The strange metal box hauled from the waves and onto the ship's deck looks like a spaceship fished from a child's imagination.&nbsp;

But when scientist Clare Ostle opens it up and draws out the silk scrolls inside, she is looking for the telltale green glow from some of the most important creatures on Earth: plankton.

This is a Continuous Plankton Recorder, torpedo-like devices that for 90 years have been towed by merchant vessels and fishing boats on a vast network of routes.

They help researchers better understand the ocean by collecting some of its smallest inhabitants.

What they have seen is that as climate change heats the seas, plankton are on the move -- with potentially profound consequences for both ocean life and humans.

Plankton -- organisms carried on the tides -- are the foundation of the marine food web.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-youths-take-to-streets-in-fridays-for-future-climate-protests-423195">&nbsp;In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests</a>

But they are also part of an intricately balanced system that helps keep us all alive.

As well as helping produce much of the oxygen we breathe, they are a crucial part of the global carbon cycle.

"The big thing that we're seeing is warming," Ostle, coordinator of the Pacific CPR Survey, tells AFP as she demonstrates the plankton recorder off the coast of Plymouth in Britain.

The CPR Survey has documented a decisive shift of plankton towards both the poles in recent decades, as ocean currents change and many marine animals head for cooler areas.

Smaller warm water plankton are also replacing more nutritious cold water ones, often also with differing seasonal cycles, meaning the species that feed on them need to adapt or move too.&nbsp;

"The big worry is when change happens so quickly that the ecosystem can't recover," says Ostle, adding that dramatic temperature spikes can lead "whole fisheries to collapse".

With nearly half of humanity reliant on fish for some 20 per cent of their animal protein, this could be devastating.

Biological pump&nbsp;

Plankton is a catch-all term from the Greek for "drifting" and encompasses everything from photosynthesising bacteria many times smaller than the width of a human hair, to jellyfish with long trailing tendrils.&nbsp;

There are two main types: phytoplankton, diverse plant-like cells commonly called algae; and zooplankton, animals like krill and the larvae of fish, crabs and other marine creatures.

Phytoplankton photosynthesise using the sun's rays to turn C02 into energy and oxygen.&nbsp;

In fact, scientists estimate the seas produce around half the oxygen on Earth, and that is mostly thanks to phytoplankton.

They are also crucial to the ocean's "biological carbon pump", which helps the sea lock away at least a quarter of C02 emitted by burning fossil fuels.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-warns-climate-poses-emerging-threat-to-financial-system-422957">&nbsp;US warns climate poses ‘emerging threat’ to financial system</a>

While trees store carbon in wood and leaves, phytoplankton store it in their bodies.

It passes through the food web, with phytoplankton consumed by zooplankton which, in turn, are eaten by creatures from birds to whales.

"Pretty much everything you can think of in the sea at some stage of its life cycle will eat plankton," says CPR Survey head David Johns.

When organic matter from dead plankton or their predators sinks to the ocean floor it takes carbon with it.

'Escalating impacts'&nbsp;

But scientists warn that climate change has stressed the system, with ocean temperatures rising, fewer nutrients reaching the upper part of the ocean from the deep and increased levels of C02 acidifying seawater.

Climate change has "exposed ocean and coastal ecosystems to conditions that are unprecedented over centuries to millennia with consequences for ocean-dwelling plants and animals around the world," says the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in a leaked draft report on climate impacts, due to be published next year, which predicts "escalating impacts on marine life".

While phytoplankton are relatively resilient and will likely continue to shift territory as the seas warm, the IPCC expects that deteriorating conditions in the oceans will ultimately lead to an overall decline this century.

Average global phytoplankton biomass -- a measure of total weight or quantity -- is predicted to fall by around 1.8 to six per cent, depending on the level of emissions.

But because of its outsized importance, even modest reductions can "amplify up the marine food web", eventually leading to reductions in marine life by roughly five to 17 per cent.

There could also be "changes in carbon cycling and carbon sequestration, as our plankton community changes" with smaller plankton potentially drawing down less C02, says plankton ecologist Abigail McQuatters-Gollop of Plymouth University.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-response-to-climate-change-is-missing-something-big-scientists-say-390706">Our response to climate change is missing something big, scientists say</a>

As global leaders prepare to meet at a crucial UN summit on climate change, the issue is a stark example of how accelerating human impacts are destabilising intricate life-sustaining systems.

Thinking small&nbsp;

Tackling this is not as simple as planting trees, McQuatters-Gollop notes.

But fishing sustainably, reducing pollutants and curbing C02 emissions can all help improve ocean health.&nbsp;

In the past, she says conservation has focused on "the big things, the cute things, or the things that are directly worth money" -- like whales, turtles and cod.&nbsp;

But all rely on plankton.

While this "blindness" could be because they are microscopic, people can see plankton traces at the beach -- in foam on waves, or the nighttime twinkle of bioluminescence.

Or on the children's television show "SpongeBob SquarePants", whose character Plankton is "the most famous plankton out there", says McQuatters-Gollop.&nbsp;

And when they "bloom" in vast numbers, plankton are visible from space, turning the water a startling emerald, or creating Van Gogh swirls of milky blue, in seasonal displays critical for ocean life.

Like land plants, phytoplankton need nutrients like nitrates, phosphates and iron to grow.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/key-to-bidens-climate-agenda-likely-to-be-cut-because-of-manchin-opposition-421381">Key to Biden’s climate agenda likely to be cut because of Manchin opposition</a>

But they can have too much of a good thing: The runoff of nitrogen-rich fertilisers is blamed for creating harmful algae blooms, like the glutinous "sea snot" off Turkey's coast this year.&nbsp;

These can poison marine life or choke oxygen out of the water and may be exacerbated by warming, warns the IPCC.

Meanwhile, research published in Nature last month found that iron carried in smoke from huge 2019 and 2020 wildfires in Australia sparked a giant swell of phytoplankton thousands of miles away, which could have sucked up substantial amounts of C02.&nbsp;

Blooms can be seeded by nutrients from sand storms or volcanic eruptions and it is these “natural processes” that have inspired David King, founder of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge.&nbsp;

King supports a hotly-debated idea to "fertilise" plankton blooms by sprinkling iron on the surface.

The theory is that this would not only help suck up more C02, but lead to a surge of ocean life, including eventually helping to increase whale populations that have been devastated by hunting.

More whales equals more whale poo, which is full of the nutrients plankton need to bloom, and King hopes could restore a "wonderful circular economy" in the seas.

A pilot project will try the technique in an area of the Arabian Sea carefully sealed off in a "vast plastic bag", but King acknowledges that the idea raises fears of unintended consequences: "We certainly don't want to de-oxygenate the oceans and I'm pretty confident we won't."

Sea mysteries&nbsp;

Ocean organisms have been photosynthesising for billions of years -- long before land plants. But we still have much to learn about them.

It was only in the 1980s that scientists named the planktonic bacteria prochlorococcus, now thought to be the most abundant photosynthesiser on the planet.

Some "drifters" it turns out can swim, while others are masters of communal living.&nbsp;

Take the partnership between corals and plankton -- it is so important that when it breaks due to warming the corals bleach.

Or Acantharea, a single cell shaped like a snowflake that can gather photosynthesising algae and manipulate them into an energy-generating "battery pack", says Johan Decelle, of the French research institute CNRS and the University of Grenoble Alpes.

They have been "overlooked" because they dissolve in the chemicals used by scientists to preserve samples.&nbsp;

To study plankton under a high-resolution electron microscope, Decelle used to collect samples at the French coast and drive for hours back to Grenoble with them in a special cool box. &nbsp;

But this year he worked with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory on a pioneering project bringing high-tech freezing virtually onto the beach.

This enables the study of these delicate organisms as close as possible to their natural environment.&nbsp;

By contrast, Continuous Plankton Recorders end up mashing their samples into "roadkill", says Ostle.

But the value of the survey, which began in 1931 to understand how plankton affected herring stocks, comes from decades of data.

Scientists have used it to look back to track climate changes and it played an important role in the recognition of microplastics. &nbsp;

Ostle used CPR ships' logs to show that "macroplastics" like shopping bags were already in the seas in the 1960s.

By the time it was awarded a Guinness World Record last year for the greatest distance sampled by a marine survey, it had studied the equivalent of 326 circumnavigations of the planet.&nbsp;

From the boat in Plymouth, the water appears calm as sunlight slides across its surface. But every drop is teeming with life.

"There's just a whole galaxy of things going on under there," Ostle says.&nbsp;

The strange metal box hauled from the waves and onto the ship's deck looks like a spaceship fished from a child's imagination. But when scientist Clare Ostle opens it up and draws out the silk scrolls inside, she is looking for the telltale green glow from some of the most important creatures on Earth: plankton.

