OCEAN: Boat Capsizes & more – 9th July 2024

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 9th of July twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

On Monday the 1st, a boat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean. Coastguards in Mauritania have recovered almost ninety bodies. They rescued nine individuals, including a five-year-old girl, but many more are still missing. Survivors said that the traditional fishing vessel, which was carrying around 170 people, set sail last week from the Senegalese-Gambian border area and overturned off Mauritania's southwestern coast. Mauritania is a significant transit point for migrants from West Africa attempting to reach Europe, with Spain's Canary Islands being a common destination because of its vicinity. Nearly 40,000 people arrived there in twenty twenty-three, doubling the number from the previous year. The EU granted Mauritania 210 million euros (almost 230 million US dollars) in aid in April, with nearly 60 million euros (more than 65 million US dollars) to combat undocumented migration.

Still in the Atlantic. During the 7th Morocco Today Forum, which took place in Dakhla, on Friday the 5th, Leila Benali, the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, highlighted Morocco's dedication to improving infrastructure for the Royal Atlantic Initiative. As we discussed in previous shows, this project aims to connect Sahel countries to the ocean. She emphasized the need for renewable energy solutions and international partnerships to tackle energy challenges in Africa. Colonel Major Salissou, Niger's Minister of Transport and Equipment of the Republic, praised the Initiative for helping Sahel countries access the Atlantic Ocean and called for regional cooperation. Participants agreed that the Initiative, led by Moroccan King Mohammed VI, promotes South-South cooperation and offers economic and developmental benefits.

In other news, China recently placed a buoy near Japan's southern continental shelf, which has worried Tokyo. On Friday the 5th, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, expressed concern during a news conference, saying China installed the buoy without explanation. China said it was for monitoring tsunamis and that they were not violating Japan's rights. Japan is particularly troubled by the buoy's location in the Shikoku Basin, within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The UN recognizes this area as Japan's continental shelf, but China disputes Japan's claim.

Talking about China, the Chinese and Russian warships began their joint patrol in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday the 4th, passing through Japan's Osumi Strait. This annual patrol aims to strengthen naval cooperation. According to a statement released on Thursday by the Russian Pacific Fleet, the patrol’s goal is to ensure peace in the region. The patrol involved the Russian corvette RFS Sovershenny and the Chinese ships CNS Yinchuan, CNS Hengshui, and the fleet oiler CNS Weishanhu. Japan monitored the patrol with Maritime Patrol aircraft.

On that note about Russia, the country inaugurated the Arctic Express No. 1 logistics service on Friday the 5th in Moscow Oblast. This new route integrates rail-sea intermodal transportation, linking Moscow directly to Chinese ports. The journey includes a crucial stop at Arkhangelsk port in northwest Russia, traversing the Arctic Ocean. The route covers 13.000 kilometers (more than 8.000 miles) and aims to drastically cut transportation time to twenty to twenty-five days, marking a significant reduction compared to the conventional route via the Suez Canal.

Let’s have a look at the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka plans to lift its ban on foreign research ships visiting its ports in twenty twenty-five amid increased tensions in the Indian Ocean involving China, India, and the US. India thought Chinese research ships were actually spy ships and convinced Sri Lanka to ban them from its region. Now the prime minister of Sri Lanka said he doesn't want to take sides, and he's lifting the ban.

Moving on, The Suez Canal is going to have a new rival soon. China is working on a massive engineering project, the Pinglu Canal. This 135-kilometer canal, costing more than nine billion euros (or more than ten billion US dollars), will connect the Xijin Reservoir near Nanning to the port of Qinzhou. The canal aims to enhance maritime connectivity for China's Belt and Road Initiative and it should be completed by twenty twenty-six. The canal will reduce shipping distances by 560 kilometers and stimulate economic growth in Guangxi and western China, boosting trade with Southeast Asian nations.

In news from another Canal, the Panama Canal Authority approved Saab's new maritime navigation system, called the R6 NAV NEO. This is the first system that respects the standards of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (or SOLAS), and meets the new transit requirements of the Panama Canal. Johanna Gustafsson, the Head of Saab TransponderTech, highlighted the system's precision and integrity in monitoring ship movements.

Next up, a new study explored the effects of mining waste on the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific Ocean. Researchers simulated waste discharge from deep-sea mining and found increased copper levels, which could harm marine life at depths between 200 and 1,000 meters (or between 650 and 3,000 feet). The demand for critical minerals is likely to double by twenty sixty, so deep-sea mining could supplement land-based sources. The International Seabed Authority is creating regulations for this industry, incorporating findings from studies like this to ensure environmental protection.

On another note, Australian researchers have created a 3D model of Antarctic glaciers from over sixty years ago using historical, black and white photographs. The model, developed with advanced software, utsed hundreds of images taken by US Navy cartographers in nineteen sixty-eight. This work highlights the impact of climate change on the region, revealing that glaciers remained stable until the collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf back in two thousand two, which led to significant ice loss. The Antarctic sea ice is at the smallest size that has ever been recorded. The researchers suggest that similar photogrammetry techniques could be used to study other parts of Antarctica, providing valuable insights into environmental changes over the decades.

A new research published in Nature Communications on Friday the 5th led by Nord University forecasts substantial changes in fish populations in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans due to climate change. The study warns that Arctic fish could face local extinction by the end of the century without climate refugia. Analyzing data from over 16,000 trawls conducted between two thousand four and twenty twenty-two, the researchers used advanced models to predict future species distribution and biomass under various climate scenarios for twenty fifty and two thousand one hundred. The findings reveal that while warmer-water fish are migrating into the Arctic, they will not fully replace the declining traditional Arctic species. This shift could lead to a decrease in overall fish numbers, particularly among the currently most abundant species, despite an increase in species diversity. Warmer-water species will expand northwards while colder-water species retract.

Closing with microplastic pollution. Experts are gathering to advance the fight against marine microplastic pollution by developing an international network of high-tech laboratories by twenty twenty-seven under the initiative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (or IAEA) Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution. The program aims to tackle plastic waste through innovative recycling methods and precise ocean monitoring using nuclear techniques. The goal is to address the lack of comprehensive data on microplastics, and crucial policy development. Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA’s Director General, emphasized the need for global collaboration to combat plastic pollution effectively. The initiative will create a global network of labs to monitor microplastics, share best practices, and develop standardized protocols. More than sixty countries are participating in the program.

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

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