Three times a year, Members receive The Ocean Conservationist, a magazine featuring inspiring articles about the Ocean Conservation Trust’s work and more. The winter edition of The Ocean Conservationist is almost here, bringing our Members exclusive stories from the Ocean Conservation Trust, fascinating wildlife stories, and inspiring conservation successes.
To give you an idea of the kind of stories Members receive in the magazine, we’re giving you a sneak peek of some of the articles featured in this year’s winter edition.
Breeding a more sustainable future for coral reefs and aquariums
Brightly coloured reef fish inspire millions of aquarium visitors each year, but behind the scenes lies a major conservation challenge. Despite growing demand, around 90% of marine ornamental fish are still collected from the wild because breeding them in captivity remains incredibly difficult.
Now, a pioneering PhD project with the University of Plymouth and the National Marine Aquarium is working to unlock the secrets of reef fish reproduction. By following species from spawning to hatching and beyond, researcher Helen Wagahorne hopes to uncover the critical factors that could make captive breeding more successful and help reduce pressure on vulnerable wild populations.
In the article, you’ll find out more about how Helen will work to solve this challenge.
One of the most popular features in our spring issue was our collection of marine conservation wins from 2025. This winter, we’re sharing another round of uplifting Ocean news from 2026, including this heartwarming story from Dorset.
First baby puffin in three decades seen on Dorset coast
As philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau said: “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” And what could be sweeter than discovering a puffling (a baby puffin) for the first time in three decades?
The discovery was made on the Purbeck coast near Swanage, the last known regular nesting site for puffins on the mainland of southern England. In the 1950s there were still about 80 birds nesting at the site. Today, it is feared that the colony is on the brink of extinction, with only three nesting pairs left and no definite sightings of a fledgling for 30 years.
But there is hope. This summer, volunteers observed puffins carrying fish to nesting locations. Only one pair continued to deliver fish to their nest, so the team focused their observations on that spot and, sure enough, one evening out came the parent puffin, followed by its little puffling.
The puffling is thought to have left that night and is hopefully now fending for itself at sea, as puffins do once they fledge. The earliest it can be expected back is in two years, although it may choose to establish a home elsewhere.
The National Trust team will continue its work to understand why the puffin colony has struggled to produce chicks. Atlantic puffins are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and face pressures including food shortages, pollution and climate change.
Another favourite in this edition is our feature with Dan Abbott, also known online as Sharkman Dan, who is our new Multimedia Content Creator. Here’s a short glimpse of what readers can expect.
Under the British Waves: Extraordinary Wildlife Encounters Around the UK with Filmmaker Dan Abbott
While many people associate spectacular marine wildlife with tropical seas and distant destinations, some of the world’s most remarkable encounters happen much closer to home.
Wildlife cinematographer and shark advocate Dan Abbott, our new Multimedia Content Creator at the Ocean Conservation Trust, has witnessed everything from tiger sharks in the Maldives to whales feeding off the British coast.
A Career Dedicated to the Ocean
After seeing a shark for the first time in 2014, Dan became determined to change public perceptions of one of the Ocean’s most misunderstood animals. Since then, he has dedicated his career to shark conservation and education, speaking at schools, universities, dive clubs and international shark conferences, and even delivering a TED Talk on great white shark behaviour in 2019.
An experienced underwater camera operator, Dan has spent more than a decade filming wildlife around the world, from American alligators and giant stingray aggregations to sperm whales and tiger sharks.
Yet some of his most memorable moments have happened in UK waters. In the full interview, Dan shares some of his favourite encounters and explains why Britain’s seas are among the most exciting wildlife destinations on Earth.
From pioneering research and uplifting conservation successes to extraordinary marine wildlife encounters, this winter’s edition of The Ocean Conservationist is packed with stories that celebrate the power of Ocean conservation. These stories are just a small glimpse of what’s inside. Become a Member by the 1st of December to receive your copy of the winter edition and support our work protecting and restoring Ocean habitats for future generations.