Marine Conservation Society

Happy #InternationalPolarBearDay! We're celebrating these majestic animals with some fun facts:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Polar bears are actually black, not white. Their skin is black but their fur is hollow and colourless, which reflects light making them look white⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Polar bears are quick on their feet, they can reach speeds of up to 40km per hour (25mph) on land⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - They're incredibly strong swimmers too and can get up to 10km per hour (6mph) in water.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Polar bears like to be clean and dry because dirty and wet fur is a poor insulator. To clean themselves they roll around in the snow⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Baby polar bears can't see or hear anything for the first month of their lives⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Canada is home to 60% of the world's polar bears⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Grizzly-polar bear hybrids exist⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Their paws measure up to 30 cm (11.81 inches) across, to help them tread on thin ice⠀⠀⠀⠀ Want more amazing facts about our ocean? Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news and inspiring stories: https://lnkd.in/eJkgjjkx

Ever wondered what it's like to participate in a Team Beach Clean? Follow our Team Beach Clean Officer, Claire, as we roll up our sleeves and clear ocean litter in Bournemouth 🏖️ A Company Team Beach Clean is a fantastic way to strengthen team relationships, have fun, and help our ocean. Our beach cleans aren't just about cleaning up—they're about collecting vital data to push for policy changes and reduce pollution. We've got lots of dates and locations available throughout the year, click the link to join in: https://lnkd.in/ewwzq3SM.

The Water (Special Measures) Act has now been enshrined in law! The Act, which applies in England and Wales, will: - Enable the Government and regulators to block bonuses for water company executives - Enable criminal charges to be pressed against water companies which persistently break the law - Impose automatic, “severe” fines for rule breakers - Ensure the monitoring of emergency sewage overflows Sandy Luk, Chief Executive of the Marine Conservation Society, said: "The Royal Assent of the Water (Special Measures) Act is a stepping stone towards a cleaner, healthier ocean. Our efforts to influence the Act have resulted in raising awareness of key issues like forever chemicals, and increased protections for our seas." Next, we want to see the Government build on the Act’s ambition to better preserve our blue planet. Read more in our latest blog 👉 https://lnkd.in/eCUmqqgm

Our appeal closes this week, and we want to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has supported our campaign so far! This playful seal is just one example of the incredible wildlife that makes our ocean so magical 💙 Pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction are putting marine life at risk, but we're doing everything we can to reverse that. We're determined to make 2025 the year the ocean thrives If you haven't had a chance to donate yet - there's still time! Every contribution - big or small - makes a difference in protecting seals, dolphins, turtles and all the wonders of our ocean Donate before the appeal closes👉 https://lnkd.in/eP6h4S3G [Video description: a seal spins playfully underwater, alongside the text 'Revive our ocean']

Earlier this month, our brilliant Youth Ocean Network member Katie Jones joined the Bangor University Paddleboarding Club for a 12-hour Paddle-a-thon in support of our work. We are in awe of their epic feat! The Marine Conservation Society Youth Ocean Network is a group of enthusiastic young people who are a voice for the ocean, helping us move our youth engagement forward in an equitable, diverse, inclusive and fun way. Aged 13-25 and would like to have a say on marine and environmental issues? 📣Visit https://lnkd.in/eMPmJTys to learn more about our Youth Ocean Network and how to get involved. And if you're feeling inspired and would like to take on a challenge to help us protect our ocean, you can visit our website for lots of fundraising ideas and events: https://lnkd.in/etQm6tbF.

