25 JAN 2022  The U.S. State Department’s ocean boundaries department has issued a comprehensive outline of the U.S. government’s views of China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea. The South China Sea is a large, semi-enclosed sea surrounded by Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. …

24 JAN 2022  The ocean is becoming ever more central to our economies. Around 80 percent of internationally traded goods are transported by sea, and even brief blockages cause panic in global markets. Fishing remains big business, but in the 21st-century fish farming is even bigger. Most fossil fuel discoveries this century have happened …

23 JAN 2022 Wherever there is sand and an atmosphere, prevailing winds may whip the grains into undulating shapes, pleasing to the eye with their calming repetition. Certain sand waves, with wavelengths between 30 centimeters (almost 12 inches) and several meters (around 30 feet), are known as megaripples: they’re between ordinary …

22 JAN 2022  The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) has published its report on the grounding of the coastal freighter Beaumaiden just off the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm last year. The vessel missed a waypoint and headed straight into harm’s way because the captain left the bridge and fell asleep …

21 JAN 2022  Over the weekend, a subsea volcano in two uninhabited islands of the Kingdom of Tonga, forced countries sharing the Pacific coastline to pay attention. The volcano named Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai has reportedly been having a modest eruption for several weeks. However, on Saturday, it erupted in a …

21 JAN 2022 It’s a common misconception that evolution has a sense of direction – a notion that biology nerds around the world are constantly trying to correct. But new research reveals there may be a semblance of truth to this misconception, at least more than we ever realized. While …

20 JAN 2022 Ocean temperatures the world over are building at a relentless rate as humans continue to alter the atmosphere around them. In 2021, according to a new summary of two international datasets, the wave of warmth in our oceans hit a new peak, eclipsing the influence of cooler …

19 JAN 2022  Responding to the release by Danish prosecutors of three Nigerians accused of acts of piracy against commercial shipping, Bimco released a statement on behalf of the shipping industry calling for countries in the Gulf of Guinea region to take responsibility and step-up prosecution efforts when pirates are …

18 JAN 2022  When the coronavirus crisis erupted in 2020, it became apparent that the medical emergency was accompanied by severe shortages, especially in some medical devices. The pattern was first observed for ventilators: demand spiked everywhere and the supply chain was disrupted. This was because production of the devices spanned …

17 JAN 2022  There was a brisk wind blowing off Canada’s Pacific coast as the small boat approached the beach on its perilous mission. Cold, salty sea-spray was blowing back, stinging the faces of the volunteers as they were trying to steady themselves along with their burlap bags and equipment, …