13 July, Monday
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
UK scientists win a 230,000-pound grant to track endangered tope sharks in the Solent
On 08 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on scientists at the University of Portsmouth receiving a 230,000-pound grant to track critically endangered tope sharks through the Solent. As part of the UK government's largest-ever investment in threatened wildlife recovery this tope, which can grow to nearly two metres, is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and faces pressure from overfishing, bycatch and habitat loss. The team will use acoustic tracking technology combined with citizen science data from recreational anglers to build a detailed picture of how the sharks use UK coastal waters. The grant is one of 130 projects funded through Natural England's Species Recovery Programme, which received 90 million pounds to protect 364 threatened species.
("Scientists to track critically endangered tope sharks in the Solent," Oceanographic Magazine, 08 July 2026) 

Science crews reach Scotland in 2,000-mile coastal row for ocean data
On 07 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on two crews, Rowmads and Nautilus, reaching the Scottish leg of the GB Row Challenge, widely regarded as the toughest section of the unsupported 2,000-mile row around Great Britain's coastline. The teams set off from London's Tower Bridge on 14 June and are collecting water samples and data on microplastic pollution, biodiversity, underwater noise, sea temperature and salinity throughout, to be analysed by scientists at the University of Portsmouth. Fewer than 30 people have ever completed the route continuously and unsupported. Data from the 2024 GB Row Challenge found microplastic concentrations in UK coastal waters had more than doubled compared to 2022 and 2023 surveys.
("Rowers reach Scottish waters in mission-led GB Row challenge," Oceanographic Magazine, 07 July 2026)

BIODIVERSITY
Palau reef rebounds within a year of invasive rat removal from the island
On 08 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on a study from Palau's Ulong Island showing that removing invasive rats triggered measurable coral reef recovery within just one year. This is faster than researchers had expected. With rats gone, seabirds returned and began depositing nutrient-rich guano on land that flowed into nearshore waters and fed reef communities below. At one monitoring site, fish biomass rose by 183 per cent, leaf nitrogen increased by approximately 80 per cent, and multiple seabird species returned simultaneously. The study is described as the world's first experimental evidence that seabird recovery following rodent eradication drives nutrient transfer from land to reef. The project engaged over 100 local team members and generated more than 30,000 hours of acoustic recordings and 11 terabytes of seafloor imagery.
("Palau's reef revival follows rat eradication and seabird bounce back," Oceanographic Magazine, 08 July 2026)

11 July, Saturday
GEOPOLITICS
UK ratifies High Seas Treaty, joining over 90 countries in landmark accord
On 10 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on the United Kingdom formally ratifying the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty, more than two years after first signing it. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper signed the instrument of ratification, which was deposited with the United Nations in New York the same day. The treaty, which entered into force in January 2026 after 60 countries ratified it, creates for the first time a legal mechanism to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the high seas. Over 90 nations have now ratified the agreement. Environmental groups welcomed the move but warned the harder work lay ahead in establishing meaningful protections across the two-thirds of the ocean beyond national borders. 
("The UK has finally ratified the High Seas Treaty... now the hard part," Oceanographic Magazine, 10 July 2026)

BIODIVERSITY
UK launches largest-ever seagrass restoration project in Cornwall
On 09 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on the launch of the UK's largest seagrass restoration project in Falmouth Bay, Cornwall. The three-year, GBP 1.8 million Mor Nature initiative aims to restore 10 hectares of seagrass meadow and revive native oyster populations across the Fal and Helford Special Areas of Conservation. The UK has lost up to 92 per cent of its historic seagrass meadows, while native oyster landings in Cornwall have fallen from 800 tonnes a century ago to around 100 tonnes today. The project is a partnership between the Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT) and Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) and will include citizen science events, snorkel safaris and educational outreach alongside the restoration work. 
("UK’s largest seagrass restoration project underway," Oceanographic Magazine, 09 July 2026) 

