Rice’s Whales Heard in the Western Gulf of Mexico
in marine debris, climate change and its effect on prey and entanglement in fishing gear.Rice’s whales are listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, and is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. They are also a part of NOAA Fisheries’ Species in the Spotlight initiative, which brings greater attention and leverages partnerships and resources to save this highly at-risk species.PartnershipsThis work involved many researchers from these partner institutions:Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of MiamiUniversidad VeracruzanaUniversidad Nacional
ONC’s Deep Sea Observatory Supporting Ocean-based CO2 Removal Research
cultivation could remove around 100 million to 1 billion tons (1 gigaton) of CO2 per year.Over the next 12 months the project will investigate what happens to carbon-capturing biomass after it sinks to the seafloor and its potential impacts on the deep sea environment as it resides there. Under the spotlight will be Carbon Buoys that are designed to grow algae (or seaweed), and capture and convert CO2 into algal biomass through photosynthesis. Once the buoy reaches a point of negative buoyancy, it sinks to the seafloor.ONC’s established deep-sea observatories provide a unique ocean-scale laboratory
Modeling Micro-algae to Better Understand the Workings of the Ocean
phytoplankton which have significant features in common such as size or feeding strategy. This approach assumes each type can have a different impact on the carbon cycle and play a different role in the ecosystem.Diazotrophs – allies of the climateOne type in particular, diazotrophs, are under the spotlight at the moment. These organisms, as their name indicates, use nitrogen (N2) molecules for their growth (etymologically speaking, for feeding, from the Greek word trophos). By transforming N2, diazotrophs provide nutrients that are essential to other phytoplankton and allow them to photosynthesise
Innovative Seismic Monitoring Tech Developed for Danish North Sea CO2 Storage Project
was captured at an INEOS Oxide site in Belgium, transported to the Danish North Sea, and then stored in the INEOS-operated Nini field in the Danish North Sea.Monitoring technologyA wide range of consortium members are behind the newly developed CO2 monitoring technology, including the French company SpotLight: "After the first CO2 storage, it was important for us to demonstrate the efficiency and flexibility of our monitoring solution."We could quickly carry out the first monitoring of the reservoir and thereby obtain important information about where the stored CO2 is located in the reservoir
Swedish Prosecutor Believes State Actor Behind Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts
so that the evidence would not point in one direction, but in several directions," he added. "That makes it difficult to clearly point to one actor." The investigation continues. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put Europe's reliance on Russian natural gas in the political spotlight and the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines has hastened the bloc's switch to other energy suppliers.Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, each consisting of two pipes, were built by Russia's state-controlled Gazprom to pump 110 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas a year to Germany
Lobsters Versus Right Whales
that endangered dolphins. In 1990, Congress passed legislation creating a label that identified canned tuna caught appropriately as “dolphin-safe.” Other measures banned tuna imports from countries with dolphin mortality rates higher than those in U.S. fisheries.Trap doors for turtlesThe spotlight next shifted to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where shrimp catches were skyrocketing thanks to gear like otter trawls – large conical nets towed through the water behind fishing boats. By some estimates, for every 1,000 pounds of fish that these nets gathered, less than 100 pounds was marketable
Racing to the Bottom: Seabed Warfare Brings Threats, Opportunities
Russia struck the pipelines amid rising tensions with Europe over the war in Ukraine.The Nord Stream sabotage is just the latest in a string of shadowy subsea incidents, including unexplained cable breaks off Norway and the United Kingdom, and suspected Russian seabed espionage operations, shining a spotlight on an area of increasing concern in defense circles – the security of critical energy, communication, and military seabed infrastructure. But while targeting seabed assets may seem new, so-called “seabed warfare” has actually been around for over a century. During the Spanish-American
Armach's Hull Service Robot Excels in Over-the-horizon Operation Trials
Armach's home office, nearly 600 miles away.Cody Peyres, Armach’s Operations Manager said, "After verifying the capability to successfully OTH control the vehicle from the safety of the pier, confidence levels were high enough to proceed to additional in-water testing." MTR100 Spotlight: Armach Robotics"The vehicle was launched into the harbor and released. The Plymouth-based operator was able to fly the vehicle from the launch point at the pier, and make a controlled approach to the side of the ship. Once there, it was able to attach itself successfully, and travel along
MTR100 Spotlight: Armach Robotics
The MTR100 is a look at the 100 leading companies, technologies and people in the global subsea sector. In the September/October edition, Marine Technology Reporter published the 17th Annual MTR100. Today's spotlight is on Armach Robotics, launched by Greensea Systems Inc.Armach Robotics (Armach) is setting out to revolutionize proactive in-water cleaning of ship hulls by using of small, autonomous robots. Proactive in-water cleaning is the frequent removal of early stage biofouling through gentle means, reducing the problem at its earliest stages. Management and control of microfouling pays
February 2024
