VLSFO Oil Spill Remnants Haunt Mauritius Mangroves Three Years Later
Three years after bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off Mauritius, spilling 1000 tons of a new type of marine fuel oil, Curtin University-led research has confirmed the oil is still present in an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest close to Ramsar conservation sites.Lead researcher Dr. Alan Scarlett, from Curtin’s WA Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Center in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of the oil found in the mangrove sediments was a near-perfect match for the Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) spilled by the
MTN Lands 45,000km Subsea Cable in S. Africa to Boost Africa's Connectivity
and eastern sides of Africa once complete in 2023 and 2024 respectively.Subsea cables are the backbone of the internet, carrying 99% of the world's data traffic.The consortium includes MTN GlobalConnect, China Mobile International, Meta, French telecoms company Orange SA, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone, Mauritius-based infrastructure provider WIOCC and Saudi Arabia's center3.(Reuters - Reporting by Nqobile Dludla. Editing by Jane Merriman
USV Collects 'Astounding' Data from First Caldera Survey in Tonga
since the eruption.”The 12-meter USV is being remotely controlled on its caldera missions from SEA-KIT’s base in Essex, United Kingdom, where a team of four operators work shifts for round-the-clock operation. A global team of surveyors and scientists based in Australia, Egypt, Ireland, Mauritius, New Zealand, Poland and the USA are collaboratively monitoring and reviewing the data collected.The UK’s Maritime Minister, Robert Courts, said, “I’m delighted that maritime technologies produced here in the UK are being used to understand the effects of the tragic Tonga volcanic
New UAE JV Offers Surveys and Subsea Services
vehicles, and unmanned inspections vessels, along with the provision of customized, cost effective and innovative solutions tailored for offshore operations related to the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors.Trgeted global markets will include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Taiwan, Sudan, Iraq, Mauritania, Mauritius, Guinea, Pakistan, and Western India
ROV Pair Cleans Ship Hulls Double Time; HullWiper expands into South Korea
the fast-growing global network of hubs operating under HullWiper’s lease agreement, which was introduced in 2017. Since its launch in late 2013, HullWiper has expanded from its first base in Dubai to key locations across the Middle East, as well as ports in Australia, Denmark, Egypt, Gibraltar, Mauritius, Namibia, Norway, Panama, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Sweden.To date, HullWiper has performed hull cleans for more than 1,400 vessels worldwide.
Shrinking Sea Meadows Store More Carbon Than Forests. Scientists Race to Track What’s Left
;equivalent to 3% of Britain’s CO2 emissions in 2017, the study said.This year, Seychelles began assessing its coastal seagrass carbon stock for the first time, and at least 10 countries have said seagrasses would play a part in their climate action plans, according to UNEP.Seychelles and Mauritius, which have joint jurisdiction over the Saya de Malha’s seabed, should count up and care for the wealth of seagrass on their shared doorstep, said James Michel, who served 12 years as president of the Seychelles until 2016.“Then we’ll be in a better position to know how to not
Mauritian Climate Activist Holds Underwater Protest to Protect Seagrass
of persuading countries to protect at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030—an interim target that many scientists say must be met to address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.For Sandooyea, the Saya de Malha is also part of her home. The island nation of Mauritius shares jurisdiction over the surrounding seabed with the Seychelles. But while the remoteness of the seagrass fields hundreds of miles from shore has provided some protection up to now, the young activist scientist worries that could change if oceans become busier.Global shipping traffic increased
How Coral, Mangroves and Seagrass Could be Affected by the Mauritius Oil Spill
Sometimes bad things happen in the worst possible places – like the MV Wakashio running aground on shallow reefs off the south-east coast of Mauritius on July 25. The wreck of the bulk carrier ship began leaking oil in front of a nature reserve island (Ile aux Aigrettes), a couple of kilometres from a marine park (Blue Bay), and close to an internationally important wetland area (Pointe d’Esny Ramsar Site).The MV Wakashio was carrying 4,000 tonnes of oil, which hardly compares to the 400,000 tonnes spilled in the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. But it was the vessel’s proximity
Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE Winner Annouced
(UNH), US. They are Dr Evgenia Bazhenova (Russia), Aileen Bohan (Ireland), Dr Mohamed Elsaied (Egypt), Andres Fitzcarrald (Peru), Tomer Ketter (Israel), Christina Lacerda (Brazil), Jaya Roperez (Philippines), Azmi Rosedee (Malaysia), Ivan Ryzhov (Russia), Hadar Sade (Israel), Sattiabaruth Seeboruth (Mauritius), Masano Sumiyoshi (Japan), Neil Tinmouth (South Africa), Dr Rochelle Anne Wigley (US), Dr Yulia Zarayskaya (Russia), and Dr Karolina Zwolak (Poland).The team’s entry into the competition was funded by The Nippon Foundation, a Japanese private non-profit organisation, and the prize money
December 2025
