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 …
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 …
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 …
First things first, who am I? I'm James, an Offshore Fisheries Observer and team leader at Cefas. I have been doing the observer role for almost 4 years now, so I am very much an early career (fisheries) scientist. I …
A standardised training programme for shark and ray trade inspectors, a team of 20 expert trainers increasing staff capacity nationally and a global expert in identifying shark products from DNA are just some of the highlights delivered as part of …
With increasing concerns around food security in the face of growing populations, climate change and recent global events, such as the Ukraine invasion, the UK government is turning their attention to new and innovative ways of meeting future food demands …
Despite being separated by more than 7,000 kilometres and located in opposite hemispheres, with the diverse climates and marine environments of the South Atlantic and North Sea, a ground-breaking primary school twinning project, supported by Cefas and Ascension Island, has …
The annual Invasive Species Week is taking place between the 15th and 21st May 2023, led by the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) with many organisations taking the opportunity to raise awareness of the issues and work that is being …
Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems in the world, supporting up 25% of the ocean’s marine life. However, warming temperatures and ocean acidification have led to a decline in coral reef richness in much of the tropics. In …
How can UK fisheries achieve Net Zero by 2050? With the Fifth Symposium on the Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans (ECCWO5) underway this week in Norway, Cefas Scientist, Georg Engelhard tells us about his new report looking …
Warning: This blog contains images of mobulid ray gill plates. Some people may find this distressing. Sri Lankan waters are home to at least 105 different species of sharks and rays (known collectively as elasmobranchs). These animals provide a vital …