The strange metal box hauled from the waves and onto the ship's deck looks like a spaceship fished from a child's imagination. But when scientist Clare Ostle opens it up and draws out the silk scrolls inside, she is looking for the telltale green glow from some of the most important creatures on Earth: plankton. This is a Continuous Plankton Recorder, torpedo-like devices that for 90 years have been towed by merchant vessels and fishing boats on a vast network of routes. They help researchers better understand the ocean by collecting some of its smallest inhabitants. What they have seen is that as climate change heats the seas, plankton are on the move -- with potentially profound consequences for both ocean life and humans. Plankton -- organisms carried on the tides -- are the foundation of the marine food web. Also Read | In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests But they are also part of an intricately balanced system that helps keep us all alive. As well as helping produce much of the oxygen we breathe, they are a crucial part of the global carbon cycle. "The big thing that we're seeing is warming," Ostle, coordinator of the Pacific CPR Survey, tells AFP as she demonstrates the plankton recorder off the coast of Plymouth in Britain. The CPR Survey has documented a decisive shift of plankton towards both the poles in recent decades, as ocean currents change and many marine animals head for cooler areas. Smaller warm water plankton are also replacing more nutritious cold water ones, often also with differing seasonal cycles, meaning the species that feed on them need to adapt or move too. "The big worry is when change happens so quickly that the ecosystem can't recover," says Ostle, adding that dramatic temperature spikes can lead "whole fisheries to collapse". With nearly half of humanity reliant on fish for some 20 per cent of their animal protein, this could be devastating. Biological pump Plankton is a catch-all term from the Greek for "drifting" and encompasses everything from photosynthesising bacteria many times smaller than the width of a human hair, to jellyfish with long trailing tendrils. There are two main types: phytoplankton, diverse plant-like cells commonly called algae; and zooplankton, animals like krill and the larvae of fish, crabs and other marine creatures. Phytoplankton photosynthesise using the sun's rays to turn C02 into energy and oxygen. In fact, scientists estimate the seas produce around half the oxygen on Earth, and that is mostly thanks to phytoplankton. They are also crucial to the ocean's "biological carbon pump", which helps the sea lock away at least a quarter of C02 emitted by burning fossil fuels. Also Read | US warns climate poses ‘emerging threat’ to financial system While trees store carbon in wood and leaves, phytoplankton store it in their bodies. It passes through the food web, with phytoplankton consumed by zooplankton which, in turn, are eaten by creatures from birds to whales. "Pretty much everything you can think of in the sea at some stage of its life cycle will eat plankton," says CPR Survey head David Johns. When organic matter from dead plankton or their predators sinks to the ocean floor it takes carbon with it. 'Escalating impacts' But scientists warn that climate change has stressed the system, with ocean temperatures rising, fewer nutrients reaching the upper part of the ocean from the deep and increased levels of C02 acidifying seawater. Climate change has "exposed ocean and coastal ecosystems to conditions that are unprecedented over centuries to millennia with consequences for ocean-dwelling plants and animals around the world," says the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in a leaked draft report on climate impacts, due to be published next year, which predicts "escalating impacts on marine life". While phytoplankton are relatively resilient and will likely continue to shift territory as the seas warm, the IPCC expects that deteriorating conditions in the oceans will ultimately lead to an overall decline this century. Average global phytoplankton biomass -- a measure of total weight or quantity -- is predicted to fall by around 1.8 to six per cent, depending on the level of emissions. But because of its outsized importance, even modest reductions can "amplify up the marine food web", eventually leading to reductions in marine life by roughly five to 17 per cent. There could also be "changes in carbon cycling and carbon sequestration, as our plankton community changes" with smaller plankton potentially drawing down less C02, says plankton ecologist Abigail McQuatters-Gollop of Plymouth University. Also Read | Our response to climate change is missing something big, scientists say As global leaders prepare to meet at a crucial UN summit on climate change, the issue is a stark example of how accelerating human impacts are destabilising intricate life-sustaining systems. Thinking small Tackling this is not as simple as planting trees, McQuatters-Gollop notes. But fishing sustainably, reducing pollutants and curbing C02 emissions can all help improve ocean health. In the past, she says conservation has focused on "the big things, the cute things, or the things that are directly worth money" -- like whales, turtles and cod. But all rely on plankton. While this "blindness" could be because they are microscopic, people can see plankton traces at the beach -- in foam on waves, or the nighttime twinkle of bioluminescence. Or on the children's television show "SpongeBob SquarePants", whose character Plankton is "the most famous plankton out there", says McQuatters-Gollop. And when they "bloom" in vast numbers, plankton are visible from space, turning the water a startling emerald, or creating Van Gogh swirls of milky blue, in seasonal displays critical for ocean life. Like land plants, phytoplankton need nutrients like nitrates, phosphates and iron to grow. Also Read | Key to Biden’s climate agenda likely to be cut because of Manchin opposition But they can have too much of a good thing: The runoff of nitrogen-rich fertilisers is blamed for creating harmful algae blooms, like the glutinous "sea snot" off Turkey's coast this year. These can poison marine life or choke oxygen out of the water and may be exacerbated by warming, warns the IPCC. Meanwhile, research published in Nature last month found that iron carried in smoke from huge 2019 and 2020 wildfires in Australia sparked a giant swell of phytoplankton thousands of miles away, which could have sucked up substantial amounts of C02. Blooms can be seeded by nutrients from sand storms or volcanic eruptions and it is these “natural processes” that have inspired David King, founder of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge. King supports a hotly-debated idea to "fertilise" plankton blooms by sprinkling iron on the surface. The theory is that this would not only help suck up more C02, but lead to a surge of ocean life, including eventually helping to increase whale populations that have been devastated by hunting. More whales equals more whale poo, which is full of the nutrients plankton need to bloom, and King hopes could restore a "wonderful circular economy" in the seas. A pilot project will try the technique in an area of the Arabian Sea carefully sealed off in a "vast plastic bag", but King acknowledges that the idea raises fears of unintended consequences: "We certainly don't want to de-oxygenate the oceans and I'm pretty confident we won't." Sea mysteries Ocean organisms have been photosynthesising for billions of years -- long before land plants. But we still have much to learn about them. It was only in the 1980s that scientists named the planktonic bacteria prochlorococcus, now thought to be the most abundant photosynthesiser on the planet. Some "drifters" it turns out can swim, while others are masters of communal living. Take the partnership between corals and plankton -- it is so important that when it breaks due to warming the corals bleach. Or Acantharea, a single cell shaped like a snowflake that can gather photosynthesising algae and manipulate them into an energy-generating "battery pack", says Johan Decelle, of the French research institute CNRS and the University of Grenoble Alpes. They have been "overlooked" because they dissolve in the chemicals used by scientists to preserve samples. To study plankton under a high-resolution electron microscope, Decelle used to collect samples at the French coast and drive for hours back to Grenoble with them in a special cool box. But this year he worked with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory on a pioneering project bringing high-tech freezing virtually onto the beach. This enables the study of these delicate organisms as close as possible to their natural environment. By contrast, Continuous Plankton Recorders end up mashing their samples into "roadkill", says Ostle. But the value of the survey, which began in 1931 to understand how plankton affected herring stocks, comes from decades of data. Scientists have used it to look back to track climate changes and it played an important role in the recognition of microplastics. Ostle used CPR ships' logs to show that "macroplastics" like shopping bags were already in the seas in the 1960s. By the time it was awarded a Guinness World Record last year for the greatest distance sampled by a marine survey, it had studied the equivalent of 326 circumnavigations of the planet. From the boat in Plymouth, the water appears calm as sunlight slides across its surface. But every drop is teeming with life. "There's just a whole galaxy of things going on under there," Ostle says.

Drifting into trouble? The tiny ocean creatures with a global impact

A group of recyclers in the Philippines is trying to ease the country's worsening plastic waste crisis by turning bottles, single-use sachets and snack food wrappers that clog rivers and spoil beaches into building materials.

The Plastic Flamingo, or "The Plaf", as they are commonly known, collect the waste, shred it and then mould it into posts and planks called "eco-lumber" that can be used for fencing, decking or even to make disaster-relief shelters.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/into-the-plastisphere-scientists-comb-japan-waters-to-study-new-eco-threat-423710">Into the 'plastisphere': Scientists comb Japan waters to study new eco threat</a>

"It&nbsp;is 100 per cent&nbsp;upcycled material, 100 per cent made from plastic waste materials, we also include some additives and colorants and it is rot-free, maintenance-free, and splinter-free," said Erica Reyes, The Plaf's chief operating officer.

Having collected over 100 tonnes of plastic waste to date, the social enterprise is doing its bit to address a local problem that has global ramifications.

Approximately 80 per cent of global ocean plastic comes from Asian rivers, and the Philippines alone contributes a third of that total, according to a 2021 report by Oxford University's Our World in Data.

The Philippines does not have a clear strategy on tackling its plastics problem and its environment department has said it has been in contact with manufacturers to identify ways to manage waste.

COVID-19, though, has made the battle against plastic waste harder to win.

Some 300 million tonnes of plastic waste are produced annually, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, a problem that has been exacerbated by the pandemic which sparked a rush for plastic face shields, gloves, takeaway food containers and bubble wrap as online shopping surged.

"People are unaware of how to dispose of these plastics," said Allison Tan, The Plaf's marketing associate.

"We give that avenue that instead of putting it in landfills or oceans you give it to recycling centres like us and we would upcycle them into better products."

As well as tackling waste problems, the group says it is in talks with other non-government organisations to help rebuild houses destroyed by typhoons using their sustainable building materials.

A group of recyclers in the Philippines is trying to ease the country's worsening plastic waste crisis by turning bottles, single-use sachets and snack food wrappers that clog rivers and spoil beaches into building materials.

A group of recyclers in the Philippines is trying to ease the country's worsening plastic waste crisis by turning bottles, single-use sachets and snack food wrappers that clog rivers and spoil beaches into building materials. The Plastic Flamingo, or "The Plaf", as they are commonly known, collect the waste, shred it and then mould it into posts and planks called "eco-lumber" that can be used for fencing, decking or even to make disaster-relief shelters. Also Read | Into the 'plastisphere': Scientists comb Japan waters to study new eco threat "It is 100 per cent upcycled material, 100 per cent made from plastic waste materials, we also include some additives and colorants and it is rot-free, maintenance-free, and splinter-free," said Erica Reyes, The Plaf's chief operating officer. Having collected over 100 tonnes of plastic waste to date, the social enterprise is doing its bit to address a local problem that has global ramifications. Approximately 80 per cent of global ocean plastic comes from Asian rivers, and the Philippines alone contributes a third of that total, according to a 2021 report by Oxford University's Our World in Data. The Philippines does not have a clear strategy on tackling its plastics problem and its environment department has said it has been in contact with manufacturers to identify ways to manage waste. COVID-19, though, has made the battle against plastic waste harder to win. Some 300 million tonnes of plastic waste are produced annually, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, a problem that has been exacerbated by the pandemic which sparked a rush for plastic face shields, gloves, takeaway food containers and bubble wrap as online shopping surged. "People are unaware of how to dispose of these plastics," said Allison Tan, The Plaf's marketing associate. "We give that avenue that instead of putting it in landfills or oceans you give it to recycling centres like us and we would upcycle them into better products." As well as tackling waste problems, the group says it is in talks with other non-government organisations to help rebuild houses destroyed by typhoons using their sustainable building materials.

