EU Pledges Over €300 Million for Ocean Conservation
. This corresponds to €58 million for the Western Indian Ocean and €42 million for Central Africa, and €20 million for the Pacific.Marine pollution: €65.5 million to fight marine pollution: €18 million to develop a comprehensive European strategy for assessing and monitoring aquatic litter, €43.5 million to support authorities eliminating pollution and transitioning to a more climate-neutral and circular blue economy, and €4 millions of technical assistance to support up to 50 targeted communities in preparing transition agendas, driving local change and promoting
Impossible Metals Seeks Mining Lease Near American Samoa
, which are often unpopular with host communities. Detractors say more research is needed to determine how the practice could affect ecosystems.California-based Impossible Metals said it has developed a robotic device with a large claw that uses artificial intelligence to distinguish between nodules and aquatic life.Any country can allow deep-sea mining in its own territorial waters, roughly up to 200 nautical miles from shore.That means that California-based Impossible Metals does not need permission from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) - created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of
Reefblocks: Conservation Results After Two Years Since Installation
for freshwater, saltwater, and migratory fish species. The Reefblocks support fish migration and naturally enhance water quality through filtration.Improved Water Quality and Ecosystem Health: The open structure of the Reefblocks promotes continuous water circulation, creating a healthy habitat for aquatic organisms.Reefblocks have proven their strength in extreme weather and are ready for broader deployment.Storm Resilience: All 17 Reefblocks remained stable during severe storms, including Storm Poly (July 2023).Wave Attenuation: The reef structure reduces wave action and promotes sediment build-up
PML: How Climate Change Will Alter European Fish Distribution
Development Goals (SDGs).The publication was led by PML, with support from:Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, SpainWageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, IJmuiden, the NetherlandsTechnical University of Denmark, National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Kongens Lyngby, DenmarkNippon Foundation Ocean Nexus, School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM), Simon Fraser University (SFU), Burnaby, British Columbia, CanadaHellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Anavyssos, GreeceInstitute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet)
Watch: Soft Robot Swims Like Manta Ray
A team of researchers from North Carolina State University has beaten its own record for the fastest swimming soft robot, drawing inspiration from manta rays to improve their ability to control the robot’s movement in the water.“Two years ago, we demonstrated an aquatic soft robot that was able to reach average speeds of 3.74 body lengths per second,” says Jie Yin, corresponding author of a paper on the work. “We have improved on that design. Our new soft robot is more energy efficient and reaches a speed of 6.8 body lengths per second. In addition, the previous model could
Researchers Explore Carbon Capture in Fish Farms
Scientists are exploring a new model for carbon capture in low-oxygen aquatic environments, such as fisheries, that will help address rising global temperatures and could potentially be cost-effective, a recent study published in Nature Food said. Lead researcher Mojtaba Fakhraee, an assistant professor of earth sciences who will begin his appointment at University of Connecticut in August 2025, worked with Noah Planavsky, professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Yale University, to develop a model to explore how alkalinity production through enhanced iron sulfide formation in fish farms
Marine Animals Travel at Depth that Minimizes Wave Formation
and Deakin Universities led research comparing the swim depths of several sea turtle, penguin and whale species. All travelled at around three body depths from the surface in order to swim in the 'sweet spot' that minimizes wave formation at the surface and vertical distance travelled.Some semi-aquatic animals, such as mink, swim at the surface where wave generation is a major source of wasted energy. However, for marine birds, mammals and reptiles travelling great distances over their lifetimes, adaptation to minimize the energetic cost of transport is expected, particularly on long journeys
MBARI Names Antje Boetius President and CEO
and continue to work on key projects aimed at expanding MBARI’s innovative Environmental Sample Processor technology to benefit the wider scientific community. Under Scholin’s leadership, MBARI has made significant strides in developing technologies that monitor and enhance the health of aquatic ecosystems
Spaces & Places: Inside the ‘Crown Jewels’ of Newfoundland & Labrador
, near-Arctic environment.Photo courtesy the office of Minister Andrew ParsonsGovernment ContributionsSt. John’s is also home to the NRC’s Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre, which specializes in understanding the safety and performance of systems and infrastructure in harsh aquatic environments. “We have the world’s largest ice tank,” proudly said David Murrin, General Director of the site. It measures 90 meters long with temperatures that range down to -25 °C that helps to stimulate Arctic conditions. It’s been used to study a variety of challenges
February 2025
