OCEAN: Underwater Robot Stuck & more – 12th Nov 2024

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 12th of November twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

France is mobilizing to send its flagship aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, and a support fleet in the Asia-Pacific ocean, with possible stops in Japan and the Philippines to work on maritime security and conduct multinational exercises, especially around the Indonesian straits. After intensive training to restore full operational capacity, the carrier group will soon embark from the Mediterranean.

France’s expanded presence reflects its Indo-Pacific Strategy, defined in twenty nineteen, which aims to strengthen ties with regional allies. China, meanwhile, is concerned that France’s increased military involvement will potentially destabilize the region.

Still in the Pacific. Marine scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute are exploring the Chile margin along South America’s west coast, where tectonic activity shapes a unique ecosystem on the seafloor. With footage captured by the underwater vehicle SuBastian, the team has documented thriving communities of spider crabs, tubeworm reefs, and diverse marine life supported by methane seeps and volcanic vents.

These seeps, essential for ocean ecosystems, support microbes that convert methane into energy, creating essential carbonate structures that keep the gas out of the atmosphere. The fifty-five-day expedition, focusing on the geologically active Chile Triple Junction, will continue until the 5th of December, with ongoing discoveries shared via the Institute’s YouTube and Instagram channels.

From the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. On Wednesday the 6th, during the speech for the Moroccan national Green March Day, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI suggested a potential willingness to support Algeria’s access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Western Sahara, including the country in Morocco's ongoing initiative to help Sahel nations reach the Atlantic via a cooperative framework, which we already talked about in previous shows.

The king also reaffirmed Morocco’s stance on Western Sahara autonomy, urging the UN to recognize Morocco’s vision over other solutions like a referendum. This marked the first time Morocco has not rejected Algeria’s potential Atlantic ambitions, aligning with the Atlantic Initiative discussed with Sahel leaders in twenty twenty-three.

Talking about Morocco, from Monday the 4th until Friday the 8th, the country chaired the Scientific Advisory Committee of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (or GFCM) at the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome, Italy, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable fisheries. Morocco also earned the GFCM Compliance Award for the fourth year in a row, highlighting its strong adherence to sustainable fishing practices.

Morocco’s delegation, which included officials from key fisheries institutions, focused on strategies to preserve fish stocks, protect marine habitats, and promote eco-friendly fishing. The award underscored Morocco’s leadership and transparent governance in the fisheries sector.

Next up, the Antarctic Ocean. Two years ago, scientists sent Marlin, an underwater robot, to study the Ross Sea in Antarctica, but it got stuck under the Ross Ice Shelf. Unexpectedly, Marlin kept gathering critical data on warming waters. The data have now been analyzed and Marlin’s measurements revealed a big layer of warmer water intruding under the ice shelf, with temperatures high enough to accelerate ice melt.

Researchers linked the warming to increased heat flow from stronger ocean currents, which have strengthened as climate change warms the Ross Sea. This ongoing rise in ocean temperatures could intensify ice shelf melting, potentially destabilizing Antarctica’s ice sheet and impacting global sea levels.

From one Pole to the other. Researchers aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy recently discovered a volcano-like structure on the Arctic Ocean floor near Alaska. While mapping the seafloor and surveying uncharted waters, the team detected a potential gas plume rising from the feature, though it remains too deep to pose any threat to surface vessels or land. A Coast Guard statement released on Thursday the 7th specifies that data analysis is still ongoing, but the findings are already exciting.

The discovery is part of a broader Arctic study and offers valuable insights into the largely unexplored region. The Healy, the Coast Guard's largest icebreaker, has already returned to Seattle after completing its mission to improve navigation safety and support scientific research.

To know more about this story, check out the Rorshok Arctic Update with the link in the show notes!

In other news, on Friday the 8th Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, India’s Navy Chief, emphasized that India has an effective system for maritime domain awareness, allowing the Navy to closely safeguard national interests. He reassured that India keeps track of all activities in its region, including China's growing influence through its cooperation with Sri Lanka.

Tripathi also highlighted the Navy’s support for two female officers currently circumnavigating the globe as part of the Navika Sagar Parikrama-2 mission. Additionally, he praised the Navy's efforts to innovate and engage with the public in different activities and initiatives.

Let’s sail to the Panama Canal. On Friday the 8th, at the Houston International Maritime Conference, Ricaurte Vasquez, the Panama Canal Authority chief, announced plans to double the number of containers moving through the canal in the coming years. This goal comes alongside an eight billion US dollar investment plan and a new water conservation strategy after a severe drought.

n more containers annually by: 2045

A project from the Sinop University in Turkey, with support from the European Union, plans to turn Black Sea seaweed into fertilizer and bioplastics to address environmental concerns along the coast. Partnering with universities in Bulgaria and Georgia, the initiative spans seven countries and seeks to explore seaweed's impact on eutrophication, where nutrients accumulate in water bodies, increasing the growth of microorganisms that can reduce the oxygen in the water.

In addition to technological research, the project will host conferences, workshops, and clean-up events to promote environmental awareness. The project, set to launch in early twenty twenty-five, seeks to benefit both the Black Sea's ecosystem and local communities.

From the Black to the Mediterranean Sea. On Wednesday the 6th, the Ocean Viking, a rescue vessel operated by the NGO SOS Méditerranée, saved 178 migrants in two separate operations in international Mediterranean waters.

In the first operation, the team rescued 140 people from an overcrowded wooden boat that was at risk of capsizing; among them were five women and four children. Many had fuel burns and seasickness. In the second operation, rescuers saved thirty-eight people from a fragile inflatable boat in the Maltese search and rescue zone.

The mission received support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. According to the International Organization for Migration, migrant deaths and disappearances in the Mediterranean this year have reached 1,710.

Next up, on Friday the 8th, Kamina Johnson Smith, a Senator in Jamaica, reaffirmed that her country will only endorse deep-sea mining if strong regulations protect the marine environment.

Environmental groups and scientists continue to raise alarms about the potential damage deep-sea mining could cause to ocean ecosystems, a concern shared by Jamaica's Opposition.

Closing with a sweet story from Barbados reported by CNN on Saturday the 9th. Alex Davis, a diver in Barbados, discovered a graduation ring under the waters belonging to Morgan Perigo that had been lost in nineteen seventy-seven. David found the ring with a unique engraving while diving with a metal detector. After researching the details, he traced the ring back to Perigo, who had lost it during a family trip.

The ring arrived on Perigo’s doorstep just before his 83rd birthday. Davis, who runs a tourism business in Barbados, said that the timing made the story even more special.

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

Thanks for sticking around for this episode of the Rorshok Ocean update! If you’ve got questions, thoughts, or just want to say hi, reach out at info@rorshok.com. Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

See you next week!