Robotics Essential to Coral Reef Preservation Efforts
resilience of mesophotic coral ecosystems – coral reef communities found at depths of between 30m and 150m in tropical regions – to the temperature shifts predicted under future climate change.Over the next five years, the project will focus on these deeper coral reef communities in the Indian Ocean and employ survey technologies for in-situ measurements of biodiversity, health and physical environmental parameters.Advances in subsea robotics are helping scientists better understand and monitor the processes occurring in coral reefs. However, conventional conservation methods struggle to
New Project to Assess Resilience of Mesophotic Coral Reefs
coral ecosystems – coral reef communities found at depths of between 30m and 150m in tropical regions – to the temperature shifts predicted under future climate change.Over the next five years, the project will focus on these deeper coral reef communities below the surface of the Indian Ocean and employ a number of methods to assess their vulnerability to climate change.In addition to assessing the threats they face, the project will also seek to inform ways the reefs can be protected now and in the future.The project starts in February 2026, and is being led by experts in marine biology
"No Find, No Fee" Search for MH370 to Commence
Nearly 12 years after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished with 239 people on board, the mystery remains unresolved. Later this month, a new seabed search is scheduled to begin in the southern Indian Ocean, renewing hopes that long-awaited answers may finally emerge.The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The passengers included more than 150 Chinese nationals, around 50 Malaysians, and citizens from several other countries, including France, Australia, the United States, India, Canada and Ukraine. Despite one of the most extensive aviation
NOAA and Sofar Advance Weather Forecasting
AI to fine-tune model parameters.GFDL and Sofar’s experimental coupled model has already improved Sofar’s global marine weather forecast accuracy. For example, the model’s forecasts of wind speed are now outperforming other global forecast models in the South Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean tropics.By assimilating observations made by Sofar’s global network of Spotter buoys at the air-sea interface, GFDL and Sofar fill the observational gaps left by other data sources. Spotters, for example, deliver highly accurate wave and weather data amidst the heavy convection, rain, and
Redwing Glider Successfully Launched in Global Ocean Mission
and Pilot.Redwing is embarking on the five-year Sentinel Mission, where it will become the first autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to circumnavigate the globe.Redwing’s journey will take it across the Gulf Stream towards Europe, then south to Gran Canaria, onward to Cape Town, across the Indian Ocean to Australia and New Zealand, through the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and eventually back to the Atlantic via the Falkland Islands, Brazil, and the Caribbean.The mission is a collaboration between Teledyne Marine and Rutgers University. Engineers from Teledyne, alongside more than 50 students
Underwater Autonomous Glider Departs to Circumnavigate the Globe
, remote regions of the globe.Redwing’s first leg will see it ride the Gulf Stream south of Martha’s Vineyard toward Europe, before sweeping south to stop at Gran Canaria off the coast of North West Africa. Its next leg will take it to Cape town in South Africa, before crossing the Indian Ocean to stop at Perth in Western Australia, then on to Wellington, New Zealand. It will then navigate the Antarctic Circumpolar Current — the most powerful current on Earth — taking it on its longest leg to the Falkland Islands. From here there will be possible stops in Brazil and the Caribbean
Subsea Cables Accellerate Africa’s AI Potential
by 2050. Telecommunications and AI companies are aiming to transform the potential they see there by offering greater capacity for harnessing AI.African digital infrastructure company SEACOM is launching SEACOM 2.0, a subsea cable system it says is poised to redefine connectivity across the Indian Ocean Basin, Middle East, Mediterranean, and Southern Europe.The company is addressing Africa’s explosive demand for AI, cloud, and real-time data services. The region is home to 2.9 billion people across 33 nations, with a surging middle class, it says.By 2030, networks are expected to carry
India Signs Deepsea Mining Exploration Deal with International Seabed Authority
India has signed a 15-year contract with the International Seabed Authority for exclusive rights to explore polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean, the government said on Saturday.Polymetallic sulphides, which form around hydrothermal vents on the seafloor, contain high concentrations of metals such as copper, zinc, gold and silver - essential for clean energy technologies, electronics, and other high-tech applications.India is the first country to hold two ISA contracts for polymetallic sulphides. An earlier agreement with the United Nations body, which regulates mineral exploration and exploitatio
Australian Researchers Head to Heard Island
Island is a land of fire and ice, home to Australia’s only active volcano, with 12 major glaciers carving through the landscape and penguin and seal colonies dotting the coastline.With the nearby McDonald Islands, they are one of Australia’s most remote territories, located in the southern Indian Ocean, 4,000km south-west of the Australian mainland.The campaign, using Australia's icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, will be the Australian Antarctic Program's first visit to Heard Island in more than 20 years and will check on the state of the islands’ unique flora and fauna.“HIMI illustrates
December 2025
