Not many of us associate octopi with the United Kingdom, but the common or Mediterranean octopus is native to its coasts. Usually, though, they are so rarely seen around the waters of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that it's easy to forget they're there.
However, as reported by The Guardian, in the last few years the number of octopi has been swelling. Milder winters and warmer springs allow for greater numbers of the octopi to surge along the UK coastline, acting as a boon to some fishermen, while others find their catch dwindling.
Fishermen relying on shellfish have suffered greatly, due to those types of critters being easy prey for octopi, while those wanting to catch the surging octopi have found them hauling in greater numbers than ever before. From a wildlife perspective, the octopi also act as a food source for seals, eels, and the rare risso's dolphin. "It is a shake-up of the whole ecosystem," said Bryce Stewart, a senior researcher at the Marine Biological Association.