In major ocean polluter Philippines, group turns plastic waste into planks

Hurricane Sam strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it moved west across the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said Saturday.

The hurricane was about 1,000 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands as of 5 p.m. Eastern time Saturday, moving about 10 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The Saffir-Simpson scale classifies major hurricanes as Category 3 or higher, with maximum sustained winds above 110 mph. Category 4 storms have wind speeds of 130 to 156 mph.

The swells generated by the hurricane were forecast to reach the Lesser Antilles early next week and have the potential to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, the center said.

Beyond the swells, it was “still too early to tell what impacts might occur in the United States,” Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist at the hurricane center in Miami, said Saturday.

Sam, which formed Thursday in the central Atlantic, is the fourth named storm to develop in less than a week and the 18th overall in a busy 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.

“All folks need to do right now is check the latest forecast as we get into next week,” Feltgen said. He said people should ensure they have a hurricane plan, including supplies, in place.

Also Friday, Subtropical Storm Teresa formed north of Bermuda, becoming the 19th named storm of the hurricane season. Teresa has a small window to “intensify slightly,” but it is likely to dissipate by Sunday and also is not expected to threaten land, forecasters said.

After Sam and Teresa, the next named storms would be Victor and Wanda.

If forecasters go through the list, they will turn to an additional set of names approved by the World Meteorological Organization this year. That list begins with Adria, followed by Braylen and Caridad.

“With more than two months to go in the hurricane season, it is certainly possible that the 2021 Atlantic list of names will be exhausted,” Feltgen said.

Last year, there were 30 named storms, including six major hurricanes, forcing meteorologists to exhaust the alphabet for the second time and move to using Greek letters. It was the most named storms on record, surpassing the 28 from 2005, and the second-highest number of hurricanes.

This year, the arrival of peak hurricane season — August through November — has led to a run of named storms that formed in quick succession, bringing stormy weather, flooding and damaging winds to parts of the United States and the Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Odette formed Sept. 17, followed days later by Peter and Rose. All three storms have since dissipated.

Tropical Storm Mindy hit the Florida Panhandle on Sept. 8, just hours after it formed in the Gulf of Mexico, and as a powerful Hurricane Larry was simultaneously churning in the Atlantic. Ida battered Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane Aug. 29 before its remnants brought deadly flooding to the New York area.

The links between hurricanes and climate change are becoming more apparent. A warming planet can expect stronger hurricanes over time, and a higher incidence of the most powerful storms — though the overall number of storms could drop, because factors like stronger wind shear could keep weaker storms from forming.

Hurricanes are also becoming wetter because of more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere; scientists have suggested storms like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 produced far more rain than they would have without the human effects on climate. Also, rising sea levels are contributing to higher storm surge — the most destructive element of tropical cyclones.

Ana became the first named storm of the 2021 season May 23, making this the seventh year in a row that a named storm developed in the Atlantic before the official start of the season June 1.

In May, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that there would be 13 to 20 named storms this year, six to 10 of which would be hurricanes, including three to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher in the Atlantic.

The agency updated its forecast in early August, predicting 15 to 21 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes, by the end of the season Nov. 30.

Hurricane Sam strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it moved west across the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said Saturday. The hurricane was about 1,000 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands as of 5 p.

Hurricane Sam strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it moved west across the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said Saturday. The hurricane was about 1,000 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands as of 5 p.m. Eastern time Saturday, moving about 10 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The Saffir-Simpson scale classifies major hurricanes as Category 3 or higher, with maximum sustained winds above 110 mph. Category 4 storms have wind speeds of 130 to 156 mph. The swells generated by the hurricane were forecast to reach the Lesser Antilles early next week and have the potential to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, the center said. Beyond the swells, it was “still too early to tell what impacts might occur in the United States,” Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist at the hurricane center in Miami, said Saturday. Sam, which formed Thursday in the central Atlantic, is the fourth named storm to develop in less than a week and the 18th overall in a busy 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. “All folks need to do right now is check the latest forecast as we get into next week,” Feltgen said. He said people should ensure they have a hurricane plan, including supplies, in place. Also Friday, Subtropical Storm Teresa formed north of Bermuda, becoming the 19th named storm of the hurricane season. Teresa has a small window to “intensify slightly,” but it is likely to dissipate by Sunday and also is not expected to threaten land, forecasters said. After Sam and Teresa, the next named storms would be Victor and Wanda. If forecasters go through the list, they will turn to an additional set of names approved by the World Meteorological Organization this year. That list begins with Adria, followed by Braylen and Caridad. “With more than two months to go in the hurricane season, it is certainly possible that the 2021 Atlantic list of names will be exhausted,” Feltgen said. Last year, there were 30 named storms, including six major hurricanes, forcing meteorologists to exhaust the alphabet for the second time and move to using Greek letters. It was the most named storms on record, surpassing the 28 from 2005, and the second-highest number of hurricanes. This year, the arrival of peak hurricane season — August through November — has led to a run of named storms that formed in quick succession, bringing stormy weather, flooding and damaging winds to parts of the United States and the Caribbean. Tropical Storm Odette formed Sept. 17, followed days later by Peter and Rose. All three storms have since dissipated. Tropical Storm Mindy hit the Florida Panhandle on Sept. 8, just hours after it formed in the Gulf of Mexico, and as a powerful Hurricane Larry was simultaneously churning in the Atlantic. Ida battered Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane Aug. 29 before its remnants brought deadly flooding to the New York area. The links between hurricanes and climate change are becoming more apparent. A warming planet can expect stronger hurricanes over time, and a higher incidence of the most powerful storms — though the overall number of storms could drop, because factors like stronger wind shear could keep weaker storms from forming. Hurricanes are also becoming wetter because of more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere; scientists have suggested storms like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 produced far more rain than they would have without the human effects on climate. Also, rising sea levels are contributing to higher storm surge — the most destructive element of tropical cyclones. Ana became the first named storm of the 2021 season May 23, making this the seventh year in a row that a named storm developed in the Atlantic before the official start of the season June 1. In May, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that there would be 13 to 20 named storms this year, six to 10 of which would be hurricanes, including three to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher in the Atlantic. The agency updated its forecast in early August, predicting 15 to 21 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes, by the end of the season Nov. 30.

Sam becomes a category 4 hurricane

The world’s first floating wind farm, which is a 30-megawatt facility run by the Norwegian company Equinor, has been in operation since 2017 but has already broken UK records for energy output.

Located in the stormy waters of the North Sea, 15 miles off the coast of Aberdeenshire, in Scotland, five floating offshore wind turbines stretch 574 feet above the water.

Mostly, offshore wind turbines are anchored to the ocean floor on fixed foundations. This limits them to depths of about 165ft.

However, these enormous structures are assembled on land and pulled out to sea by boats.

The ability to install turbines in deeper waters, where winds tend to be stronger, leads to huge amounts of the ocean to generate renewable wind power.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-offers-covid-19-vaccine-booster-to-ages-12-and-up-409355">Also read |&nbsp;Israel offers COVID-19 vaccine booster to ages 12 and up</a>

This can be close to 80 per cent of potential offshore wind power is found in deeper waters.

Also, positioning the floating turbines much further off the coast helps avoid conflicts.

Floating offshore wind is still in its early stages as only about 80 megawatts of a total of about 32 gigawatts of installed offshore wind capacity is floating.&nbsp;

However, some experts say the relatively new technology could become an important part of the renewables mix if it can overcome hurdles including cost, design and opposition from the fishing industry.

The world’s first floating wind farm, which is a 30-megawatt facility run by the Norwegian company Equinor, has been in operation since 2017 but has already broken UK records for energy output.

The world’s first floating wind farm, which is a 30-megawatt facility run by the Norwegian company Equinor, has been in operation since 2017 but has already broken UK records for energy output. Located in the stormy waters of the North Sea, 15 miles off the coast of Aberdeenshire, in Scotland, five floating offshore wind turbines stretch 574 feet above the water. Mostly, offshore wind turbines are anchored to the ocean floor on fixed foundations. This limits them to depths of about 165ft. However, these enormous structures are assembled on land and pulled out to sea by boats. The ability to install turbines in deeper waters, where winds tend to be stronger, leads to huge amounts of the ocean to generate renewable wind power. Also read | Israel offers COVID-19 vaccine booster to ages 12 and up This can be close to 80 per cent of potential offshore wind power is found in deeper waters. Also, positioning the floating turbines much further off the coast helps avoid conflicts. Floating offshore wind is still in its early stages as only about 80 megawatts of a total of about 32 gigawatts of installed offshore wind capacity is floating. However, some experts say the relatively new technology could become an important part of the renewables mix if it can overcome hurdles including cost, design and opposition from the fishing industry.

Floating wind turbines could create vast ocean tracts for renewable power

Since the pandemic began, we have seen things that we never thought would be possible. From the world shutting down completely to a large vessel getting stuck in Suez Canal, the years 2020 and 2021 have been years of first.<o:p></o:p>

Another devastating addition to this list of firsts is a massive fire in the Gulf of Mexico.<o:p></o:p>

On Friday, a fire broke out in the southern waters of the Gulf of Mexico as an underwater pipeline leaked and set the ocean on fire.

