A pod of Orcas work together to bring a whale shark closer to the surface in collaborative hunting strategy / Kelsey Williamson
Welcome to OCF’s insights from the marine and coastal sector. This week we have summarised the most relevant stories for you from a range of Marine and Coastal Sectors, including; Fisheries; Offshore Wind; Offshore Industries; Conservation; Climate and Marine Pollution and more.
Fisheries
The Workforce Development panel at this year’s Pacific Marine Expo brought together representatives from all corners of the U.S. to share innovative programs to mentor, train, and inspire the next generation. The event underscored the national and global issue of declining participation in commercial fishing, dubbed “the graying fleet”, and shared prominent examples of how this is being tackled to create more inclusive fleets for the future.
The Royal Navy and Global Fishing Watch have signed an information sharing agreement to tackle the global scourge of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. By sharing information, data and technical advice on maritime activity, the partnership will improve understanding, assessment of risk, and enable pre-emptive action to avert maritime incidents.
The quotas of fish allowed to be caught in Irish waters have been cut following the significant change in trade rules triggered by Brexit, which has disadvantaged Irish fishers. Many in the industry now believe they are witnessing the beginning of the end of their livelihoods. Not for the first time, they are pinning the last of their hopes on politicians: Two of the country’s current ruling parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, have promised the industry a dedicated minister of state for fisheries if elected, while the Sinn Fein party has promised to institute a dedicated marine minister and create a Fish Ireland office in Brussels, Belgium, that would lobby E.U. officials.
The Scottish Government has issued a call for evidence as part of its Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement (IFMI) Programe, inviting input from experts, fishers, academics, industry representatives, environmental organisations, seafood processors and coastal communities. The initiative aims to create a more adaptive and sustainable framework for managing Scotland’s inshore fisheries.
During the Westminster Hall Debate on the future of UK Fisheries after 2026, Anna Gedlerd, MP for South-East Cornwall, called on the government to work closely with fishers, scientists and stakeholders to ensure a sustainable and equitable future for the UK’s fishing industry post-2026. Alister Carmichael, Orkney and Shetland MP, led a three-hour parliamentary debate, focusing on opportunities in the upcoming review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the European Union.
Crews of up to 100 fishermen have been working on the sands at Leasowe since the cockle beds were opened earlier this month and the 570-tonne quota is expected to be reached within a week. It has taken four years for cockle stocks to replenish at Wirral Beach, and some opponents are highly concerned about the impact of the harvest on really important feeding grounds for migratory birds, many of which are internationally threatened species. Licensing chiefs have said the fishing is being closely monitored and fishermen know that they do have to respect the areas that they’re working in.
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT) fisheries team have begun a new project to catch and tag eels in the River Frome in Dorset, in an inaugural programme to better understand the movements of this fish species in UK rivers and waterways, as well as monitor the start of their migration from the UK across the Atlantic Ocean.
Comparing landings of local fisheries from inside and outside the largest multi-zone coastal MPA in Portugal (ca 290 km2), from 10 years before and 10 years after the MPA was implemented, revealed artisanal fisheries experienced an increasing trend in income due to protection and harvested taxa increased due to no-take zones and limited fishing licenses. However, prices evolved in a more favourable way outside the Marine Protected Area.
The Norwegian Spring-Spawning Herring season is drawing to a close, with much of the 2024 quota caught, and the latest NVG herring reports have been released.
The state of Alaskan fisheries was discussed at this year’s Pacific Marine Expo. The panel featured Senator Gary Stevens, president of the Alaska State Senate, Jeremy Woodrow, executive director of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, and Nels Ure, deputy director of Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay.
Bahamian fishermen have voiced frustration that they have largely been cut out of efforts to preserve and sustain this nation’s marine environment, as the National Fisheries Association’s (NFA) secretary, criticised the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) without proper consultation with the commercial fishing industry.
The absence of political parties at Joynews regional encounter raises concerns for Ghana’s fisheries sector, showing a lack of political interest in engaging with this industry and its challenges.
Offshore Wind
ScottishPower and Ørsted are celebrating the 10th anniversary of West of Duddon Sands, their first offshore wind farm. The £1 billion joint venture, launched in 2013, has generated enough renewable energy to power approximately 340,000 homes annually and supported over 1,000 jobs.
