OCEAN: Flesh-Eating Bacteria & more – 7th Aug 2025

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 5th of August twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

Starting off this week, a flesh-eating bacteria is giving off bad vibes, as US health officials raised alarms over a surge in Vibrio vulnificus infections along the U.S. Gulf Coast. This year, Louisiana reported seventeen cases of flesh-eating bacteria, manifesting as redness, severe pain, and tissue destruction, four times the decade average—with four fatalities.

Florida confirmed thirteen cases, also with four deaths. The bacteria thrive in warm, brackish waters and can infect open wounds or be ingested through raw seafood. Vulnerable groups include those with liver disease, diabetes, or weakened immunity. Experts urge the public to avoid saltwater if wounded and to skip raw oysters.

Vibrio infections can become deadly within days, demanding urgent medical attention.

Chasing another story like a crime-thriller scene, on Friday the 1st, four men were sentenced for smuggling eighteen million pounds (almost 24 million dollars) worth of cocaine into Cornwall.

The dramatic twenty-eight-mile or forty-five-kilometer sea chase ended on Gwynver Beach, where officers intercepted a rigid-hulled inflatable boat. Operation Libellary exposed a transatlantic drug route using GPS-tracked at-sea drop-offs from cartel mother ships. Among those convicted were a struggling Hampshire fisher, a Colombian cartel enforcer, and members of an Essex crime group.

Three others, including the key facilitator, will be sentenced on the 21st of August. Authorities urge public vigilance to stop traffickers using quiet UK coasts for smuggling operations.

Diving deeper, according to a study published on Wednesday, 30th, a Chinese-led deep sea expedition discovered thriving communities of life more than nine kilometres or almost six miles deep in the Pacific trenches—further than previously recorded.

Using the Fendouzhe submersible, researchers observed beds of clams, bacterial mats, and fields of tube worms in pitch-black, high-pressure environments. These ecosystems rely on chemical energy from seafloor gases, not sunlight. Scientists were astonished by the biodiversity, suggesting these ecosystems might be widespread, not rare. They also recorded new, unnamed species.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday the 30th of July, for the very first time in Taiwan, the country activated its Central Emergency Operation Center over a tsunami threat.

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s coast prompted warnings from Taiwan’s weather agency. Officials placed twenty-three rescue aircraft and fourteen naval vessels on standby. Coastal towns were urged to prepare, especially in Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Hualien.

Simulations suggest wave overflow up to thirty centimetres or almost twelve inches. While waves are expected to stay under one meter (about three feet), authorities remain cautious. The Fisheries Agency also warned distant-water vessels in the North Pacific to stay alert.

Also on Wednesday, the 30th, the Bago Region in Myanmar is bracing for potential monsoon flooding, but local fish farms are holding steady — for now.

The Fisheries Department and Myanmar Fisheries Federation released notices for the fish farmers as a precaution due to the current weather forecasts. The Fisheries Department has restocked fingerlings across over 4,200 acres of ponds submerged last year, while warning farmers to prepare as rainfall intensifies.

Even though nearby areas are already flooded, water hasn’t yet breached the fish ponds. Officials credit early canal repairs for the current stability. With the water level just ten centimeters or almost four inches below danger, monitoring continues.

These ponds are vital, supplying fish both locally and abroad. In twenty twenty-four alone, farmers produced over 300,000 tonnes of rohu, tilapia, and catfish.

In a major loss, on Friday the 1st, two Evergreen ships lost over eighty containers along South America’s coast within a week.

The Ever Lunar lost fifty boxes while anchored off Callao, Peru, triggering a temporary port shutdown. Officials blamed sudden vessel rolling, possibly worsened by rushed tsunami evacuation plans and port protocols. Days earlier, the Ever Feat lost between thirty and forty containers in rough seas near Uruguay, some reportedly carrying fertilizer. Authorities confirmed no hazardous cargo off Peru.

Recovery efforts are underway in both Uruguay and Peru. The back-to-back incidents raise concerns over safety protocols during extreme weather events and port evacuations.

Flying over the Mediterranean coast, on Thursday the 31st, Ocean Winds installed its first floating wind turbine for the Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion or EFGL project off the Mediterranean coast.

The ten-megawatt unit, built at Port-La Nouvelle, was towed sixteen kilometres (about ten miles) offshore and anchored. Two more turbines will be deployed by August, powering 50,000 people. EFGL is a pilot project by Ocean Winds—a joint venture between EDP Renewables and Engie—with Banque des Territoires. The company’s country director said the operation showcases France’s growing expertise in floating offshore wind.

It also supports global efforts, with similar projects underway in Scotland, Korea, and a 250-megawatt site in France.

As the new US tariffs roll out, the container shipping industry is facing a deep cyclical downturn as recent overcapacity meets weakening demand. Despite packed shipyards until twenty twenty-eight, carriers continue ordering vessels after record post-pandemic profits.

Analysts warn that this supply-demand mismatch could persist through the decade. Taiwan’s Dimerco Express highlighted that the US’s erratic tariff policies are triggering rushed shipments now but may slash trade and spike costs later. With tariff definitions—like transshipment—still vague, uncertainty reigns.

New US tariffs began this Friday the 1st of August, with China facing 55% duties. Turbulent waters lie ahead for the global shipping sector.

Shoring up the coastline defense, on Thursday the 31st, the Greek authorities started training Libyan coast guard officers on the island of Crete to help curb rising migrant arrivals by sea.

While Greece recently sent frigates to the Libyan coast, it’s now opting for joint patrols and rescue drills with Libyan officials. Despite their land-based conflicts, maritime cooperation is gaining traction.

The move comes amid lingering tensions over a twenty nineteen Libya–Turkey maritime deal, which excluded Greece. Talks between Greece and Libya on new sea borders are expected soon.

Moving to calmer seas – or at least an attempt to reach them – on Tuesday the 5th, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan confirmed in an interview that Malaysia and Indonesia are still mulling over a Joint Development Agreement to settle their maritime boundary dispute in the Sulawesi Sea.

Malaysia’s foreign minister said discussions are in early stages and any decision must benefit both sides. He stressed the government’s commitment to transparency and legal accuracy.

Connecting more people to the world, on Wednesday the 30th, Indonesia’s digital infrastructure provider, Surge, launched a high-capacity subsea network connecting Jakarta and Singapore, powered by Nokia’s eighteen thirty Photonic Service Switch.

The network enables Surge to deliver ultra-fast broadband internet to international clients. It forms part of Surge’s mission to expand affordable internet to 40 million Indonesians, especially in underserved areas. The deployment boosts data center interconnectivity and supports scalable, energy-efficient growth.

Riding the tide to some good news, on Wednesday, the 30th, a massive sea turtle named Pennywise, weighing over 300 pounds, returned to the ocean after months of rehabilitation at Florida’s Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Injured by a boat strike in May, Pennywise survived—a rare feat for sea turtles. Diagnostic scans revealed she was full of eggs, making her release during nesting season especially meaningful. Staff and community members gathered to send her off.

Conservationists urge boaters to slow down and respect the sea turtle protection zone as nesting continues through October.

Currently, all sea turtles remain endangered or threatened and need vigilant protection.

Finishing off with another historic story, on Monday the 4th, Ocean Exploration Trust has uncovered thirteen World War Two shipwrecks during a twenty-two-day mission in Iron Bottom Sound, Solomon Islands—the site of five major nineteen forty-two battles.

Live-streamed globally, the team captured first-ever images of the bow of USS New Orleans and Japan’s Teruzuki. Using uncrewed mapping vessel DriX and remotely operated vehicles, they created ultra-high-resolution maps and explored wrecks including HMAS Canberra, USS Vincennes, and Yudachi.

The effort honours over 20,000 lives lost, advances marine archaeology, and showcases global collaboration.

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

Did you know that we do lots of other updates? We’ve got non-country updates: The Arctic Ocean and Multilateral shows, and country updates, with a selection of nations from across the world.

Check the full list with the link in the show notes.

See you next week!