<o:p></o:p>

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<a href="https://t.co/mqj4UCz40j">pic.twitter.com/mqj4UCz40j</a>
— alan (@rootScythe) <a href="https://twitter.com/rootScythe/status/1411098965945245701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Various video and photo footages of the tragedy show bright orange-yellow flames bursting from the water, that replicates scenes from various end-pf-the-world movies. <o:p></o:p>

An oil pipeline connected to Pemex’s Ku-Maloob-Zaap offshore platform complex ruptured leading to a massive fire that resembled molten lava and formed a literal 'eye of fire' in the Gulf of Mexico.<o:p></o:p>

"The incident was dealt with immediately when the security protocols were activated and with the accompaniment of nearby fire fighting vessels such as Santa Cruz Island, Campeche Bay and Bourbon Alienor," a statement by the company read.

<o:p>While the incident stressed on the dangers such pipelines carry, Twitter could not believe that such an incident was even possible in real life, and compared it to reel-life scenes.</o:p>

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waiting for godzilla to pop out the Gulf of Mexico <a href="https://t.co/8ipS3XOtge">pic.twitter.com/8ipS3XOtge</a>
— ً (@_akaCJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/_akaCJ/status/1411128237078556675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Me when I check why Gulf of Mexico. Godzilla and Cthulhu are trending <a href="https://t.co/4QgWglpCE4">pic.twitter.com/4QgWglpCE4</a>
— cesar (@jebaiting) <a href="https://twitter.com/jebaiting/status/1411123035810058242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Hey maybe when the Gulf of Mexico is ablaze in a fiery hellscape, it might be time to drop fossil fuels and take climate change seriously.<a href="https://t.co/rJyx7H8Tht">pic.twitter.com/rJyx7H8Tht</a>
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) <a href="https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1411109360151928833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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this is what started the fire in the Gulf of Mexico <a href="https://t.co/YjVzGmkurC">pic.twitter.com/YjVzGmkurC</a>
— anthony✈️ (@happyjetsfan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/happyjetsfan_/status/1411106678834176001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The Gulf of Mexico is on fire. No, it’s not a kaiju rupture, an oil pipeline broke and exploded <a href="https://t.co/mOeqHpabIg">pic.twitter.com/mOeqHpabIg</a>
— Nuice Media (@nuicemedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/nuicemedia/status/1411158689277300738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/dm60RsRlUX">pic.twitter.com/dm60RsRlUX</a>
— The Frogman (@thefrogfeed) <a href="https://twitter.com/thefrogfeed/status/1411079912719536132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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When Alka Yagnik sang "Paani mein aag lagaayi" I thought it was not possible. But here we are <a href="https://t.co/xD29le3MqP">https://t.co/xD29le3MqP</a>
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) <a href="https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/1411203740619608068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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As soon as the incident was reported, three boats were put to the mission of extinguishing the fire. However, one small boat, that was trying to extinguish the flames from a distance, has caught everyone’s attention and has become the centre of memes. <o:p></o:p>

Check out how Twitter reacted to it:

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There's only one way to put out that oil fire <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GulfofMexico?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GulfofMexico</a> <a href="https://t.co/AKF5BEYf0E">pic.twitter.com/AKF5BEYf0E</a>
— pauly casillas (@PaulyPeligroso) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulyPeligroso/status/1411157935116357638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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A picture speaks a thousand words! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GulfofMexico?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GulfofMexico</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimateEmergency?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimateEmergency</a> <a href="https://t.co/VAkddLZauM">pic.twitter.com/VAkddLZauM</a>
— Fahad Rehman (@FahadRehmanFSP) <a href="https://twitter.com/FahadRehmanFSP/status/1411359943018434573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Maybe we can phase out this stuff by uh.....2050 <a href="https://t.co/iU9bdPYuDa">pic.twitter.com/iU9bdPYuDa</a>
— jordan (@JordanUhl) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanUhl/status/1411090272805662720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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And what is this one doing? <a href="https://t.co/wgtmY1ifyp">pic.twitter.com/wgtmY1ifyp</a>
— Bla B (@bmusonza) <a href="https://twitter.com/bmusonza/status/1411077378332364802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/3YPGkW3pYK">pic.twitter.com/3YPGkW3pYK</a>
— Misifú (@menganita79) <a href="https://twitter.com/menganita79/status/1411088251557978114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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new meme template <a href="https://t.co/USB4P5X6Pu">https://t.co/USB4P5X6Pu</a> <a href="https://t.co/jZbteMUgCb">pic.twitter.com/jZbteMUgCb</a>
— danné🇲🇾 (@farisofarr) <a href="https://twitter.com/farisofarr/status/1411128270678945799?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/a9NBdFfbg2">pic.twitter.com/a9NBdFfbg2</a>
— #FreeJulianAssange (@OfficialMetaMC) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialMetaMC/status/1411086944625328128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h5>&nbsp;</h5>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Like when your kid thinks he's halping in the kitchen <a href="https://t.co/1eXm6FzasG">pic.twitter.com/1eXm6FzasG</a>
— Charlie (@chthomas) <a href="https://twitter.com/chthomas/status/1411101683636064258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=&lt;blockquote class=twitter-tweet&gt;&lt;p lang=en dir=ltr&gt;Like when your kid thinks he's halping in the kitchen &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://t.co/1eXm6FzasG href=https://t.co/1eXm6FzasG&gt;pic.twitter.com/1eXm6FzasG&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Charlie (@chthomas) &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://twitter.com/chthomas/status/1411101683636064258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw href=https://twitter.com/chthomas/status/1411101683636064258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&gt;July 2, 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; <script async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset=utf-8></script>" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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&nbsp;

<o:p></o:p>

Since the pandemic began, we have seen things that we never thought would be possible. From the world shutting down completely to a large vessel getting stuck in Suez Canal, the years 2020 and 2021 have been years of first.

Since the pandemic began, we have seen things that we never thought would be possible. From the world shutting down completely to a large vessel getting stuck in Suez Canal, the years 2020 and 2021 have been years of first. Another devastating addition to this list of firsts is a massive fire in the Gulf of Mexico. On Friday, a fire broke out in the southern waters of the Gulf of Mexico as an underwater pipeline leaked and set the ocean on fire. pic.twitter.com/mqj4UCz40j — alan (@rootScythe) July 2, 2021 × Various video and photo footages of the tragedy show bright orange-yellow flames bursting from the water, that replicates scenes from various end-pf-the-world movies. An oil pipeline connected to Pemex’s Ku-Maloob-Zaap offshore platform complex ruptured leading to a massive fire that resembled molten lava and formed a literal 'eye of fire' in the Gulf of Mexico. "The incident was dealt with immediately when the security protocols were activated and with the accompaniment of nearby fire fighting vessels such as Santa Cruz Island, Campeche Bay and Bourbon Alienor," a statement by the company read. While the incident stressed on the dangers such pipelines carry, Twitter could not believe that such an incident was even possible in real life, and compared it to reel-life scenes. waiting for godzilla to pop out the Gulf of Mexico pic.twitter.com/8ipS3XOtge — ً (@_akaCJ) July 3, 2021 × Me when I check why Gulf of Mexico. Godzilla and Cthulhu are trending pic.twitter.com/4QgWglpCE4 — cesar (@jebaiting) July 3, 2021 × Hey maybe when the Gulf of Mexico is ablaze in a fiery hellscape, it might be time to drop fossil fuels and take climate change seriously.pic.twitter.com/rJyx7H8Tht — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) July 2, 2021 × this is what started the fire in the Gulf of Mexico pic.twitter.com/YjVzGmkurC — anthony✈️ (@happyjetsfan_) July 2, 2021 × The Gulf of Mexico is on fire. No, it’s not a kaiju rupture, an oil pipeline broke and exploded pic.twitter.com/mOeqHpabIg — Nuice Media (@nuicemedia) July 3, 2021 × pic.twitter.com/dm60RsRlUX — The Frogman (@thefrogfeed) July 2, 2021 × When Alka Yagnik sang "Paani mein aag lagaayi" I thought it was not possible. But here we are https://t.co/xD29le3MqP — Sagar (@sagarcasm) July 3, 2021 × As soon as the incident was reported, three boats were put to the mission of extinguishing the fire. However, one small boat, that was trying to extinguish the flames from a distance, has caught everyone’s attention and has become the centre of memes. Check out how Twitter reacted to it: There's only one way to put out that oil fire #GulfofMexico pic.twitter.com/AKF5BEYf0E — pauly casillas (@PaulyPeligroso) July 3, 2021 × A picture speaks a thousand words! #GulfofMexico #ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/VAkddLZauM — Fahad Rehman (@FahadRehmanFSP) July 3, 2021 × Maybe we can phase out this stuff by uh.....2050 pic.twitter.com/iU9bdPYuDa — jordan (@JordanUhl) July 2, 2021 × And what is this one doing? pic.twitter.com/wgtmY1ifyp — Bla B (@bmusonza) July 2, 2021 × pic.twitter.com/3YPGkW3pYK — Misifú (@menganita79) July 2, 2021 × new meme template https://t.co/USB4P5X6Pu pic.twitter.com/jZbteMUgCb — danné🇲🇾 (@farisofarr) July 3, 2021 × pic.twitter.com/a9NBdFfbg2 — #FreeJulianAssange (@OfficialMetaMC) July 2, 2021 × Like when your kid thinks he's halping in the kitchen pic.twitter.com/1eXm6FzasG — Charlie (@chthomas) July 2, 2021 ×

Watch: Ocean caught on fire as oil pipeline ruptures in Gulf of Mexico; Twitter reacts

There might be a new Ocean's movie on the cards.&nbsp; 
 
Don Cheadle opened up about the idea of the new movie in the series that director Steven Soderbergh is thinking about creating.&nbsp; 
 
Talking about the future of the franchise, Cheadle, who played British explosives expert Basher in the trilogy, said in an interview with EW, that Soderbergh himself told him the idea of another movie. 
 
