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New report forecasts major impacts on the marine food web as sea temperatures rise and plankton shift

A new study from the UK’s Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) warns that continued warming of UK waters is likely causing major changes to the tiny drifting organisms that are the foundation of marine food webs – plankton.

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Other recent news stories

Devon coast
20 July 2026
State of the South-West’s Seas 2025 report highlights warming waters and octopus boom

Marine heatwaves, rising sea temperatures and a boom in Common Octopus populations are among the standout findings in the newly published State of the...

Sean | Unsplash
15 July 2026
Scientists urge caution on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal as pressure to limit global warming intensifies  

Emissions reductions remain the priority as highlighted by a new international Policy Brief  

Lymington, Keyhaven Marshes, Solent Maritime SA. Natural England, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
14 July 2026
From mudflats to markets: research reveals strong economic case for investing in marine nature recovery

Findings from the Sea The Value project are presented in this latest report, suggesting that by applying a ‘natural capital assessment’ approach, ...

14 July 2026
Plymouth Marine Laboratory joins UK's new National Research Organisations Group

Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) has joined more than 40 of the UK’s leading national science and research organisations to launch the new National ...

Open ocean. Pierre Goiffon | Unsplash
13 July 2026
PML welcomes UK ratification of the High Seas Treaty

A “landmark moment” for ocean protection, with PML experts warning that the real challenge now lies in delivery.

11 July 2026
Record-breaking marine heatwave highlights the importance of long-term monitoring

UK sea temperatures have exceeded 20°C in the past few days

Octopus
08 July 2026
Heatwave forecast to bring UK seas up to 5°C above average - as octopus bloom highlights changing oceans

“The sheer abundance of octopus is enormous.”  As sea temperatures around parts of the UK expected to climb to as much as 5°C above average, PML...

08 July 2026
What is AMOC? And what is the North Atlantic ‘cold blob’? PML’s Dr de Mora breaks down the science

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) may not be a household name – and neither might the North Atlantic ‘cold blob’ – but th...

03 July 2026
Hundreds of jellyfish wash ashore Southwest beaches - what is causing such large blooms?

Following a mass jellyfish stranding witnessed yesterday [2nd July 2026] in Cornwall, PML scientists explain why jellyfish blooms happen, what brings ...

02 July 2026
Parliamentarians take to our lab - and the seas - to discover how ocean research supports environmental decision-making

Yesterday, a group of cross-party UK parliamentarians joined us in the laboratory and set sail aboard RV Plymouth Quest to gain practical, experience-...

30 June 2026
RESEARCH CRUISE: PML scientists chase mystery ocean gases cooling and "cleaning" our planet

As the need to understand our climate – and our future climate – becomes increasingly urgent, PML scientists set sail on a major research expedi...

Plankton. Bryony Squires, Plymouth Marine Laboratory
27 June 2026
Decline in plankton across North East Atlantic sends stark warning for ocean health

A new study, involving scientists from PML, found there were no habitats assessed as being of ‘Good Environmental Status’ in a region stretching f...

Greenwich Park, heatwave 2022. CC BY-SA 2.0, Alisdare Hickson
24 June 2026
PML scientists contribute to significant UK climate risk assessment, warning of accelerating impacts

Scientists from PML have contributed to the Fourth UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, a recently published major independent technical report that del...

Yesnaby, Orkney Island, Scotland
20 June 2026
Blueprint for a climate-resilient ocean future: Orkney Islands research points a way forward

The MSPACE report shows how balance can be found between ocean conservation and economic development in a changing climate.

19 June 2026
Innovation underwater: expanded testing environment supports UK marine autonomy

A demo of Smart Sound Connect Subsurface was hosted at PML earlier this week 

18 June 2026
A ‘super’ El Niño has the power to devastate fishing – and leave seals and sea lions starving

PML’s Dr Samantha Garrard has written for The Conversation UK about the growing likelihood of a “super” El Niño event developing in the Pacific...

Sean | Unsplash
11 June 2026
PML joins global call to place ocean at heart of COP31 climate action 

An open letter has been signed by more than 150 world leaders, scientists, and institutions.

11 June 2026
Detected from space: 20 years of data shows declining photosynthesis in UK and surrounding waters

A new study by scientists at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) has revealed a significant long-term decline in ocean productivity across large parts o...

Alex Rose | Unsplash
08 June 2026
PML scientists contribute to UN ocean assessment warning of compounding threats but also pathways towards a sustainable future

This week the third World Ocean Assessment was launched which includes major contributions by PML scientists. This assessment is the only global integ...

08 June 2026
Can Marine Protected Areas withstand climate change?

As the world marks World Ocean Day 2026 under the theme ‘Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet’, PML’s Dr Liz Talbot explains exactl...

05 June 2026
PML announces new Head of Group for Environmental Intelligence

It was announced this week that Dr James Clark has been appointed Head of Group for Environmental Intelligence at Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

Plymouth
05 June 2026
Five years of Marine Research Plymouth Alliance: driving global impact from the UK

This five–year anniversary underscores the strength and longevity of the partnership and its growing impact on both regional and international stag...

04 June 2026
Coastal light pollution: taking research on artificial light at night to Chile - and its vast coastline

PML’s Dr Keila Guillen Oñate has recently returned from Chile, where she shared PML’s latest research on public perceptions of mitigation m...

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