Every October, plenty of otherwise sensible adults pay good money to be scared. We hang fake cobwebs on the porch, let masked teenagers chase us through corn mazes, and line up for yet another sequel about a villain who should have stayed dead years ago. We love a good fright, as long as it isn't real. The trouble is that this year's most persuasive horror story isn't playing at the multiplex. It is unfolding, with a kind of patient indifference, out in the open ocean, in wat

Europe’s oceans are facing a critical moment. From accelerating biodiversity loss to rising levels of marine pollution, our seas are under unprecedented pressure. Recognising this urgency, the European Commission adopted the European Ocean Pact in June 2025 — a landmark initiative designed to strengthen the EU ocean strategy and bring coherence to European action for the ocean. For organisations like Waste Free Oceans (WFO) , which work to reduce waste pollution and promote