OCEAN: Countries Claiming Seabeds & more – 22nd Oct 2024

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 22nd of October twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

To kick off this edition, on Thursday the 17th, an article from The Guardian reported that countries are actively competing to name and claim remote seabed features as new 3D mapping technologies reveal previously unknown underwater terrain. Klaus Dodds, a geopolitics expert, calls this competition a "scramble for the oceans," driven by nations aiming to extend their territorial rights and access more marine resources.

Dr. Sergei Basik, a geographer, explained that naming these features establishes ownership and could lead to future resource exploitation. Countries like Japan, the US, and Russia are among the most proactive in proposing names, especially in remote regions. The possibility of deep-sea mining is the reason behind the naming trend, raising concerns over environmental consequences.

Talking about what’s at stake with deep-sea mining, scientists have discovered an unexpected ecosystem under the seafloor in the Pacific Ocean, finding giant tube worms, snails, and other species living in volcanic areas near hydrothermal vents. Using a remotely operated vehicle, researchers found these animals in fluid-filled cavities more than 2,500 meters (or over 8,000 feet) deep.

This breakthrough, published on Tuesday the 15th in the journal Nature Communications, reveals that animal life exists in the ocean crust, challenging prior assumptions that only microbes lived there. This discovery highlights the connection between seafloor and underground ecosystems, and causes concerns about the need to protect these environments from human activities like deep-sea mining.

Still in the Pacific. On Friday the 18th, the Mexican navy announced that it had seized over 8.3 tonnes of drugs in the Pacific Ocean, marking a record for a single maritime operation. The Ministry of the Navy added that naval personnel intercepted this illicit cargo near the port of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico.

The drugs, valued at 105 million US dollars, were on six small boats and a submersible. Authorities arrested twenty-three people involved in the operation. The Mexican navy seized the drugs off the coast of Michoacan, a region plagued by cartel violence, including the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel.

In the Atlantic, meteorologists have downgraded an upcoming Atlantic storm system, which is now expected to develop slowly as it moves near the island of Hispaniola, in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the southeastern Bahamas.

Florida's eastern coast continues to face potential flooding, due to strong winds causing coastal waters to increase. Forecasters warn of high tides, turbulent surf, and frequent rip currents, especially in areas like Miami that are prone to flooding.

Meanwhile, another storm system is bringing heavy rains to Central America and southern Mexico, which can develop into a tropical depression before moving inland.

More about the Atlantic as, according to an article by BBC Science Focus published on Sunday the 13th, scientists are saying that there’s a 50 to 70% chance that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (also known as AMOC) will collapse by twenty fifty, which could lead to severe global consequences. This system, vital for transporting warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic, is deteriorating due to rising temperatures and melting ice sheets.

Since two thousand four, data has shown a 10% decline in AMOC strength, and climate models predict another 30-50% decrease in strength by the end of the century, causing extreme weather and altered rainfall patterns. Scientists are stressing the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance climate resilience to prevent catastrophic impacts on global food and water supplies.

Let’s sail to the Arctic. According to Rudolf Hermann’s analysis published in the journal Neue Zürcher Zeitung on Monday the 14th, countries compete for control over the North Pole, with Russia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the US asserting territorial claims. In two thousand seven, Russia planted a flag on the seabed beneath the North Pole, and the UN Commission acknowledged some of its claims in twenty twenty-three, but these do not grant resource rights.

While Arctic nations pursue seabed claims, the waters above remain international territory. Although the Arctic holds valuable resources, many deposits are already within areas that coastal countries can access and manage, which may obstacle other nations from exploiting them. Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic lacks a governing treaty, leaving it vulnerable to disputes. Geopolitical tensions and a focus on national interests threaten cooperation and the vision of a peaceful Arctic.

To read the full piece, follow the link in the show notes.

Still in the Arctic. Russia’s plan to use a shadow fleet to deliver liquefied natural gas (or LNG) is encountering difficulties, as there are currently one million cubic meters of gas stuck on ships at sea. Some vessels are slowly heading toward buyers in Asia, while others are trapped by growing sea ice near Russia's Arctic coast.

With the Northern Sea Route closing due to ice, shipping LNG from the Arctic is becoming harder. Many ships are using risky transfers at sea, and Russia is now forced to offer big discounts to find buyers, mainly in China and India.

Want to know more about this story? Check out the Rorshok Arctic Update with the link in the show notes!

Talking about Russia, the country has started joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean with Iran and Oman. The drills aim at strengthening regional security and cooperation. The exercises, named IMEX twenty twenty-four, focus on protecting maritime routes, ensuring international trade safety, and improving humanitarian and rescue operations.

Nine other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, and Pakistan, are observing the drills. This event comes during rising tensions in the region, particularly for the ongoing conflicts involving Israel and Yemen's Houthi rebels. Iran has also recently increased military ties with Russia and China.

In a previous show, we told you the story of Paul Watson, an anti-whaling activist and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, who was arrested in Greenland in July as Japan accused him of illegally boarding a Japanese vessel in Antarctic waters in twenty ten and causing property damage. Now, Watson is seeking political asylum in France to evade potential extradition to Japan. If found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of up to fifteen years.

Watson denies the allegations, saying that they are politically motivated due to his opposition to Japanese whaling practices, banned internationally since nineteen eighy-six. He recently submitted an asylum request to French President Emmanuel Macron, who has shown support for Watson's environmental advocacy. Critics said his arrest reflects Japan's cultural position on whaling despite persistent international criticism.

If you want to learn more about this story, listen to the new episode of the Rorshok Japan update from Thursday the 24th with the link in the show notes!

In other news, Karsten Kildahl, Maersk's chief commercial officer, worries that the reopening of the Suez Canal could cause up to two months of disruption at European ports. Ships rerouting through the Cape of Good Hope due to Red Sea tensions are expected to arrive in Europe simultaneously with vessels taking the shorter Suez route, overwhelming port infrastructure. Kildahl anticipates severe delays, terminal congestion, and a shortage of trucks and handling capacity.

Many shipping companies, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, continue to avoid the Red Sea due to Houthi missile threats, prolonging the use of the Cape of Good Hope route. Kildahl stresses that while a return to the Red Sea route would reduce emissions and shorten travel time, the ongoing instability indicates that the longer route will still be necessary for a while.

From one canal to another, as according to Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, during the fiscal year twenty twenty-four, the Panama Canal achieved significant operational milestones. He declared that the Canal recorded almost 10,000 transits and handled 423 million tons under the Universal Canal Ship Tonnage System.

Compared to the previous fiscal year, the Canal improved efficiency with a 1% reduction in wait times, averaging about fifteen hours less, and a 1% decrease in transit times, which shortened the duration by almost one hour. Vessels also spent sixteen hours less in Canal waters, marking a 4% reduction, while water usage per transit for Neopanamax vessels fell by 5%.

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

Thanks for tuning into the Rorshok Ocean update. You can find us on your Spotify, Apple podcasts and all the other platforms as the Rorshok Ocean Update.

See you next week!