The UK Government’s nine new offshore wind contracts highlight the global surge in renewable energy. The global wind industry added a record-breaking 117GW of new capacity in 2023, marking the strongest year yet for wind energy growth, according to the latest Global Wind Report from the Global Wind Energy Council.
An important new study commissioned by RWE on the socio-economic impacts of its flagship Sofia offshore wind farm project, spotlights the significant value it is creating for communities across the UK. Located off the North East coast of England on Dogger Bank, the 1.4 gigawatts (GW) Sofia offshore wind farm project is poised to become one of the UK’s largest operational renewable energy assets, creating £760m of value for UK economy, including £181m for Yorkshire and Humber and £62m for the North East.
A new report by the Global Wind Energy Council and Global Wind Organisation has found the world will need 532,000 new wind technicians by 2028 to meet the increasing demand for onshore and offshore wind. The report finds that 40% of those roles will need to be filled by new entrants, highlighting the need for a resilient supply chain of skilled personnel to build and maintain wind fleets.
Fennex, a leading innovator in digital solutions for the energy sector, is proud to announce its selection as one of 10 groundbreaking companies to participate in the inaugural Launch Academy Scotland, powered by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult. This prestigious, highly competitive programme focuses on accelerating innovation and technology development within Scotland’s offshore renewable energy sector.
The floating wind turbine market size was valued at USD $0.51 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach USD $28.97 billion by 2032 according to a new “Floating Wind Turbine Market” report, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 56.50% from 2024-2032.
Decommissioning experts led by Offshore Energies UK have produced a pioneering set of guidelines for the removal of offshore turbines which have reached the end of their useful life. Specialists from across the sector have spent two years on a joint exercise to adapt for the wind industry the decommissioning experience and know-how gained from removing North Sea oil and gas installations.
DEME has been awarded a contract, worth up to $52 million, for the construction of an offshore wind terminal in the Port of Cuxhaven in Germany. Meanwhile Energy trading company Danske Commodities has announced that it has signed balancing agreements for the Polish offshore wind projects, Baltyk 2 and Baltyk 3. Danske Commodities will offtake 100% of the projects, totalling 1.4 GW, which makes this the biggest renewables deal for the company yet.
The United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) held its Central Atlantic offshore wind auction for two lease areas off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The auction lasted seven rounds and resulted in two provisional winners: Equinor Wind US LLC and Virginia Electric and Power Co, with the winning bids totaling $92.65 million.
TotalEnergies has reportedly paused development of the Attentive Energy wind farm it planned to build off the coast of New York and New Jersey, citing Trump’s win as a key reason. TotalEnergies said they could revive the project in four years if a more environmentally friendly US president takes office in the future, and claims pausing the project won’t harm their renewable targets. Meanwhile the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) is cautiously moving forward with development activities, publishing the “California Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement” (the “PEIS”) with respect to the five lease areas off the coast of California previously auctioned by BOEM in December, 2022. The PEIS process analyses the potential impact that offshore wind projects will have on the environment, industries and local communities and discusses measures to avoid, mitigate and monitor such impacts.
Fears about the prospects for renewable energy players following Donald Trump’s US election win are “overdone”, according to investment banking giant UBS as it tipped the likes of Iberdrola, Orsted, RWE and NextEra for positive performances.
American Offshore Services (A-O-S) has taken delivery of a hybrid-ready ready Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV), the third G-Class vessel for the company in 2024, which will support the development of offshore wind industry on the United States’ East Coast.
Following Strategic Marine’s successful entry into Korea’s offshore windfarm market earlier this year, the Singapore headquartered shipbuilder has signed a new contract with Yeosu Ocean Co., Ltd. for the construction of a StratCat 27 Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV).
Taiwan’s offshore wind sector received a much-needed boost as Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) signed an offtake deal for a 500MW project at a time when spiralling power prices on the island have left other projects stranded.
Canada launched an open call for proposals for grant funding to support Indigenous and coastal communities in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador in their pursuit of opportunities related to offshore wind development. Grants will provide up to $10,000 in funding per recipient per year until March 31, 2027.
Hexicon CEO Marcus Thor remains “optimistic” for the future of Swedish offshore wind despite the government recently rejecting 13 projects over defence concerns.
