OCEAN: Oil Spill near Peru & more – 31st Dec 2024

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 31st of December twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

On Thursday, the 26th, the environment ministry of Peru declared three months of environmental emergency after a crude oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near the Talara refinery on the country's northern coast. The spill occurred on Saturday, the 21st, during pre-shipment operations by Petroperu, the state oil company.

While the exact amount of oil spilled remains unclear, Peru’s environmental agency reported that around 10,000 square meters (almost 12,000 square yards) of seawater and at least seven beaches have been contaminated, harming local wildlife and ecosystems. Petroperu said it had deployed cleanup crews, boats, and drones immediately and is working with local authorities and fishermen to minimize the damage. Fishermen also reported losing income and livelihood, as they haven’t been able to work since the spill.

Last week, we talked about Donald Trump’s statements on the Panama Canal, criticizing the excessive fees and demanding changes or a return of the canal to US control, sparking debates over the canal's management and its geopolitical significance. In response, on Sunday the 22nd, José Raúl Mulino, Panama's President, rejected Trump’s comments, affirming full Panamanian control of the canal and defending the current fee structure.

Recall that fees set by the Panama Canal Authority have risen in the last year due to severe droughts, reducing canal capacity and causing delays. The Panama Canal, used mostly by the US and China, is crucial for global trade, connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean, with nearly 10,000 ships carrying over 423 million tons of goods annually.

Talking about the Atlantic, a recent study published on Tuesday the 24th in the journal Nature explored changes in sea temperatures in the North Atlantic affecting weather predictions for Europe and Asia. The research found that a weather pattern called the North Atlantic Oscillation (or NAO) plays a big role in these changes. When this pattern stays the same or shifts during winter, it affects other wind patterns, impacting sea temperatures and their stability.

The study showed that the NAO’s different phases lead to changes in North Atlantic sea temperatures every one to three months. This research helps scientists understand better how ocean and air patterns interact and improve weather forecasts, especially for temperature and rainfall in Europe and Asia.

From the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. On Thursday the 26th, the United Nations remembered the Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred on the same day in two thousand four, which claimed over 230,000 lives. On its 20th anniversary, UN officials called for renewed global efforts to protect future generations from similar disasters.

The tsunami, triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia's coast, devastated multiple countries, displacing over 1.7 million people. In response, the international community made significant progress in disaster preparedness, including the establishment of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System, which now alerts coastal areas in minutes. However, climate change has increased the risk of such disasters. The UN stressed the need for continued proactive measures to safeguard communities in high-risk areas against future tsunamis.

Next up, on Sunday the 29th, Finnish authorities moved the tanker Eagle S to an internal anchorage near Porvoo, Finland, for investigation, after it allegedly damaged the Estlink-2 power cable in the Baltic Sea. The cable, which connects Finland to Estonia, was disrupted on Friday the 27th, but the impact on the electricity supply was minimal.

The Eagle S, flagged by the Cook Islands, is suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet, which operates oil tankers to bypass international sanctions. This incident follows a series of similar events in the Baltic, including damage to data cables and the Nord Stream pipelines — which we reported on in previous shows — raising concerns of potential sabotage. Finland and Estonia have requested additional NATO support, which is increasing its military presence in the region in response to growing tensions.

In other news, the LNG carrier Pioneer, which was transporting sanctioned Russian liquified natural gas (or LNG), returned to the Koryak floating storage unit in Kamchatka, Russia, on Thursday the 26th, after its four-month search for a buyer. The ship failed to secure a deal due to Western sanctions and compliance concerns. After circling the globe, it returned to Kamchatka, where the gas will likely remain until the gas finds a buyer.

The incident highlights the difficulties Russia faces in exporting energy resources amid increasing Western efforts to cut off its energy supplies. While Russia's shadow fleet mainly consists of oil tankers, LNG carriers are now targeted as well due to sanctions. The tight scrutiny of global LNG trade, including compliance checks by buyers and insurers, contributed to Pioneer's inability to find a market for its cargo.

Speaking of LNG, the MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has recently ordered an additional ten liquefied natural gas dual-fuel vessels from Hengli Heavy Industries in China. The ships will be delivered between twenty twenty-eight and twenty thirty. This order follows a similar one placed earlier in twenty twenty-four for another ten ships.

MSC’s focus on LNG dual-fuel vessels is part of its efforts to decarbonize and modernize its fleet while maintaining its leading position in the global container shipping market. The shipping industry has seen a significant increase in orders for dual-fuel ships, especially in the container sector, as companies invest in environmentally friendly technologies.

Next up, on Saturday the 28th the website Passione Astronomia presented NASA's Sea Level Change Team’s interactive map, which visualizes projected sea level rise globally from twenty twenty to twenty-one fifty. Based on data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, users can click on any coastal or ocean area to see detailed predictions for specific decades.

This tool incorporates extensive satellite and ground-based data, as well as advanced computer simulations, to highlight the effects of various processes driving sea level changes. These include glacier and ice sheet melting, ocean water thermal expansion, and shifting circulation patterns. It aims to empower citizens and governments to better understand and prepare for future scenarios shaped by climate change.

To check out the map, follow the link in the show notes!

In other news, Cephalopods like octopuses, cuttlefish, and squid, are gaining attention among scientists in animal welfare discussions due to their remarkable intelligence and unique brain structures. As reported by Phys.org and The Conversation on Wednesday the 25th, they can solve problems, use camouflage, and even show self-control.

This intelligence has sparked ethical concerns about practices like octopus farming. Some US states, including California and Washington, have banned such farming, and similar actions are being considered elsewhere. The EU has implemented guidelines to treat cephalopods humanely since twenty ten, and the US is exploring policies in the same direction.

Sadly, there was a tragedy in the Red Sea. A shark attack near Marsa Alam, a resort town on Egypt's coast, killed a forty-eight-year-old Italian tourist and injured another, aged sixty-nine. The Egyptian environment ministry reported that the incident occurred on Sunday the 29th in deep waters beyond designated swimming zones. Both men were transported to a hospital in Port Ghalib, around thirty miles (or almost fifty kilometers) away.

The Italian foreign ministry confirmed the victims' nationalities. In response to the attack, authorities temporarily closed swimming areas in Marsa Alam and launched an investigation. Shark attacks in the Red Sea are rare: according to the Shark Research Institute, there have been only four confirmed fatalities in the last decade in the region.

Closing with The Australian Antarctic Program, which on Monday the 30th shared photos from twenty twenty-four, showcasing unique wildlife, dramatic landscapes, and the work of its expedition teams. Highlights include playful emperor penguins, rare jade-colored icebergs, and zooplanktons in the Southern Ocean.

The year also saw critical operations like supply airdrops to Mawson, in Canberra, and search-and-rescue training for new expeditioners. From frozen lakes to the penguins at Macquarie Island, the images offer a glimpse into the beauty of the scientific world of the Antarctic.

If you want to have a look at these amazing pictures, check out the link in the show notes!

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

Before leaving we want to wish you a happy and exciting twenty twenty-five! Thank you for sticking with us, sharing the podcast, and being such an amazing part of our community. We’ll be here as long as you’re enjoying the episodes, so if you have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions on how we can get better, don’t hesitate to reach out—shoot us an email at info@rorshok.com. We’d love to hear from you!

See you next week!