Global Coral Bleaching Crisis Spreading
and in the Pacific.In December 2024, a weak La Nina pattern, which typically brings cooler ocean temperatures, gave scientists hope that corals might recover, but it only lasted three months.Instead, the bleaching has continued to spread, said NOAA Coral Reef Watch coordinator Derek Manzello. The Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea were recently added to the list of 82 countries and territories registering bleaching-level heat stress in their waters.It will take scientists years to understand the global extent of coral reef death, but they say they have already observed widespread mortality in parts
Ocean Exploration taps Leeway Marine to Manage Ship
countries – helping to establish new partnerships focusing on technology development and integration.LeeWay will begin vessel management on December 13 to support OET’s upcoming 2025 expeditions which include destinations such as Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Solomon Islands. These missions, prioritizing education, diversity, and inclusion, are co-developed with local communities to heed the call for greater understanding around ocean changes, facilitating knowledge transfer, and amplifying new discoveries that will help inform future conservation
Australia Speeds Up Purchase of Sea Mines to Shore Up Maritime Defense
;"What we need is to make sure we have the best possible defences. So we have looked at missile defence, we're looking at cyber security, we're looking at all of these issues," Albanese said.China has plans to step up its presence in the Pacific and entered a security pact with Solomon Islands last year, raising concerns in the United States and Australia, who for decades have seen the region as their sphere of influence.Australia has been looking to boost its defense spending over the past few years, including entering into a deal in 2021 to buy nuclear submarines from the United
'Elusive' Omura Whale Spotted
marine mammal research community to what had often been misidentified or just plain mysterious whales. For decades, they were mistakenly classified as small Bryde’s whales.When first classified as a species in 2003, Omura’s were only known in three locations – the Sea of Japan, the Solomon Islands east of Papua New Guinea, and the Keeling Islands, west of Indonesia. From 2003 through 2013, their known range expanded to a few more locations in the eastern Indo-Pacific region. After the release of Dr. Cerchio’s video, the number of documented sightings increased dramatically across
Paul Allen’s Crew Finds Another Historic Shipwreck
in a string of historic shipwrecks discovered by Paul G. Allen’s expedition crew aboard the state-of-the-art research vessel Petrel.The U.S. Navy's storied St. Louis-class light cruiser began her World War II service at Pearl Harbor and took part in three significant battles during the Solomon Islands campaign before being sunk by Japanese torpedoes on July 6, 1943, during the Battle of Kula Gulf. All but 168 of Helena’s 900 crew survived the sinking and eventual rescue.Allen's team found the wreck 860 meters below the surface in the New Georgia Sound off the coast of the Solomon
Ecosystem based Adaptation to Climate Change
on their local natural resources. By taking into account the ecosystem services on which people depend for their livelihoods as well as social and economic security, EbA integrates sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services in a comprehensive adaptation strategy. The recently completed Solomon Islands EbA project focused on two locations: 1) Honiara, the nation’s capital; and 2) Wagina Island, a small island in Choiseul Province. Participatory community and government workshops built on existing information to document and map the critical ecosystem dependencies for local communities
Greensea Aids Historical Shipwreck Discoveries
. The crew found the USS Lexington on March 4, resting 3,000 meters below the surface on the floor of the Coral Sea more than 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia. The discovery was quickly followed by the sighting of the USS Juneau on March 17, 4,200 meters subsea off the coast of the Solomon Islands. Tasked to research, explore and survey historic warships and other important artifacts, the 250-foot R/V Petrel is fitted with state-of-the-art technologies, including equipment capable of diving to 6,000 meters and inertial navigation, system control and autonomy technologies
Missing WW II Bombers Found on the Seafloor
support is helping sustain ongoing missions, while enabling the organization to innovate its technology and broaden its search and discovery efforts to focus areas around the world. In 2016, team members expanded operations, conducting missions in England, New Caledonia, Palau, Saipan, the Solomon Islands, Tinian, and the U.S. in search of over 20 aircraft and 100 service members still missing in action. Five aircraft were successfully identified and documented, with documentation submitted to DPAA. The missions also resulted in new leads, based on field research and personal accounts from locals
Coral 'Bright Spots' Offer Clues to Protecting Threatened Reefs
are thriving and scientists say they may guide efforts to curb threats such as over-fishing and climate change which are blamed for widespread global declines. A major study identified 15 "bright spots" among more than 2,500 coral reefs in 46 nations, including off Indonesia, the Solomon islands and Kiribati where given local stresses there were far more fish than predicted. And the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, the world's biggest, was performing in line with expectations given its remoteness and high level of protection, lead author Joshua Cinner, a professor at James
February 2025
