Tools
Tools
Stewart, BD, Hall, AE, Osmond, T, Hiscock, K, Thomas, S and Sheehan, EV 2026 Title: Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) blooms off the Southwest of the UK: History, trends, causes and consequences. Report on Work Package 2: Fisheries independent estimates of octopus abundance and behaviour.. Marine Biological Association. (UNSPECIFIED)
Preview |
Text
Octopus bloom - Fisheries independent estimates of octopus abundance and behaviour (Work Package 2) FINAL.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (3MB) | Preview |
Abstract/Summary
Since early 2025, an unprecedented bloom of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) has occurred off the southwest UK coast. Although native to UK waters, the species is usually rare, making this the largest bloom recorded in at least 75 years. While many octopus have been commercially landed, they have also preyed heavily on economically important shellfish species, including brown crab, European lobster and king scallop. Landings of these species declined sharply in 2025, causing significant hardship for many in inshore fishing communities. In response, a rapid research project was commissioned in August 2025 to investigate the history, causes and impacts of octopus blooms, and to assess methods for monitoring octopus abundance. Work package 1 examined historical and contemporary evidence and was published in January 2026. It highlighted the role of ocean warming and other environmental conditions for producing octopus blooms, and described the effects on the fishing industry. This new report focuses on work package 2, which tested fisheries-independent monitoring methods. Methods deployed included scientific trawl surveys, baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs), cameras attached to shellfish pots and citizen science surveys involving divers and snorkellers. The survey of divers and snorkellers was particularly successful, providing extensive observations on octopus abundance, distribution, behaviour and reproduction at very little cost. BRUVs also successfully detected octopus and provided valuable information on habitat use, behaviour and condition, making them a promising long-term monitoring tool. Pot-mounted cameras showed potential for studying octopus interactions with fishing gear, although no octopus were recorded during trials. Trawl surveys failed to capture octopus, likely due to limited survey scale. Key recommendations include continued BRUV surveys, wider use of pot cameras, development of a national octopus reporting app, improved age, growth and dietary studies, acoustic tagging research and socio-economic assessments of impacts on fisheries and tourism.
| Item Type: | Publication - Report (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Additional Keywords: | Octopus population dynamics, Fisheries surveys, Baited Remote Underwater Videos, Citizen science, SCUBA diving, Snorkeling, Climate change |
| Subjects: | Fisheries Marine Sciences |
| Divisions: | Marine Biological Association of the UK > Ocean Biology |
| Depositing User: | Ms Kristina Hixon |
| Date made live: | 05 Jun 2026 15:55 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Jun 2026 15:55 |
| URI: | https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/10609 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |