Blog

Each year, findings and studies are published which promote the fact that the world is changing at an alarming rate. The world’s oceans are no exception. A new study published in Nature addresses one of the biggest uncertainties in global warming’s effects on the ocean, specifically relating to the ocean’s salinity and the shifting of the polar ice caps. (more…)

Following the hottest July and August on record, the earth’s rising temperature is having a number of knock on effects on rising ocean water temperatures around the world. A new study by The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has described rising ocean temperatures as “the greatest hidden challenge of our generation,” and outlined findings that indicate that oceans absorb up to 90% of the extra heat that our greenhouse gases trap. This study paints an alarming picture of oceanic conditions and the future of our planet.

(more…)

With the rate at which modern towns and cities expand it’s inevitable that the volume of separation between agricultural facilities and highly populated areas is shrinking. The loss of these areas can have a lasting impact, particularly when it comes to our water supplies.

From an increase in water treatment prices to potentially dangerous levels of nitrogen, agricultural facilities encroaching on water supplies has the potential to cause lasting, and potentially harmful, damage.

(more…)

We already know that the pH of water can have detrimental effect on human health, and can be affected by a number of different factors including: residue from volcanic vents, acid rain and global warming. But just how big of an effect can it have on delicate aquatic ecosystems? A number of recent stories and headlines have indicated that the answer is, quite a lot. From fishing practices in Alaska, to dampened escape responses in black turban snails, acidic water is showing increasingly observable pressure on aquatic habitats.

(more…)

The EU results have caused a massive stir in the political and economic landscape with many people still debating the ramifications. Perhaps less documented however is potential effect that leaving the EU could have on the environment and legislation to protect it. Though debating the positives of the EU may seem somewhat redundant now, there was little denying that in most cases, their environmental policies, though stringent at times, helped to maintain a level of conformity across the continent.

(more…)

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a measure of the amount of oxygen dissolved in water. It can be caused by a process of aeration of water flowing through rapids or falls, a byproduct of photosynthesis and the atmosphere. Monitoring DO levels in water may be more important than you think. From dead fish washing up on the shores of Singapore, to historically low levels of brown shrimp, DO is having an adverse effect on ecosystems all over the world. (more…)

Despite it being the official start of British summer, many locations have continued to be hit by severe flooding in the last few weeks. Locations all over the UK have been struck by severe weather warnings, and many properties have been left damaged by the continued rainfall. Unfortunately this is not considered remarkable. The UK has already seen heavy flooding since the year started, following on from years of previously high flood levels. (more…)

Flood Risk Assessments (FRA) are becoming a very important part of the planning permission process. It interlocks with other areas of the planning process, and could cause weeks or months of delays if not done from the beginning. But what is a Flood Risk Assessment?

(more…)

A healthy world ocean is critical to our survival. This is the message that World Oceans Day is trying to remind people of.

(more…)

International Day for Biological Diversity (IDBD) is fast approaching, and this year falls on Sunday, May 22nd. The global campaign was designed by the UN General Assembly to increase awareness and understanding of some of the world’s most important biodiversity issues. In honour of this, we wanted to look back at what was one of the wettest summers on record in 2012 – and one of the notable initiatives to help monitor biodiversity during this time.

(more…)