EXPLAINER-Why Does Norway Want to Mine the Seabed?
green groups, such as the World Wildlife Fund, but also by its own environmental agency, which said the gaps of knowledge about deep sea biology were too big to decide on the opening.WHAT DO OTHER COUNTRIES SAY?Denmark said Norway's environmental study for the area opening was not good enough, while Iceland has questioned Norway's exclusive rights to explore for seabed minerals near the Arctic Svalbard archipelago. Norway is not part of the EU but is a member of the European single market. The EU's views on the issue are vital for Oslo's plans, some analysts have said.Norway is encouraged
Mega Machine Deep Driller: JOIDES Resolution
Reykjanes Mantle Convection and Climate,” running from June 12 through August 12. The project has three main goals, the first of which is to determine how the V-Shaped Ridges (VSR) and V-Shaped Troughs (VST) in the area along the Reykjanes Ridge (the area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge just south of Iceland) were formed. These distinctive ocean crust patterns stretch over hundreds of kilometers on the seabed and are thought to be shaped by the mantle plume under Iceland, which is formed by hot rocks rising from deep within the Earth’s interior. The second objective is to identify how the
Obituary: Dr. David Thomas Pugh (1943-2022)
the challenges facing international marine science and IOC’s position within the UN system. The book nicely explained how governments use science to establish ocean policies in issues such as marine pollution, exploitation and hazards.David’s role in IOC took him to an international meeting Iceland in 2001 where he survived what could have been a serious car accident. He and a colleague (Trevor Guymer) were driving on an elevated road when the car somersaulted and finished on its roof. David had to make an ignominious exit through the rear window clutching a small but treasured suitcase that
AutoNaut Completes a 16-week, 4,000-mile Mission on the Atlantic continental shelf break
Motus wave sensor, fitted internallySBE 49s CTD, loaned by UEA, fitted externally to the hull (depth not used)AirMar weather station, fitted to low bridgeThe original route plan was to be a 90-day deployment from SAMS in Oban, following the Extended Ellett Line out to Rockall and then north towards Iceland, before transiting west some way towards Greenland, with return to Oban. This changed as the start was delayed from May to August due to Covid impacting supply and resources. Also obtaining diplomatic clearance to collect data in the EEZ of other nations normally takes six months, and
Case Study: Autonaut Put to the Test
Motus wave sensor, fitted internallySBE 49s CTD, loaned by UEA, fitted externally to the hull (depth not used)AirMar weather station, fitted to low bridgeThe original route plan was to be a 90-day deployment from SAMS in Oban, following the Extended Ellett Line out to Rockall and then north towards Iceland, before transiting west some way towards Greenland, with return to Oban. This changed as the start was delayed from May to August due to Covid impacting supply and resources. Also obtaining diplomatic clearance to collect data in the EEZ of other nations normally takes six months, and
AUV Extravaganza: Tech Advances in Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
Teledyne BlueViewM450 Obstacle avoidance sonar. It can also be air-shipped in its component parts. Navigation includes INS and DVL, with acoustic aiding from Teledyne and third-party, with tracking using an acoustic modem out to 10km, and USBL or LBL.Stefan Reynisson, Teledyne Gavia, General Manager, Iceland, says modularity is important. “People don’t want to be stuck with a certain configuration for lifetime of the vehicle. Modularity means options in the first phase but also throughout life span. Vehicles that been out there 10-20 years can be upgraded to the latest standards. It
The Information Age is Transforming Fishing Worldwide
book, “The Blue Revolution: Hunting, Harvesting, and Farming Seafood in the Information Age,” I describe how commercial fishing has begun an encouraging shift toward a less destructive, more transparent post-industrial era. This is true in the U.S., Scandinavia, most of the European Union, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, the Philippines and much of South America.Fishing with dataChanges in behavior, technology and policy are occurring throughout the fishing industry. Here are some examples:Global Fishing Watch, an international nonprofit, monitors and creates open-access visualizatio
Has Captain Cook’s Ship Endeavour Been Found?
collection of material and some of the material may be much older than the shipwreck itself, which can suggest a wreck is older than it really is.You can also have shipwrecks that have more recent material on the site that has drifted there from elsewhere in the sea or even from another shipwreck. In Iceland we investigated a 17th century shipwreck which had been partially covered by a later shipwreck.Identifying ships is a long, arduous and painstaking process that usually takes many years and involves a host of challenges along the way. At all times, it is vital as a maritime archaeologist to remain
New Undersea Cable to Link Iceland to Europe
A new high-speed undersea cable system will soon connect Iceland and Ireland, improving the diversity of adequate connections to support the continued growth of Iceland’s modern community and international business environment.SubCom and Farice ehf today announced that a contract is in force to supply and install the cable system, which is expected to be ready for service by the end of 2022.Farice is an international connectivity provider fully owned by the Icelandic Government which currently owns and operates two submarine cable systems that connect Iceland to Europe – FARICE-1 and DANICE.
February 2024
