First Solar Bars Use of Deep-Sea Minerals
.The Tempe, Arizona-based photovoltaic manufacturer will keep the minerals out of its supply chain "until scientific findings are sufficient to assess the environmental risks of this potentially devastating new mining process," according to a summary of the agreement provided to Reuters by advocacy group As You Sow. In return, the group withdrew a shareholder resolution calling for a moratorium on such minerals.The step is hardly revolutionary: other companies and governments have made similar commitments on worries that the quest to exploit the seabed for rare metals like those used for electric
COP16 Biodiversity Summit Gridlocked
, dubbed the summit's "finance day."The fund was established to help realize the goals laid out in the landmark 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, aimed at ending nature loss by 2030. COP16 in the Colombian mountain town of Cali is tasked with implementing that agreement.Advocacy groups said the pledges - which brings the total raised by the fund to about $400 million - fell far short of the billions of dollars envisioned for the fund."It's very little. We are talking about millions that have been pledged. But what we are expecting are billions," said Irene
Dealing with the Whale in the Bight
, with proper technology, will reduce the possibility of vessel strikes for all. Situational awareness. Gotta love it.For each column I write, MREN has agreed to make a small donation to an organization of my choice. For this column I select Gotham Whale, New York City’s own whale research and advocacy organization. www.gothamwhale.orgDiorama of commercial whale slaughter. Bahrs collection.Image Copyright NMH
Lobsters Versus Right Whales
catches worldwide are species that weren’t targeted, including fish, whales, dolphins, turtles and seabirds.According to the United Nations, global fishery harvests totaled 178 million tons in 2020. Even by the most conservative estimates, then, some 20 million tons are likely wasted annually. Advocacy focuses on high-profile species like sea turtles, dolphins and sharks, but the problem is much more pervasive. Recent studies of U.S. Atlantic fisheries indicate that flounder, herring and halibut are among the species most frequently landed as bycatch.At the same time, global demand for fish is
US Navy Sets Up Unmanned Surface Vessel Division
systems in conjunction with increasingly capable manned platforms into the fleet.”USVDIV One will oversee medium and large unmanned surface vessels including the Sea Hunter and its sister vessel, the Sea Hawk. The division will focus on unmanned surface vessel (USV) experimentation and fleet advocacy for the surface force. The division will be a cornerstone in building the foundational knowledge required for Sailors to operate and maintain the USV fleet and spearhead the development of the processes required for USV operations and sustainment, according to the Navy
The Information Age is Transforming Fishing Worldwide
as 60% of aquaculture production. Chinese fishing exerts huge influence on the oceans. Observers estimate that China’s fishing fleet may be as large as 800,000 vessels and its distant-water fleet may include up to 17,000 vessels, compared to 300 for the U.S.According to a study by the nonprofit advocacy group Oceana using Global Fishing Watch data, between 2019 and 2021 Chinese boats carried out 47 million hours of fishing activity. More than 20% of this activity was on the high seas or inside the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of more than 80 other nations. Fishing in other countries&rsquo
Texas A&M Partners with Great Lakes to Open Dredging Lab
support for what will become the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Laboratory of Dredging and Coastal Studies.Lasse Petterson from Great Lakes commented, “Our company has had a long and robust relationship with Texas A&M that has included research, participation in dredging short courses, and advocacy for the ocean and coastal engineering profession. This agreement will allow us to formalize and build on that relationship. I noted two years ago that the proximity to Texas A&M at both the College Station and Galveston campuses was an important consideration in our decision to move our corporate
Meet SHADOWLARK: The $10M Personal Vessel Plus Submarine Package
afford a $50m, $100m, of $500m yacht, but maybe could make a $10m investment to own both a very capable support vessel and the submarine,” said Lahey. “To me, it’s a great way for Triton to target a much broader audience; submersibles are a product which universally create interest and advocacy for our oceans. I’m passionately interested in increasing the number of people who care about our oceans, and one of the best ways that you can do that is to take someone put them in submersible, take them on a dive, and I guarantee you that their perspective on the oceans will be changed
Autonomy: Sun, Sail & Subsea – Not a Holiday, but a Hybrid UxV Platform
says they had 17 staff in early summer last year and are looking to have increased that to 60 full time staff by the end of March. It has also built up an advisory board which includes a number of two- to four-star admirals and an impressive roster of technical specialists who’re active in the advocacy of the group, adds Decker.As Ocean Aero moves into a new commercial gear, some of its original founders are back doing what they do; working on new ideas. Co-founders Vance McClure and Mark Ott, who was CTO until 2016, have moved on, with Ott now a founding partner at SubSeaSail, along with partner
February 2025
