At the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) last week, North Atlantic fishing nations have pledged to ban catches of the shortfin mako shark.

The efforts to secure the ban was led by the UK, Canada and Senegal. The move means that the countries agreed to end overfishing immediately and to gradually achieve biomass levels that were enough to support maximum sustainable yield by 2070 for the species, according to an article in The Guardian.

Plankton is admittedly not the most exciting life form in our oceans. Nonetheless, a team of researchers have been taking a closer look at plankton life in the Gulf of Mexico.

Their study has resulted in the publication of a paper in the Science Advances journal.

The researchers focussed on the subtropical waters off Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, using high-speed underwater imaging technology and advanced machine learning approaches.

The Explorers Club (Great Britain and Ireland Chapter) are launching an exciting collaboration with their new partners, Cabal Rum. The aim is to promote the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences. 

As we head into a new era of change we are excited to be launching events and lectures over the next 12 months - with names from all disciplines of exploration. EC GB&IC