The 56-year-old actor said, “We were talking about it (after ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’), and then Bernie (Mac)&nbsp;passed, and very quickly we were like, ‘No, we don’t want to do it,’” he shared.&nbsp; 
 
“But I just did a movie with Steven and he said, ‘I think there may be a way to do it again. I’m thinking about it.’” He added, “It didn’t go much further than that. But I don’t know; I don’t know who all would be in it. I imagine the main group of us would be in. It would be interesting to see.” 
 
As mentioned by Cheadle, the “main group” would mean that stars like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan and more will reunite. Collectively grossing US$1.17 billion worldwide, the most commercially successful rendition was the first, 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001). The first sequel, 'Ocean's Twelve' was released in 2004 with the final film, Ocean's Thirteen, following in 2007.&nbsp; 
 
An all-female spin-off written and directed by Gary Ross titled 'Ocean's 8' was released in 2018, which starred Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina and Mindy Kaling.

There might be a new Ocean's movie on the cards. Don Cheadle opened up about the idea of the new movie in the series that director Steven Soderbergh is thinking about creating.

There might be a new Ocean's movie on the cards. Don Cheadle opened up about the idea of the new movie in the series that director Steven Soderbergh is thinking about creating. Talking about the future of the franchise, Cheadle, who played British explosives expert Basher in the trilogy, said in an interview with EW, that Soderbergh himself told him the idea of another movie. The 56-year-old actor said, “We were talking about it (after ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’), and then Bernie (Mac) passed, and very quickly we were like, ‘No, we don’t want to do it,’” he shared. “But I just did a movie with Steven and he said, ‘I think there may be a way to do it again. I’m thinking about it.’” He added, “It didn’t go much further than that. But I don’t know; I don’t know who all would be in it. I imagine the main group of us would be in. It would be interesting to see.” As mentioned by Cheadle, the “main group” would mean that stars like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan and more will reunite. Collectively grossing US$1.17 billion worldwide, the most commercially successful rendition was the first, 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001). The first sequel, 'Ocean's Twelve' was released in 2004 with the final film, Ocean's Thirteen, following in 2007. An all-female spin-off written and directed by Gary Ross titled 'Ocean's 8' was released in 2018, which starred Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina and Mindy Kaling.

Steven Soderbergh is thinking about new 'Ocean's' movie, hints Don Cheadle

Earth is 71% water, and those who are informed about world geography are aware that the mainland is surrounded by four oceans.

Four? There are now five oceans, not four.&nbsp;

National Geographic, one of the world's most prestigious and well-known mapmakers, has declared the presence of a fifth ocean.

This is the body of water that surrounds Antarctica, and is known as the Southern Ocean.

The Southern Ocean will now have the same status as the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, as well as the same typeface.

The Southern Ocean, however, isn't quite new. Since Antarctica and South America split 30 million years ago, this body of water has existed.&nbsp;

The Southern Ocean, according to the National Geographic magazine, is the only ocean that "touches three other oceans and entirely embraces a continent rather than being enveloped by them."

Its northernmost point is 60 degrees south latitude. 
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which formed 34 million years ago, also defines it.

Around Antarctica, the current travels from west to east.&nbsp;

Whales, penguins, and seals all have substantial populations in the Southern Ocean.

However, commercial fishing on krill and Patagonian toothfish has been a source of concern for decades, according to National Geographic.

By legally altering the name of the water body, it wanted to raise attention to these challenges, as well as the fast warming of the Southern Ocean as a result of global warming.&nbsp;

Earth is 71% water, and those who are informed about world geography are aware that the mainland is surrounded by four oceans. Four? There are now five oceans, not four.

Earth is 71% water, and those who are informed about world geography are aware that the mainland is surrounded by four oceans. Four? There are now five oceans, not four. National Geographic, one of the world's most prestigious and well-known mapmakers, has declared the presence of a fifth ocean. This is the body of water that surrounds Antarctica, and is known as the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean will now have the same status as the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, as well as the same typeface. The Southern Ocean, however, isn't quite new. Since Antarctica and South America split 30 million years ago, this body of water has existed. The Southern Ocean, according to the National Geographic magazine, is the only ocean that "touches three other oceans and entirely embraces a continent rather than being enveloped by them." Its northernmost point is 60 degrees south latitude. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which formed 34 million years ago, also defines it. Around Antarctica, the current travels from west to east. Whales, penguins, and seals all have substantial populations in the Southern Ocean. However, commercial fishing on krill and Patagonian toothfish has been a source of concern for decades, according to National Geographic. By legally altering the name of the water body, it wanted to raise attention to these challenges, as well as the fast warming of the Southern Ocean as a result of global warming.

Southern Ocean officially declared as fifth in the world: National Geographic

The total number of open-water species living in tropical marine zones has halved in the last four decades, new research finds. The study, published on April 5, claims that climate change-driven factors increased the sea surface temperatures in the tropics by nearly 0.2 degree Celsius.

Many other factors including overfishing have impacted the ocean inhabitants but scientists in the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found a strong correlation between decline of species and increasing temperature.

The researchers also found that species of fish plateau or decline at or above 20 degree Celsius.

Previous studies have shed light on how high temperatures are driving species of fish to cooler waters. But the new study is broader in scope, for it analysed data from 48,661 marine species that include fish, birds, mollusks, and corals that have been widely seen since 1955.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/plants-help-reduce-toxic-mercury-from-environment-says-study-375199" hreflang="en">Plants help reduce toxic mercury from environment, says study</a>

The number of species that remain attached to the seabed, including corals and sponges showed stability in the tropics between the 1970s and 2010. In fact, many of these species were found beyond the tropics, suggesting that they were able to spread out.

Essentially, species capable of physical movement are huddling to get close to cooler waters, while those attached to the seafloor are simply awaiting death.

As species of fish move away from the tropics, the coral ecosystems could perish, along with industries that rely on corals.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chemicals-found-in-over-1200-foods-linked-to-damage-of-immune-system-374959" hreflang="en">Chemicals found in over 1,200 foods linked to damage of immune system</a>

The total number of open-water species living in tropical marine zones has halved in the last four decades, new research finds. The study, published on April 5, claims that climate change-driven factors increased the sea surface temperatures in the tropics by nearly 0.

The total number of open-water species living in tropical marine zones has halved in the last four decades, new research finds. The study, published on April 5, claims that climate change-driven factors increased the sea surface temperatures in the tropics by nearly 0.2 degree Celsius. Many other factors including overfishing have impacted the ocean inhabitants but scientists in the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found a strong correlation between decline of species and increasing temperature. The researchers also found that species of fish plateau or decline at or above 20 degree Celsius. Previous studies have shed light on how high temperatures are driving species of fish to cooler waters. But the new study is broader in scope, for it analysed data from 48,661 marine species that include fish, birds, mollusks, and corals that have been widely seen since 1955. Also read: Plants help reduce toxic mercury from environment, says study The number of species that remain attached to the seabed, including corals and sponges showed stability in the tropics between the 1970s and 2010. In fact, many of these species were found beyond the tropics, suggesting that they were able to spread out. Essentially, species capable of physical movement are huddling to get close to cooler waters, while those attached to the seafloor are simply awaiting death. As species of fish move away from the tropics, the coral ecosystems could perish, along with industries that rely on corals. Also read: Chemicals found in over 1,200 foods linked to damage of immune system

Climate change has halved number of species in tropical waters, new study finds

Scientists just discovered a new kind of rock under the Pacific Ocean. Led by an international team, scientists drilled over a kilometre&nbsp;long hole in the ocean and extracted an array of stones. The stones were chemically and mineralogically different from every stone known to us.

Scientists believe that the stone was formed just a few million years after the “Ring of Fire” - the famous period of volcanic activity near the Pacific Rim. Upon examination, they found that the rock is nearly 49-million-years-old.

Owing to the superheat conditions in the ring, a unique type of stone was formed. Scooping up evidence from the ocean suggests that the rocks created by fires that were hotter and far reaching than previously believed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-natural-sounds-and-landscapes-boost-health-markers-lower-stress-372557" hreflang="en">Natural sounds and landscapes, boost health markers, lower stress</a>

The results of the study were shared in Nature Communications last week, and was undertaken by researchers at the University of Leeds. In a press release, the scientists said - “The rocks that we recovered are distinctly different to rocks of this type that we already know about…. In fact, they may be as different to Earth’s known ocean floor basalts as Earth’s basalts are to the Moon’s basalts.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-true-origins-of-hobbit-species-that-roamed-asia-50000-years-ago-372494" hreflang="en">Scientists discover true origins of 'Hobbit' species that roamed Asia 50,000 years ago!</a>

Basalt is formed after lava cools down, and are formed in even active volcanoes. The characteristics of rocks depend on the kind temperatures and pressures they emerge from. Researchers posit that the new kind of basalt was created towards the culmination of major changes in the Ring of Fire.

Even though 49-million-years may seem like a long time, many rocks on Earth are even older than this new basalt.&nbsp;

Scientists just discovered a new kind of rock under the Pacific Ocean. Led by an international team, scientists drilled over a kilometre long hole in the ocean and extracted an array of stones.

Scientists just discovered a new kind of rock under the Pacific Ocean. Led by an international team, scientists drilled over a kilometre long hole in the ocean and extracted an array of stones. The stones were chemically and mineralogically different from every stone known to us. Scientists believe that the stone was formed just a few million years after the “Ring of Fire” - the famous period of volcanic activity near the Pacific Rim. Upon examination, they found that the rock is nearly 49-million-years-old. Owing to the superheat conditions in the ring, a unique type of stone was formed. Scooping up evidence from the ocean suggests that the rocks created by fires that were hotter and far reaching than previously believed. Also read: Natural sounds and landscapes, boost health markers, lower stress The results of the study were shared in Nature Communications last week, and was undertaken by researchers at the University of Leeds. In a press release, the scientists said - “The rocks that we recovered are distinctly different to rocks of this type that we already know about…. In fact, they may be as different to Earth’s known ocean floor basalts as Earth’s basalts are to the Moon’s basalts.” Also read: Scientists discover true origins of 'Hobbit' species that roamed Asia 50,000 years ago! Basalt is formed after lava cools down, and are formed in even active volcanoes. The characteristics of rocks depend on the kind temperatures and pressures they emerge from. Researchers posit that the new kind of basalt was created towards the culmination of major changes in the Ring of Fire. Even though 49-million-years may seem like a long time, many rocks on Earth are even older than this new basalt.

