Highs and lows for UK's coastal wildlife and habitats in 2025

IT has been the “year of the octopus” in seas off the south west of England, as warm conditions led to the biggest bloom in numbers for 75 years.

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Divers and snorkellers reported numerous sightings, including of multiple octopuses, with the “alien” animals witnessed walking, mating and even grabbing at an underwater camera, while fishers were finding them in crab and lobster pots and when trawling, conservationists said.

But elsewhere UK coastal and marine wildlife have been hit by pollution spills, destructive fishing and ocean heatwaves, with climate change driving new and invasive species into the seas around the country.

In their annual review of the year, the Wildlife Trusts have charted the highs and lows for wildlife and habitats around the UK’s coasts in 2025.