A University of Plymouth researcher is part of a new group working to promote and protect some of the marine environment's most important, but underappreciated, habitats.
Professor Jason Hall-Spencer has been studying maerl beds for several decades, recently co-authoring a study - published in the Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Systems journal - which called for enhanced conservation measures to protect them.
As a result of this ongoing research, he was recently invited to join the steering group of the new UK Maerl Forum, which held its first meeting in April.
Bringing together partners including Natural England, Cornwall Council, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Blue Marine Foundation, the forum's aim is to align research efforts, identify priority actions, and begin shaping a shared vision for maerl recovery.
Its inaugural meeting saw participants from across the UK, Ireland and Brittany gather in Cornwall to hear talks from UK experts, including Professor Hall-Spencer, on maerl beds of the North East Atlantic ocean basin.
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