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has urged Danish businesses to invest more in Vietnam, especially in green transition and renewable energy, such as offshore wind power.
Offshore Industry
A 4,000km cable buried in trenches along the seabed from Morocco to Great Britain is the vision proposed by Sir Dave Lewis, former Tesco Boss and executive chairman at Xlinks, the company behind the plan. The proposed cable would carry up to 8% of Great Britain’s electricity from renewable energy and battery projects in Morocco’s Tantan province to the Devon coast in under a second. The project has a team of big-name investors from across the energy industry to help raise the £100m required to develop the project, including TotalEnergies, the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), the investment arm of General Electric, Britain’s Octopus Energy and its founder, Greg Jackson.
Deep sea mining has successfully been excluded from the Norwegian state budget: “No announcement of licenses for seabed mineral activities in 2024 and 2025.” Oslo had planned to let companies apply to mine 280,000 sq km (108,000 sq miles) of its waters for precious metals , an area bigger than the size of the UK, however the move was blocked after the country’s Socialist Left Party who said it would not support the government’s budget unless it scrapped the first licensing round.
Following the suspected sabotage of two cables in the Baltic Sea, which has now been declared a “high risk zone”, Australia has been identified as being at high-risk of a similar attack. Cables still carry 99% of Australia’s data, and if Australia was cut off entirely from those cables, essential services would be disrupted with significant political, military and economic ramifications. Last week Google Cloud revealed its Australia Connect project, new cables that will connect Australia with Christmas Island and Fiji, Singapore and the US and Australia also announced it will spend $18m over four years on a cable connectivity and resilience centre.
Conservation
Captain Paul Watson has been in prison for more than 4 months in Norway, prompted by an Interpol red notice issued by Japan whose government accuses Watson of conspiracy to trespass, interrupt a business and cause damage to the Shonan Maru 2 whaling ship in 2010 in the Antarctic. Most crucially, Watson is being held in the high-security facility over the accusation he was responsible for lightly injuring a Japanese crew member via the mild acid from a stink bomb, despite video evidence he was not at the scene of the alleged crime, which his prosecutors have refused to view. Greenland has extended his detention for yet another two weeks, while he awaits the decision on his extradition to Japan.
Adaptation via natural selection may allow corals to keep pace with ocean warming, but only if global warming is limited to a maximum of 2°C. While it is good news natural selection could offset some of the projected losses of coral reefs over the 21st century, we are currently more likely to experience around 3°C of warming above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, causing more frequent and intense marine heatwaves. The researchers believe selectively breeding corals for heat tolerance is a feasible option, but this needs to happen more quickly.
The Scottish Government has announced it will postpone the introduction of legislation on marine nature restoration, after the consultation process highlighted significant stakeholder concerns over the proposed approach. While there was broad support for the principle of restoration, issues centred on the definitions, processes and potential implications of the proposals.
A third of sharks, rays, and chimaeras are threatened with extinction, says a new landmark report. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has released a report, Global Status of Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras, that highlights new knowledge compiled by 353 experts from 115 countries and stresses the urgent need to address overfishing and bycatch in all countries.
The EU has adopted a set of conservation measures to strengthen the environmental protection of five Natura 2000 sites in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Baltic Sea. The initiative, put forward by Germany and agreed by all Baltic EU countries, prohibits fishing with mobile bottom contacting gears in areas of the Fehmarnbelt, Kadetrinne and Pommersche Bucht mit Oderbank and in the entire sites of the Westliche Rönnebank and Adlergrund.
A new paper explores the governance challenges to protect globally important ecosystem services of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean, and whether Elinor Ostrom’s work on managing the commons could be applied to better harness efforts to protect all of the region’s ecosystem services.
Plymouth Sound National Marine Park has launched the Nature Boost Programme. A groundbreaking initiative to connect communities with the rich marine life of Plymouth Sound and support the restoration of nature within the Park. Among its first projects is the captivating Little Rays of Hope, an education-focused effort designed to inspire local people by giving them a view into the fascinating world of skate and rays.
A ferry route between Penzance and St Mary’s has been named the UK’s best for wildlife spotting for the third consecutive year. Isles of Scilly Travel said 347 animals, of seven different marine species, were recorded by marine conservation charity ORCA from ferry Scillonian III in 2024.
