Over the past two decades, more than 20% of the global ocean has experienced significant ocean darkening, a phenomenon that reduces the depth of the photic zone—the sunlit upper layer where most marine life exists. This zone is essential for photosynthesis, plankton productivity, fish survival, and overall ocean health. As sunlight becomes less able to …
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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is often depicted as towering mounds of trash floating atop the ocean. However, these visuals are misleading. The reality is more subtle and insidious—what exists in the GPGP is not a visible island of debris but a vast “soup of microplastics” dispersed throughout the water column. While dramatic imagery …
In a groundbreaking study, scientists deployed 903 advanced robotic floats equipped with sensors to measure phytoplankton levels beneath the ocean’s surface. These microscopic organisms, while often overlooked, are critical to Earth’s health. The study estimated the global phytoplankton biomass to be around 346 million tonnes, equivalent to the weight of 250 million elephants. This discovery …
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Phytoplankton are microscopic, plant-like organisms that form the base of the marine food web, sustaining a wide range of marine life from tiny fish to massive whales. Additionally, they play a significant role in sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Monitoring phytoplankton biomass is crucial for understanding the impacts of climate change and evaluating potential …
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Three decades ago, David Ho, then a young NOAA technician, set up an unusual experiment involving two dinosaur-patterned kiddie pools in the NOAA parking lot to investigate the role of rain in CO2 exchange between air and water. Ho’s daily routine involved waiting for Miami’s frequent thunderstorms to sample the rain-affected pools, enduring months of …
Continue reading “Rain’s role in boosting ocean carbon uptake”
As the need to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions becomes increasingly urgent, there is also a consensus on the necessity of removing CO2 already present in the atmosphere. Given the ocean’s immense capacity for carbon storage, it is a critical area of focus for marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR). One promising method is OIF (ocean …
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In an exclusive article for Euronews, actor and environmental advocate Ted Danson reflects on the enduring challenges facing our oceans and the critical, bold actions required to address them. He emphasizes that despite the significant stresses we have imposed on marine environments, initiatives like the Our Ocean Conference provide a beacon of hope for oceanic …
Continue reading “Our Ocean Conference: A decade of marine advocacy”
A decade after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which left Kuala Lumpur with 239 people aboard and vanished over the Indian Ocean, the search operations not only failed to locate the aircraft but also revealed the vast, unmapped expanses beneath the waves. This discovery underscored the need for extensive mapping of the ocean …
Continue reading “Seabed 2030: mapping the unknown ocean depths”
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has revealed that approximately six billion tonnes of sand and sediment are extracted from the world’s seas and oceans annually, warning of dire consequences for biodiversity and coastal communities.
The Drake Passage is well known for its violent seas, with waves that can top 12 meters and powerful converging currents, some flowing as fast as 150 million cubic meters per second. Cold water from the Southern Ocean and warmer water from the north collide here, producing powerful and energetic eddies.
