A recent study led by Dr Jacobs found that the

Sam's uncle Jonny Gray told the BBC: "What you saw was what you got. Sam loved gardening, animals and doing physical activity."Mr Gray said his sister Jo and Sam had a "special relationship" and were an "enormous hit on the show", adding: "The public really loved them."

Emon Choudhury, who won the second series with his nephew Jamiul,that Sam was "pure sunshine in human form" whose "kindness was a beacon for anyone lucky enough to cross his path".He added that Sam and his mother "showed us what it truly means to live fully, love fiercely, and embrace every moment with an open heart".

In a statement, a Race Across the World spokeswoman said: "Everyone who worked with him and indeed everyone who watched Sam could see just how precious and transformative the trip was for both him and his mum, Jo."Sam embraced the seven-week trip with an energy, love and a determination that saw the pair enjoy adventures across Mexico to Argentina making audiences fall in love with them and their special bond as a result.

"Since filming, both Sam and Jo have been an integral part of the Race Across the World cast family and on behalf of us all from the BBC, production and the rest of the cast, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to his parents, Andrew and Jo; his brothers, William and Charlie; his step mum Justine; his family and friends."

Sam had been recently working on the west coast of Scotland and travelled down to Stockport in Greater Manchester to attend a family birthday celebration earlier this week, according to his uncle.Marine heatwaves in the UK are thought to be a relatively new phenomenon but they are expected to increase in frequency and intensity.

It is still a bit of a mystery how exactly they will affect marine life, but the signs so far are not good."The interesting thing is that this started in winter and spring, when most people assume marine heatwaves are only in summer," says Dr Jacobs.

People swimming off the west coast of the UK and Ireland may notice the warmer temperatures, although the waters are still cooler than at their peak in late summer.The worst impacts on species are likely to have been avoided for now because the temperatures have not gone above the upper limit that marine life can tolerate, explains Dr Jacobs.