A new model effectively captures key humpback whale behaviours and their resulting southward migratory movements in east Australia, which can help anticipate challenges whales may face in the future. In turn, it may aid efforts to better conserve these majestic animals in the face of climate change, one of the biggest threats to their survival.
Climate
Climate models are falling behind reality, as new research reveals that real-world data shows more extreme and unexpected climate changes than models predict, with climate models underestimating extreme trends by up to 4x in some areas.. Most models cannot simulate or fully capture the small-scale processes that run Earth’s climate systems, like: Jet streams; Cloud formation; Soil moisture interactions; Ocean currents. Extreme events are happening faster and more intensely than models predict and the interconnected systems of land, atmosphere, and oceans are reacting in non-linear and amplifying ways we didn’t expect.
For the first time, researchers have quantified the global emissions of a sulfur gas produced by marine life, revealing it cools the climate more than previously thought, especially over the Southern Ocean. We now know the oceans not only capture and redistribute the sun’s heat, but produce gases that make particles with immediate climatic effects, for example through the brightening of clouds that reflect this heat.
A new collaborative £4 million NERC funded research project will help predict the effects of climate change on the Southern Ocean. The “IronMan” project, will bring together 5 UK universities and 8 international partner organisations to explore the previously overlooked role of micronutrients (specifically iron and manganese) in regulating the Southern Ocean.
Researchers are developing their understanding of the 3D structure of marine heat waves using observations and models. As the ocean warms under climate change, a better understanding of how damaging marine heat waves develop and last may help scientists predict them more accurately and forecast their impacts on marine ecosystems.
The UK has called for views on changes to its emissions trading system (ETS) that could see the shipping sector join its carbon market from 2026. Britain’s ETS is part of its wider efforts to meet climate targets and was launched in 2021 to replace its participation in the European Union’s ETS after it left the bloc.
Science
A unique fjord in Chilean Patagonia has given scientists a chance to unlock the reproductive secrets of cold-water corals that typically live thousands of meters below the ocean’s surface.
A pod of orcas have been documented hunting the largest fish in the world, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus). While anecdotal observations in Mexico’s Gulf of California claimed orcas appeared to prey on whale sharks, a team of scientists have now officially recorded these events on four separate occasions between 2018-2024. It has always been the same pod, and is evidence of learned behaviour passed down through the generations. Different populations often have distinct dietary specialisations that are maintained by cultural transmission, and these ‘ecotypes’ typically have a variety of persistent behavioral traditions that are related to their divergent foraging. In another stark example, killer whales have once again been spotted wearing dead salmon ‘hats’ on their head after a 37-year break.
Scientists have shown how regenerating sea anemones restore their shape following a major injury, shedding new light on the fundamental importance of maintaining body shape in animals and enhancing our understanding of the molecular pathways involved in regeneration.
New paper reveals an unprecedented algal bloom linked to the 2020 mass mortality of African elephants. Using satellite and remote sensing and spatial data analysis, PhD student David Lomeo discovered extreme cyanobacteria blooms across 20 waterholes in Botswana, where 350 African elephants died in 2020, sparking global concern.
Marine Pollution
Nearly 200 nations took part in a meeting in Busan, South Korea, which was intended to result in a landmark agreement after two years of discussions. However, negotiators have failed to reach agreement on a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution. A “record” number of fossil fuel lobbyists were registered to take part in the last scheduled round of UN talks, with more than 220 representatives, making this group larger than any single national delegation including host country South Korea.
At the discussions in South Korea on the Global Treaty to tackle plastic pollution, including restricting the harmful chemicals present in plastic, 12 high-ranking United Nations officials wore wristbands to measure their exposure to toxic chemicals. The results, which showed the U.N. officials had each been exposed to more than 30 different chemicals, were released on Thursday. This experiment was meant to drive home the fact that the treaty negotiators themselves are vulnerable to chemicals that could have health effects.
Three of the world’s top five hotspots for marine microplastic pollution are in Europe, according to new data collected by sailors and teams competing in The Ocean Race. Every sample gathered during the 60,000km long Race contained microplastics, and on average 71% of the microplastics in the samples were microfibers. This snapshot on the state of microplastics in the ocean is being shared at the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations in South Korea.