Over half of the deep-sea vent molluscs face extinction if mining goes ahead
On 10 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on a new global assessment finding that 62 per cent of deep-sea hydrothermal vent molluscs, including snails, limpets, mussels, clams and chitons, face extinction due to deep-sea mining. Many of these species were discovered only in the past decade and survive in temperatures of up to 450°C at depths of around 5,000 metres. The assessment was released ahead of the International Seabed Authority's (ISA) 31st Session, scheduled for 13-31 July, as pressure mounts from some countries to fast-track seabed mining approvals. One species, Lirapex felix, has already entered the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered due to mining exploration in the Indian Ocean. 
("Deep-sea molluscs face extinction as ISA urged to fast-track mining," Oceanographic Magazine, 10 July 2026)

09 July, Thursday
GEOPOLITICS
Report finds UK marine sanctuaries offer no real protection from trawling
On 07 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on a new Oceana UK report finding that not one of the UK's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designated to safeguard cetaceans fully bans bottom trawling. The Southern North Sea Special Area of Conservation, a sanctuary specifically created to protect harbour porpoises, was subjected to 30,936 hours of apparent bottom trawling in 2025 alone. The report found that bottom trawling harms far more than the seabed, disrupting food webs that porpoises, puffins, whales and seabirds all depend on, while also generating intense underwater noise that disrupts echolocation. The UK government has committed to a public consultation on bottom trawling management in five MPAs but has yet to produce binding action. 
("Trawled & mauled: UK marine sanctuaries endure days of trawling," Oceanographic Magazine, 07 July 2026) 

BIODIVERSITY
Mediterranean seagrass restoration is too fragmented and underfunded to work, finds a new report
On 07 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on a new report from the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project warning that efforts to restore Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows across the Mediterranean remain too small, too isolated and too poorly funded to reverse the ongoing decline. The report sets out 15 policy recommendations on governance, funding and private finance, timed to feed into the EU National Restoration Plans that member states must submit to the European Commission by 01 September 2026. Posidonia meadows are among the Mediterranean's most carbon-rich habitats, supporting biodiversity and protecting coastlines from erosion. Pilot restoration sites have been established across Greece, Italy and Spain. Still, the report warns that scaling up will require coordinated governance and stable long-term financing that do not currently exist. 
("Mediterranean seagrass restoration "underfunded and fragmented"," Oceanographic Magazine, 07 July 2026)

07 JULY, Tuesday
GEOPOLITICS
NGOs’ launches MPA legal coalition to take action against the EU members for destructive fishing practices
On 07 July, Oceanographic reported on 11 NGOs launching Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Legal Coalition to force the European Commission to pursue infringement proceedings against member states. A coalition has launched the MPA Legal Coalition to take legal action against EU member states that continue to allow destructive fishing practices, particularly bottom trawling, inside legally protected marine areas. The coalition argues that countries including Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain are failing to enforce EU marine protection laws. The coalition has called for infringement proceedings and coordinated legal action to ensure effective protection of marine ecosystems.
(“New NGO Coalition takes EU to task over marine protection failure,” Oceanographic, 07 July 2026)

BIODIVERSITY
Study reveals bottlenose dolphins’ increasing dependence on commercial trawlers for prey
On 07 July, Oceanographic reported on a new study finding that bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic Sea are increasingly relying on fish discarded by commercial trawlers. As natural prey declines due to decades of overfishing and habitat degradation, this shift has been noticed. Researchers observed dolphins following up to 76 per cent of bottom trawlers in some areas, compared to just 10 per cent in the 1990s. This indicates a growing dependence on fishing vessels for food. Scientists warn that this behaviour exposes dolphins to risks such as injury, noise pollution, and bycatch. Meanwhile, it also reflects the deteriorating health of the Adriatic marine ecosystem. 
(“Dolphins increasingly reliant on trawler bycatch in overfished Adriatic,” Oceanographic, 07 July 2026)

