A leading nature charity is planning to reveal the secrets of the South West’s wonderful marine wildlife at a special event being organised for recreational boat owners and the wider public.
The event, entitled ‘Life Beneath the Keel’, is being staged by Devon Wildlife Trust at the Mount Batten Centre, Plymouth, between 10am and 2.30pm on Saturday 16 April.
Life Beneath the Keel is free to attend and open to everyone but has a focus on the boat owning community. Mike Elsey, Devon Wildlife Trust’s Corporate Relations Officer, explained the charity’s thinking. Mike said:...
The Conservative Group on East Devon District Council has given its full backing to a proposed bid to establish a Heart Of The South West ‘powerhouse’.
If successful, the HOTSW bid would create a powerful partnership between local authorities in Devon and Somerset, building on benefits from recent collaboration, and working with Government to exploit economic opportunities of truly global significance.
Pushing ahead with the process to submit a joint bid to the Government before Christmas was approved unanimously by EDDC’s Cabinet last night (Wednesday 2 December).
Scientists from the University of Exeter are warning of the risks that seismic surveys may pose to sea turtles. Widely used in marine oil and gas exploration, seismic surveys use airguns to produce sound waves that penetrate the sea floor to map oil and gas reserves.
The review, published in the journal Biological Conservation, found that compared to marine mammals and fish, turtles are largely ignored in terms of research attention and are often omitted from policy guidelines designed to mitigate the environmental risks of seismic surveys.
Police in Exmouth are appealing for information following the theft of marine equipment.
The theft occurred sometime between Sunday 30th August and Saturday 3rd October when thieves removed a padlock from a boat moored in the river Exe estuary at Exmouth and stole equipment including a Honda outboard engine, an inflatable doughnut ring and fishing equipment, valued at £900.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police on 101 or 101@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk quoting crime reference CR/069595/15 or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Marine litter can undermine the psychological benefits of coastal environments, a study has shown.
The beneficial effects of the blue environment to human health and well-being are well documented, but there has been little research into how the growing global issue of marine litter might negate them.
To measure this, Plymouth University secured funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to assess public reaction to the differing conditions of coastlines.
Retailers who stock and sell personal care products that contain tiny particles of plastic may have finally realised that washes, scrubs, gels and pastes made from natural products are just as effective and won’t damage our seas, says the UK’s leading marine charity.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) says many leading high street retailers have promised to stop selling products that contain microplastics. These tiny bits of plastic, which are too small to be trapped in sewage works, are ending up in the sea where they can be ingested by zooplankton and other animals, which in...
University of Exeter researchers are part of the biodiversity research team of a new EUR 17 million EU Horizon 2020 funded project that will test a new wave energy converter at Wave Hub, the wave power test centre located off the north coast of Cornwall.
The five-year Clean Energy From Ocean Waves (CEFOW) project is being coordinated by Nordic company Fortum and will involve a new design of convertor called the ‘Penguin’ designed by Finnish firm Wello.
The University of Exeter will coordinate biodiversity research at the Wello Penguin installation site at Wave Hub to...
Scientists from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol have conducted a study that shows eels are losing the fight to survive when faced with marine noise pollution such as that of passing ships.
The study, published today (August 7th) in the journal Global Change Biology, found European eels were 50% less likely to respond to an ambush from a predator, while those that did had 25% slower reaction times. Those that were pursued by a predator were caught more than twice as quickly when exposed to the noise.
Lead author Dr Steve Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology...
Have you got what it takes - to take on the world famous Royal Marines endurance training course - in the name of charity? 6 and 7 September will see the 24th annual running of this historic event in the heart of Devon.
The Commandant of the nearby Marine training centre has given permission for civilians to attempt the very same training course that the Royal Marines use each and every day.
Anyone over the age of 16 can enter and will need grit and determination but most of all a great sense of humour to test their fitness on the 4k Fun or 10k Marine or the ultimate 17k...
Scientists are launching a Europe-wide survey which aims to provide the first detailed insight into people’s perceptions of marine litter.
The survey, being conducted by Plymouth University, will assess how people’s attitudes towards the impacts and the potential solutions to this growing environmental problem vary between countries and between those who manufacture, sell, use or dispose of the numerous items which can become marine litter.
It is being led by Professor Richard Thompson, from the Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, and Dr Sabine Pahl and Bonny...
