High-Risk Litter Zones Threaten North Atlantic Wildlife
A new study, led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory, has revealed five high-risk zones where floating plastic litter poses the greatest risk to North Atlantic marine life.An estimated 19 to 23 metric tons of plastic waste entered the world's aquatic ecosystems in 2016 and this figure is predicted to triple by 2030.Land-based sources of plastic are thought to account for about 80% of plastic pollution in the marine environment, with single use items such as plastic bags, bottles, wrappers, food containers and cutlery among the most common items found. These items are often transported far from their
Authorities Reviewing Evidence from Titan Submersible Tragedy
on board. The deep-sea submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, was discovered in pieces on the seabed some 1,600 feet from the bow of the sunken ocean liner. U.S. Coast Guard engineers in October recovered remaining debris and presumed human remains from the imploded submersible in the North Atlantic
Titan Submersible Debris and Human Remains Recovered from the Seafloor
The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday said its engineers recovered remaining debris and presumed human remains from the imploded Titan submersible in the North Atlantic.The evidence recovered from the seafloor by marine safety engineers with the Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) was transferred to shore for analysis as part of ongoing investigations into the fatal incident.In June, the Titan imploded while on a voyage to visit the wreck site of the famed sunken ocean liner Titanic, killing all five people on board. The deep-sea submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, was
Thales to Equip Polish Navy's MIECZNIK Frigates with Combat Management System and Sensors
to carry out a wide range of tasks at sea, including, among others, securing sea lines of communication and critical infrastructure, the multi-role frigates of the MIECZNIK class will significantly increase the capabilities of the Polish Navy and be an important contribution of Poland within the North Atlantic Alliance. These vessels will be equipped with a set of sensors developed by Thales and integrated with the warship's combat system. Thales said its combat management system TACTICOS would be the central command and decision-making element of the frigate combat system. Its function
Saildrone Unveils New Acoustic Capabilities to Protect Marine Mammals
network using cutting-edge acoustic technology, autonomous vehicles, and machine learning to detect, classify, and localize marine mammals.Two Saildrone uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) equipped with proprietary underwater acoustic systems were deployed off the coast of Massachusetts to listen for North Atlantic right whales and other marine mammals. The virtually silent saildrones were stationed in an area where several species of whales are known to be present. During the two-week deployment, the saildrones recorded numerous marine mammal vocalizations.Saildrone’s passive acoustics package is
Researchers Study the Fast Gulf Stream Currents
recently joined a five-day research expedition to study the role of the Gulf Stream in a critical component of the global carbon cycle.The Gulf Stream is thought to play an integral role in the oceanic carbon cycle, delivering high-nutrient, low-anthropogenic (human derived) carbon waters to the North Atlantic subpolar gyre where they sustain biological carbon drawdown and enable the uptake of large quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere.However, many unknowns remain regarding how these deep waters reach the surface, and their effect on carbon uptake. C-Streams is studying the physical and biogeochemical
The Barrier Reef is Still in Hot Water
;re trapping more heat, of which 90% goes into the oceans. Antarctic sea ice is not reforming as it should after last summer. Coral restoration efforts in the United States had to literally pull their baby corals out of the sea to try to keep them alive, as the water was too hot to live in.The North Atlantic Ocean is far warmer than it should be, amid a record-breaking northern summer. After the equinox next month, it will be our turn to face the summer sun once more.Is the Great Barrier Reef in danger? Of course it is. We should not pretend things are normal and can be handled routinely. This year
Titanic Sub Operator OceanGate Suspends Expeditions After Fatal Dive
, its website showed on Thursday.The company did not elaborate beyond a red banner at the top of its website: "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations."OceanGate had planned two expeditions to the century-old Titanic ruins, located in a remote corner of the North Atlantic, for June 2024, its website showed.U.S. and Canadian authorities are investigating the cause of the June undersea implosion, which killed all five people aboard and raised questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions.The U.S. Coast Guard last week recovered presumed human remains
Deep-Sea Mining Threatens Biodiversity 25 Times More Than Land-Based Mining, Report Says
on regulations expected by July.Several countries, including Germany, and companies, such as Google, AB Volvo Group, and Samsung SDI are calling for a moratorium on the start of the practice.Others are supporting it. Norway in June proposed opening parts of its extended continental shelf in the North Atlantic for mineral exploration."Any deep sea activity is hugely expensive. In Norway, we're also talking the High Arctic. You have ice sheets floating around... really difficult weather conditions... there is a huge issue about the technological development and the funding needed for that,"