Opinion by Dr. Matt Frost, Marine Biological Association Deputy Director, Head of Policy and Knowledge Exchange, and President Mars (European Network of Marine Institutes and Stations)

Research demonstrates the deep plume formation is unrelated to subsea dispersants

Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse environments on the planet and for years scientists have suspected that the origins of vertebrate life may have started there. However, a new study published in Science last week has provided a wealth of evidence to suggest that the earliest fish species originated in shallow waters instead.

The damming of the Yangtze river in 1981 has had a detrimental effect on migrating sturgeon fish, according to Zhenli Huang and Luhai Wang, scientists at the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research.

This National Sea Slug Day (October 29), scientists celebrated the addition of 17 new species of nudibranch to the tree of life. Adorned in lavish patterns and colors that range from yellow polka dots to shades of mauve and neon blue, the new marine invertebrates hail from coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific region.

In a new study spanning coastal areas of the Northern Hemisphere, a coordinated researcher network explored the magnitude of organic carbon stocks stored and sequestered by eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows--the most abundant seagrass species in temperate waters.

On 26 October 2018, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announce the release of the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement, a milestone in the effort to reduce the risk along the Texas coast from dangerous storm surges and other threats.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has pledged to address the significant problem posed by plastics to the marine environment, with the adoption of an action plan which aims to enhance existing regulations and introduce new supporting measures to reduce marine plastic litter from ships.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has pledged to address the significant problem posed by plastics to the marine environment, with the adoption of an action plan which aims to enhance existing regulations and introduce new supporting measures to reduce marine plastic litter from ships.

The world’s first global framework to finance a sustainable ocean economy was launched at the Our Ocean conference this week.

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium (IAMC) have made the scenarios underlying last week's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5°C Special Report publicly available, in an interactive online resource.

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, the IPCC said in a new assessment. With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems, limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said on Monday.

Marine-i is making up to £500,000 available for businesses to develop innovative marine data technologies and applications.

Cutting edge site investigation for nearshore development is the focus of Fugro’s one-day seminar, ‘Geo-Intelligence for Coastal Infrastructure’, taking place in Wallingford (UK) on November 15th.

The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Public Outreach team is seeking an Outreach Coordinator to lead CWPPRA’s Public Outreach program.

Location: Negotiable, Miami, FL preferred

Deakin University, Victoria, Australia have two exciting opportunities to obtain a PhD scholarship, working in the lab of Dr Timothy Clark at the Waurn Ponds campus and at the Queenscliff Marine Station. The positions are available to domestic and international students.

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has launched a new call of a total budget of €18,7 million. The call focuses on 3 topics: Blue Labs (Topic 1), Blue Careers (Topic 2) and Blue Economy (Topic 3). You can receive up to 80% co-financing for you project (65% for Blue Economy topic).

TRU-Vu Monitors, a leading supplier of industrial-grade LCD monitors and touch screens, has announced the release of a new 19” LCD monitor with 4:3 aspect ratio. This move is in stark contrast to the ongoing trend of discontinuing 4:3 aspect ratio monitors in favor of 16:9 widescreen models.

NextWave Plastics announces two new member companies - HP Inc. and IKEA - are joining its consortium of worldwide businesses committed to scaling the use of ocean-bound plastics by developing the first global network of ocean-bound plastics supply chains. The addition of HP and IKEA marks 10 companies collaborating to "turn off the tap" of plastic entering the ocean.

UK subsea services company, Rovco, has expanded its ROV and hydrographic survey capabilities with the addition of a Saab Seaeye Falcon DR ROV to its fleet.

Waste Free Oceans (WFO) continuously engages in marine litter clean-ups worldwide and, through “Closing the loop” projects, works with companies to transform the collected waste into innovative and sustainable products. WFO aims to find a balance between providing concrete solutions at source and acting on remediation actions involving a large range of local and regional stakeholders.

i-Tech Services, a Subsea 7 company, has strengthened its underwater inspection and maintenance capability with the provision of new mini ROVs for performing subsea operations in challenging environments.

The NOC has recently purchased and trialled a new type of marine robot called a Deepglider. The vehicle will join the NMF-MARS glider fleet, and will allow the UK science community to collect water column data at depths of up to 6000m.

The first regional mapping meeting for The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project has been held in Stockholm, covering the Arctic, Antarctic and North Pacific regions.

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), a marine environmental consulting firm that specializes in multidisciplinary projects concerning potential impacts of activities in coastal and marine ecosystems, is happy to announce that Kayla Hartigan has joined the team at CSA’s headquarters in Stuart, Florida, as an underwater acoustic Project Scientist.

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), a leading global marine environmental science consulting firm, announced the completion of a survey to collect data for hydrodynamic model calibration and verification in Nassau Sound, located north of Jacksonville, Florida.

Conference organizers have recently announced that Governor John Bel Edwards will deliver the Keynote Address, sponsored by Enhanced Environmental and Emergency Services, at the CLEAN GULF Conference & Exhibition, taking place November 13-15 in New Orleans, LA. Governor Edwards will discuss the importance of cooperation, collaboration and teamwork in dealing with issues facing Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

The George Barley Water Prize is our “best hope” to solve algae crisis threatening waterways worldwide

TCarta, a global provider of geospatial products and services, has been commissioned by Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) to carry out a landmark mangrove health assessment covering the entire Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The assessment contains mangrove condition information derived from high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery.