
Marine expert explains jellyfish 'influx' on Lincolnshire coast
Lianne Havell, who runs Sutton on Sea Beachcare, which is run by Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water, said she had seen a "real influx" of jellyfish along the coastline over the past week.She said people had reported sightings in Huttoft, Saltfleet, Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea."There have been hundreds, literally hundreds," said Ms Havell."It's more unusual to see the blue ones, we don't see them that often.
Ms Bulgakova added: "Large jellyfish strandings like this one in Lincolnshire happen most years, though their timing and location vary. "Warm waters and abundant food can lead to jellyfish blooms, and if combined with onshore winds, they can find themselves stranded on the shore."Ms Bulgakova said jellyfish are "key indicators of ocean change" and reporting sightings helps to monitor ocean health and support research about "our changing seas".She also advised people to observe jellyfish from a distance.
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The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Could dengue spread in the UK? Experts fear climate change could bring tropical diseases to Europe
As Europe swelters in extreme heat, experts fear that rising temperatures caused by climate change could push tropical infectious diseases such as Dengue and West Nile Virus into the UK. Researchers estimate that chikungunya and dengue outbreaks could increase five-fold by 2060 under worst-case climate scenarios, according to a report in the Lancet Planetary Health journal. It comes as Europe faces severe heatwaves and wildfires that scientists have attributed to human-induced climate change. There are growing fears that infections could be pushed northwards into Europe, as pathogens thrive in hot and humid conditions. As well as heatwaves, rising greenhouse emissions have forced the world to adapt to floods, droughts and extreme cold. Migration of mosquitos to Europe Changing climate conditions are making Europe more susceptible to both 'vector' and water borne diseases, according to experts. A vector refers to a living organism that can transmit infections from animals to humans or between humans - such as a mosquito. 'Warmer temperatures and altered rainfall patterns caused by climate change mean that certain species of mosquitoes and ticks can now survive in Europe,' Cambridge Professor of Viral Immunology Michael Weekes told The Independent. Dengue, carried by Asian tiger mosquitos, is now one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in Europe. Globalisation and increased travel has brought a slight increase in travellers bringing the infection to Europe, figures show. A total of 304 cases of Dengue were reported in 2024, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This is a large jump from the cumulative total of 275 cases reported over the last 15 years, which scientists believe could point to the disease becoming endemic in Europe. 'Asian tiger mosquitos are now found in Croatia, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain – and can transmit Dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses,' Prof Weekes added. 'Whereas these generally cause mild infection, Dengue can sometimes cause fever with severe bleeding, and Zika can be transmitted to unborn children.' Flooding and extended periods of rain also disrupt water treatment and distribution processes, scientists fear. A UK government report warned this could cause bacterial blooms and the spread of antibiotic resistant genes. These factors combined mean the disease season is now also longer, with ticks active all year round in some places. Controlling the spread While infectious diseases are rapidly adapting in a shifting climate, Prof Weekes said that Europe can still take measures to accommodate the changes. 'We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit how bad this gets,' Prof Weekes said. 'We also need better surveillance, better control of mosquitos and tick populations, increased vaccination for diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis, and education about avoiding insect bites. The Asian tiger mosquito bites during the day unlike many mosquitos that bite in the evening and at night.' A report released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in 2023 also suggested that more research needs to be conducted to obtain better evidence to measure the impact of climate change on infectious disease risk. It called for strong collaboration between national and international public health agencies, cross-governmental agencies, care providers, such as the NHS and farmers, food manufacturers and the public .


Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Orcas are spotted SNOGGING in the wild for the first time - and they even use tongues
With their fearsome hunting abilities and habit of playing catch with baby seals, orcas have not earned the nickname 'killer whales' for nothing. But a surprising new study now shows that orcas have a softer, possibly even romantic, side. A pair of orcas has been spotted kissing in the wild for the first time - and they even use tongues. The video shows the pair of French-kissing killer whales gently biting each other's tongues for almost two minutes before parting and swimming away. In a paper published in the journal Oceans, the researchers describe 'repeated episodes of gentle, face-to-face oral contact'. The strange behaviour was spotted by a group of nature tourists on a snorkelling trip in the Kvænangen fjords in Norway, about 68 miles (109 kilometres) northeast of Tromsø. This behaviour, referred to as 'tongue nibbling' by scientists, has been seen before in captive whales but never amongst orcas in the wild. Scientists still aren't sure why orcas might engage in this kissing-like activity, but it could be a form of social bonding or play between these highly intelligent animals. In the video, the orcas engage in three bouts of mouth touching, lasting about 20 seconds each. During these 'kisses', one orca extends its tongue as the other gently bites down. Study author Dr Javier Almunia told MailOnline: 'The behaviour colloquially referred to as 'kissing' in killer whales is extraordinarily rare. 'It was first described in 1978 in individuals under human care, but remained virtually undocumented for decades. The first video evidence was obtained in 2013 at Loro Parque, providing the initial opportunity to analyse the behaviour in detail.' However, since these observations were made in captivity, they are of very little scientific value. When observing animals in captivity, it is extremely difficult to tell which behaviours are natural and which have been produced by their stressful and unnatural environment. According to Dr Almunia, these observations show that tongue nibbling is a natural behaviour retained by orcas in captivity. Many animals in the wild are known to engage in mouth contact as a form of social interaction, such as chimpanzees which press their lips together as a greeting. Why do orcas kiss? Scientists aren't sure why orcas engage in this kissing behaviour. It could serve a function similar to grooming in other animals. Young beluga whales engage in similar behaviour to strengthen social bonds, and it may be similar among orcas. Scientists suggest that it could also play a soothing function. This would explain why it is seen more often in captivity than in the wild. The behaviour may also be a form of 'trend' among orcas, such as when wild groups started wearing fish as hats. The researchers don't currently know why orcas kiss in this way, but they point out that it has a strong similarity to behaviours seen in beluga whales. Young beluga whales are known to engage in tongue nibbling, which is believed to help strengthen social bonds. Dr Almunia says: 'It is plausible that tongue nibbling in orcas serves a social or affiliative function similar to oral contact behaviours observed in other mammals. 'Tongue nibbling in orcas is believed to be a form of socio-sexual or affiliative behaviour, serving a function analogous to grooming or other tactile interactions observed in social mammals.' The researchers suggest that it could even be a 'trend' of play among some orcas to help train social and motor skills among young orcas. Orcas are known to adopt trending forms of behaviour which spread from community to community and can reemerge after long periods of absence. Last year, scientists observed orcas wearing dead salmon as 'hats' in a bizarre fashion that had not been seen since the 1980s. Dr Luke Rendel, a marine biologist at the University of St Andrews, suggests that this could be a 'soothing' response to high-stress environments. This might explain why it occurs regularly in captivity and only once in the wild. However, without more thorough research, it is very difficult to say exactly why orcas kiss or why this behaviour is so rare. While these findings are fascinating, the researchers' methods have also drawn strong criticism. While Dr Almunia and his co-authors claim that the video was taken by 'citizen scientists', these were actually tourists on a swim-with-whales trip. Dr Luke Rendel, a marine biologist at the University of St Andrews, calls this a 'poor cover for harassing animals in the wild'. There is strong evidence to suggest that the presence of tourists and tourist boats causes 'significant risks to wild populations', triggering altered behaviour, psychological stress, and disruptions to group cohesion. Dr Rendle adds that the researchers also made 'no quantification of this behaviour and little attempt to do the hard work analyses that might give us some better insights as to why they do it.' Instead, Dr Rendle points out that this paper is more concerned with arguing that it is legitimate to keep orcas in captivity and observe them from tourist boats. Dr Almunia says that these findings reinforce 'the notion that orcas under human care can retain a wide range of affiliative and socio-affective behaviours, including those that are rare or cryptic and thus difficult to observe even in natural settings.' Likewise, the paper stresses the point that orcas in human captivity should be considered 'valuable models for investigating naturally occurring social dynamics.' However, Dr Rendle argues that even genuine scientific observations can 'never be a justification for captivity for a species like this'. Dr Rendle says: 'Make no mistake, this is a for-profit business trying to obscure the ethical issues with its existence by providing really quite lame studies like this.' 'If animals are in captivity for other reasons, it can be better to learn something from them while they are there, but it can never be a justification for captivity for a species like this – everything we learn about them in captivity tells us more and more that they never should be there.' HOW COMMON IS IT FOR KILLER WHALES TO HUNT DOLPHINS? Killer whales, also known as orcas and blackfish, are one of the top predators in the sea. They are apex predators that have been known to eat most animals, including large sharks. Highly intelligent and social creatures, they work as a pack to hunt and kill their prey. Killer whales are technically a species of dolphin but will hunt other types of dolphin for food. Orcas are considered the largest species of the dolphin family. They weigh up to 6 tons (5,443 kilograms) and grow to 23 to 32 feet (7 to 9.7 meters) - almost as long as a school bus. The predators' diet can vary depending on region but they have been known to eat anything from sea birds and squid to sharks and even moose. Dolphins do make up a portion of their diet, but footage of it is uncommon. Dolphins are normally faster swimmers than the larger killer whale, but the orcas will work as a pack to hunt. Operating in their pod, killer whales have been observed working in spaced out groups to isolate dolphins. Eventually, the dolphin becomes exhausted and runs out of energy. Once their prey is no longer able to outrun them, the killer whales rush in and charge the dolphin, hitting it or flipping it into the air in order to immobilise it before going in for the kill.


Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists reveal what the perfect man's body looks like - and it's good news for men with dad bods
It's a question that has puzzled men around the world for centuries. What do women really want? Now, scientists may have finally found the answer - at least in terms of male physique. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have uncovered the body type that women find most attractive. And their findings will come as good news for men with 'dad bods'. According to the research, the most attractive body mass index (BMI) for men is between 23 and 27. At the higher end, that's actually classed as 'overweight' by the NHS. 'Body fat (adiposity) may be important because it is linked closely (inversely) to circulating testosterone levels and is therefore a better indicator of mate "quality",' the researchers wrote. Ideas about the 'perfect' female body have changed hugely through the years. For example, in the 1950s, weight gain tablets hit the shelves as women aspired to look like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, while the 90s saw ladies lusting after a thin, androgynous look dubbed 'heroin chic'. However, until now, there have been few studies focusing on the perfect male body. 'Less attention has been paid to the key features driving physical attractiveness of males,' the researchers, led by Fan Xia, wrote in their study, published in Personality and Individual Differences. To get to the bottom of it, the researchers enlisted 283 participants from three countries - China, Lithuania, and the UK. The participants were shown 15 black-and-white images of men ranging in size from BMI 20.1 to 33.7, whose faces had been blurred. The participants were asked to rank the images on a scale from one (least attractive) to nine (most attractive). The results revealed that peak attractiveness corresponded to a BMI of 23.4 in China, 23.0 in Lithuania and 26.6 in the UK. For reference, the NHS classes a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 as 'healthy', while a BMI of 25 to 29.9 puts you in the 'overweight' category. 'We did not find any large cultural differences in the preferred adiposity, despite the fact there are large differences in the baseline obesity levels in the countries we included and hence big differences in the exposure to individuals with higher body weights,' the team explained. You might think that men would lust after a more trim physique. However, the results showed that both male and female participants preferred bodies with a BMI of between 23 and 27. 'This is probably because it is evolutionarily advantageous for males and females to perceive attractiveness in their own populations in the same way, and most studies including ours indicate this is the case,' the team added. The findings will come as good news for men carrying a few extra pounds. However, the same can't be said for women - as previous studies have shown that men prefer ladies with slimmer physiques. 'Females appear sensitive to adiposity in a manner consistent with evolutionary expectations,' the researchers concluded. 'In contrast earlier work shows males judge females who are thinner than the evolutionary optimal as more attractive.' HOW HAVE IDEAS ABOUT THE 'PERFECT' FEMALE BODY CHANGED? Perceptions of the ideal female body can be linked to representations of women in media, whether found in pop culture, fashion or even politics. These images of feminine attractiveness have changed significantly over the years. 1910 The Gibson Girl - An image produced by American graphic artist Charles Dana Gibson depicted the ideal female figure as tall and regal with an S-curve torso shape 1920 The Flapper - Cultural change sparked by the suffragette movement gave birth to short hair, knee length dresses and a more rambunctious, yet petite, view of female beauty 1950 The Hourglass - Voluptuous curves became important following the end of WWII, which also saw the creation of one of the most influential female bodies, Barbie 1960 The Twig - British cultural icon and model Twiggy brought forward an androgynous look in female ideals where small breasts and thinness were key