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Surrey vet achieves rowing Guinness World Record
The research team rowed 2,000 miles in just 50 days.
Hannah Davies’ achievement formed part of her research into water pollution.

A veterinary surgeon from the University of Surrey has achieved a Guinness World Record, while simultaneously collecting data on underwater noise pollution.

Hannah Davies, a senior lecturer in veterinary clinical practice, helped record the fastest time for a mixed team to row unsupported around Great Britain.

The team, consisting of Dr Davies, skipper Patrick Deacon, Adam Ravenscroft, Joe Benson, Lia Evans and Daisy Lucker, successfully rowed over 2,000 miles in just 50 days.

They faced challenging rowing conditions throughout, including headwinds for most of the journey.

The team achieved the Guinness World Record as part of a project to record data from Great Britain’s waters. Dr Davies sought to collect data on underwater man-made sound, microplastic pollution, water temperature, salinity and biodiversity.

Sound is important in underwater ecosystems, since it travels much further underwater. Marine species use it to communicate, hunt, find a mate, navigate and avoid predators.

However, the noise caused by human activity, such as from boats and machinery, can disrupt this communication. This can lead to marine animals becoming lost, failing to find mates and becoming vulnerable to predators.

As well as collecting vital data for their investigation, the team has also been raising money to combat water pollution. So far, over £7,000 has been raised for the charity Surfers Against Sewage.

Dr Davies said: “I am extremely proud to have broken the Guinness World Record. As a team, we faced many difficulties on our journey.

“However, there were so many positives. This was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, and I felt so privileged to see a lot of amazing wildlife, including minke whales on the east coast of Scotland and pods of dolphins on the south coast of England and the east coast of Ireland.

“This was not only a truly memorable experience, but we were able to collect vital data that will help support research on the state of our oceans and the conditions of our coastline.”

Donations can still be made to Surfers Against Sewage through the team’s JustGiving page.

Image © Shutterstock

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FIVP Practice Matters podcast returns for Series 2

News Story 1
 The Federation of Independent Veterinary Practices (FIVP) has announced that its podcast, FIVP Practice Matters, will be returning for a second series next year.

The bi-weekly podcast will return on Tuesday, 14 January 2025 with an episode on sustainability with Alison Lambert. The second series will include a range of new and familiar guests sharing veterinary initiatives and news from independent practices.

The podcast is available on Spotify and will now also be released on Apple Podcasts. More details about FIVP and the podcast can be found on its website

Click here for more...
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Further cases of H5N1 confirmed in Norfolk

APHA has officially confirmed that two more cases of H5N1 have been found on premises in Norfolk.

Testing confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was present at premises near Attleborough, as well as premises near Hingham in South Norfolk. The case near Hingham follows a slaughter on suspicion which was declared on 23 December.

A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been implemented at each premises, and all the poultry on each premises will be humanely culled.

A third case has also been identified near Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire.

APHA is reminding bird keepers to remain vigilant and follow biosecurity measures to prevent more outbreaks. Details on the current disease control zones and biosecurity guidance can be found on the APHA website.