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Cleaner Seas

What are this year’s bathing water classifications? 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Cleaner Seas, Environment Agency

Today, 26 November, the Environment Agency and Defra published the annual classifications of bathing water sites in England.   The results follow testing of England’s 450 designated sites throughout the May to September bathing season. 92% of bathing waters in England …

World Rivers Day:  What are the biggest causes of river pollution and what’s being done about them? 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: agriculture, Cleaner Seas, Environment Agency, Rivers, Uncategorized, Water
View of flowing river

By Helen Wakeham, Director of Water World Rivers Day, celebrated every year on the fourth Sunday of September, is a global event that highlights the importance of rivers and the urgent need to protect them.    Public concern around pollution in …

Wet winters leading to more macroalgae in Solent, but nutrient reduction offers hope for the future

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Cleaner Seas, Climate change, Fisheries and biodiversity, Nature

If you spend time on or around the water of the Solent’s harbours, you will likely have noticed high levels of bright green macroalgae, on the shore or in the water. Wet winters are causing an increase in green macroalgae …

What’s the foam you sometimes see along Britain’s coastlines?

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Cleaner Seas, Cleaner Seas, Climate change, Environment Agency, Water
Coastal foam is often seen in warmer periods

Have you ever been at the coast and noticed a frothy foam at the water’s edge? From April to August, it’s fairly common to see these discoloured, sometimes creamy-looking and bad smelling foamy patches in the sea. You might think …

Bathing water classifications and short-term pollution

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Cleaner Seas, Cleaner Seas, Environment Agency, Water
4. Environment Agency staff member in the sea taking a sample of the water.

Our blog on 1 February explained how we approach monitoring, sampling and testing of bathing waters and our approach to keeping public informed and warned when there are short term risks of pollution which bathers would rightly want to be …