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BBC News
5 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Deep-sea science expedition embarks on 40th voyage
A deep-sea science expedition has set-off for the 40th year to explore the depths of the North RSS James Cook left the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton on Friday morning to continue its long-term study of the Porcupine Abyssal roughly 500km from Southampton, scientists and crew will spend four weeks on-board using cameras and other equipment to monitor what goes on at depths of up to scientist on the expedition Dr Andrew Gates told the BBC technology now allowed more information to be captured than ever before. "One of the most important aspects of sustained observations like these is that we can study long-term change in the deep oceans," he said. Last week, temperatures in the seas around the UK and Ireland soared, with some areas 4C warmer than heatwave was most intense off the west coast of Ireland, as well as in pockets off the coasts of Cornwall and Devon, according to scientists at the National Oceanography Centre and the Met Gates said the whole of the water column was connected - what happens on the surface affects the ecology of the deep-sea bed. "The animals that are living at 5,000m in very cold waters are all reliant for their food on the sinking particles of tiny plants and animals," he said. "So changing processes in the upper ocean can affect the amount or quality of food that can reach those organisms." In the last 40 years methods of monitoring the deep-sea have changed dramatically, partly thanks to technology. Early expeditions would deploy most of their equipment over the side of the boat - samplers would pick up mud and water, and trawling devices would scrape the sea bed for invertebrates. The modern technology on-board the RSS James Cook consists of submersibles, hydrophones, and robotic submarine gliders. Dr Gates said: "The quantity of information that we're collecting as we're travelling around is probably the biggest change now."We've got instrumentation which is measuring the surface ocean as we travel. It's bringing in water to sensors that are measuring carbon dioxide, temperature, and salinity." Another piece of technology used onboard are hydrophones - an underwater device that detects and records ocean sounds from all directions. Scientist Dr Dara Farrell said the devices helped identify mammal vocalisation, human activity, and even underwater landslides. "We're just going to try and find out what is out there," she another deployment, she explained how she saw a line on a particular frequency of a spectrogram that looked strange. "We hypothesized that is was due to fish that have swim bladders releasing air to change their position in the water," she said."Without video evidence you're never quite totally sure but it's really cool." For Southampton University student Ben Walker, this expedition will be his first. He is helping conduct research on a specific species of anthropoid, which was first discovered in the Porcupine Abyssal Plain on the first mission there. What he finds will help contribute to his masters degree next year, and he said he felt honoured to be onboard the ship. "To look around and see nothing but the sea knowing you're 4,800m above the sea floor and to actually get samples from there and actually look at them and be able to see them as they come up is an amazing feeling," he said. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Times
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Times
UK weather: warm spring drives ‘prolonged marine heatwave'
A record-breaking marine heatwave has hit the seas around much of Britain's west coast and Ireland, leading to temperatures more normally seen in the middle of June. Sea surface temperatures are up to 4C warmer than usual for this time of year, reaching about 17C off the Irish coast, according to Zoe Jacobs at the National Oceanography Centre, which is tracking the heatwave. Experts met in Exeter on Thursday to discuss marine heatwaves, which until recently climate scientists had described as an issue confined to the Mediterranean. Britain is not a global hotspot for marine heatwaves but saw two significant instances in 2022 and 2023. The present episode is even warmer. Temperatures around the British coastline are between 1.5C and 2.5C warmer than average
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
Swimmers enjoy warm seas in Cornwall and Devon after dry spring
Swimmers are enjoying unusually warm seas around Devon and Cornwall because of the driest spring in decades. Temperatures of UK waters have risen by as much as 4C after sunny weather and weak winds created the 'ideal conditions for warming'. Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre and Met Office said some areas are much warmer than normal for this time of year. Sea temperatures in April and the first half of May were the highest for that time of year since monitoring began 45 years ago and at a level to be expected in mid-June. Scientists at the Met Office said the marine heatwave, most notable in the west of Ireland, was the result of 'dry, sunny spring' and 'weak winds and waves'. This means the sea started to warm a month earlier than normal, in mid-February. A warm layer at the ocean's surface acts like a lid, trapping heat near the surface and preventing it from mixing into deeper, cooler waters. Dr Segolene Berthou, from the Met Office, said this acts like a layer of olive oil floating in water and allows the heat from the sun to accumulate near the surface – perfect for swimmers. According to the Met Office, marine heatwaves in UK waters usually last between two and four weeks. They are defined as sea temperatures that exceed the seasonal threshold for more than five consecutive days. The entire west coast of the UK is now about 2.5C above average, with a large portion of Scottish waters 2-3C warmer than usual for the time of year. Marine heatwaves more frequent Dr Jonathan Tinker, a marine climate scientist, said: 'With projections suggesting UK summer sea temperatures could rise by up to 2.5C by 2050, such events are likely to become more frequent, intense and longer-lasting. 