Marine Conservation Society

Even as the UK sweltered through a record‑breaking heat wave, the ocean gave us reasons to feel hopeful. Here are this month’s standout stories. New marine life A-Z showcases fascinating ocean creatures We've launched a brand-new Wildlife A-Z celebrating the marine life that can be found around the UK, from gobies and sharks to guillemots and sea stars.

This week’s record‑breaking heat isn’t just something we feel on land, it’s a signal of what’s happening beneath the surface of our seas. Our hottest week yet As temperatures soared across Europe, the UN Secretary‑General, António Guterres, delivered a stark message in London: “London isn’t just calling – it’s cooking. Around the world, climate disasters are becoming more frequent, more destructive, and more costly.

There are growing concerns that a ‘Super El Niño’ could develop this year. We explore what this phenomenon is and what it could mean for our ocean - and the life within it. What is the El Niño phenomenon? An El Niño event is a global climate phenomenon in which the trade winds that normally push warm surface waters from east to west across the Pacific Ocean weaken or reverse, allowing warm, nutrient-poor surface waters to accumulate in the eastern Pacific.

News 08 Jun 2026 There are growing concerns that a ‘Super El Niño’ could develop this year. We explore what this phenomenon is and what it could mean for our ocean - and the life within it. Positive Ocean News 29 May 2026 Discover the latest news in this month’s ocean-positive round-up.

As we celebrate the 100th birthday of one of the most influential conservation advocates of our lifetime, I reflect on how Sir David Attenborough’s journey as a broadcaster, writer, and naturalist, mirrors the evolution of marine conservation itself. Concern for our ocean has increased significantly since the late 20th and early 21st century, a change in which Sir Attenborough’s own work has undoubtedly played a key role.

Doug Allan, one of the world’s most celebrated wildlife cameramen, and our inspirational, long-standing supporter and Ocean Ambassador, has died, age 74, during a trip in Nepal. His loss will be felt deeply across conservation and filmmaking communities and by all of us at the Marine Conservation Society who were fortunate to work with him. Doug became a fulltime cinematographer in 1985 and went on to film some of the most iconic sequences in modern television.

We've updated our Good Fish Guide in line with the latest scientific advice. The latest ratings show growing pressure on some of the nation’s most familiar seafood choices, including cod and scampi. The Good Fish Guide has multiple traffic light ratings for each species, depending on where and how it is caught or farmed. Some ratings for both cod and langoustine (often marketed as scampi when trawled), have declined, highlighting growing sustainability concerns for local stocks.

From species discoveries and habitat recovery to a reduction in marine litter and the world's largest coastal path, March brought some great wins for the ocean and its inhabitants. The average amount of litter items found per 100m on UK and Channel Islands’ beaches has dropped by 15% compared to 2024, the Marine Conservation Society has found. In 2025, 603,963 litter items were removed and recorded by volunteers, with an average of 141 items found per 100m, compared to 170 in 2024.

In celebration of World Wildlife Day on 3rd March, we’re shining a light on the incredible diversity of life in our seas. Here, we take a closer look at some marine species that share their names with animals you’d typically expect to find on land, not underwater. True to their name, porcupinefish share more than just a title with the spiky mammals found on land, as their bodies are covered in long spines that are visible even when deflated.

Feel inspired by the latest ocean wins, from species discoveries and conservation to legislation that protects our seas and prevents pollution. The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty, is one step closer to receiving UK ratification.