The Guardian8 Jun 2026Macro
Automatically composed with AI from the cited sources
A new study led by the Marine Biological Association documents a continued surge of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), with sightings confirmed as far north as Scotland and in Wales, Dorset, and East Sussex, following the initial 2025 bloom off Devon and Cornwall. The commercial octopus catch rose 7,700% in 2025, and last week a single day’s sale at Brixham market reached a record 100 tonnes. Researchers attribute the bloom to a mild winter and warm spring breeding season, linked to warming seas.