OCEAN: Heat Waves & more – 14th May 2024

Ahoy from BA! This is Rorshok’s Ocean Update from the 14th of May twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

According to a study published on Monday the 6th, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, China's successful attempts to reduce aerosol emissions from twenty ten to twenty twenty accidentally triggered a rise in heat waves over the Pacific Ocean, strongly impacting the marine life of the region. Researchers from the Ocean University of China discovered that the reduction in pollution allowed more sunlight to reach our planet, warming temperatures and causing important consequences such as fish die-offs and droughts in California. In light of their discovery, they urged China to reconsider its ban on aerosol emissions to prevent further temperature increases.

Talking about China, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry, two Chinese warships approached Japanese territory on Tuesday the 7th. Only two days before, Japan monitored the two ships navigating from the East China Sea into the Philippine Sea. They sailed through important water passages like the Osumi Strait. Japan reacted by sending fighter jets against Chinese planes flying around the area, showing that tensions there were rising.

From the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean. On Friday the 10th, the U.S. Coast Guard offloaded a massive amount of cocaine and marijuana at Port Everglades, Florida, during patrols in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Coast Guard said to the press that the drugs are worth 185 million US dollars. According to the media, the Coast Guard detained ten persons for drug smuggling. The same task force intercepted a semi-submersible boat in the Atlantic Ocean carrying 600 kilos of cocaine in March.

Moving on, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (or NOAA) Fisheries is currently studying marine life using passive acoustic technologies, deploying underwater microphones to record underwater sounds and track species presence and behavior. These efforts aim to understand how animals move under the water, socialize, and find food in their ocean habitats, in order to find out how to protect marine life. Additionally, NOAA is researching the impact of environmental and human-made noise on aquatic life, particularly vessel noise, to mitigate potential disruptions to animal behavior and ensure compliance with regulations in protected areas.

Talking about fisheries, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (or IOTC) will discuss adopting sustainable management procedures for swordfish and skipjack tuna in a meeting in Bangkok, which will take place from Monday the 13th until Friday the 17th. The aim is to ensure the long-term health and profitability of the fish stocks. Additionally, this week, the IOTC might also improve its regulations to monitor good practices and prevent illegal fishing.

In other news, on Thursday the 9th, Yahya Saree, Yemen's Houthi rebels, the military group’s spokesperson, said the group was responsible for attacking two ships in the Gulf of Aden and one in the Indian Ocean, using ballistic missiles and drones. The attacks in the Gulf of Aden targeted the vessels MSC Diego and the MSC Gina, which the Houthis consider to have Israeli affiliation. The third attack targeted the container ship MSC Vittoria in the Indian Ocean. Houthi rebels have been attacking ships for months now, as an expression of solidarity and support for Palestine. As a consequence, many ships are rerouting, passing around South Africa.

More on the Houthi’s attacks. On Monday the 6th, the Danish shipping company Maersk warned of rising disruption in Red Sea container shipping, estimating up to a 20% capacity reduction in Asia-Europe routes in the second quarter due to Houthi attacks. The risk zone is expanding, forcing Maersk’s vessels to longer journeys, resulting in higher fuel costs and freight rates. The German company Hapag-Lloyd is rerouting vessels away from the area, while the French CMA CGM is exploring alternative ports. Maersk is responding by sailing faster, leasing more containers, and addressing reliability issues caused by bottlenecks and capacity shortages.

Let’s have a look at the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal Authority is discussing with U.S. liquefied natural gas (or LNG) producers about accommodating the increased demand for crossings, following water level recovery. During an interview with the journal Reuters, Ricaurte Vasquez Morales, the canal’s administrator, will probably modify slot allocations and conduct surveys to meet LNG customers' needs. The canal aims to attract exports from new U.S. LNG plants, addressing concerns about long waiting periods for LNG vessels.

Moving on to the Arctic Ocean. The Ocean Census launched an expedition to explore the depths of the Arctic Ocean, aiming to gain more knowledge of its biodiversity. A multidisciplinary team of scientists is leading the expedition, which started on Friday the 3rd from Tromsø, Norway, and will continue until October. During the journey, the team will sample and film remote marine environments, searching for undiscovered species close to Greenland and Svalbard. The expedition will also target areas potentially impacted by deep-sea mining.

Up next, researchers solved the mystery of a massive hole in Antarctic sea ice, known as the Maud Rise polynya, which grew as big as Switzerland in twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen. Many factors caused the polynya, such as the shape of the ocean floor, strong winds, and ocean currents. Warm water coming up from below melted the ice, and a special process called Ekman transport brought salt to the surface, keeping the hole open. Polynyas play a crucial role in mitigating atmospheric carbon dioxide and influencing ocean currents, with long-lasting effects on the climate.

Let’s have a look at the Black Sea. On Tuesday the 7th, the Russian Black Sea Fleet received two new ships, Typhoon and Viktor Velikiy, from the Zelenodol'skiy Shipyard in Zelenodolsk, Tatarstan.

is a missile ship of Project: 22800

A recent study published in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers suggests that deep-sea mining could considerably harm the deep-sea fauna. Scientists simulated mining plumes and exposed deep-sea sponges called Geodia barretti and brittle star species to suspended particles from crushed seafloor massive sulfide deposits. The research revealed that sponges got ten times sicker and all brittle stars died in ten days, maybe from bad metals. Concentrations of Iron and copper in sponges exposed to mining stuff were ten times higher, showing mining dirt built up in them. Erik Wurz, the research lead, said we need to check how mining affects sea life and find ways to protect it.

Closing with watersports. Ambrogio Beccaria from Italy won The Transat CIC Class40 race, beating the French sailor Ian Lipinski. Beccaria sailed his boat, the Musa 40 Alla Grande Pirelli, from Lorient, France, to New York, the US, in less than twelve days. Even though he had some problems at the beginning, and Lipinski was a tough competition, Beccaria made smart decisions and came out on top. The victory is particularly significant for Beccaria as it is his first solo race win on the boat, although this is his third big win in Transatlantic races. Beccaria's win adds to Italy's legacy in Class40 racing, following Giovanni Soldini's success in two thousand eight.

And that’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

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See you next week!