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September has been an exciting month as the UK hosted the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Annual Science Conference (ICES ASC) in Gateshead, with Defra and Cefas playing a key role in the delivery of this event. The ICES ASC is the flagship event of ICES. It provides a vital platform for the marine science community to present and discuss the latest research, develop new ideas, foster existing networks, and establish partnerships.
As a founding member of ICES in 1902, the UK continues to play a pivotal role in the organisation. Within ICES, the Science Committee (SCICOM) oversees all aspects of scientific work, while the Advisory Committee (ACOM) provides advice on the sustainable use, provision of services and protection of marine ecosystems. Cefas has been deeply embedded in ICES throughout its history. We continue to play an important role, with around 130 of our scientists participating annually in expert groups and others taking leading roles within the ICES’ community.
Discover more highlights from this year’s conference in our Event Spotlight. Plus, in this edition, you will find a range of stories including new blogs, podcast episodes and updates from our international programmes, the Blue Belt Programme and the Ocean Country Partnership Programme.
I hope you enjoy our latest edition. Please share your thoughts on social media using #CefasMonthlyNews.
Carl O'Brien - Cefas Chief Advisor Marine Fisheries, UK Delegate to ICES and ICES 1st Vice-President
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Science Spotlight
Seasonal migrations of the European sea bass in UK and surrounding waters
 A recent Cefas study published in the journal Movement Ecology explores the migrations and behaviour of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in UK waters.
Seabass are found increasingly further north due to climate change, but the timing and extent of seasonal migrations are not fully understood. Scientists used electronic tags to track the daily movements of 48 individual fish between 2014 and 2019, and compared their findings to the results from simple mark-recapture studies undertaken between the 1970s and the present day. Many of the electronic tag records were more than one year long, allowing the scientists to discover that individuals tagged in different places move hundreds of kilometres to mix on feeding grounds in the summer, but separated to different breeding areas in winter. Furthermore, they found evidence that individuals are faithful to their breeding areas and that a proportion of seabass remain resident within the North Sea, potentially spawning there.
Future changes in seabass distribution are likely to follow a similar pattern. Understanding the movements and connectivity of fish stocks, and how these vary from place to place and over time is crucial for effective fisheries management.
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Navigating Fisheries Science: Insights and emerging issues by fisheries scientists
New #MarineScience blog
 This month we launched a new #marinescience blog, “Navigating Fisheries Science: Insights and Emerging Issues by Fisheries Scientists.”
In the blog, we delve into the key findings from a paper recently published by a group of Cefas scientists exploring the challenges and opportunities in fisheries science.
Written by the authors of the paper, the blog features:
- Expert Insights: Hear from leading scientists at Cefas on the latest challenges and advancements in fisheries science.
- Cutting-Edge Research: Discover how new technologies like genomics and AI are improving our understanding of fish populations and ecosystems.
- Sustainable Solutions: Learn about innovative approaches to achieving sustainable fisheries amidst the rapid expansion of offshore wind energy.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Understand the crucial role of collaboration.
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Latest Episodes of #UnchattedWaters
 Listen to our latest podcast episode, focusing on marine pollution.
Guests Michelle Devlin, Principal Pollution Scientist and Andy Smith, Principal Ecotoxicologist talk about “the colour of pollution”. They discuss the sources of marine pollution, from the chemicals found to some of the impacts on systems such as food webs. They also explore the detection, monitoring, indicators and global objectives that contribute to prioritising where we can take action to reduce harm to our ocean.
All episodes of our podcast are now on YouTube making it even easier to listen to your favourite episode. All episodes can also be found on our website or from your usual podcast providers.
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Media Spotlight
Women in global fisheries industry fall through the safety net.
 A recent media report has brought to light the critical yet often overlooked role of women in the global fisheries industry. The study, which has garnered significant media attention, reveals that millions of women working in post-harvest fisheries and aquaculture are being left behind as new technologies emerge to combat climate change and economic pressures.
Cefas has been prominently featured in this coverage with Cefas scientists providing crucial insights into the socio-economic challenges faced by women in this sector. Dr Julie Bremner, a leading scientist at Cefas, highlighted the potential that exists in this space:
“Our review shows there is a way to go yet on the equity element, but there are opportunities waiting to be grasped.”
This piece highlights the necessity of bridging the gender gap in fisheries, ensuring that technological advancements benefit all members of the workforce equally. The collaboration between University of East Anglia and Cefas is a significant step towards achieving this goal.
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Blue Belt Programme: Annual Update 23/24
 The Blue Belt Programme published its Annual Update 23/24, which highlights work over the last financial year in support of the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). This year, the Cayman Islands become the latest member to join the programme. As well as highlighting the amazing achievements and impact of the UKOTs, this year’s update includes messages of support from His Majesty King Charles III, and Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, MP.
