North Sea human-made, offshore structures (e.g. oil/gas platforms, offshore wind farms) provide a hard substrate habitat for benthic marine species which can spread between sites during their larval stage. Here, we aim to address how the installation of additional human-made structures, like new wind farms, or decommissioning of existing ones, like oil and gas platforms at the end of service, contribute to changes in larval connectivity. We use particle tracking model simulations to assess the ecological connectivity of benthic species in the northern North Sea during two contrasting years to highlight seasonal to annual variability. Read more here

Barton, B.I., De Dominicis, M., Woolf, D.K. et al. The impacts of human-made structures on larval connectivity in the northern North Sea. Commun Earth Environ 6, 377 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02346-6

Datasets:

• PyLag particle tracking model of retrospective particles in the North Sea during two contrasting years (2014 and 2017). https://doi.org/doi:10.5285/2d751cab-c7a5-2a4a-e063-7086abc0a053
• Post-processed connectivity matrices from PyLag particle tracking model of retrospective particles in the North Sea during two contrasting years (2014 and 2017). https://doi.org/doi:10.5285/2d751fa0-9a38-2aa0-e063-7086abc0c3e0

The latest climate change evidence update on storms and waves has now been published by MCCIP.

This update, led by Dr Lucy Bricheno, from the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool, indicates that more very severe winter storms will cross over the UK and Ireland in the future.

The newest climate models are generally able to consistently predict storm tracks, showing an increase in large and intense wintertime storms and a greater likelihood of successive storms and compound events. High-impact and low-likelihood events, such as the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), could strengthen the storm track and winter westerly winds over the North Atlantic. The models also show that even a gradual weakening of the AMOC could lead to stronger storms and larger storm surges. However, it is important to note that there is still considerable uncertainty regarding future changes to North Atlantic storms, much of which are driven by natural variability rather than long-term climate change.

The key ‘takehome messages’ are summarised on the MCCIP storms and waves evidence review page, which also contains a link to the updated review paper.

The Marine Science Coordination Committee (MSCC) and MASTS are working with ecosystem modellers across the UK to increase the impact of ecosystem models on policy development and management. Learn more about MASTS members and their work with MSCC here.