impacts of climate change is once again high on the agenda at this year’s Nature, Land-use, and Oceans Day at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai. Globally, it is recognised that ‘traditional’ blue carbon habitats, such as mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses lock up large quantities of carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, further contributing to climate change. New research suggests that other coastal ecosystems ..read more
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Collaboration and progress through Cefas’ Climate, Health, and Environment Resilience Programme in the Middle East
Marine Science Blog
by Rachel Mulholland
4M ago
Our Climate, Health, and Environment Resilience Programme (CHERP) has recently kicked off another year of activity in the Middle East. With the UN Climate Change COP28 currently underway in the region, we are taking a look back at what we have delivered in the last few years, and the progress we have made so far. This work programme has projects across five of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) as well as with Iraq, Iran, and Oman through collaboration with the Regional Seas Convention. Through this programme, Cefas is w ..read more
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Too hot to handle? Marine climate change risks and opportunities for adaptation in the Gulf
Marine Science Blog
by Will Le Quesne
4M ago
Sunset in the Persian Gulf, Credit: Ali Hedaya/Unsplash As world leaders meet at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai this week, Cefas Middle East Programme Director Will Le Quesne, discusses the challenge of climate change facing the world’s hottest region and how new evidence produced by the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME), in collaboration with Cefas, will help support adaption efforts. When people think about the impacts of global warming, they often imagine melting gl ..read more
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Learning lessons from (almost) a decade of MPA monitoring in English waters: where are we now and where happens next?
Marine Science Blog
by Tammy Noble-James
4M ago
Beachy Head, Credit: Steve V/Unsplash In recent years it has become clear, both in the UK and globally, that interventions are urgently needed to protect our precious marine wildlife and safeguard the resources provided to us by the sea. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are tools used by marine managers to conserve areas of the most vulnerable or ‘valuable’ species and habitats. Human activities (such as fishing and resource extraction) are limited or prohibited within MPAs, allowing habitats and animal communities to recover, and boosting populations beyond MPA boundaries. So crucial are MPAs ..read more
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Into the deep: How Cefas science of the Deep-sea is exploring uncharted waters
Marine Science Blog
by James Bell
7M ago
Deep sea coral The deep-sea covers more than 60% of the Earth's surface. Deep-sea ecosystems are amongst the least well understood owing to the combined challenges of remoteness, vastness, and the difficulties of exploring its depths. The ‘deep-sea’ is a catch-all term that encompasses a wide range of habitats from the twilight open ocean, through globe-spanning ocean ridges, the vast rolling hills of the abyssal plains, all the way to 11km down in the deepest trenches. The average depth of the oceans is around 3.8km, and it is estimated that around 80-90% of the species in the deep-sea have ..read more
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One year on: Cefas generates new tools and evidence to support marine natural capital programme
Marine Science Blog
by Michelle Devlin
8M ago
Heather Wilde/Unsplash Natural capital refers to parts of the natural environment, such as forests, fisheries, rivers, biodiversity, land and minerals, that provide valuable goods and services to society. Much like human capital (labour, skills and experience), recent reviews recognise that natural capital should be seen as an economic asset that if managed effectively, can bring a whole range of benefits for society and environment. In the ocean, the natural capital approach helps us consider the value of things like natural resources, fishing, recreation, coastal protection and/or off ..read more
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Making waves: recent contributions of Cefas fisheries science for the future of fisheries management in the UK
Marine Science Blog
by Bek Trehern
8M ago
Fishing net photo by Bedis ElAcheche On Monday 17th July, the UK government’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced further steps to deliver a thriving, sustainable fishing industry and healthy marine environment following the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU). As part of Brexit negotiations, the EU has agreed to transfer 25% of the EU’s fishing rights within UK waters (in terms of value) back to the UK between now and June 2026. As an independent coastal state, the UK controls who may fish in our waters, and on what terms.   In this recent announ ..read more
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