NOAA Determines TMC USA’s Seabed Mining Application is in Substantial Compliance
public comment periods now completed.Gerard Barron, Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, said: “NOAA’s determination reflects the depth of work our team and partners have put into understanding this resource and how it can be responsibly developed. After more than a decade of environmental research, successful offshore trials and commercial-scale metallurgical processing, we believe polymetallic nodules can provide a new and lower-impact source of critical metals for the U.S. We welcome the streamlined consolidated review process and look forward to the next stages.”TMC USA&rsquo
Kongsberg Discovery Launches HISAS2020 Synthetic Aperture Sonar
gain improved inspection capability for pipelines, cables and offshore assets, supporting both maintenance and integrity assessments. Ocean scientists and hydrographers can capture highly detailed maps of habitats, archaeological sites and geological features, enabling long-term monitoring and environmental research
Retiring the R/V Endeavor: Celebrating a Lifetime of Accomplishments and Memories
served as a platform for scientists from around the globe and for cutting-edge technologies. "It's been a privilege to take out scientists from different disciplines and to be able to work with many different institutions from all over the world—not just URI—to further environmental research and ensure that the measurements are taken for a better planet," stated Thornton. "It's also been very rewarding to work with a lot of new technology and equipment that is going to further shape the oceanographic community and sampling in the future."A map of R/V Endeavor'
New Study Shows Connection Between Whale Health and Respiratory Microbes
understanding of whale health.The study underscores the importance of long-term North Atlantic right whale datasets, including photo-identification catalogs and health assessments, as critical baselines for testing new health indicators.The research was conducted with support from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, Office of Naval Research, NOAA, and SR³
Sensitive Mesophotic Ecosystems in Cyprus Threatened by Human Impact
The Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab, through the MESOPHOS project, carried out the first exploration of mesophotic ecosystems (50–200 meters) of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus, surveying over 32 sites with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).The surveys revealed extensive assemblages of sponges, corals, anemones, and other benthic organisms that create three-dimensional habitats and support rich marine life.More than 200 species were recorded, including several not previously reported in Cyprus, many of them protected and/or threatened.These mesophotic habitats act as biodiversity
Elomatic Installs Tunnel Thruster Technology Aboard METEOR IV Research Vessel
consortium.As part of a joint venture between FASSMER and MEYER Group, the 125-meter research vessel is being constructed for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), to support their worldwide multifunctional and interdisciplinary projects, with a focus on climate and environmental research within the Atlantic. This contract marks another milestone in the adoption of Elomatic’s Elogrid tunnel thruster solution as it continues to be selected as part of newbuild projects. All previously installed applications were as part of retrofit projects on existing vessels to
Europe Moves On as US Lets Science Slide
grown overly dependent on that work."It’s a bit like defense: we rely heavily on the U.S. in that area, too. They're trailblazers and role models—but that also makes us dependent on them," Katrin Boehning-Gaese, scientific director of Germany's Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, told Reuters.'GUERRILLA ARCHIVISTS'A number of European governments are now taking measures to reduce that dependence. Nordic countries met to coordinate data storage efforts in the Spring, Norwegian Minister of Research and Higher Education Sigrun Aasland told Reuters. European
KIMM, Natural Resources Canada Sign MoU on Clean Technology Cooperation
of joint workshops and expert exchange programs.Through this partnership, the two institutions aim to generate tangible technological outcomes that contribute to the global transition to carbon neutrality. The MoU marks a step forward in KIMM’s international cooperation in energy and environmental research and is expected to serve as a foundation for future multilateral research initiatives.Prior to the signing, on July 28, 2025, KIMM visited the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Centre (AMTC) of NRC. Discussions centered on collaboration in intelligent manufacturing automation, composite-based
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Welcomes Admiral Tim Gallaudet As New Trustee
Assistant Secretary of Commerce and acting and Deputy Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Under his leadership, Gallaudet steered the agency, managing national marine sanctuaries and coastal waterways, fisheries, weather satellites, weather services, and environmental research. He oversaw the agency’s Blue Economy strategies and activities to advance marine transportation, sustainable seafood production, ocean exploration and mapping, marine tourism and recreation, coastal resilience, and spearheaded the development and execution of the NOAA science and technology
February 2026
