The BBC reports that the UK government has created a new marine reserve twice the size of the UK itself around the Chagos Islands. These 60 or so islands are out in the Indian Ocean, forming part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, and contain the Diego Garcia US air base.

The reserve comprises 545,000 square kilometres of ocean, atolls and reefs, which apparently doubles the global coverage of the world's oceans under protection. That's either a highly impressive move by the government, or a disappointing indictment of just how little protection the oceans receive globally. Both perhaps.

It's also nice to report on a tropical paradise but still come under the banner of UK Nature, especially when Spring has turned cold and wet here!