The first Argo floats were deployed in late 1999, and by November 2012, Argo had collected its millionth profile of temperature and salinity, twice the number obtained by research vessels during all of the 20th century. 120, 000 new profiles are collected every year, at the impressive rate of 1 profile approximately every 4 minutes.

UNESCO: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)

Twenty high-profile economists have urged the government to drop the top 50p tax rate, which they say is doing "lasting damage" to the UK economy.

BBC: Top 50p tax rate damages UK, say economists

Mr Crompton does expect to see an increase in the conviction rate in the coming years, though, and says he will try to raise the profile of wildlife crime.

BBC: Wildlife crime 'not taken seriously'