Dive into the highlights and explore our work across five key themes:
- Strengthening governance and management frameworks,
- Understanding and protecting biodiversity, and building resilience to climate change,
- Managing human impacts,
- Supporting compliance and enforcement,
- Capacity building and ocean literacy.
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Emerging from the ‘innovation valley of death’: Opportunities and challenges for the seaweed industry in the UK and Europe.
New #MarineScience blog
 The seaweed aquaculture industry in the UK and Europe is novel but has been growing in the last decade. This is demonstrated by the increase in the number of existing commercial seaweed farms, businesses, and seaweed-based products available on the market and growing political support.
In this latest blog, Cefas scientist Elisa Capuzzo explores the opportunities and challenges for the seaweed industry in the UK and Europe. She explores whether the industry has moved beyond the 'valley of death' with:
- Insights from the recent Seagriculture Conference in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
- Exploring the issues and challenges in growing seaweed businesses to scale
- Highlighting the potential uses of seaweeds versus their economic value
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Event Spotlight
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Annual Science Conference.
 This month, from across Cefas attended the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Annual Science Conference (ICES ASC).
The ASC welcomed 689 in-person delegates at The Glasshouse, Gateshead, hosting a total of 18 theme sessions with over 400 presentations and 125 scientific posters. The Cefas team took part in committees, working groups and presented across the breadth of science themes and topics.
The conference was a great opportunity for us to showcase our work, share knowledge and gain insights from partners, for example through the side event Cefas convened on the use of new technologies in monitoring and the transformation of data collection. It also provided a valuable opportunity for our Early Career Researchers (ECR) to build networks and learn about science both within and outside of their usual areas of interest. A total of 19 Cefas scientists provided presentations during the conference, showcasing the diverse range of science that we undertake.
Over the past year, colleagues from across Cefas have been working together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ICES and the Devolved Administrations to deliver this ambitious event. The organising team rounded up the week by handing over the organisation baton to the Lithuanian team where the ASC will be hosted in 2025.
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Cefas’ Seascapes: Understanding the benefits and trade-offs associated with managing marine natural capital
New #MarineScience blog
 Our marine environment provides us with a range of benefits, such as food, energy and clean water, that are important for our economy and well-being. 'Marine natural capital' refers to the ecosystems, habitats and species that underpin the goods and services that nature provides us. Pollution, climate change and the unsustainable use of marine resources threaten to degrade these ecosystem services and benefits they offer.
In this latest blog, Cefas scientists Clement Garcia and Frances Mynott introduce the 'Seascapes' project, part of the Defra-funded marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme (mNCEA). Now entering its second year, they highlight how Seascapes aims to provide policy makers and decision makers with the tools and evidence needed to assess the benefits and trade-offs involved in managing our marine environment.
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Tackling river pollution in Sri Lanka
 As part of the Ocean Country Partnership Programme, a team from Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), supported by Cefas specialists, successfully deployed a large-scale litter boom to tackle pollution. The boom, placed in the Ja-Ela River captures large debris flowing downriver, providing valuable data on plastic waste entering the ocean.
This initiative aims to monitor pollution levels, particularly in the Kelani River, which supplies 80% of Colombo's water. Collecting and analysing the litter will help better understand plastic pollution, allowing for targeted actions to reduce it, improving both environmental health and local livelihoods.
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People Spotlight
Each month we shine the spotlight on the work of a current member of Cefas staff.
This month we hear from Rebecca Skirrow, a Senior Fisheries Scientist at Cefas
"My work focuses on using Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) systems as a scientific data collection tool. A REM system is a collection of equipment that is installed on a fishing vessel to collect data using GPS sensors, gear sensors and digital cameras, which when reviewed can produce data on fishing activities and catches. I started this work producing the catch estimates from the data we receive but these days I manage others to do that work for a range of purposes and advise Defra on using REM.
I became involved in ICES a few years ago, which felt like a big step in my career, as ICES was something I learnt about at university. My involvement was again focussed on REM, with the aim to link up with colleagues internationally to ensure our work was in line with that of others. I first became a member of the Work Group on Technology Integration for Fishery-Dependant Data (WGTIFD), which is highly REM focussed and brings together a lot of people working in the same area. Following that, I joined the Working Group on Commercial Catches (WGCATCH) when they started looking at REM to provide new insights, as this was a group that is used to working with fisheries data (such as from observer programmes), but have limited experience with REM. The groups complement each other nicely, and the insights and learnings from both help shape our work and keep it internationally relevant.
During this year's ICES ASC, I co-convened one of the 18 science sessions. Our session discussed the use of REM for monitoring sensitive species bycatch and the challenges of using artificial intelligence and machine learning in this space. This is an area that REM has been spotlighted to help with and with expansion of REM in the UK and abroad, it’s a timely topic."
Rebecca Skirrow - Senior Fisheries Scientist
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