NOC Awarded $3.5m to Explore Expanding Ocean Desertification
temperatures rise, scientists are concerned about the long-term impact of this expansion on marine ecosystems and the Earth's climate, which would reduce ocean productivity, affecting marine food webs and the ocean’s role as a carbon sink.The new project, called EXPAND, will focus on the Indian Ocean subtropical gyre, the least understood of these ocean deserts. It includes partners from France, USA, Canada and South Africa.Project lead and NOC senior scientist Dr. Mar Benavides highlights the urgency of understanding what drives the expansion of ocean deserts—and whether biological
Fugro Gifts Survey Equipment to CSIRO to Bolster Australian Ocean Research
ongoing support of global ocean science initiatives and aligns with its active role in support of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.The survey systems are capable of operating at depths up to 6,000 m. They were once used by Fugro in the deep waters of the Southern Indian Ocean during the search for MH370. Fugro no longer needs them in daily operations and is happy to donate them to CSIRO.The systems will now be used onboard CSIRO’s research vessel Investigator, enabling their Australian ocean and environmental research such as high-resolution deep-sea mapping
A New Approach to Studying the Air-Sea Flux
of multiple in-situ co-located variables at a level of accuracy not provided by satellites or numerical models.This is something USVs are good at, but currently there are large gaps in USV monitoring including in the Pacific Ocean and high latitudes. Additionally, USVs have not yet been active in the Indian Ocean and South Atlantic.Even where USV manufacturers, universities and research institutions have pioneered ground-breaking USV capabilities, the data has been siloed within individual projects, say the researchers.They call for a global network approach that could transform the patchwork of independent
EU Pledges Over €300 Million for Ocean Conservation
marine conservation and sustainable development.The European Union has committed to:Sustainable blue economy: €120 million to help African and Pacific countries strengthen ocean governance and develop their blue economy in a sustainable manner. This corresponds to €58 million for the Western Indian Ocean and €42 million for Central Africa, and €20 million for the Pacific.Marine pollution: €65.5 million to fight marine pollution: €18 million to develop a comprehensive European strategy for assessing and monitoring aquatic litter, €43.5 million to support authorities eliminating
Global Coral Bleaching Crisis Spreading
declared one year ago, has shown few signs of slowing down, according to the International Coral Reef Initiative and data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which track reef health. Instead, it has grown to be the most widespread on record, with 84% of reef areas - from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic to the Pacific - subjected to intense heat stress for a duration expected to cause bleaching as of March 2025.Last year was the hottest on record and the first to reach over 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times, contributing to unprecedented ocean temperatures and
Ocean Acidification: Warming’s “Evil Twin”
has suffered.The World Meteorological Organization’s latest State of the Global Climate report released in March confirmed that acidification of the ocean surface is continuing, demonstrated by the steady decrease of global average ocean surface pH. The most intense regional decreases are in the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, the northern tropical Pacific and some regions in the Atlantic Ocean.Projections show that ocean acidification will continue to increase in the 21st century at rates dependent on future emissions, and the report points out that changes
Search for MH370 Suspended Due to Bad Weather
The search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean has been suspended due to poor weather conditions and will only resume at the end of the year, Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook said on Thursday.Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew when it vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in 2014, in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.The minister, quoted by state news agency Bernama, did not say why such a prolonged delay was required. In the southern hemisphere, it is now autumn and poor wintry conditions
WMO Documents Spiraling Climate Impacts
that ocean warming will continue for at least the rest of the 21st century, even for low carbon emission scenarios.Ocean AcidificationAcidification of the ocean surface is continuing, as shown by the steady decrease of global average ocean surface pH. The most intense regional decreases are in the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, the northern tropical Pacific, and some regions in the Atlantic Ocean.The effects of ocean acidification on habitat area, biodiversity and ecosystems have already been clearly observed, and food production from shellfish aquaculture and
Research Vessels: A Conversation with Bruce Applegate of UNOLS
change our understanding of the planet.”Scripps' Jennifer Mackinnon and Drew Lucas were among an international team of oceanographers and meteorologists who took part in an Office of Naval Research-funded project called MISO-BoB (Monsoon Intra-seasonal Oscillations in the Tropical Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal). It was one of the most comprehensive attempts to understand the South Asian monsoon, one of the most economically important natural events in the world. MISO-BoB broke ground in its use of specialized technology and cooperation among researchers in India and the United
February 2025