06 July, Monday
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
China to share sea cable detection robots to certain regions reports SCMP
On 05 July,  SCMP reported that China plans to share robot technology capable of locating marine cables under the sea bed to regions in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Europe. The report said, "By deepening cooperation in [these] offshore engineering markets, we will integrate Chinese intelligent cable detection solutions into the global ecosystem and bolster the international competitiveness of domestic marine equipment." According to the news report, the robots can locate cables buried under silt with a positioning error of less than 5 per cent and also cover exposed lines with sediment for protection. The robot, developed by Dalian Jiaotong’s school of railway intelligent engineering, is deployed in Hainan Wenchang international optical cable installation including other major projects.
(“China offers sea cable detection tech to clients in Middle East, Europe and Asia,” SCMP, 05 July 2026)

04 July, Saturday
GEOPOLITICS
Deep-sea mining firms filed a case against ISA to block investigation
On 03 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on two subsidiaries of deep-sea mining company The Metals Company, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI) and Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd. (TOML), launching legal proceedings against the International Seabed Authority (ISA) at the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg. The lawsuits seek to suspend an active ISA investigation into alleged contract breaches, launched unanimously by ISA member states in July 2025. NORI's challenge is particularly time-sensitive as its exploration contract expires on 22 July, with the company claiming the ISA is intentionally withholding a five-year extension. Greenpeace International described the move as corporate bullying aimed at circumventing international regulatory oversight.  
("Deep-sea mining firms sue ISA to block investigation," Oceanographic Magazine, 03 July 2026)

CLIMATE CHANGE
Marine heatwave starves California seabirds as El Niño looms
On 03 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on a mass seabird starvation crisis unfolding along the California coast. Driven by a prolonged marine heatwave that has lingered off the West Coast for over a year. Only the third time in recorded history has such an event lasted this long. Volunteers and scientists are finding bodies of loons, grebes, and California brown pelicans washed ashore, with necropsies confirming severe malnutrition rather than avian influenza. The heatwave has pushed cold-water prey species like krill, anchovies and sardines into deeper waters, leaving surface-feeding birds without food. Scientists warned the situation could worsen significantly as the upcoming El Niño is expected to push ocean temperatures even higher, recalling the 2013 marine heatwave that killed roughly four million common murres.
("Seabirds starving due to marine heatwave," Oceanographic Magazine, 03 July 2026)

03 July, Friday
BIODIVERSITY
The world's largest gannet colonies may not recover from bird flu until 2041
On 03 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on a major new study published in Biological Conservation, finding that two of the world's largest northern gannet colonies, Bass Rock in Scotland and Grassholm in Wales, may not recover to their pre-2022 bird flu outbreak sizes until 2041. The outbreak caused mortality rates to jump from six  per cent to 33 per cent at Bass Rock, and from 11 per cent to 47 per cent at Grassholm. By the following year, Bass Rock's colony had shrunk by 26 per cent and Grassholm by 38 per cent. The study's authors have recommended revising the northern gannet's global conservation status, currently listed as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
("World’s Gannet colonies may not recover from bird flu until 2041," Oceanographic Magazine, 03 July 2026)

Patagonian tides now at their strongest since the last Ice Age
On 02 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on a new study published in Paleoceanography and Palaeoclimatology finding that tides across the Patagonian Shelf are now among the most energetic as they have been in 21,000 years. The research, carried out as part of the Convex Seascape Survey, reconstructed tidal conditions at 1,000-year intervals since the Last Glacial Maximum, finding that tidal behaviour did not increase steadily as sea levels rose but went through complex and sometimes abrupt reorganisations as coastline shapes changed. Scientists warned that because tidal energy shapes sediment movement and carbon storage in coastal seas, understanding these shifts is directly relevant to projecting how shelf seas will function as sea levels continue to rise.
("World’s Gannet colonies may not recover from bird flu until 2041," Oceanographic Magazine, 02 July 2026)