The winners of the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year Awards have been announced and it's a stunning line-up 😍 Which one's your favourite? We can't pick! You can find all of the winners here: https://lnkd.in/eVW8TMwV #upy2025 #upy #UnderwaterPhotographerOfTheYear (📷: Common hermit crab with painted topshell - Simon Temple, The Curious Seal - David Alpert, The Hitch Hiker - Dan Bolt, Three's a Crowd - Ryan Stalker, Rusty Haven - Dan Bolt, Catshark in Kelp - Shannon Moran, Rainbow seaweed at sunrise - Martin Stevens, Take a Deep Breath - Guy Trees)

Did you see the incredible footage of what could be the first ever live sighting of a humpback anglerfish in broad daylight?! This rare and otherworldly species was spotted off the coast of Tenerife last week, very far from where it's normally found in the depths of the deep sea Sadly, as it's adapted to survive in the unforgiving abyss where not even light can reach, it didn't survive long after being spotted rising to the surface. In its memory, we’re dedicating this week's #SpeciesSpotlight to the fascinating Abyssal Humpback Anglerfish, one of the ocean’s most elusive deep-sea dwellers: - The humpback anglerfish is an ambush predator, uniquely adapted to the pitch-black depths with a bioluminescent ‘luring apparatus’ that dangles in front of its mouth and uses light to attract prey - It forms a symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria, allowing it to produce light and survive at depths of 200 to 2,000 metres - Due to the challenge of finding mates in the midnight zone, this species is extremely sexually dimorphic (meaning males and females of the same species have different characteristics), and only females possess the bioluminescent lure, while males have larger eyes and nostrils to help detect females - Despite their fearsome look, females can grow up to 15 cm (about the size of a large apple), while males are much smaller at 2.8 cm - barely larger than a grape! - Known for its large, gaping mouth and sharp teeth, the humpback anglerfish uses a sit-and-wait hunting strategy to conserve energy. When prey comes close, its expandable stomach allows it to swallow prey nearly its own size - This species has the widest known geographic distribution of any within the Melanocetus genus, inhabiting deep-sea temperate and tropical waters - Its pitch-black or dark brown colour has earned it the nickname ‘black seadevil’ Want to learn more about the amazing species that live in our ocean? Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news and inspiring stories: actmcs.org/li-newsletter 🎥: David Jara Bojuna [Video description: A fish with large head, crescent-shaped mouth and sharp teeth, swims in the blue ocean]

What a journey it's been! 17 episodes, countless insightful conversations, and one shared passion: protecting and unlocking the potential of our ocean 🌊 As we release the final episode of our, "Seas of opportunity: navigating the Blue Economy" podcast series, we want to say a huge thank you to all our brilliant guests—leaders, scientists, investors, and changemakers—who generously shared their expertise and vision. And a special thanks to the Simmons & Simmons team for their partnership on this project. In the final episode, Marine Conservation Society Vice Chairman, Will Oulton, explores why investors need to engage on ocean issues and the influence that they can have in doing so. The conversation perfectly encapsulates the key themes of our series - finance, policy, and advocacy—coming together to safeguard marine biodiversity. 🎧 Haven’t tuned in yet? The full series can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/eTqkSWuR Sandy Luk, James Merchant @delphinemaillocamand Sonali Siriwardena

We're hiring! We have an exciting opportunity to join our Volunteer & Citizen Science Team as our new Citizen Science Programme Developer 🐋 If you're passionate about citizen science, have experience creating volunteer opportunities and have a good grounding in marine species and conservation, we'd love to hear from you Find out more and apply here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dezK7US3 Know someone who's perfect for the job? Tag them below 👇 #EnvironmentJobs #JobOpportunity #ConservationJobs #CharityJobs

We're delighted to share that tickets for our next #VoiceForTheOcean FREE youth events are live 🌊 These events have been vital in increasing our youth engagement work across the UK and provide a social, fun atmosphere for young people to learn, share thoughts and feelings and make new friends 🐳 The day consists of marine related presentations, workshops, guest speakers, artwork and networking We've got 3 events coming up, book your place now: - 1st March Newcastle: https://lnkd.in/eBzct87W - 22nd March Cardiff: https://lnkd.in/eCCWVCdk - 29th March Glasgow: https://lnkd.in/eGtsnMnn Tickets are free but limited - booking essential. Aimed at 13 to 25 year olds but all welcome. Any questions email our Youth Engagement Officer Katie at katie.macfarlane@mcsuk.org Know someone who might be interested? Tag them below👇 📷: Billy Baraclough, Paul Campbell, Kevin Morgans & Sudheha Amerasinghe