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We hope you
had a fantastic Easter and have been enjoying the wonderful spring
weather, here is the latest newsletter from the DMF...
This month's
newsletter features your usual roundup of local and
national stories, key marine research and
reports and information on consultations you can get
involved with. There is also special features on Mental Health at
Sea, Invasive Species Week and Imogen Napper's
research on 'biodegradable' bags. Read on to
find out more...
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Its Mental Health Awareness Week
(13 - 19 May) and we thought we would highlight this amazing campaign by
the Sailors Society. More than a quarter of seafarers suffer from depression. Long
contracts at sea, thousands of miles away from families and friends –
often with inconsistent or no Wi-Fi – can be incredibly isolating and
challenging. Click HERE to
find out more!
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New Management Plan for the Outstanding North Devon
Coast with
ambitious plans to deliver improvements for places, people and
wildlife, the updated Management Plan for the North Devon Coast Areas
of Outstanding Natural Beauty is now live more
University Students Participate in Plastic Pollution
Expedition to India scientists from the University of
Plymouth are taking part in an all-female expedition studying plastic
pollution in one of the world’s most iconic waterways more
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D&S IFCA Set to Close Public
Shellfish Beds the D&S IFCA Byelaw & Permitting Sub-Committee has taken
the decision to apply a temporary closure to public shellfish beds in
both the Teign and Exe Estuary
more
New Drive to Cut Carbon Emissions Across Devon Devon County Council leader John Hart is pledging cash support
towards a new drive to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change more
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But what does 'biodegradable' mean?
Biodegradable plastic bags are
still capable of carrying full loads of shopping after being exposed in
the natural environment for three years! Imogen Napper of Plymouth University
explains below:
“After three years, I was really amazed that
any of the bags could still hold a load of shopping. For a biodegradable
bag to be able to do that was the most surprising. When you see something
labelled in that way, I think you automatically assume it will degrade
more quickly than conventional bags. But, after three years at least, our
research shows that might not be the case.”
Full press release
available here
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National
& International News
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UN agency meets to tackle Pollution and Emissions by Ships this week is the 74th meeting of
the marine environmental protection committee of the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) more
Mariana Trench:
Deepest-ever Sub Dive Finds Plastic Bag an American
explorer has found plastic waste on the seafloor while breaking the
record for the deepest ever dive more
Image: Reeve Joliffe
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Maritime UK Launch Inaugural National Awards Programme the Maritime UK Awards will be
the first truly national maritime awards in the UK, organised by industry,
for the benefit of industry more
Scientists Test Radical Ways to Fix
Earth's Climate scientists in
Cambridge plan to set up a research centre to develop new ways to
repair Earth's climate more
Image: BBC
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Study Explores
the Use of Robots and Artificial Intelligence to Understand the Deep
Sea more (Plymouth
University)
New Study Reveals that Marine Diatoms have Evolved Novel Signalling
Mechanisms for Environmental Sensing more (Marine
Biological Association)
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Ocean Acidification Impacts on Coastal Ecosystem
Services due to Habitat Degradation more (Emerging Topics
in Life Sciences)
The rise in
ocean plastics evidenced from a 60-year time series more (Nature
Communications)
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Did You Know?
Invasive non-native species harm the environment and
wildlife, are costly to the economy, and can even pose a risk to our
health and way of life.
Visit Natural Devon's 'Devon Invasive Species
Initiative' page to find out more about
invasive species in the county and surrounding areas.
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If you have
any news or events that you would like included in the next edition of
the DMF newsletter please get in touch
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