Study: Ships Trigger Ocean Methane Emissions
."The discovery of the hitherto unknown impact of ships is important for improving global estimates of methane emissions, not least considering that nine of the world's 10 largest ports are located in waters with similar conditions as Neva Bay," says Johan Mellqvist, Professor of Optical Remote Sensing, Chalmers, whose group made the unexpected discovery that forms the basis for the new results.Two of the largest ship types, cruise and container ships, triggered the most frequent and largest measured methane releases, but slightly smaller ropax vessels (combined freight and passenger ferries)
Edible Aquatic Robot Could Collect Environmental Data
polymers and electronics.The EPFL team plans to deploy the robots in large numbers. Each device would be equipped with biodegradable sensors to collect environmental data such as water pH, temperature, pollutants and the presence of microorganisms, which could be read after collection or via remote sensing.The work is the latest innovation in the burgeoning field of edible robotics and robotic feeding. The Intelligent Systems Laboratory has previously published several papers on edible devices, including edible soft actuators as food and pet food manipulators, edible control circuits and edible
The Future of Coral Reef Protection
help save the world’s coral reefs from further decline, primarily caused by bleaching as a result of global warming. In the past two years, 75% of coral reefs worldwide have experienced bleaching-level heat stress.A collaborative project led by the University of South Australia is integrating remote sensing technologies with machine learning, AI and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to monitor the damage.A multimodal platform will distil all research data relating to coral reefs, including underwater videos and photographs, satellite images, text files and time-sensor readings, onto a central
NOC Secures £11M for Early Warning Systems
pioneering technology, we will lead and collaborate on multiple projects to enhance our ability to detect early warning signs and better understand the future of our changing ocean."The NOC-led projects, which are subject to final contract negotiation, are Full Ocean Fibre, Aerial Experimental Remote sensing of Ocean Salinity, heaT, Advection and Thermohaline Shifts (AEROSTATS), and Subpolar gyre Observations, models, and artificial intelligence to Resolve Tipping points and provide Early warning Detection (SORTED). Full Ocean Fibre, with partner National Physical Laboratory, will target the
Integrated Data System for Coral Reefs Enables AI Analysis
Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has been decimated by severe bleaching events since 2016, exacerbated by ongoing crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and coastal development.A collaborative project led by the University of South Australia, with input from Queensland and Victorian researchers, is integrating remote sensing technologies with machine learning, AI and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to monitor and hopefully stall the damage.A multimodal platform will distil all research data relating to coral reefs, including underwater videos and photographs, satellite images, text files and time-sensor readings
Eyesea and SalmonChile Successfully Complete Patagonia Coastal Waste Monitoring Pilot Using Satellite Spectrometry
concentrations over enormous areas using satellite image spectrometry. As a result, our partners and local communities can better organize clean-up work.” The project utilized satellite spectrometry from Eyesea’s partner, Grundo.io, to establish contamination baselines, calibrating remote sensing data with on-the-ground findings.The generated heat maps enabled targeted cleanup efforts by identifying high-accumulation zones, streamlining resource allocation, and improving response strategies. According to the final report, the pilot confirmed the system’s viability for scaling waste
Seals Have Preferences for Different Icebergs
and freshwater runoff streaming from the base of the glacier. Called a plume, this jet of water is more buoyant than the salty ocean water in the fjord. The plume brings plankton and fish to the surface, creating a moving buffet that seals can snack on from icebergs. The researchers used remote sensing data to find the plume and compared it to where icebergs and seals are during the pupping season in June and molting season in August. They found that during the pupping season, seals that were out of the water generally could be found on slower-moving icebergs, with speeds slower than 7-8 inches
Study to Explore Impact of Floating Offshore Wind Farms on Ocean Life
Scientists from the University of Plymouth, Heriot-Watt University and the Marine Biological Association are leading a new project exploring the consequences of floating offshore wind farms on ocean life.The FRONTLINE project will employ AUVs, satellite remote sensing, digital video aerial surveys and seabird and fisheries tracking to investigate how the rapid expansion of these wind farms and climate warming is likely to affect oceanographic processes and marine life.The study will gather data from the Celtic Sea, identified by the UK Government as a prime location for accelerating offshore wind
US Funds New Technology for Fisheries Research
collection to account for the effects of climate change and improve fish and marine mammal stock assessments.The funding will modernize and transform the agency’s technological capabilities and broaden the scope of observations that NOAA collects using innovative methods like uncrewed systems, remote sensing and environmental DNA collection.Another $40 million will fund the Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative to provide resource managers and fishing communities with the information they need to build resilience and adapt to changing marine ecosystems. This initiative will establish an operationa
February 2025
