OCEAN: Biden Blocking Oil Drilling & more – 7th Jan 2025

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 7th of January twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

On Monday the 6th, current US President Joe Biden started blocking future oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of US waters, including parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea. This aims to protect marine ecosystems, prevent oil spills, and strengthen Biden’s climate legacy.

Environmental groups praised the move for preserving habitats, while the oil industry criticized it, arguing it limits energy options. The Gulf of Mexico, a major oil production area, will be significantly affected. Congressional Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump have pledged to fight Biden’s decision, saying it harms energy security and the economy.

To know more about this story, check out the Rorshok Arcitc Update with the link in the show notes!

Next up, the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (or BOEM) has launched a new initiative to develop offshore wind energy near Guam, a US island territory in Micronesia. A ninety-day period of public feedback started on Monday the 6th. The project seeks nominations for potential leasing areas as part of Guam’s plan to generate 50% renewable electricity by twenty thirty-five and 100% by twenty forty-five.

The proposed area covers two million acres, starting three nautical miles (or five kilometers) from Guam’s coast. During the comment period, the public can share insights on marine resources and ocean use, while wind companies can nominate areas for leasing. Elizabeth Klein, the BOEM Director, said that wind energy development will help reduce carbon emissions and lower energy costs.

In other news, on Thursday the 2nd, Tunisian authorities recovered the bodies of twenty-seven sub-Saharan African migrants after their boat capsized off the eastern coast near the Kerkennah Islands. The boat was carrying irregular migrants attempting to reach Europe. In addition, authorities also rescued twenty-five survivors.

The incident follows another boat disaster off the northern coast on Monday the 30th of December, which resulted in two fatalities and seventeen rescues. Tunisia, facing economic and political challenges, has become a major route for migrants who want to reach Europe. In September twenty twenty-three, the European Commission pledged 127 million euros (more than 130 million US dollars) in aid to Tunisia to address migration-related issues.

On another note, on Thursday the 2nd, the newspaper The Guardian reported on the findings of a recent study published in Science Advances, which suggests that great whales, like the North Atlantic right whale, could live much longer than previously thought if not for human threats. Based on studies of whale earplugs and growth layers, fin and right whales may have the potential to reach ages over 100. However, industrial hunting, ship strikes, fishing entanglements, and climate change have reduced their lifespans to only twenty-two years.

North Atlantic right whales, with only 372 individuals left, are facing extinction due to these pressures. Conservationists say that whaling must end, pointing out that without human intervention, whales could regain their natural longevity.

Talking about whales, the killer whale mom famous for carrying her dead calf’s body for over two weeks in twenty eighteen has now tragically lost another calf, which was just born before Christmas. The calf immediately showed signs of distress, and scientists confirmed its death on Tuesday the 31st of December. This second loss deeply affects the potential recovery of the southern resident killer whale population, already critically endangered.

However, scientists remained optimistic with the discovery of another newborn calf in this pod, though its mother and sex remain unconfirmed. The pod, residing in the Pacific Ocean between Washington and British Columbia, still faces threats like pollution, reduced food supply, and vessel disturbances, and now counts seventy-five members, a dramatic decline from previous years.

Let’s sail to the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal Authority recently completed a successful test of two-way traffic in the southern section of the canal, expanding capacity and improving navigation. This initiative, part of the canal's modernization efforts, adds over ten kilometers (or six miles) of two-way lanes in Little Bitter Lake, which will help reduce the impact of wind and currents, the same factors that contributed to the twenty twenty-one Ever Given blockage, which we talked about in previous shows.

The expansion is expected to accommodate six to eight additional vessels per day and is part of a larger project that will add thirty kilometers (or eighteen miles) of new channels. The Authority plans to continue the Canal’s modernization despite the Houthi attacks in the region.

From the Suez to the Panama Canal. On Thursday the 2nd, Panama marked the 25th anniversary of the US handover of the Canal. The ceremony honored former President Jimmy Carter, who helped negotiate the deal. However, as we discussed in previous shows, the soon-to-be President Donald Trump recently threatened to reclaim control of the canal, criticizing Panama’s increasing fees and saying the canal is under Chinese influence.

Critics argue that Trump's threats are part of his broader America First rhetoric. Despite his remarks, the nineteen ninety-nine treaties ensure Panama's full control, with the US only retaining a right to intervene if the canal's security is threatened, but this doesn’t mean it can reassert control.

Next up, the 90 North Foundation, which aims to protect the biodiversity of the Arctic Ocean, is pushing for a North Pole Marine Reserve to protect Arctic ecosystems from harm. Dr. Graeme Chesters, the Research Director at the Foundation, says they want to avoid the Grand Banks Cod Fisheries collapse, where overfishing caused environmental and economic disasters. They point at The Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement as a positive example, which banned fishing in the Arctic until twenty thirty-seven, giving fish stocks and ecosystems a chance to recover.

However, threats like shipping and seabed mining could undo this progress. The foundation stresses that a North Pole Marine Reserve would help ensure the Arctic stays healthy for future generations.

From one Pole to the other. Researchers from Cardiff University and an international team warn that human-induced climate change is altering the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and Southern Hemisphere winds, similar to patterns during past warming periods. This current, crucial for regulating global climate and absorbing carbon dioxide, is shifting southward, leading to increased carbon release from the Southern Ocean into the atmosphere.

By analyzing sediment cores from the Southern Ocean, the team linked changes in the current’s flow to periods of warming and ice sheet retreat over the past 1.5 million years. During warmer times, the current slowed in mid-latitudes but accelerated near the pole, altering heat and carbon absorption dynamics.

What about the Black Sea? As we discussed in previous shows, an oil spill from two aging tankers damaged in a December storm in the Kerch Strait has caused significant environmental damage to Russia’s coastline and beaches in annexed Crimea. On Thursday the 2nd, the Transport Ministry of Russia said the spill was smaller than initially thought. The vessels leaked about 40% of their cargo, prompting an ongoing cleanup operation involving over 10,000 workers and volunteers.

Russian authorities revised initial estimates, confirming 2,400 tons of oil spilled into the sea. The spill has impacted coastal regions near Anapa and Kerch, with 73,000 tons of contaminated sand removed so far. Cleanup crews face challenges due to the unique properties of the heavy fuel oil, which cause it to sink rather than float.

Environmental groups report wildlife casualties, including birds and marine mammals.

In sports news, World Sailing, the global authority for the sport of sailing, partnered with the Solomon Islands Sailing Association to host a Level 1 Technical Course for Coaches in the capital of the Islands, Honiara, focusing on Sailing Instructors and supported by the Olympic Solidarity program. Fourteen participants completed seven days of hands-on training in water safety, coaching, and emergency planning.

The course equipped local coaches to run inclusive programs for youth, women, and Parasailors. The foundational certification is part of World Sailing’s three-tier coaching system, fostering global recognition for participants.

Finally, Rory Murray, a Nantucket High School sailor, competed in the Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta in Miami, Florida, for the second year. On Sunday the 29th of December, he and his partner Luke Steindler finished 41st out of ninety-one boats, improving their ranking. Murray credits strong starts and improved skills for their success against top Olympic-level competitors.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Thanks for sticking around for this episode of the Rorshok Ocean update! Thank you for your support, shares, and feedback. Got ideas, suggestions, or just want to say hi? Just drop us a line at info@rorshok.com.

Here’s to another year of keeping you on the loop with what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater. Happy twenty twenty-five!

See you next week!