IMO Welcomes First Global Marine Biology Treaty in International Waters
The world’s first global treaty to protect ocean life in international waters enters into force on January 17, 2026, bringing into effect legally-binding rules for the sustainable use and management of marine resources in the high seas. Formally known as the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), the treaty addresses:Marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits;Measures such as area-based management tools
A Project Called Azorian: Doing the Impossible
in secrecy and was known for his personal eccentricities and speculative investments.Bottom photograph of manganese nodules in the central Pacific taken through a one-foot square wire grid during a seabed survey. Source: Authors photographThe Ship and the Capture VehicleThe surface ship was built by Global Marine and named the Hughes Glomar Explorer. She was designed by John Graham, Global’s chief naval architect, and later recognized as nothing short of an engineering marvel. The engineers did calculations on slide rules, plans were drafted using pencils, erasers, T-squares, triangles, and drafting
NOAA and Sofar Advance Weather Forecasting
and Sofar Ocean have partnered to build modeling systems that advance marine weather forecasting.GFDL and Sofar’s three-year cooperation, which began in late 2024, combines parallel efforts at each organization to produce a coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model that improves the accuracy of global marine weather forecasts and regional extreme weather scenarios.Scientists at NOAA and Sofar are already leveraging preliminary versions of the coupled model to produce more accurate ocean weather forecasts and improve safety at sea for coastal communities, maritime shipping and other blue economy businesses
Global Efforts Underway to Document Plastic Pollution
ocean.For example, IAEA experts from the Environment Laboratories in Monaco have undertaken sampling missions to Antarctica and to Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands to gather data and build sampling capacity in the region.Over 100 laboratories worldwide are now connected through NUTEC Plastics Global Marine Monitoring Network, sharing data and expertise, and more than 400 scientists have been trained to monitor and analyze microplastic pollution.Citizen scienceNew research published in the Journal of Cleaner Production used the power of hundreds of citizen scientists across Mexico, Central America
Subsea Global Solutions Welcomes Back Harun Duzgoren as CEO
announced the appointment of Harun Duzgoren as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Duzgoren returns to Subsea Global following a successful tenure as Regional CEO for the Americas at Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS).With more than 25 years of international leadership experience across the global marine services industry, including executive roles with six different private equity sponsors, Duzgoren brings a proven record of strategic growth, operational excellence, and client-centric innovation to the company. He previously served as Chief Commercial Officer at Subsea Global Solutions, where
CSA Ocean Sciences Expands Remote Monitoring Capabilities
Global marine environmental consulting firm CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) has announced a significant advancement in the firm’s capacity to support offshore environmental projects through real-time subsea video monitoring.CSA’s approach is poised to transform the way seafloor imagery is analyzed, providing technology-driven, cost-effective, and near real-time methods that complement traditional field operations.Subsea video is crucial to identifying benthic habitats and hazards in a range of offshore projects. Using vessel-based satellite communications and video routing, CSA subject
Vard, Inkfish Sign Shipbuilding Contract for New Research Vessel
of an advanced research vessel. The deal is valued at over USD$233 million (€200 million).The custom-built research vessel, designated Project RV6000, is specifically designed for scientific exploration. It will join Inkfish's expanding fleet, alongside the RV Hydra and RV Dagon, to support global marine research. In close collaboration with host countries, the data collected will contribute to open-source repositories.The vessel is designed for seabed mapping, submersible support, and ROV operations. It will be 100 meters long and 20.7 meters wide, with a maximum speed of 15 knots and an operational
SMD Hits 100 Sale Mark for its Subsea Plough
Underwater technology and services company SMD has achieved a new milestone with the sale of its 100th plough, which has been purchased by Global Marine, a company specializing in subsea cable installation and maintenance.The sale is the latest in a series of collaborations between the two companies. Over the last 30 years, SMD and Global Marine have partnered on 27 projects, and countless more equipment upgrades and refurbishments, delivering innovative technology that continues to shape the future of offshore engineering.Plough M has successfully completed sea trials and has now been deployed on its
Green Marine Poised for Growth Alongside Potential UK Marine Energy Surge
of marine renewables in the UK. A March 2024 study by LUT University in Finland identified wave energy as a crucial pillar in the UK’s push for 100% renewable energy by 2050, forecasting potential to harness up to 27 GW of wave energy. According to the UK Marine Energy Council, the global marine energy market is forecast to be worth USD$100 billion (£76 billion) by 2050. In the UK alone it could create up to 22,000 jobs by 2040, establishing robust supply chains and contributing billions to the economy. Every 1GW of deployed marine energy capacity would deliver an estimated USD$150
February 2026