New kind of rock from 49 million years ago was just discovered under Pacific Ocean

Young Mauritian marine scientist and activist, Shaama Sandooyea, puts on her flippers as she preparers for the first underwater climate strike in a remote stretch of the western Indian Ocean. Sandooyea dives into the water at the Saya de Malha Bank, which is home to the world's largest seagrass meadow, in a bid to draw attention to the danger of global warming and rising seas.

Ocean life is 'magical’, says young Mauritian activist in first underwater climate strike

Overfishing has savaged populations of some sharks and rays by more than 70 percent in the last half-century, leaving a "gaping, growing hole" in ocean life, according to a new study.

Decades of data show an alarming decline in species ranging from hammerhead sharks to manta rays.

Among the worst-affected is the oceanic whitetip, a powerful shark often described as particularly dangerous to man that now hovers on the edge of extinction because of human activity.

Targeted for their fins, oceanic whitetips are also the victims of&nbsp;&nbsp;indiscriminate fishing techniques. Their global population has dropped 98 percent in the last 60 years.

"That's a worse decline than most large terrestrial mammal populations, and getting up there or as bad as the blue whale decline," Nick Dulvy, a professor at Simon Fraser University's department of biological sciences, told AFP.

Dulvy and a team of scientists spent years collecting and analysing information from scientific studies and fisheries data to build up a picture of the global state of 31 species of sharks and rays.

They found three-quarters of the species examined are now so depleted that they are threatened with extinction.

"We knew the situation was bad in a lot of places but that information came from different studies and reports, so it was difficult to have an idea of the global situation," the study's lead author Nathan Pacoureau told AFP.

"We show steep declines and a rapidly rising extinction risk for the most wide-ranging species in the largest, most remote habitats on the earth, which are often assumed to be protected from human influence," added Pacoureau, a post-doctoral fellow at SFU's department of biological science.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, points the finger at overfishing and weak protection, and calls for tighter restrictions and better implementation of existing rules.

The researchers note that species can stage a comeback when conservation efforts are made, so losses are not always irreversible.

The study focuses on oceanic sharks and rays, species that primarily live in open water. While it found variation in the health of different populations, the overall trend was clear.

"The data revealed a gaping, growing hole in ocean life," Pacoureau said.

- 'Stunned into silence' -

For 18 species where more data was available, the researchers concluded global populations fell over 70 percent since 1970.

Dulvy said the figure was likely to be similar, or even worse, for other oceanic sharks and rays, but gaps in data made it difficult to make definitive conclusions.

The results were a shock even for experts, Pacoureau said, describing specialists at a meeting on shark conservation being "stunned into silence" when confronted with the figures.

Three sharks were found to be critically endangered, with their populations declining by more than 80 percent -- the oceanic whitetip shark, scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead.

Sharks and rays are especially vulnerable to population collapse because they grow slowly and reproduce comparatively infrequently.

The study notes a two-fold increase over the last half-century in the use of fishing with longlines and seine nets -- methods that can snare marine life indiscriminately, including endangered animals.

Regional bodies that manage international fisheries "have not prioritised shark and ray protection," Pacoureau said. He backs catch bans for endangered and critically endangered species, and limits for less threatened species.

"Proactive measures can prevent population collapses. And we know they work," he added, pointing to the recovery of great white sharks around the US after new regulations.

Dulvy said ordinary citizens had a role to play by pressing governments to meet their national and international commitments.

"Wherever you can, urge your government to care for sharks," he said.

Overfishing has savaged populations of some sharks and rays by more than 70 percent in the last half-century, leaving a "gaping, growing hole" in ocean life, according to a new study.

Overfishing has savaged populations of some sharks and rays by more than 70 percent in the last half-century, leaving a "gaping, growing hole" in ocean life, according to a new study. Decades of data show an alarming decline in species ranging from hammerhead sharks to manta rays. Among the worst-affected is the oceanic whitetip, a powerful shark often described as particularly dangerous to man that now hovers on the edge of extinction because of human activity. Targeted for their fins, oceanic whitetips are also the victims of indiscriminate fishing techniques. Their global population has dropped 98 percent in the last 60 years. "That's a worse decline than most large terrestrial mammal populations, and getting up there or as bad as the blue whale decline," Nick Dulvy, a professor at Simon Fraser University's department of biological sciences, told AFP. Dulvy and a team of scientists spent years collecting and analysing information from scientific studies and fisheries data to build up a picture of the global state of 31 species of sharks and rays. They found three-quarters of the species examined are now so depleted that they are threatened with extinction. "We knew the situation was bad in a lot of places but that information came from different studies and reports, so it was difficult to have an idea of the global situation," the study's lead author Nathan Pacoureau told AFP. "We show steep declines and a rapidly rising extinction risk for the most wide-ranging species in the largest, most remote habitats on the earth, which are often assumed to be protected from human influence," added Pacoureau, a post-doctoral fellow at SFU's department of biological science. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, points the finger at overfishing and weak protection, and calls for tighter restrictions and better implementation of existing rules. The researchers note that species can stage a comeback when conservation efforts are made, so losses are not always irreversible. The study focuses on oceanic sharks and rays, species that primarily live in open water. While it found variation in the health of different populations, the overall trend was clear. "The data revealed a gaping, growing hole in ocean life," Pacoureau said. - 'Stunned into silence' - For 18 species where more data was available, the researchers concluded global populations fell over 70 percent since 1970. Dulvy said the figure was likely to be similar, or even worse, for other oceanic sharks and rays, but gaps in data made it difficult to make definitive conclusions. The results were a shock even for experts, Pacoureau said, describing specialists at a meeting on shark conservation being "stunned into silence" when confronted with the figures. Three sharks were found to be critically endangered, with their populations declining by more than 80 percent -- the oceanic whitetip shark, scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead. Sharks and rays are especially vulnerable to population collapse because they grow slowly and reproduce comparatively infrequently. The study notes a two-fold increase over the last half-century in the use of fishing with longlines and seine nets -- methods that can snare marine life indiscriminately, including endangered animals. Regional bodies that manage international fisheries "have not prioritised shark and ray protection," Pacoureau said. He backs catch bans for endangered and critically endangered species, and limits for less threatened species. "Proactive measures can prevent population collapses. And we know they work," he added, pointing to the recovery of great white sharks around the US after new regulations. Dulvy said ordinary citizens had a role to play by pressing governments to meet their national and international commitments. "Wherever you can, urge your government to care for sharks," he said.

Dramatic shark decline leaves 'gaping hole' in ocean: Study

You might know what a hydrothermal vent looks like: black plumes billowing from deep-sea pillars encrusted with tube worms, hairy crabs, pouting fish. But do you know what it sounds like?

To the untrained ear, a hydrothermal vent — or more precisely, one vent from the Suiyo Seamount southeast of Japan — generates a viscous, muffled burbling that recalls an ominous pool of magma or a simmering pot of soup.

To the trained ear, the Suiyo vent sounds like many things. When asked during a Zoom call to describe the Suiyo recording more scientifically, Tzu-Hao Lin, a research fellow at the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan, took a long pause, shrugged and laughed. People always ask him this, but he never has the answer they want to hear. “I usually tell people to describe it with their own language,” Lin said. “You don’t need to be an expert to say what it sounds like to you.”

Lin adores acoustics; in his official headshot, he wears a set of headphones. He has listened to the sea since 2008 and to the deep sea since 2018. He has deployed hydrophones, which are microphones designed for underwater use, in waters off Japan to eavesdrop on the noises that lurk thousands of feet below the surface. He published these recordings in August at a conference of the Deep-Sea Biology Society.

Lin is not interested in focusing on the song of a singular whale or the clatter of ship traffic, but rather on the habitat’s soundscape — the totality of all its sounds, human, animal and geological — to glean an area’s biodiversity. Think of it as a hydrothermal vent’s acoustical calling card.

Lin joins a growing field of acousticians who believe that sound may be the quickest, cheapest way to monitor one of the most mysterious realms of the ocean. A database of deep-sea soundscapes could provide researchers with baseline understanding of healthy remote ecosystems, and singling out the sounds of communities or even individual species can inform scientists when populations are booming.

“You need to know what the habitat sounds like when it’s healthy,” said Chong Chen, a deep-sea biologist at Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC. “When the soundscape has changed, the habitat may have changed, too.”

Light holds little power in the ocean; it is so easily absorbed and scattered by seawater that anything deeper than 656 feet is essentially shrouded in darkness. But sound reigns supreme underwater, where it travels five times faster than in air.

If this statistic seems abstract, several acousticians laid out a helpful scenario in a 2018 paper in Acoustics Today. Imagine staring down at a city on a clear day from atop a mountain, the highest point within 60 miles. You can see far into the horizon but only hear the sounds nearby, perhaps a chirping bird or a gust of wind.

In the deep sea, the rules are reversed. Standing on a ridge several thousand feet underwater, peering out to the ocean’s abyssal plain, you would see almost nothing. But if you listened through a hydrophone, you could detect sounds from hundreds of miles away: echolocating whales, chattering fish, even occasional pulses from seismic surveys for oil and gas.

Scientists have long listened in on the sounds of the oceans but only recently have they turned to the deepest, darkest parts of the sea, where sound holds promise as a portal into an unknown world. Here, specialized creatures occupy habitats that would be fatal to surface dwellers; when Lin’s colleagues retrieved the hydrophone from Suiyo, the vent’s heat had melted part of the cables. “We got too close to the orifice,” Lin said with a sigh.