CLIMATE CHANGE
Record ocean heat and forming El Niño could make 2027 even hotter
On 02 July, The Independent reported on scientists warning that record-breaking ocean temperatures in June, combined with a forming El Niño in the tropical Pacific, could make 2027 even hotter than 2026. Average sea surface temperatures have now reached just under 21 degree Celsius across the world's tropical and temperate oceans, surpassing records set during the 2023-24 El Niño years. In 2025 alone, the heat added to the oceans was equivalent to around 12 Hiroshima-scale nuclear bombs exploding every second. Parts of the Mediterranean are currently up to 6 degrees Celsius above their long-term average, while subsurface temperatures in the eastern Pacific are more than 6 degrees Celsius above average. Scientists warned that hotter oceans fuel stronger cyclones, more intense rainfall and more severe land heatwaves, with marine ecosystems including coral reefs already showing widespread impacts.
("Scientists warn record-hot oceans could make 2027 even hotter,” The Independent, 02 July 2026)

01 July, Wednesday
CLIMATE CHANGE
Oceans hit record temperature in June as El Niño looms
On 01 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on global sea surface temperatures reaching a record high of 20.98 degree Celsius in June, beating the previous records set in 2023 and 2024. The two independent datasets from the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the Copernicus Marine Service recorded temperatures above 20.86 degree Celsius previously in June. Scientists linked this phenomenon to a recent European heatwave described as "virtually impossible" without climate change. Whereas, in the Mediterranean, local temperatures rose by between 6 and 8 degree Celsius above average, resulting in 144 days of a marine heatwave at the Belgian coast. With El Niño now on the horizon, scientists warned that further records were likely before the year is out.
("Ocean hits record temperature this June," Oceanographic Magazine, 01 July 2026)

BIODIVERSITY
Scientists call for total fishing bans on several UK fish stocks
On 01 July, Oceanographic Magazine reported on new stock assessments from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) recommending severe catch cuts for UK waters. The ban  included a complete fishing ban on Celtic Sea cod, whiting and southern haddock, and also raised a zero-catch limit for Irish Sea plaice. The report found that adult breeding cod in the western Channel had fallen by 99 per cent since 2012, with only 133 tonnes remaining. Environmental groups warned that decades of ministers ignoring scientific advice and setting higher quotas for short-term economic gain had pushed fish populations to the brink, resulting in such extremity. North Sea species, including plaice, sole and haddock, were among the few stocks assessed as currently sustainable.
(“The stakes couldn’t be higher”: calls for historic fishing bans in UK," Oceanographic Magazine, 01 July 2026)

GEOPOLITICS
Trump revokes fishing protections across three Pacific monuments
On 12 June, Oceanographic Magazine reported on the Trump administration signing a proclamation reopening nearly 500,000 square miles of previously protected Pacific waters to commercial fishing. This move revokes conservation measures across three marine national monuments: the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. It is the third such rollback by the Trump administration. Papahānaumokuākea alone is home to over 7,000 marine species, more than 31 of which are listed as threatened or endangered. Conservation groups condemned the decision, warning that commercial longlining and purse seining pose significant bycatch risks to some of the planet's most biodiverse ocean ecosystems.
(“Trump tears up protections across three Pacific marine monuments - Oceanographic,” Oceanographic Magazine,12 June 2026)                                                 Oceahttps://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/trump-tears-up-protections-across-three-pacific-marine-monuments/nographic 

BIODIVERSITY
Goblin shark filmed alive in the deep ocean for the first time
On 12 June, Oceanographic Magazine reported on scientists capturing the first-ever live footage of a goblin shark in its natural deep-ocean habitat. The research, published in the Journal of Fish Biology and led by the Minderoo-University of Western Australia (UWA) Deep-Sea Research Centre and the University of Hawaii, documented two separate sightings in the Central Pacific one at 1,237 metres in 2019, and another at 1,997 metres in the Tonga Trench in 2024. The second sighting is the deepest known observation of any white shark, extending the species' known depth range by 700 metres. Scientists said the findings also substantially expanded the goblin shark's known geographic range.
("Goblin shark filmed alive in the deep ocean for the first time," Oceanographic Magazine, 12 June 2026)
https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/goblin-shark-filmed-alive-in-the-deep-ocean-for-the-first-time/ 

