Exeter Uni News

Myths about how the Black Death travelled quickly across Asia, ravaging Silk Route communities, date back to a single fourteenth-century source, experts have found. Modern portrayals of the plague quickly moving across the continent, following the course of traders, have been incorrect because of centuries of misinterpretation of a rhyming literary tale. This “maqāma”—an Arabic genre of writing often focusing on a traveling “trickster”—was written by the poet and historian, Ibn al-Wardi in 1348/9 in Aleppo but was…

How might Arctic sea-ice loss affect the British Isles’ weather? That is the question a team of researchers from the University of Exeter and the Met Office have been investigating. The team found a considerable influence of Arctic sea ice on winter weather conditions, with a range of outcomes influenced by a “tug-of-war” between the amount of sea-ice loss relative to background global warming. More dramatic sea-ice loss is associated with a higher rate of warming in the Arctic compared…

The legal flexibility associated with UNESCO Biosphere Reserves has helped communities to become more involved in conservation, new analysis shows. The focus on less prescriptive regulations allows these Biospheres to promote a more harmonious existence between people and nature. The use of “soft law” instruments supports local responses and fosters community collaboration in environmental management, in contrast to rigid conventional frameworks that often struggle with adaptability and local relevance. The study, by Dr Tiago de Melo Cartaxo, from…

As the world approaches critical tipping points, a comprehensive global scientific report shows that resilience – the ability to live and develop with change and crises – must now be placed at the heart of global decision making. Resilience Science Must-Knows highlights nine insights to connect climate, biodiversity, and development goals, supporting societies to prepare for, respond to, and transform through change and crises. For the first time, researchers have compiled decades of resilience science research into nine…

Cities can drastically curb emissions as clean technologies become cheaper, according to a new report from C40 Cities, Arup and Green Futures Solutions. Launched as the C40 World Mayors Summit takes place in Rio de Janeiro (3-5 November 2025), the “Accelerating Urban Climate Action” guide shows how cities can become ‘enablers’ of positive climate tipping points. Thanks to national policies and investment, clean technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps are now set to become as cheap as their…

Most sharks in UK waters survive catch-and-release fishing when angling best practices are followed, according to a new study. University of Exeter researchers, working with partners, tagged almost 70 blue, porbeagle and tope sharks caught in recreational fishing in the British Isles, to track their behaviour and survival afterwards. Fewer than 5% – three sharks, one from each species – died. “Our results suggest survival rates are high when sharks are caught and released within current best-practice guidelines,”…