A panel of leading experts in fishes has gathered in the IUCN World Conservation Congress Species Pavilion to discuss the surge of interest in ocean health, and the effect of this surge on conservation successes and challenges. Organized by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group, panelists discussed the growing number of marine species assessed under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and how to ensure that threatened species assessments prompt effective conservation action.

A unique study by scientists at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) will provide valuable new insights into the concentrations of microplastics in the open ocean from surface to the sea bed.

Surfers, kayakers, fishers, boaties, swimmers and beach walkers are all passionate about the marine environment but divers are most likely to contribute to marine citizen science projects, according to a national survey by a Southern Cross University researcher.

Consumers of Asian alternative medicine derived from Australian marine life may be inadvertently consuming toxins, according to research by The University of Queensland.
Dr Kathy Townsend of the School of Biomedical Sciences and UQ's Moreton Bay Research Station said the studies identified the presence of toxic substances in devil and manta rays and traced the trade of the animals across Asia.