Trawling-Induced Sediment Resuspension Reduces CO2 Uptake
pyrite, a mineral present in marine sediments, leading to additional emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).These are the findings of a new study conducted by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. Based on sediment samples from Kiel Bight in the Baltic Sea, the researchers investigated the geochemical consequences of sediment resuspension.Their conclusion: areas with fine-grained sediments, which play a crucial role in CO2 storage in the Baltic Sea, should urgently be placed under protection.“Fine-grained, muddy sediments are important reservoirs of organic carbon and pyrite,” says
NOC: Underwater Vehicle Finds Loch Ness Monster Camera Trap
deep as 6,000 m water depth collecting a wide range of ocean data to answer the critical questions we have about the ocean, its health and how it supports our planet. This data would be extremely difficult to get any other way, from detailed seabed maps and photography to physical, biological and chemical data in the water column.“At 230 m deep, Loch Ness is an ideal location to testing our robotics, their sensors and systems, before they’re deployed in the deep ocean to help answer the big questions we have," said Sam Smith, ALR operations engineer, from NOC’s Marine Autonomous
Mission Underway to Investigate Legacy Munitions in the Baltic Sea
a barge loaded with conventional munitions was sunk after the Second World War. The contents of the barge, which is lying on the seabed, will be cleared by an explosive ordnance disposal company from Rostock in June and July.The next expedition is planned for October 2025 and will focus on investigating chemical munitions in Polish waters.An estimated 40,000 tonnes of chemical munitions from World War II, along with over one million tonnes of unexploded ordnance (UXO), lie submerged in the Baltic Sea. Containing hazardous substances like mustard gas and arsenic compounds, often in corroding containers,
Study of Newly Exposed Sea Floor Reveals Flourishing Ecosystems
behavior of the larger Antarctic ice sheet. The ice sheet has been shrinking and losing mass over the last few decades due to climate change.In addition to collecting biological and geological samples, the team deployed autonomous gliders to study the impacts of glacial meltwater on the physical and chemical properties of the region. Preliminary data suggest high biological productivity and a strong meltwater flow from the George IV ice shelf.The expedition was part of Challenger 150, a global cooperative focused on deep-sea biological research and endorsed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
CSIRO Science Ship Takes Students on Tasmanian Circumnavigation
studies to surveys of deep-sea ecosystems and marine life.Students will be involved in seafloor mapping and sediment sampling, and will also participate in the search for a historic shipwreck off the northwest coast of Tasmania.CAPSTAN students' background studies range from biological and chemical oceanography to geoscience and engineering. Women make up two thirds of students on the voyage.The voyage is the first in the CAPSTAN program following the completion of a pilot program during 2017 to 2020.Two more CAPSTAN training voyages are planned in the upcoming voyage schedules of RV Investigator
Unexploded Ordnance Could Contaminate Baltic Sea for 800 Years
The south-western Baltic Sea has about 3,000 kilograms of dissolved toxic chemicals released from unexploded ordnance, according to a new study by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.Most of this originates from deliberate dumping after the end of the Second World War. These dumping sites are well documented, with much of the ordnance lying visibly on the seabed, allowing it to be mapped and documented using underwater robots.The study highlights the long-term environmental contamination caused by unexploded ordnance in the south-western Baltic Sea.“Unexploded ordnance contains
Schmidt Ocean Institute Successfully Concludes Inaugural Antarctic Expedition
, for research on marine mammals and sea birds.The ship’s satellite systems also live-streamed ROV dives, connecting the global population with the Antarctic seafloor. The rare sights included icefish guarding their eggs, cold Antarctic seep environments characterized by bacteria feeding on chemical energy, and dense sponge and kelp outcrops in frigid minus 1 degree Celsius water (about 30 degrees Fahrenheit). “For many seafarers and explorers, rounding Cape Horn, crossing the Drake Passage, and sailing to Antarctica are bucket list items,” said Schmidt Ocean Institute
Carbon Dumping
points out, the scientific consensus is that it will be almost impossible to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 without a significant global scale up of CCS. And CCS is one of the few solutions available for reducing emissions from heavy industries such as aluminium, steel, cement, fertiliser and chemical manufacturing, as well as for blue (fossil fuel plus CCS) hydrogen production. CCS also underpins direct air capture and storage which is expected to play an increasingly important role in meeting the global carbon budget.Whether it’s greenwashing or blackwashing, the role of CCS in meeting
Increasing Alkalinity Could Counter CO2 Acidity
the food web could remain stable.The ocean naturally absorbs a quarter to a third of man-made CO2 emissions, but this process also leads to the acidification of seawater. By increasing the alkalinity of seawater through the addition of certain minerals (e.g., carbonates and silicates), the ocean can chemically bind more CO2 without further acidification.Scientists from Prof. Ulf Riebesell´s group at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, as part of the European OceanNETs project, conducted an experiment off Gran Canaria, Spain. Over a period of 33 days, the researchers monitored the
February 2025
