OCEAN: US Warships Deployed & more – 26th Aug 2025

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 26th of August twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

Kicking off this edition with intercontinental disputes, India Times reported on the 22nd, that three US warships carrying over 4,000 troops are heading to Venezuela as Donald Trump ramps up his anti-cartel campaign.

The Pentagon hasn’t disclosed the exact mission, but Washington accuses President Nicolás Maduro of running a drug syndicate. In response, Maduro mobilized four and a half million militia members across the country and banned drones, citing threats.

This standoff risks fuelling regional instability, trade disruptions, and higher drug-related violence both in Latin America and the United States.

On the flip side, some continents have decided to strengthen their ties. On Wednesday, the 20th, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba proposed an “economic zone” linking the Indian Ocean to Africa during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama.

With U.S. aid shrinking and China’s loans growing, Japan pledged 5.5 billion US dollars in loans and training for 30,000 AI experts. The plan aims to boost trade, digitalization, and jobs, while giving Africa a stronger global voice.

The deal could mean more stable markets, cheaper goods, and new employment opportunities across regions.

Shaking almost half of the world this Thursday, the 21st, a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook the Drake Passage in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 700 kilometres, or nearly 435 miles, southeast of Ushuaia, Argentina.

Authorities in Chile and Argentina confirmed there was no tsunami threat and no immediate damage or casualties. Though remote, the quake highlights the seismic risks of this busy maritime corridor linking the Atlantic and Pacific.

This underscores how sudden events can disrupt shipping routes that keep supermarket shelves stocked worldwide.

Speaking of groundbreaking events, a scene that can potentially break ground, according to a Reuters article released on Thursday, the 21st, Russia’s Pacific Fleet fired Kalibr and Uran cruise missiles in the Sea of Japan during naval drills, backed by aircraft and drones. The defence ministry said the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate successfully struck its target.

The exercise comes as Japan debates loosening its decades-old Three Non-Nuclear Principles, raising tensions in an already volatile region.

Such moves risk disrupting sea trade routes, heightening fuel and goods prices, and fuelling wider security concerns across East Asia.

From destructive events to news on development, on Thursday, the 21st, French renewable energy firm Qair secured nearly six million US dollars in financing to build a floating solar plant on Mahé Island, Seychelles.

The Seysun Lagoon project will generate almost six megawatts of power.

As Seychelles imports most of its fuel, this move should cut reliance on oil, help stabilize electricity prices, and advance the country’s goal of sourcing fifteen percent of its energy from renewables by twenty thirty.

In more reasons to use renewable energy, on Saturday the 23rd Marine Insight reported the shut down traffic on Belgium’s Albert Canal after a barge spilled around ten thousand liters of fuel oil near Olen in Antwerp province.

The semi-autonomous vessel River Drone 4 punctured a fuel tank while crossing the locks, releasing a slick two to three kilometres (around 1.2 to 1.9 miles) long.

Cleanup teams contained the damage before it reached Antwerp’s drinking water, but local factories, including a Mars Food plant, temporarily halted operations. For residents, the incident underscores how fragile supply chains and water safety can be.

From short-term events to long-term problems due to environmental destruction, according to a study published on Wednesday, the 20th, in the scientific journal Nature, confirmed that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are undergoing abrupt shifts driven by human-caused climate change.

Researchers warned of rapid sea-ice loss, weakening ice shelves, and threats to animals such as emperor penguins. These changes speed up sea-level rise and disrupt global ocean currents, which regulate climate and food supplies worldwide.

In the near future, these may mean higher coastal flood risks, shifting fisheries, and greater instability in global weather patterns affecting daily life.

In an attempt to mitigate these problems, on Monday the 25th EU reporter said on Monday the 25th that global-level multi-domain solutions are planned, as the European Union has pledged 116 million euros, which is over 135 million US dollars, to fund thirteen projects restoring oceans and waters.

The projects will safeguard marine reserves, reopen fish migration routes, and reduce harmful fishing impacts, while involving schools, small businesses, and local communities across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Arctic, and beyond.

These projects may help yield healthier seafood, cleaner waters, and stronger coastal economies. The EU calls it a key step toward a sustainable ocean future for coming generations.

From project-based solutions to policy-level impact, United Nations News reported on Friday the 22nd, that delegates in New York pushed forward the long-awaited high seas biodiversity treaty, now just eight ratifications short of entering into force.

The pact covers marine genetic resources, impact assessments, and technology sharing, and could launch its first Conference of the Parties in twenty twenty-six. Small island states pressed for fair representation and funding, while developing countries demanded equity.

The treaty means stronger protection of global fisheries, fairer ocean governance, and more resilient food systems.

From policy making to research and development, according to an article published on Thursday, the 21st, scientists revealed a breakthrough in biohybrid research: moon jellyfish fitted with microelectronic devices could one day replace costly equipment to explore the ocean’s most remote zones.

Led by Nicole Xu at the University of Colorado Boulder, the team can now steer these energy-efficient animals and hopes to add sensors to track ocean temperature, acidity, and pH.

For the general population, this means cheaper, more accessible ways to study climate change’s impact on marine life and, ultimately, food security.

On a historic first after a hundred years, CBC News reported on Thursday the 21st, that Sockeye salmon are returning to British Columbia’s Okanagan Lake for the first time in more than a century.

The Syilx Nation, together with local and federal partners, opened a new fish passageway that reconnects historic spawning grounds blocked by dams since nineteen fourteen. The migration will boost salmon populations, feed communities, and support ecosystems across the Pacific Northwest.

This means healthier fisheries, more secure food chains, and cultural renewal for Indigenous peoples whose traditions depend on salmon.

Ending this week with a slightly humorous note but with a serious message, ZMEScience reported on Wednesday the 20th, that scientists found that streaked shearwaters, which are seabirds from Japan, poop in flight every few minutes, losing up to five percent of their body weight per hour.

Researchers strapped cameras on the birds and discovered nearly all droppings landed at sea, not on land.

Beyond the laughs, the behaviour matters: it reduces disease risk, keeps predators away, and fertilizes the ocean with nutrients that boost fish and coral ecosystems. Healthier seas mean stronger fisheries and food security worldwide.

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

The new Ramble on Georgian Slang is out now! Check out the hashtag #georgianslang. You can find the episode in the Rorshok Georgia Update on your favorite streaming platform or follow the link in the show notes!

See you next week!