OCEAN: Cyclone Gabrielle & more – 30th Sep 2025

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 30th of September twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

Let’s start this week by exploring marine life we don’t see everyday, as Ocean News reported on Monday, the 29th, that an Uruguay-led expedition with Schmidt Ocean Institute found thriving deep-sea coral reefs off Uruguay, dominated by the vulnerable, slow-growing, cold-water stony coral, Desmophyllum pertusum, which was found to be healthier than ever.

Using remotely operated vehicle SuBastian from research vessel Falkor, scientists were able to map a 1.3-square-kilometer (or 130 hectares) of reef, which is more than 180 FIFA football fields!

Scientists have identified hundreds of species and thirty suspected new ones. Warm and cold currents mixed temperate and subtropical life. The team also surveyed the wreck of ROU Uruguay from World War II, which has turned into a reef habitat.

From shedding light on some sessile reefs to stranded sea predators, CBC News reported on Sunday, the 28th, that three sperm whales were stranded off Prince Edward Island’s North Shore near Hardys Channel, with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Marine Animal Response Society assessing their condition.

The deep-water whales, likely males, occasionally wander inshore and can beach. Officials urged people to keep at least 200 meters (or 650 feet) away, as stressed whales move unpredictably and pose safety risks.

Next steps include confirming the animals’ current condition and whether they can still save their lives.

In some good news from another aquatic giant. CBC News reported on Friday, the 26th, that rescuers freed Fader, a humpback whale tangled in over one hundred thirty meters (or 425 feet) of rope and fishing gear off Vancouver Island.

First spotted in the Strait of Georgia, teams from Fisheries and Oceans Canada tagged trailing gear, then spent six hours cutting it away in Nanoose Bay with support from the Whale Protection Unit and Defense.

Humpbacks are rebounding in British Columbia, but entanglements are rising. Whale entanglements can turn into a painful, slow burn, causing life-threatening infection and starvation. The team advises people to keep an eye out for lines and floats, and report any incidents to the authorities immediately.

Human-made injuries aren’t the only thing harming marine animals this week, as Mother Nature’s ecological changes are affecting turtles. The Guam Daily Post reported on Sunday, the 28th, that a decade-long turtle study in Guam and the Northern Marianas finds a growing number of female hatchlings versus males as warmer sands determine hatchling sex.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, local agencies, and even the Navy tagged over one hundred turtles and used hormone blood tests to sex juveniles foraging in Apra Harbor.

Scientists tracked migrations, including a green turtle travelling one thousand miles (or 1,600 kilometers) to Pohnpei. These imbalanced ratios risk fewer future breeders and, if not addressed, even the continuity of their species.

It's not only warmer temperatures that are causing disasters this week, as a rare cyclone visited an unsuspecting region. EuroNews reported on Friday, the 26th, that Cyclone Gabrielle struck Portugal’s Azores overnight, lashing the central islands with winds up to 185 kilometers or 115 miles per hour

Authorities logged over one hundred incidents, from toppled trees to collapsed roofs, and relocated four people on Graciosa and Faial.

Schools, public services, and tourist activities were suspended under a red alert, with coastal access discouraged as rough seas persist.

From environmental problems to innovative solutions, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Saturday, the 27th, that South Australia is turning algal-bloom beach wash-ups into commercial compost, giving gardeners and farmers a small win after months of dead fish.

About 500 tonnes (or 500,000 kg) of marine waste have been cleared since March, and, after a fifteen-week process.

Authorities say the product is safe and mostly goes to farms and home beds.

Developments on marine waste management are not the only breakthrough this week, as the energy sector harvests a win too. The Times of India reported on Saturday, the 27th, that India confirmed natural gas in the Andaman Sea, after Oil India Ltd hit gas at the Sri Vijayapuram-II well, seventeen kilometres (or ten miles) off the east coast.

Tests showed mostly methane—about eighty-seven percent—raising hopes of a commercial play, though size and viability are still unproven. The well sits in nearly 300 meters (or 985 feet) of water.

If developed, the find could bolster energy security, cut energy and import bills, and create coastal jobs—while prompting scrutiny over offshore risks.

From the Andaman Sea to the Norwegian Sea, energy developments are pumping strongly, as Ocean News reported on Friday, the 26th, that Equinor and partners started phase two of Åsgard subsea compression in the Norwegian Sea to boost gas recovery and keep flows stable.

New compressor modules raise pipeline pressure between wells and the Åsgard B platform, building on a seabed system that has run for ten years with near-perfect uptime.

Combined with phase one, recovery from the Mikkel and Midgard fields could reach ninety percent, adding hundreds of millions of barrels of oil equivalent.

Progress in the field of energy is not the only thing celebrated this week, as MSN reported on Saturday, the 26th, that Ghana’s Gifty Nyarko marked World Maritime Day by urging stronger coastal resilience and ocean health.

The theme, Our ocean, our obligation, our responsibility, calls governments and urban planners to embed marine protection in land-use rules, use geospatial hazard maps, and build low-carbon ports aligned with International Maritime Organization guidelines and upcoming treaty talks.

The discussion emphasizes how healthier coasts mean safer homes, fewer flood losses, and jobs in fishing, tourism, and shipping.

The Marine industry’s future is promising, as the Naval News reported on Friday, the 26th, that the Netherlands’ RH Marine and France’s Naval Group signed a contract under the Dutch Submarine Replacement Programme, cementing an Industrial Cooperation Agreement for the Royal Netherlands Navy’s next-gen fleet.

RH Marine will provide platform automation, power distribution, and integrated systems, drawing on decades of experience with the Dutch navy. Naval Group, via Team Orka, highlighted strong Dutch industry involvement.

The deal promises skilled jobs, supply-chain growth, and tighter North Sea security.

European countries are not the only ones boasting new partnerships, as the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation reported on Sunday, the 28th, that Indonesia pitched Asia–Africa blue-economy partnerships at the Mombasa summit, promising skills, investment, and ocean governance support.

Speaking to participants, envoy Wisnu Lombardwinanto cited Indonesia’s roles in multilateral organizations, plus tools like green sukuk, blue bonds, and a Blue Economy Development Index.

Plans include tighter fisheries management, action on illegal fishing through the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Port State Measures, and marine conservation.

Meanwhile, Offshore Source reported on Friday, the 26th, that the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) opened an office in Singapore, backed by the Singapore Shipping Association.

The hub will deepen work on decarbonization, digital transformation, safety, and seafarer welfare across the Asia-Pacific region. The move follows an ICS liaison office in China and precedes a Global Maritime Trade Summit in Hong Kong.

A stronger Singapore hub can speed cleaner fuels, smarter port tech, and safer standards.

Let’s finish off this week’s updates with an inspiring story, as on Sunday, the 28th, Green Matters featured South African diver Jessica Pita, legally blind since eleven, who has been navigating the sea by sound, calling it an orchestra.

Pita, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors’ first blind scuba diver from South Africa, uses hearing and muscle memory to identify coral crackles, parrotfish crunches, and fish pops—while a buddy once hummed Jaws to signal a shark.

After optic atrophy, diving restored confidence and independence; now she campaigns for inclusive diving. Her story spotlights accessible nature and disability rights.

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

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See you next week!