'Marine heatwaves offer a glimpse into how changing ocean conditions could shape future weather conditions.' There are concerns about the impact these temperature changes could have on marine life. However, upcoming cooler weather and strong winds are expected to ease the heatwave and bring water temperatures back down. It comes as the Met Office warned a tornado could hit parts of Britain following the driest start to spring in 60 years. The Environment Agency had previously warned of the risk of drought this summer without sustained rainfall, with millions of households told they may face a potential hosepipe ban. On Wednesday, West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service confirmed a house fire had been caused by a lightning strike in stormy weather. Pictures show firefighters battling a blaze at the address in Fittleworth, near Chichester, West Sussex. Six fire engines were deployed to the scene, where crews wore breathing equipment to tackle the flames in the roof of the home although no injuries were reported.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
UK sea temperatures soar after exceptionally warm Spring
Temperatures in the seas around the UK and Ireland have soared in the past week with some areas now 4C warmer than normal, with potential implications for marine life and people going swimming. The heatwave is most intense off the west coast of Ireland as well as pockets off the coasts of Cornwall and Devon, according to scientists at the National Oceanography Centre and the Met Office. Sea temperatures in April and the first half of May were the highest recorded during those months since monitoring began 45 years ago. Climate change is causing oceans to warm around the globe and is making marine heatwaves like this one more likely. Scientists expect 2025 to be one of the hottest years on record for air temperatures. "It's super intense at the moment. The marine heatwave has really soared this week," says Dr Ségolène Berthou at the Met Office. Dr Zoe Jacobs, who is based at the National Oceanography Centre, first noticed the unusual marine temperatures a few weeks ago. She found that pockets of the UK had been coming in and out of a mild heatwave since late 2024. That heat intensified and spread in March and has now surged. A marine heatwave is defined as sea temperatures that exceed the seasonal threshold for more than five consecutive days. In the UK the marine heatwave threshold for May is 11.3C. On 19 May the average sea surface temperature reached 12.69C. The entire west coast of the UK is now about 2.5C above average. A large portion of Scottish waters are 2-3C warmer than usual for the time of year. "It started in the North Sea and the Celtic Sea. Now the North Sea has cooled down a bit but the west of Ireland is extremely hot," says Dr Barthou. One of warmest Springs on record is driving the surge, as high temperatures and weak winds warm the top layer of the ocean. Marine heatwaves in the UK are thought to be a relatively new phenomenon but they are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. It is still a bit of a mystery how exactly they will affect marine life, but the signs so far are not good. "The interesting thing is that this started in winter and spring, when most people assume marine heatwaves are only in summer," says Dr Jacobs. People swimming off the west coast of the UK and Ireland may notice the warmer temperatures, although the waters are still cooler than at their peak in late summer. The worst impacts on species are likely to have been avoided for now because the temperatures have not gone above the upper limit that marine life can tolerate, explains Dr Jacobs. But it may be disrupting species' breeding patterns and could bring an influx of jellyfish that like warmer waters, including the huge barrel jellyfish, to seas and beaches. It could also cause harmful algae to grow out of control, creating wide patches of green algae that can poison other life. Previous heatwaves have caused harmful blooms of algae and in 2018 caused mass mortality among mussels. In 2023, jellyfish sightings increased by 32% following a marine heatwave with temperatures 3-4C above average. The heat could also encourage different fish to move into UK waters, including the bluefin tuna, potentially increasing the amount of fish to catch. Normally marine heatwaves last around two weeks, so scientists are surprised at how long this one is persisting. "It is exceptional. We are about two and half months in, which is very long," says Dr Barthou. Higher sea temperatures can push up land temperatures too, as sea breezes carry the heat off the ocean. That happened in May 2024 when a short marine heatwave contributed "significantly" to above-average land temperatures, according to the Met Office. 