Greenpeace Against Deep-sea Mining & more – 28th Nov 2023

Ahoy from BA! This is Rorshok’s Ocean Update from the 28th of November twenty twenty-three A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

On Wednesday, the 22nd, Greenpeace International activists staged a peaceful protest against a ship from The Metals Company (or TMC) engaged in deep-sea mining exploration in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The protests are still ongoing. Activists from Mexico, Argentina, Norway, South Korea, Poland, and the UK disrupted TMC's offshore drilling vessel MV COCO which was collecting data for a mining permit, unfolding banners with the message “Stop Deep Sea Mining.” The protest aimed to draw attention to the threat deep-sea mining poses to ocean ecosystems. TMC attempted to start deep-sea mining operations in June twenty twenty-one but didn’t get the green light. TMC then said it wanted to submit a deep sea mining commercial application in twenty twenty-four.

From the Pacific to the Atlantic. Scientists recently discovered a water mass called Atlantic Equatorial Water that stretches from Brazil to the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. The water mass, which researchers estimate to be as large as the world’s tallest building in Dubai, offers new information on Earth's water systems and geological processes. Researchers found out about the Atlantic Equatorial Water’s presence using data from the Argo program, a network of robotic floats that autonomously submerge in the oceans. Researchers discovered the water mass because of the temperature-salinity curve. This new discovery improves the understanding of ocean mixing processes, which move heat, oxygen, and nutrients worldwide.

Still in the Atlantic. The Council of the European Peace Facility approved twenty-one million euros of supportive measures to reinforce the military capacity of Ghana and Cameroon in the maritime operation in the Gulf of Guinea. Through this investment, the EU will ensure services in the region that range from Intelligence and Surveillance, to non-lethal equipment, like intervention speed boats and tools for scuba diving.

In other news, a massive iceberg, measuring five times the size of New York City with a thickness comparable to the Empire State Building, is currently drifting away from the Weddell Sea towards the South Atlantic Ocean. The iceberg split in nineteen eighty-six and remained grounded until now, as it started shifting to the north this year, detaching from the seabed after decades. Wind and ocean currents have accelerated its movement, and recent satellite imagery indicates it's nearing the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Laura Gerrish, British Antarctic Survey mapping specialist, said it's now the world's largest iceberg, measuring 1,544 square miles (almost 4,000 square kilometers).

Moving on to the Indian Ocean. A United States defense official said an Iranian-made drone attacked an Israeli-owned container ship, the CMA CGM Symi, on Friday the 24th. According to the Pan-Arab satellite channel Al Mayadeen, the ship caught fire after the attack, but there were no injuries reported among the crew. The crew turned off the ship's tracker in the days leading up to the attack, after leaving Dubai's port on Tuesday the 21st, indicating that they may have anticipated a threat. This incident follows a recent attack on another Israeli-owned ship in the Red Sea by Yemen's rebel group Houthis that took place on Sunday, the 19th.

Still in the Indian Ocean. Blue whales returned near the Seychelles, a region where they haven’t been seen for fifty years. Researchers captured footage during the last three years and underwater audio recordings with underwater microphones, batteries, and recording devices in the seabed. Researchers left the devices in the same position for a year, recording fifteen minutes of each hour, every day. As scientists analyzed the recordings, they discovered that there were whales in the region and thought they may be breeding there. Researchers considered this discovery a "conservation win,” especially taking into account the historical impact of whaling on blue whale populations. Even though the blue whales' return is positive, their numbers remain significantly low, and they are listed as an endangered species.

Antarctica is also called The sleeping giant because it's way less active than other continents. António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, during his three-day visit last week, warned that the region is now “awakening” due to climate change. Guterres highlighted the impact of fossil fuel pollution, leading to climate chaos in Antarctica, with the Southern Ocean absorbing the majority of global warming heat. This has resulted in record rates of ice melting into the ocean, contributing to rising sea levels, endangering coastal communities, making homes uninsurable, and threatening small island states. Antarctic sea ice has never been lower than nowadays, and he urged world leaders who will participate in twenty twenty-three United Nations Climate Change Conference, to immediately take action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (around sixty degrees Fahrenheit) and transition away from the fossil fuel age.

Every year, on the 21st of November, the world celebrates World Fisheries Day to emphasize the importance of sustainable fisheries management and remark on the crucial involvement of small-scale fishers. This year, in Lucknow, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (or ICAR-NBFGR) proposed a series of initiatives to promote sustainable fisheries and conservation-oriented practices. These events aimed to educate the public, stakeholders, and students about the challenges faced by the fisheries sector and the significance of preserving aquatic ecosystems. These efforts raised awareness and instilled a sense of responsibility among stakeholders for sustainable fisheries. Dr. Sarkar, Director of ICAR-NBFGR, distributed fish seed to fish farmers, emphasizing plans to expand research, technological innovations, and conservation programs.

Let’s talk about the Mediterranean. On Sunday the 26th, a Comoros- flagged cargo ship named Raptor sank off the coast of Lesbos island in Greece, prompting a major rescue operation. One person died, one was rescued, and twelve are still missing. According to the Greek Coast Guard, five cargo ships, three coast guard vessels, and air force and navy helicopters were involved in the search operation. The ship reported a mechanical failure before issuing a Mayday distress call and reporting the vessel leaning on one side. The nineteen eighty-four-built ship departed from Egypt with a shipment of salt headed to Istanbul, carrying a crew of eleven people from Egypt, two Syrians, and one person from India. The weather conditions complicated the rescue operation.

On Saturday, the 25th, the Panama Canal Authority held a temporary special auction slot in the Panamax locks, offering different opportunities for vessels that had been in the transit queue for a very long time. The auction was open to super and regular vessels present in Canal waters for at least ten days without a booking slot. The first auction took place on Saturday. The Authority offered vessels to pass through the Canal on Monday the 27th, with an initial bid of 55,000 US dollars. The Panama Canal Authority also introduced modifications to the Transit Reservation System rules, including the potential for extraordinary auctions for available slots and considerations for transit date advancement requests for full containers.

In other news, the UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, together with the Northern Catholic University and the Center of Advanced Studies in Zonas Aridas, organized a Summer School in La Serena, Chile, from Monday the 6th until Sunday the 12th of November to teach students about ocean acidification and deoxygenation. The summer school aimed to create two polls of experts, the Global Ocean Oxygen Network and the Global Ocean Acidification Network, that will support policymakers in preserving marine life and resources. Thirty-three researchers from seventeen different countries attended the summer school. UNESCO is already planning the next summer school for twenty twenty-five.

Closing with Watersports. Paddle Australia and the International Canoe Federation (or ICF) confirmed that the event for the twenty twenty-three ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships and Masters World Championships will take place in Perth, Australia, on two different dates: Thursday, the 30th of November, and Saturday, the 2nd of December. The decision comes after a consultation with the Bureau of Meteorology, to make sure the weather conditions will not impede the events. The four-day break is to ensure accessibility and optimal conditions for the competitors.

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