Ocean warming drives phytoplankton decline in the north-east Atlantic
On 12 June, Oceanographic Magazine reported on research by Plymouth Marine Laboratory identifying a sustained long-term decline in ocean productivity across large parts of the north-east Atlantic. Using more than two decades of satellite data spanning 1997 to 2018, scientists found that rising sea surface temperatures are causing the ocean to stratify into distinct layers, cutting off the supply of nutrients that phytoplankton need to grow. The decline was most pronounced in the Irish Sea, North Sea, western English Channel and parts of the Norwegian Sea. Scientists warned that reduced phytoplankton productivity could weaken the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide and have knock-on effects for fish stocks and entire marine food webs.
("Phytoplankton decline hints trouble for north Atlantic food webs," Oceanographic Magazine, 12 June 2026) 
https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/phytoplankton-decline-hints-trouble-for-north-atlantic-food-webs/ 

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Two crews to row 2,000 miles around Britain for ocean science
On 11 June, Oceanographic Magazine reported on two teams, Rowmads and Nautilus, departing from London's Tower Bridge on 14 June to attempt a non-stop 2,000-mile circumnavigation of Great Britain as part of the GB Row Challenge. Fewer than 30 people have ever completed the route continuously and unsupported. Both teams will collect data on microplastic pollution, biodiversity, underwater noise, sea temperature and salinity throughout, with findings to be analysed by scientists at the University of Portsmouth. Data from the 2024 GB Row Challenge found average microplastic concentrations in UK coastal waters reached 59 particles per cubic metre, more than double the levels recorded in comparable surveys in 2022 and 2023.
("The world's toughest row and its scientific mission," Oceanographic Magazine, 11 June 2026) 
https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/the-worlds-toughest-row-and-its-scientific-mission/ 

CLIMATE CHANGE
Scientists call for wildlife to be included in climate policy
On 11 June, Oceanographic Magazine reported on a coalition of 287 scientists from six continents issuing the first global Scientific Consensus on Wildlife and Climate, calling on governments to formally incorporate wild animals into their climate policies. The consensus was announced at the 64th Session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies. It affirms that animals influence climate-relevant processes through ordinary behaviour such as grazing, predation and movement, and that these roles must be recognised in climate frameworks. A 2023 paper in Nature Climate Change found that restoring wild animal populations could increase carbon dioxide uptake by an additional 6.41 gigatons per year enough to meaningfully close the gap between existing nature-based solutions and what scientists say is needed to limit warming to 1.5°C.
("Wildlife belongs in climate policy, says breakthrough consensus," Oceanographic Magazine, 11 June 2026)
https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/wildlife-belongs-in-climate-policy-says-breakthrough-consensus/ 

Marine heatwaves quietly devastate Ghana's fishing communities
On 08 June, Earth.Org reported on the growing threat of marine heatwaves to Ghana's fishing communities, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, where ocean temperatures have risen significantly since 2015. Marine heatwaves defined as periods when ocean temperatures exceed the 90th percentile of the seasonal average for at least five consecutive days, have doubled in frequency globally between 1982 and 2016. In Ghana, the events are compounding existing pressures, including overfishing, illegal fishing and habitat degradation, causing catches to become increasingly unpredictable and threatening the food security of millions who depend on fish as a primary source of protein. Ghana declared its first Marine Protected Area (MPA) in April, covering approximately 700 square kilometres near Cape Three Points, as part of efforts to support fish stock recovery.
("Wildlife belongs in climate policy, says breakthrough consensus," Earth.Org, 08 June 2026) 
https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/wildlife-belongs-in-climate-policy-says-breakthrough-consensus/