Over the next few years, coastal waters just off of Miami Beach will be transformed by The ReefLine, an ambitious new project that aims to occupy seven miles of seabed within shouting distance of the sands. Funded in part by a $5m bond approved by Miami voters in 2022, Phase I is slated to occur in spring 2025 with Concrete Coral, a sculpture by Argentine artist Leandro Erlich, will be made by sinking 22 concrete cars to form an artwork modeled on a traffic jam.
Researchers in Japan say they have now developed a version of plastic that will fully dissolve in the ocean, and tests showed that the new plastic would start to break down within hours when placed in saltwater. When put into soil, the sheets of the new plastic degraded in 10 days and supplied a chemical similar to fertiliser, which helps keep soil healthy.
Micro- and nano-plastics are ingested by a wide range of aquatic species, from microalgae at the base of the food chain to top predators like eels. Microplastics can cause toxic effects in marine animals, including blocking digestive systems, activating immune responses, causing DNA damage and interfering with the expression of genes essential to various cellular functions. Plastics ingested by marine animals inevitably make their way into our food supply, causing impacts akin to those seen in marine organisms, and tackling plastic bioaccumulation in the food chain is a matter of urgency.
Marine sediments are recognised as major sinks for microplastics, including remote areas which were previously considered “plastic-free”. A new study has quantified microplastics in soft-sediments of European coastal seas and characterised their polymer composition separating surface sediments from deeper layers. It also analysed the influence of water column and sediment properties on spatial variability of seabed microplastics and investigated the relationship with macrofauna communities.
A large quantity of fertiliser was dumped off the east coast of England last week, sparking concerns about the impact on local ecosystems and fisheries. The Maltese-registered cargo vessel had repeatedly been denied access to ports across western Europe and the Baltic, due to safety concerns over the poorly stored 20,000t of ammonium nitrate it was carrying.
Finally given permission to dock in Great Yarmouth and transfer its cargo, contamination of the cargo was discovered which increased the risks of a devastating explosion, and instead discharged part of its cargo just outside the 12-mile limit.
Representatives from a coalition of organisations called on the Transport Minister for Canada to set a new course towards regulating the massive amounts of ocean pollutants the shipping industry releases into coastal waters. The Open Letter, signed by First Nations representatives, The BC Shellfish Growers Association, and scientists, among many others, states that “marine vessel scrubbers contribute between 40-98% of the loading of priority contaminants within 300m of endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale critical habitat.”
Three years ago the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground off the coast of Mauritius, spilling 1,000 tonnes of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) into the water. A new study has confirmed that the oil is still contaminating the mangrove forests in the area, which are close to important conservation sites. Understanding the contamination is important not only for the people of Mauritius but also for the rest of the world, as little is known about how this new type of fuel behaves in the ocean after a spill.
A 300-foot cargo ship, VGS Glory, ran aground on a reef near El Quseir, Egypt. According to AIS data, the vessel had been drifting slowly in the Red Sea for over a month, making erratic movements. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated without any injuries, however it was carrying 4,000 tons of cargo, 70 tons of fuel oil and 50 tons of diesel and the ship’s captain warned that the vessel is at risk of splitting in two due to extensive water ingress.
Cruise ships, serving an increasingly booming tourism sector, are under increasing scrutiny for their ability to become a sustainable mode of transport. Cruise ships pumped out 17% more carbon dioxide in 2022 than they did in 2019, according to a T&E study, while methane emissions rose 500% over the same period. However, environmentalists and tourism operators on the Great Barrier Reef say authorities must enforce stricter pollution standards on cruise liners visiting the world heritage area amid growth in passenger cruise numbers and concern that ships are dumping toxins into the water.
Marine Media
Dive into a unique exploration of ten MPAs and Marine Conservation Areas to discover best practice approaches that deliver success, via this interactive website.
Opportunities
The Scottish Government has issued a call for evidence as part of its Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement (IFMI) Programe, inviting input from experts, fishers, academics, industry representatives, environmental organisations, seafood processors and coastal communities.
Got a game-changing idea for a sustainable ocean economy? This is your shot! The 2025 Ocean Changemakers Challenge is on, calling early-stage ocean innovators worldwide to showcase solutions that drive both ocean health and economic growth.