Pontikus - Global Coastal Registry

19/10/2026

🪸 Coral reefs have lost more than half their cover in the last four decades. But they can recover, and ordinary people are helping make it happen.

In our latest Captain’s Log, we look at how citizen divers, local communities and scientists are rebuilding reefs:

🌊 Florida Keys: the Coral Restoration Foundation has returned more than 100,000 corals to the wild using “coral trees”
🌊 Bali: school groups, tourists and local fishermen are growing coral on underwater nurseries
🌊 Philippines: community teams snorkel the reefs to monitor new growth
🌊 Red Sea: dive clubs are training guests in coral gardening, using heat-tolerant coral strains

You don’t need to be a scientist or a professional diver to help. Volunteer, support citizen science, sponsor a coral fragment, or choose sustainable seafood.

Have you ever joined a reef restoration dive, or would you? Tell us below 👇

19/10/2026

What connects a whale surfacing offshore with rain clouds moving toward the coast? 🌊🐋

This week, two scientific gatherings take place from 19–23 October:

🔹 SMM2026 in San Juan brings marine mammal scientists together to study whales, dolphins and their biology, ecology and conservation.

🔹 IARC2026 in Porto brings weather researchers together to study atmospheric rivers. Long pathways of moisture that can bring rain and wind to coastal regions.

Ocean conditions and weather shape coastal habitats and influence the lives of marine mammals. By studying these connections, scientists can build knowledge that supports conservation and coastal communities.

Which marine mammal would you most love to see from shore? Tell us in the comments, and if you’re a coastal business, share your town with us.

Explore Coastal Registry and its 14-day free trial with early joiner benefits: https://pontikus.com/pontikus-coastal-memories

Enter here: €1,600 giveaway, free entry https://pontikus.com/pontikus-giveaway

19/10/2026

19/10/2026

📢 PhD Opportunity: Microplastics, Marine Heatwaves & Marine Life 🦀🌊

How do microplastic pollution and marine heatwaves affect the health and performance of marine animals?

This PhD project will investigate how these environmental stressors influence feeding, digestion, energy use, and growth, with a particular focus on the edible crab (Cancer pagurus), alongside blue mussels (Mytilus edulis).

🔬 What’s on offer?
- Hands-on research in marine ecotoxicology and experimental physiology.
- Training in advanced laboratory techniques, data analysis, and scientific communication.
- Access to excellent research facilities and collaborative research networks.

🎓 Who should apply?
Graduates in Biology, Marine Biology, or related biological sciences with an interest in marine organisms and environmental change. Laboratory experience is an advantage.

📍 Based at the Marine Biological Association, in partnership with the University of Plymouth.

🔗 Find out more and apply:
https://aries-dtp.ac.uk/studentships/horton/

📸 Hans Hillewaert CC)

19/10/2026

💌 You've got funding!

€38 million is available to support new research and innovation projects for a more sustainable blue economy. 🌊

Think smarter ways to use marine resources, new approaches to protecting our seas and ideas that help coastal communities thrive.

🤝 Bring together partners from different countries.

📅 Submit your first proposal by 16 November 2026.

Interested? https://tinyurl.com/4wm32k3r

16/10/2026

Ever wondered why a splash of seawater tastes salty? 🌊

It’s not simply salt from the shore. Rain slowly weathers rocks, and rivers carry dissolved minerals out to sea. Underwater vents contribute minerals, too. Over long periods, sodium and chloride build up in the ocean.

Have you noticed how salty the water feels where you swim? Sea lovers: share your coastal memory. Coastal experts: tell us what shapes salinity in your area. Shoreline businesses: let us know where you’re based! 📍

Explore Pontikus Coastal Memories: https://pontikus.com/pontikus-coastal-memories
Discover the 14-day free trial and early joiner benefits.

€1,600 giveaway, free entry: https://pontikus.com/pontikus-giveaway

15/10/2026

Ever tried to understand a coastal town from a single pin on a map? ⚓

Information about coastal areas is usually split across port authorities, marina websites and community groups, so it's almost impossible to see how everything connects.

A port city is deeply connected to its harbour, its local accommodation and its marine suppliers. But until now, they've mostly been treated as isolated listings. 🗺️

Pontikus – The Coastal Registry is changing that. It's a curated coastal registry for port cities and marine businesses worldwide, built around connections rather than just names. 🌍

🔎 Discover a place
🧭 Follow its relationships
⚓ Choose your next useful connection

You can explore the network as a Sea Lover, apply as a Coastal Expert, or claim a Shoreline Business profile. Business listings go live within 24 hours. 🌊

Also inside: a Seaside Jobs Finder, a Captain's Log for maritime history, and a directory for sustainable seafood places. 🐟

Watch the 100-second video, then tell us: what's the one coastal place you'd explore first? 👇

Start exploring

15/10/2026

RNLI Eyemouth Lifeboat station is 150 years old 🎂

The station was established in 1876 after Eyemouth’s fishing community had been plagued by years of dangerous storms at sea.

Their first lifeboat, the James and Rachel Grindlay, was a wooden lifeboat. It journeyed from London to Eyemouth via Burnmouth railway station. After it arrived, it was pulled by six horses to reach the lifeboat station and the rest, as they say, is history!

The station has gone on to operate 10 lifeboats so far, including Liverpool class lifeboat Frank and William Oates, which entered service as the station's very first motor-powered lifeboat.

In celebration of turning 150, Eyemouth crew followed the same three-mile route – this time pulling the lifeboat by hand! Sheila, their latest D class lifeboat, arrived safely and thanks to generous supporters, they raised nearly £1,000 for our Mayday Mile appeal!

While technology has transformed lifesaving at sea, some things never change: teamwork, dedication and our incredible volunteers who are always ready to answer the call 💙

Well done, everyone – what a way to turn 150 👏

[Visual description: The image is split into two parts. The top shows a historical lifeboat at sea with several people on board in a black and white image. Text reads: 'Then: Liverpool class lifeboat Frank and William Oates'. The bottom shows a modern scene of an all-weather lifeboat alongside a D class inshore lifeboat, with crew members visible in the colour image. Text reads: 'Now: Shannon class lifeboat Helen Hastings and D class lifeboat Sheila'.]