OCEAN: Tropical Storm Ernesto & more – 20th Aug 2024

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 20th of August twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

A team of climate scientists used a 627-year-old coral record from Fiji to study ocean temperatures and climate changes in the Pacific that have taken place since thirteen seventy. According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, ocean temperatures were consistently warm between thirteen eighty and fifteen fifty-three, but the Pacific has seen unusual warming since nineteen twenty, mainly due to human activities, marking an unprecedented shift from natural patterns. The study stresses the urgent need to limit global warming to 1.5ºC.

Still in the Pacific. On Monday the 19th, a team of Chinese and international scientists set sail from Qingdao, China, for a forty-five-day mission in the Western Pacific Ocean. Led by chief scientist Xu Xuewei, the team will explore the Magellan Seamounts, focusing on deep-sea biodiversity conservation. The mission includes eighteen planned dives by China’s manned submersible, Jiaolong, to collect organisms, seawater, and sediments. Tang Dongmei from the Ministry of Natural Resources noted that this expedition, part of the China-led Digital Deep-sea Typical Habitats Program, involves scientists from almost forty countries, including Canada, Spain, and Colombia.

From the Pacific to the Atlantic. On Sunday the 18th, a tropical storm called Ernesto strengthened back into a hurricane, moving away from Bermuda and pushing powerful waves toward the US east coast. The storm that caused dangerous currents triggered warnings and numerous rescues along the coast. Forecasters warned that these conditions would persist for the next couple of days, affecting the areas from Florida to Maine.

In New Jersey and North Carolina, rescuers saved several people from the rough waters, while tragic incidents in South Carolina and Connecticut resulted in deaths due to drowning and flooding. As Ernesto continued its path, it also caused significant damage along the Outer Banks in North Carolina, including the collapse of an unoccupied beach house.

Still in the Atlantic. The French Navy has momentarily dispatched the frigate La Fayette to Brest on the Atlantic coast to bolster maritime surveillance operations. This marks the first time that a La Fayette-class frigate will carry out continuous operations on France’s western coast.

The ship, upgraded with new systems, will focus on maritime defense and high-seas policing. The move comes as older D’Estienne d’Orves-class patrol ships are decommissioned, and new frigates are awaited. The La Fayette-class frigates will rotate on Atlantic duty until the new vessels arrive.

Moving on to the Indian Ocean. The Eleventh Conference of Parties to the Nairobi Convention begins on Tuesday the 20th and focuses on urgent environmental challenges in the Western Indian Ocean. The region, where around 220 million people live, faces severe threats from climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

The Nairobi Convention leads regional efforts to combat issues like the twenty twenty oil spill in the waters near Mahébourg, Mauritius, promoting sustainable resource management and supporting projects like mangrove restoration in Kenya. The conference will address strategies to protect the ocean's biodiversity and tackle pollution, aligning with global goals to safeguard 30% of the ocean by twenty thirty.

Let’s have a look at the Suez Canal. Mohamed Atef El-Fayoumi, treasurer of the General Federation of Chambers of Commerce, called for more incentives to boost investment in the Canal and its economic zone. On Sunday the 18th, he highlighted the canal’s role in Egypt’s revenue enhancement. The ongoing projects in the Suez Canal Economic Zone are expected to create over 25,000 jobs.

He aims to implement a five-pillar strategy to turn the canal into a global logistics hub, focus on renewable energy, develop human capital, promote tourism, and build industrial complexes. He also talked about challenges from the Houthi attacks and supported the idea of fully duplicating the canal to boost its capacity and competitiveness.

From the Suez to the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal Authority (or ACP) has updated its draft limits and slot allocation. Starting immediately, the maximum draft for Neopanamax Locks will be fifty feet (or over fifteen meters). From the 1st of September, the ACP will offer thirty-six daily booking slots, with ten for Neopanamax, twenty for Super, and six for Regular vessels. The ACP will suspend the temporary customer ranking measure and adjust the daily slot limit per customer to two slots starting Friday the 23rd, excluding auctioned slots.

Let’s sail in the Arctic Ocean. Marine scientists from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and the Arctic University of Norway reveal significant changes in Norwegian coastal fish communities due to climate change. Researchers observe that warming seas have driven fish species northward, leading to a rise in species diversity in Northern Norway’s trawl catches, from about seven to up to fifteen species.

While this shift disrupts local ecosystems and threatens traditional fish stocks like coastal cod, it also opens new opportunities for the fishing industry. Scientists stress the need for adaptive management to address these ecological changes.

Want to know more about this? Follow the link in the show notes to the Rorshok Arctic Update.

From one pole to the other. Scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder identified thirty critical conservation areas in the Southern Ocean for protecting biodiversity. Their study, which was published in the journal Conservation Biology on Thursday the 15th, highlights the need for stricter limits on human activities to safeguard native species like Adélie penguins, Weddell seals, and humpback whales.

The researchers use tracking data from seabirds and seals to pinpoint Key Biodiversity Areas vital for feeding, breeding, and migration. They urge action to reduce fishing and tourism impacts, aiming to enhance the resilience of these species to climate change.

In other news, on Tuesday the 20th Greenpeace published an article against seabed and deep-sea mining, highlighting the environmental and cultural risks associated with these practices. The organization warns that mining operations, both near Aotearoa and in the deeper Pacific and Arctic Oceans, could cause irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.

In Aotearoa, Australian-owned companies such as Trans-Tasman Resources propose mining the seabed off the Taranaki Coast at depths of up to 165 feet (or fifty meters). Meanwhile, deep-sea mining plans aim to extract metals from the Pacific and Arctic Oceans’ floor at depths reaching 18,000 feet or 5,500 meters. Greenpeace argues that these activities threaten vital ocean ecosystems, crucial in combating climate change and sustaining marine life.

Now let’s explore the ocean through art. The Ocean Photographer of the Year competition, co-presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain Ocean Commitment, has revealed its finalists. This year's selection highlights dramatic marine encounters, environmental challenges, and cultural traditions. Photographers from around the world showcase the beauty and fragility of ocean life.

Notable entries include Laura Leusko’s aerial shot of mobula rays off Baja California Sur and Clayton Harris’s image of a breaching humpback whale in New South Wales. On the 12th of September, winners will be announced, and an exhibition with the photographers’ work will open on the 28th of November at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

Closing with watersports. Sir Ben Ainslie, the renowned Olympic sailor and America's Cup champion leading INEOS Britannia, revealed the team's strategic approach for the 37th America's Cup. During an interview published in the website Sail Word on Monday the 19th, he highlights the benefits of their partnership with Mercedes and acknowledges the intense competition and challenging conditions in Barcelona.

Ainslie also reflected on the critical first tests of their AC75 boat and the need to balance technical development with race readiness. He praised his team and coaches for their support and emphasized the importance of data analysis and family time.

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

Before we leave, did you know that if you are listening to us on Spotify you can leave comments or questions in the episode? There's a comment box right there. The comments are private by default, and we won’t publish them. If you want us to get back to you, share your email so we can contact you back! We'd love to hear from you! Put something in there, go crazy!

See you next week!