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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.But it may be disrupting species' breeding patterns and could bring an influx of jellyfish that like warmer waters, including the huge barrel jellyfish, to seas and beaches.
It could also cause harmful algae to grow out of control, creating wide patches of green algae that can poison other life."We will be watching closely to monitor the impacts of the current UK heatwave on marine life and fisheries," John Pinnegar, Lead Advisor on Climate Change at the UK Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.Previous heatwaves have caused harmful blooms of algae and in 2018 caused mass mortality among mussels.
In 2023, jellyfish sightings increased by 32% following a marine heatwave with temperatures 3-4C above average.The heat could also encourage different fish to move into UK waters, including the bluefin tuna, potentially increasing the amount of fish to catch.
Normally marine heatwaves last around two weeks, so scientists are surprised at how long this one is persisting.
"It is exceptional. We are about two and half months in, which is very long," says Dr Berthou."For years, the dominant narrative has been that antibiotics are being overused, but the stark reality is that many people with highly drug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries are not getting access to the antibiotics they need," says Dr Jennifer Cohn, GARDP's Global Access Director and senior author of the study.
The study examined eight intravenous drugs active against carbapenem-resistant bacteria - ranging from older antibiotics including Colistin to newer ones such as Ceftazidime-avibactam. Of the few available drugs, Tigecycline was the most widely used.Researchers blame the treatment gap on weak health systems and limited access to effective antibiotics.
For example, only 103,647 full treatment courses were procured of Tigecycline across eight countries - far short of the 1.5 million patients who needed them, the study found. This highlighted a major shortfall in the global response to drug-resistant infections.What prevents patients with drug-resistant infections in India from getting the right antibiotics?