One Year After Volcanic Blast, Many of Tonga's Reefs Lie Silent
gone."The reefs in Tonga were silent," the survey report found.Farming reprieveAgriculture has proved a lifeline to Tongans facing empty waters and damaged boats. Despite concerns that the volcanic ash, which blanketed 99% of the country, would make soils too toxic to grow crops, "food production has resumed with little impacts," said Siosiua Halavatu, a soil scientist speaking on behalf of the Tongan government.Soil tests revealed that the fallen ash was not harmful for humans. And while yam and sweet potato plants perished during the eruption, and fruit trees were burned by falling
Subsea Science: Tonga Eruption Discoveries Defy Expectations
of the ash in the water column is creating prolonged impacts. For example, spikes in volcanic ash were coupled to the appearance of oxygen minimum zones – where oxygen levels in the water are at their lowest - which could have implications for important services provided by the ocean, such as food production and carbon sequestration.”Scientists also collected hundreds of samples during their mission, including seabed cores, various corals and 250 kilograms of rock, some of which were newly formed from the eruption.The TESMaP project provides a unique opportunity to study the effects of an
The Information Age is Transforming Fishing Worldwide
advance for regular deliveries from local fishermen. Such engagement between consumers and producers is beginning to shape buying patterns and introduce consumers to new types of fish that are abundant but not iconic like the cod of yore.Growing fish on landAquaculture is the fastest-growing form of food production in the world, led by China. The U.S., which has exclusive jurisdiction over 3.4 million square miles of ocean, has a mere 1% share of the global market.But aquaculture, mostly shellfish and kelp, is the third-largest fisheries sector in the Greater Atlantic region, after lobsters and scallops
NOAA helps ID prime Aquaculture Sites in GOM, off California
the most advanced spatial analyses ever performed for any U.S. ocean regions,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, Assistant Administrator of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. “The Atlases are powerful scientific tools that will help advance food security for all Americans and improve sustainable food production, which is critical for the economic and environmental resilience of our coastal communities.”NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science developed each Atlas using more than 200 data layers accounting for key environmental, economic, social, and cultural considerations, including
Sonardyne Hires Paull as Business Development Manager
, for Sonardyne’s widening portfolio of products.The ocean space is home to an increasing number of offshore renewables facilities, including offshore wind farms and marine energy devices, and aquaculture operations, as companies look to diversify and countries seek to grow their energy and food production.“Increasingly our oceans are being looked at as engines of growth – be it in renewable energy, aquaculture, mineral resources and even biotechnology. Sonardyne’s growing portfolio of underwater acoustic positioning, inertial navigation, wireless communications and sonar technology
Nor-Shipping: Opening Oceans in Denmark
It is a hugely exciting initiative for us, and our partners, and a vital forum for an industry in transition.” The conference will focus on several key issues over the course of its two-day duration. Central themes include energy production and access to minerals, changing logistic demands, food production, and capturing, collating and extracting value from the ever-increasing flow of ocean-related data. Keynote speakers will address delegates within a high-tech arena, while meeting rooms, glass think tanks and informal collaborative working spaces will lay the foundations for exploring ideas
‘Don Diego’ Project Achieves Important Milestone
consumed in the country is imported. A stated key focus for Mexico's President Nieto is his national crusade against hunger (SinHambre), and central to this initiative is for Mexico to identify and secure lower cost sources of fertilizer. This new source of phosphate can be crucial to increased food production in the country and could turn Mexico into a phosphate exporter. Given the project's importance to Mexico and all of North America, significant time and effort was invested in review of the EIA by additional scientific experts, environmental groups, local fishing groups, community leaders
OSIL Giant Snow Catchers for NERC Research
in the NERC funded Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry research program next year. The shelf seas are highly productive, and have been estimated to be the most valuable biome on Earth, but they are under considerable stress as a result of anthropogenic influences. Their importance to society extends beyond food production to include issues of biodiversity, carbon cycling and storage, waste disposal, nutrient cycling, recreation and renewable energy resources. However, even within the relatively well-studied European shelf seas, fundamental biogeochemical processes are poorly understood. For example: the role
Global Coastal Eco-cities Challenge Tackled by LRF Scholars
, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, UK and USA. “The high concentration of people in coastal regions has produced many economic benefits, including improved transportation links, industrial and urban development, revenue from tourism, and food production,” said Michael Franklin, LRF Grants Director. “But the effects of booming population combined with those of probable sea level rises owing to climate change are threatening the ecosystems that provide these economic benefits, indeed the very survival of many communities. Today
February 2024