The deep sea is difficult to visit and expensive to observe; underwater robots do not come cheap. But it’s fairly easy to drop a hydrophone overboard — along with a baited camera, to see if anything bites. The hydrophone can pick up not just the noisy clicks of bickering dolphins but also the ambient hum of the deep sea.

Lin became interested in underwater acoustics around a decade ago as a graduate student at National Taiwan University, on a project observing Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. Although the project seemed exciting, he found the work anticlimactic, working long hours and seeing very few dolphins. But as Lin listened to the recordings, he heard a chorus of other creatures — the sounds of snapping shrimp and choruses of fish — as well as noise pollution from industrial development. “People are still really crazy about marine mammals,” he said. “They do not really care about soniferous fish or invertebrates.”

When he joined JAMSTEC in the spring of 2019 for a yearlong stint as a postdoctoral research fellow, he was surprised by the diversity of deep-sea life and even more surprised that few had tried to capture the sounds of deeper-living creatures and their often volatile, volcanic habitats. The work felt even more pressing as international interest in deep-sea mining continued to rise. In 2019, he proposed the use of deep-sea soundscapes as a conservation tool in a paper in Trends in Ecology &amp; Evolution.

Research cruises are expensive, and Lin did not have time to develop a dedicated cruise for deep-sea soundscapes. So he and other researchers at JAMSTEC dropped hydrophones on already scheduled cruises, collecting daylong recordings from coastal areas near Japan and the Suiyo vent, and an even deeper recording from more than 18,000 feet below waters by the isosceles-shaped island of Minami-Tori. He found that the shipping traffic drowned out the coastal soundscapes, but the Minami-Tori Shima recording picked up noise from dolphins, humans and the tectonic grumblings of the seafloor itself, as well as a potpourri of as-yet untraceable sounds.

Lin’s recordings reveal a medley of shrill beeps, distant whistles and an underwater chorus of fish that sounds almost like wind gusting through a mountain pass. But what is it all? Lin and his lab at Academia Sinica are developing a software algorithm to separate the elements of the soundscape into categories: biophony (creatures), geophony (weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions) and anthropophony (human noises like seismic tests, ships and mining). Then the program will isolate individual sounds, such as dolphin whistles or chattering fish, and could even discover the sounds of new species.

Although the researchers are still poring through the data, some soundscapes have already provided insight into life in the deep sea. The Minami-Tori Shima recording revealed a chorus of fish that began right after sunset and ended after midnight at depths with no visible light. “It’s really amazing,” Lin said. He suspects the chorus may be timed with some fish’s daily vertical migration toward the surface at night, although he said he would need to conduct more surveys to confirm this connection.

Whereas the clicks and songs of marine mammals are well-documented, the identities of smaller deep-sea noisemakers are still shrouded in the dark.

At face value, deep-sea fish would not appear to be the most competent vocalists. “Many fish sounds require hard parts like bone or dense muscles,” said Rodney Rountree, an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria who specializes in fish acoustics.

But some fish, such as the sailfin catfish, make sounds by rubbing their body parts together like crickets do. Then their air-filled swim bladders act like a drum to amplify the sound. This movement can create sounds most often described as rasps, creaks or grunts — but these terms vary. “It’s a big headache,” Rountree said. “Even in the same study, I might call one thing a groan, and when I process it the next day I may call it a grunt.”

Other fish, such as cusk eels, have dedicated muscles that push on these bladders to bang like a drum or croak like a frog. “It’s really loud, like a jackhammer,” he said, clearing his throat before demonstrating: “AH-AH-AH-AH-AH.” But many more gelatinous deep-sea species are bereft of such bladders, as well as the musculature needed to press against them. A blobfish, after all, is more water than muscle.

Researchers have observed sonic muscles or have recorded sounds from five families of deep-sea fish, including grenadiers and sablefish, according to Marta Bolgan, a marine biologist at the University of Liege in Belgium. “It is a very new field,” she said. Bolgan recently published a paper in the journal Fish and Fisheries highlighting the importance of listening to deep-sea fish.

Some researchers are working to improve current listening technology. At the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Ying-Tsong Lin is building a starfish-shaped contraption of hydrophones that can tune into certain sounds hundreds of miles away, like a telescope for sound.

Bolgan’s strategy involves attaching video cameras to recorders to capture fish vocalizing on screen. But even this is no sure thing. A video that captures a fish and a fish sound in the same frame still doesn’t prove that fish made that sound. Researchers have to sleuth out whether that fish could physically make that sound, either by listening to existing recordings or speculating how the fish’s sonic muscles might produce noise. “It is a combination of deduction and luck,” Bolgan said.

Fish often make sounds alongside particular behaviors, such as spawning, which can be difficult to replicate in a lab, although some researchers have succeeded. In 2016, Eric Parmentier, Bolgan’s supervisor at the University of Liege, recorded cusk eels growling in fiberglass tanks after sunset. Floating egg masses the following morning indicated the fish had spawned.

Fish may represent researchers’ best bet at parsing deep-sea biodiversity, as many key deep-sea animals are not known to make sound, according to Chen. “Snails don’t vocalize,” he added as an example. There are exceptions. In 2019, researchers recorded loud snapping sounds from small, mouth-fighting marine worms that dwell in glass sponges. And a 2017 study revealed that glass sponge reefs possess a distinct soundscape entirely their own.

Lin of Academia Sinica wants to make all his soundscapes available online. This way, researchers such as Bolgan can sort through the recordings to single out a particular fish chorus or any other particular sound.

“Once the data is digitized, it can be used over and over again,” Lin said. “Future generations will be able to see what biodiversity was like decades ago. ” He uploaded all his recent recordings to SoundCloud and invites any would-be acousticians to listen in.

Lin’s eventual goal, the Ocean Biodiversity Listening Project, is an international, open-access database of underwater recordings that can establish a baseline of healthy, deep-sea ecosystems. He knows he’s working against the clock. “Deep-sea mining is about to start anytime now,” Chen said.

In 2017, Japan successfully extracted zinc from the seabed off Okinawa. “We need research cruises to incorporate soundscapes as part of their surveying,” Chen said, adding that the process should also be included in baseline environmental studies of potential mining sites.

Many deep-sea mining interests overlap with biodiversity hot spots, such as sulfide-rich hydrothermal vents. Chen suspects that vent soundscapes may offer cues to deep-sea larvae looking to settle on the seafloor. “Chemical cues get diluted by seawater, but sound propagates very far, so it potentially has a very important role,” Chen said. If deep-sea mining were to interrupt larval settlement, communities could take years to recover.

Lin continues to scan his soundscapes for new patterns. The recordings are still cryptic, a bramble of ambience. But for now, some reflect the racket of a deep sea that’s still noisy in the ways it’s supposed to be.

You might know what a hydrothermal vent looks like: black plumes billowing from deep-sea pillars encrusted with tube worms, hairy crabs, pouting fish. But do you know what it sounds like?