'Shrinking Nemo': Smaller clownfish sound alarm on ocean heat In some parts of the world - including Australia, the US and the Pacific - marine heatwaves can destroy coral reefs or local fisheries, as well as vital seagrass meadows. The UK is usually more protected from these impacts because overall the waters are cooler. But scientists still don't know very much about them and have a lot more to discover. A recent study led by Dr Jacobs found that the UK hotspots are the southern North Sea and the English channel, where heatwaves can last longer than other areas of the country. Oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat created by humans burning fossil fuels, and as a result have warmed overall by 1C. "Before we started having this exceptional weather this spring, the waters were already in a hotter state," says Dr Barthou. In the North Atlantic, sea surface temperatures have been increasing by around 0.3C per decade over the last 40 years, according to the Met Office. The long spell of warm, dry weather is expected to break slightly this weekend. "The ocean lags behind the atmosphere by at least a few days, so it might be that into next week we might start to see the ocean cooling off," says Dr Jacobs. But she says that this might be just a "temporary dip" as the longer-range forecast suggests the weather will warm up again. Graphics by Erwan Rivault A simple guide to climate change Oceans break heat record, with grim implications
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Marine heatwave: UK sea temperatures soar after exceptionally warm Spring
Temperatures in the seas around the UK and Ireland have soared in the past week with some areas now 4C warmer than normal, with potential implications for marine life and people going heatwave is most intense off the west coast of Ireland as well as pockets off the coasts of Cornwall and Devon, according to scientists at the National Oceanography Centre and the Met temperatures in April and the first half of May were the highest recorded during those months since monitoring began 45 years change is causing oceans to warm around the globe and is making marine heatwaves like this one more likely. Scientists expect 2025 to be one of the hottest years on record for air temperatures."It's super intense at the moment. The marine heatwave has really soared this week," says Dr Ségolène Berthou at the Met Zoe Jacobs, who is based at the National Oceanography Centre, first noticed the unusual marine temperatures a few weeks ago. She found that pockets of the UK had been coming in and out of a mild heatwave since late 2024. That heat intensified and spread in March and has now surged.A marine heatwave is defined as sea temperatures that exceed the seasonal threshold for more than five consecutive days. In the UK the marine heatwave threshold for May is 11.3C. On 19 May the average sea surface temperature reached entire west coast of the UK is now about 2.5C above average. A large portion of Scottish waters are 2-3C warmer than usual for the time of year. "It started in the North Sea and the Celtic Sea. Now the North Sea has cooled down a bit but the west of Ireland is extremely hot," says Dr of warmest Springs on record is driving the surge, as high temperatures and weak winds warm the top layer of the heatwaves in the UK are thought to be a relatively new phenomenon but they are expected to increase in frequency and is still a bit of a mystery how exactly they will affect marine life, but the signs so far are not good. "The interesting thing is that this started in winter and spring, when most people assume marine heatwaves are only in summer," says Dr swimming off the west coast of the UK and Ireland may notice the warmer temperatures, although the waters are still cooler than at their peak in late worst impacts on species are likely to have been avoided for now because the temperatures have not gone above the upper limit that marine life can tolerate, explains Dr it may be disrupting species' breeding patterns and could bring an influx of jellyfish that like warmer waters, including the huge barrel jellyfish, to seas and could also cause harmful algae to grow out of control, creating wide patches of green algae that can poison other life. Previous heatwaves have caused harmful blooms of algae and in 2018 caused mass mortality among 2023, jellyfish sightings increased by 32% following a marine heatwave with temperatures 3-4C above heat could also encourage different fish to move into UK waters, including the bluefin tuna, potentially increasing the amount of fish to catch. Normally marine heatwaves last around two weeks, so scientists are surprised at how long this one is persisting."It is exceptional. We are about two and half months in, which is very long," says Dr sea temperatures can push up land temperatures too, as sea breezes carry the heat off the happened in May 2024 when a short marine heatwave contributed "significantly" to above-average land temperatures, according to the Met Office. In some parts of the world - including Australia, the US and the Pacific - marine heatwaves can destroy coral reefs or local fisheries, as well as vital seagrass UK is usually more protected from these impacts because overall the waters are cooler. But scientists still don't know very much about them and have a lot more to discover.A recent study led by Dr Jacobs found that the UK hotspots are the southern North Sea and the English channel, where heatwaves can last longer than other areas of the country. Oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat created by humans burning fossil fuels, and as a result have warmed overall by 1C."Before we started having this exceptional weather this spring, the waters were already in a hotter state," says Dr the North Atlantic, sea surface temperatures have been increasing by around 0.3C per decade over the last 40 years, according to the Met long spell of warm, dry weather is expected to break slightly this weekend."The ocean lags behind the atmosphere by at least a few days, so it might be that into next week we might start to see the ocean cooling off," says Dr she says that this might be just a "temporary dip" as the longer-range forecast suggests the weather will warm up again. Graphics by Erwan Rivault
