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What is El Niño, how does it work and what will it do?

In recent news, you may have seen the alarming headlines that the anticipated El Niño is unprecedented, strongest in living memory, or supersized. But, what is El Niño? What does it mean for people and nature around the world – and in the UK? And, how may climate change affect El Niño events in the future? PML’s Dr Lee de Mora breaks down the science.

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08 October 2026

New paper highlights the ocean‘s role in uniting global environmental action

The article, co-authored by PML’s Office for International Affairs, presents scientific and policy rationales for positioning the ocean as a unifyin...

Italian coastline at night. Rafael Peier | Unsplash

07 October 2026

Study highlights the European waters at greatest risk of harmful light pollution

Scientists have produced the first framework which can be used to assess whether a region is of Good Environmental Status in terms of light pollution....

Group shot of the signing with banner in the background that says "advancing environmental science through collaboration" with the two organisations' logos

07 October 2026

Marine collaboration strengthened in boost to South West region

Two of the South West’s leading organisations for marine research and education have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reflecting thei...

05 October 2026

Plymouth to host 8th ‘Advances in Marine Ecosystem Modelling Research (AMEMR)’ conference in 2027

We are delighted to announce that the 8th Advances in Marine Ecosystem Modelling Research (AMEMR) conference, organised by Plymouth Marine Laboratory ...

30 September 2026

Major UN climate report examines pathways to limit global warming overshoot

PML visiting Fellow Dr Elvira Poloczanska is among the contributors 

Crew of Fishermen Work on Commercial Fishing Ship that Pulls Trawl Net.

28 September 2026

Underwater autonomy to determine trawling's hidden carbon cost

PML researchers are deploying autonomous underwater vehicles in the Western English Channel to measure how trawling disturbs carbon stored in the seab...

23 September 2026

Mining pollution puts nearly 300,000km of world's coastlines at risk, study warns

New research has found that tens of thousands of metal mines and mine waste sites pose a pollution risk to almost 300,000km of the world’s coastline...

22 September 2026

Sewage-linked bacteria traced from source to Devon beaches and shellfish farms expose gaps in pollution monitoring

Scientists from Plymouth Marine Laboratory tracked Escherichia coli (E. coli) from source to sea in Plymouth Sound and Lyme Bay (Devon, UK) and found ...

21 September 2026

7 out of 9 Planetary Boundaries breached: PML joins calls for UN security briefing

With seven out of nine Planetary Boundaries now crossed, “now is the time to act” urges PML’s Professor Helen Findlay, who today joined internat...

Fishing trawler in the Irish Sea. Ian Brown

17 September 2026

Scientists aim to answer critical questions around carbon impact of seabed trawling

A first-of-its-kind study in the Irish Sea, involving scientists from PML, is addressing critical evidence gaps around the environmental impact of sea...

16 September 2026

PML welcomes new Honorary Fellow Lowri Mai Griffiths MBE

Lowri Mai Griffiths MBE is an international ocean governance specialist with extensive experience working across global ocean policy processes and re...

15 September 2026

What’s in a label? New study examines whether seafood ecolabels can truly support sustainability in fishing

Can a seafood ecolabel really make fishing more sustainable? New research reveals what makes schemes work for fishers – and ultimately our ocean.

PML Building from a high angle by drone with the Plymouth Sound and drakes island in the distance

11 September 2026

Space science comes to Plymouth for Protecting Our Planet Day

Classrooms across the UK will be watching Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) this November, as it hosts Protecting Our Planet Day for the first time. Th...

28 August 2026

"Expect different" - PML's Prof Tim Smyth on the effects of warming UK waters

PML’s Director of Science Professor Tim Smyth featured on Channel 5 News this week, speaking to Simon Vigar about the Mediterranean octopus thriving...

26 August 2026

Satellites are helping scientists track changes in the health of the ocean - and a new study shows their precision is growing

Scientists at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) have conducted the largest ever global assessment of the accuracy of satellite data designed to monito...

25 August 2026

Global ocean hits highest temperature on record as El Niño grows

The average surface temperature of the planet’s seas outside the polar regions hit 21.1C (70F) on Saturday, according to figures from the European C...

21 August 2026

Sun, sea and sunscreen: what happens when UV filters enter the ocean?

PhD researcher Anneliese Hodge speaks to BBC World Service about what we know – and don’t yet know – about the environmental impacts of UV filte...

Image: PML scientists joined the research expedition in 2022 that led to the discovery of the mechanism that increases the number of cloud-forming particles in the Arctic atmosphere. Image credit: PML’s Dr Loren Temple.

14 August 2026

As Arctic sea ice melts, it can produce clouds that can reduce warming – but what happens next for the climate?

A new study provides the first real-world evidence of how melting sea ice can boost cloud-seeding particles in the Arctic. But whether more clouds cou...

11 August 2026

Ah, fresh coastal air... or is it? New research reveals coastal sea breeze can worsen air quality - by up to 20%

New research led by PML scientists reveals how sea breeze can have a surprising impact on coastal air quality

10 August 2026

Building trust in AI for better ocean forecasting

The International Telecommunication Union recently published their ‘AI for Good, Innovate for Impact’ interim report 2026, which features a PML-le...

07 August 2026

Over half of people are unaware of environmental effects of sunscreen, study shows

The research comes at a time when the UK has been basking in stunning summer sunshine for several weeks and sunscreen use has likely increased.

06 August 2026

New autonomous monitoring capability demonstrated for floating offshore wind

Scientists test novel sensor integration to help advance autonomous ecosystem assessment and facilitate sustainable offshore wind expansion.

30 July 2026

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 change...