Planting the Seeds of Inspiration: Eelgrass Restoration
local problem. It’s estimated that the world has lost approximately seven percent of its eelgrass.Restoring these eelgrass beds is critical because they provide habitat for many kinds of marine life, improve water quality by filtering out pollution, and the plant’s root system stabilizes the sediment on the seafloor and as a result protects shorelines from erosion.Eelgrass beds also play a significant role in mitigating climate change. The beds have a remarkable capacity to capture and retain carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, the greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming
BRIN Taps Shipbuilder PIRIOU for Research Vessel Pair
will enable BRIN to conduct offshore scientific campaigns throughout Indonesian waters and the Natuna Sea (South China Sea). Designed for multidisciplinary missions, the vessel will enhance Indonesia’s capabilities in hydrography, physical and chemical oceanography, marine geology and geophysics, sediment sampling, physicochemical water characterization, scientific analysis, and the observation of marineecosystems and climate change impacts.SIGNING DAY: [L to R]: Ms. Inti Wikanestri, Deputy for Human Development, Society, and Culture, Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS); Mr. Amarulla
Plan for More Deep Seafloor Observations Might Find Something “Weird”
of around 2,442 meters in waters off the Johnston Atoll, roughly 750–825 nautical miles southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii.The dive log on the day of the discovery states:“The bottom was characterized by large boulders, cemented basalt, and rocks with a heavy manganese crust and light dusting of sediment. The dive track going upslope was on a sustained community of sponges that also included deep-sea octocorals and associated invertebrates. When Deep Discoverer reached a ridge, the current changed. Here, the community was composed almost exclusively of glass sponges and their diversity increased
First Person: Exploring the Nile River
specialty. The Egyptian religion venerated a deity of flooding and fertility, Hapy. About fertility, the Nile’s modern name comes from Nelios, the Greek word for river valley. But the ancient Egyptians called it Aror Aur, meaning “black,” a reference to the dark nutrient-rich sediment, explains Barry J. Kemp in Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization.The Nile even played an important role in the creation of the monumental tombs such as the Great Pyramids of Giza that reach four hundred feet or so in height. We know from ancient papyrus diaries that workers transported
Methane Hydrate Mining Could Soon Become Economically Viable
China Sea.Symbolic of the rising interest in methane hydrate as an energy source, the move coincides with increasing attention from researchers in Asia and around the world.Gas hydrates are a crystalline solids that look and act much like ice but contains huge amounts of methane. They exist in marine sediments or in association with Arctic permafrost and are not stable at normal sea-level temperatures and pressures.The United States Geological Survey has estimated that methane hydrates could contain twice the amount of carbon as all of the coal, oil, and conventional natural gas in the world combined
Brazilian Abrolhos Corals Decline as Climate Warms
B journal, show “insidious shifts in coral assemblages, including the collapse of branching corals.”Larger branching corals support reef structure but are being replaced by faster-growing species that provide fewer ecological benefits, the study found.Human activity worsens the damage, with sediment stirred up by dredging of the shipping channel at the nearby Port of Caravelas damaging water quality and smothering corals, Moura said.Local marine protected areas have not halted the corals’ decline, indicating that while fundamental for protecting biodiversity, they are not enough
Over 1000 Coral Reefs Mapped in Northern Australia
through to western Cape York in Queensland have until now been mostly invisible and overlooked in conservation and development planning. The Marine and Coastal Hub project, led by AIMS, and run in partnership with the University of Queensland (UQ), unveiled the reefs which are typically hidden in sediment-rich waters.AIMS e-Atlas Project Manager Dr Eric Lawrey said he first got the idea about 12 years ago, when satellite imagery, such as Google Earth, became ubiquitous. The challenge was that, even on a clear day, it was very difficult to see these reefs as they were often located deep in turbid
Lineup Ocean’s SURFREEF Project in Palavas-les-Flots
The Mediterranean coastline faces significant ecological and economic challenges. The Gulf of Lion, which has been studied for erosion and flooding risks for over 15 years, exemplifies these issues. The reduced sediment supply from rivers—including the Rhône—flowing into the gulf has intensified coastal erosion, a problem further exacerbated by climate change.The increasing frequency and intensity of storms have accelerated beach erosion. Artificial structures built to mitigate this phenomenon, such as rock groynes and breakwaters installed since the 1970s, have often reached their
GeoAcoustics Chooses Celestial Tech as Bangladesh Channel Partner
, river management, and offshore energy projects, the partnership strengthens local access to GeAcoustics sonar systems.Through the partnership, Celestial Tech will provide sales, integration, and first-line support for GeAcoustics systems. This includes solutions optimized for shallow water bathymetry, sediment characterization, and high-resolution seabed imaging, which are all key requirements for inland waterway and coastal survey applications in and around Bangladesh
February 2026