You might know what a hydrothermal vent looks like: black plumes billowing from deep-sea pillars encrusted with tube worms, hairy crabs, pouting fish. But do you know what it sounds like? To the untrained ear, a hydrothermal vent — or more precisely, one vent from the Suiyo Seamount southeast of Japan — generates a viscous, muffled burbling that recalls an ominous pool of magma or a simmering pot of soup. To the trained ear, the Suiyo vent sounds like many things. When asked during a Zoom call to describe the Suiyo recording more scientifically, Tzu-Hao Lin, a research fellow at the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan, took a long pause, shrugged and laughed. People always ask him this, but he never has the answer they want to hear. “I usually tell people to describe it with their own language,” Lin said. “You don’t need to be an expert to say what it sounds like to you.” Lin adores acoustics; in his official headshot, he wears a set of headphones. He has listened to the sea since 2008 and to the deep sea since 2018. He has deployed hydrophones, which are microphones designed for underwater use, in waters off Japan to eavesdrop on the noises that lurk thousands of feet below the surface. He published these recordings in August at a conference of the Deep-Sea Biology Society. Lin is not interested in focusing on the song of a singular whale or the clatter of ship traffic, but rather on the habitat’s soundscape — the totality of all its sounds, human, animal and geological — to glean an area’s biodiversity. Think of it as a hydrothermal vent’s acoustical calling card. Lin joins a growing field of acousticians who believe that sound may be the quickest, cheapest way to monitor one of the most mysterious realms of the ocean. A database of deep-sea soundscapes could provide researchers with baseline understanding of healthy remote ecosystems, and singling out the sounds of communities or even individual species can inform scientists when populations are booming. “You need to know what the habitat sounds like when it’s healthy,” said Chong Chen, a deep-sea biologist at Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC. “When the soundscape has changed, the habitat may have changed, too.” Light holds little power in the ocean; it is so easily absorbed and scattered by seawater that anything deeper than 656 feet is essentially shrouded in darkness. But sound reigns supreme underwater, where it travels five times faster than in air. If this statistic seems abstract, several acousticians laid out a helpful scenario in a 2018 paper in Acoustics Today. Imagine staring down at a city on a clear day from atop a mountain, the highest point within 60 miles. You can see far into the horizon but only hear the sounds nearby, perhaps a chirping bird or a gust of wind. In the deep sea, the rules are reversed. Standing on a ridge several thousand feet underwater, peering out to the ocean’s abyssal plain, you would see almost nothing. But if you listened through a hydrophone, you could detect sounds from hundreds of miles away: echolocating whales, chattering fish, even occasional pulses from seismic surveys for oil and gas. Scientists have long listened in on the sounds of the oceans but only recently have they turned to the deepest, darkest parts of the sea, where sound holds promise as a portal into an unknown world. Here, specialized creatures occupy habitats that would be fatal to surface dwellers; when Lin’s colleagues retrieved the hydrophone from Suiyo, the vent’s heat had melted part of the cables. “We got too close to the orifice,” Lin said with a sigh. The deep sea is difficult to visit and expensive to observe; underwater robots do not come cheap. But it’s fairly easy to drop a hydrophone overboard — along with a baited camera, to see if anything bites. The hydrophone can pick up not just the noisy clicks of bickering dolphins but also the ambient hum of the deep sea. Lin became interested in underwater acoustics around a decade ago as a graduate student at National Taiwan University, on a project observing Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. Although the project seemed exciting, he found the work anticlimactic, working long hours and seeing very few dolphins. But as Lin listened to the recordings, he heard a chorus of other creatures — the sounds of snapping shrimp and choruses of fish — as well as noise pollution from industrial development. “People are still really crazy about marine mammals,” he said. “They do not really care about soniferous fish or invertebrates.” When he joined JAMSTEC in the spring of 2019 for a yearlong stint as a postdoctoral research fellow, he was surprised by the diversity of deep-sea life and even more surprised that few had tried to capture the sounds of deeper-living creatures and their often volatile, volcanic habitats. The work felt even more pressing as international interest in deep-sea mining continued to rise. In 2019, he proposed the use of deep-sea soundscapes as a conservation tool in a paper in Trends in Ecology & Evolution. Research cruises are expensive, and Lin did not have time to develop a dedicated cruise for deep-sea soundscapes. So he and other researchers at JAMSTEC dropped hydrophones on already scheduled cruises, collecting daylong recordings from coastal areas near Japan and the Suiyo vent, and an even deeper recording from more than 18,000 feet below waters by the isosceles-shaped island of Minami-Tori. He found that the shipping traffic drowned out the coastal soundscapes, but the Minami-Tori Shima recording picked up noise from dolphins, humans and the tectonic grumblings of the seafloor itself, as well as a potpourri of as-yet untraceable sounds. Lin’s recordings reveal a medley of shrill beeps, distant whistles and an underwater chorus of fish that sounds almost like wind gusting through a mountain pass. But what is it all? Lin and his lab at Academia Sinica are developing a software algorithm to separate the elements of the soundscape into categories: biophony (creatures), geophony (weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions) and anthropophony (human noises like seismic tests, ships and mining). Then the program will isolate individual sounds, such as dolphin whistles or chattering fish, and could even discover the sounds of new species. Although the researchers are still poring through the data, some soundscapes have already provided insight into life in the deep sea. The Minami-Tori Shima recording revealed a chorus of fish that began right after sunset and ended after midnight at depths with no visible light. “It’s really amazing,” Lin said. He suspects the chorus may be timed with some fish’s daily vertical migration toward the surface at night, although he said he would need to conduct more surveys to confirm this connection. Whereas the clicks and songs of marine mammals are well-documented, the identities of smaller deep-sea noisemakers are still shrouded in the dark. At face value, deep-sea fish would not appear to be the most competent vocalists. “Many fish sounds require hard parts like bone or dense muscles,” said Rodney Rountree, an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria who specializes in fish acoustics. But some fish, such as the sailfin catfish, make sounds by rubbing their body parts together like crickets do. Then their air-filled swim bladders act like a drum to amplify the sound. This movement can create sounds most often described as rasps, creaks or grunts — but these terms vary. “It’s a big headache,” Rountree said. “Even in the same study, I might call one thing a groan, and when I process it the next day I may call it a grunt.” Other fish, such as cusk eels, have dedicated muscles that push on these bladders to bang like a drum or croak like a frog. “It’s really loud, like a jackhammer,” he said, clearing his throat before demonstrating: “AH-AH-AH-AH-AH.” But many more gelatinous deep-sea species are bereft of such bladders, as well as the musculature needed to press against them. A blobfish, after all, is more water than muscle. Researchers have observed sonic muscles or have recorded sounds from five families of deep-sea fish, including grenadiers and sablefish, according to Marta Bolgan, a marine biologist at the University of Liege in Belgium. “It is a very new field,” she said. Bolgan recently published a paper in the journal Fish and Fisheries highlighting the importance of listening to deep-sea fish. Some researchers are working to improve current listening technology. At the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Ying-Tsong Lin is building a starfish-shaped contraption of hydrophones that can tune into certain sounds hundreds of miles away, like a telescope for sound. Bolgan’s strategy involves attaching video cameras to recorders to capture fish vocalizing on screen. But even this is no sure thing. A video that captures a fish and a fish sound in the same frame still doesn’t prove that fish made that sound. Researchers have to sleuth out whether that fish could physically make that sound, either by listening to existing recordings or speculating how the fish’s sonic muscles might produce noise. “It is a combination of deduction and luck,” Bolgan said. Fish often make sounds alongside particular behaviors, such as spawning, which can be difficult to replicate in a lab, although some researchers have succeeded. In 2016, Eric Parmentier, Bolgan’s supervisor at the University of Liege, recorded cusk eels growling in fiberglass tanks after sunset. Floating egg masses the following morning indicated the fish had spawned. Fish may represent researchers’ best bet at parsing deep-sea biodiversity, as many key deep-sea animals are not known to make sound, according to Chen. “Snails don’t vocalize,” he added as an example. There are exceptions. In 2019, researchers recorded loud snapping sounds from small, mouth-fighting marine worms that dwell in glass sponges. And a 2017 study revealed that glass sponge reefs possess a distinct soundscape entirely their own. Lin of Academia Sinica wants to make all his soundscapes available online. This way, researchers such as Bolgan can sort through the recordings to single out a particular fish chorus or any other particular sound. “Once the data is digitized, it can be used over and over again,” Lin said. “Future generations will be able to see what biodiversity was like decades ago. ” He uploaded all his recent recordings to SoundCloud and invites any would-be acousticians to listen in. Lin’s eventual goal, the Ocean Biodiversity Listening Project, is an international, open-access database of underwater recordings that can establish a baseline of healthy, deep-sea ecosystems. He knows he’s working against the clock. “Deep-sea mining is about to start anytime now,” Chen said. In 2017, Japan successfully extracted zinc from the seabed off Okinawa. “We need research cruises to incorporate soundscapes as part of their surveying,” Chen said, adding that the process should also be included in baseline environmental studies of potential mining sites. Many deep-sea mining interests overlap with biodiversity hot spots, such as sulfide-rich hydrothermal vents. Chen suspects that vent soundscapes may offer cues to deep-sea larvae looking to settle on the seafloor. “Chemical cues get diluted by seawater, but sound propagates very far, so it potentially has a very important role,” Chen said. If deep-sea mining were to interrupt larval settlement, communities could take years to recover. Lin continues to scan his soundscapes for new patterns. The recordings are still cryptic, a bramble of ambience. But for now, some reflect the racket of a deep sea that’s still noisy in the ways it’s supposed to be.

Could listening to the deep sea help save it?

Every weekend, volunteers gather on Malaysia's resort island of Tioman to gather ocean-bound plastic that can eventually be transformed into pellets and made into a range of products including auto parts, home appliances and furniture, with help from a recycling plant.

Malaysian recycler transforms ocean-bound plastic waste into furniture, goods

The fire which had re-ignited Monday, on-board a very large crude carrier (VLCC) MT New Diamond off the Sri Lanka coast has been doused and boundary cooling is being done to prevent re-ignition. The fire had almost risen to a height of upto 60 meters from the main, weather-exposed deck of the ship, which is also known as the weather deck. However, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has said that the blaze has been visibly doused and that measures are being undertaken to prevent re-ignition.&nbsp;

Sustained firefighting efforts by ICG Ships Sujay, Shaurya, Sarang, specialised ICG Pollution Response Vessel Samudra Paheredar along with Sri Lankan Ships and tugs ensured the intensity and magnitude of fire was reduced considerably by Tuesday morning. The master of MT New Diamond, on-board ICGS Shaurya has also intimated the Coast Guard that the fire appears to have been doused. The situation is being monitored closely and boundary cooling with sea water and application of foam has been enhanced to avoid re-ignition.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/fresh-fire-hits-stricken-oil-supertanker-off-sri-lanka-in-indian-ocean-325815" hreflang="en">Fresh fire hits stricken oil supertanker off Sri Lanka in Indian Ocean</a>

The MT New Diamond is being held about 30 miles from the Sri Lankan Coast by a tug boat and join firefighting and pollution response operations are being carries out by the assets of the Indian Coast Guard, the Indian Navy and their Sri Lankan counterparts.&nbsp;

It is also observed that the accommodation superstructure in the merchant vessel has been weakened owing to the blaze. This refers to the tower-like structure, which is the tallest portion and also houses the accommodation for the crew in a Marchant vessel.&nbsp;

<img alt="Fire that reignited on board MT New Diamond doused by joint efforts, says Indian Coast Guard" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ad010267-26bd-4121-853a-8ced611d05d0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_148.jpg" />

Owing to the use of large quantities of water and other suppressants to control the fire, it is said that the rear portion of the ship (aft) has gone down into the water by about 3 feet. However, there is no significant tilt(list) in the ship caused by the same.

The ICG vessels have been deployed for fire-fighting and consequential pollution response for MT New Diamond off since September 3rd. A bilateral MoU between ICG and SLCG covers co-operation in the Marine pollution Response domain. The Indian Coast Guard is also the Competent National Authority under South Asian Co-operative for Environment Protection (SACEP) for responding and coordinating pollution response in South Asian Sea region.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/sri-lanka-oil-tanker-fire-extinguished-says-lankan-navy-spokesperson-325595" hreflang="en">Sri Lanka oil tanker fire extinguished, says Lankan navy spokesperson</a>

In order to supplement the surface firefighting efforts with aerial dropping, the Lankan Navy had requested the Indian Coast guard for Dry Chemical Powder (DCP). To facilitate this, ICGS Abheek with 1.5tons of DCP was diverted from on-scene to enter Trincomalee harbour for the handing over. ICG Dornier aircraft&nbsp;&nbsp;with 700 kgs DCP was also dispatched on Thursday morning from Chennai to Trincomalee.&nbsp;

An ICG Dornier aircraft continues to operate from Mattala, Sri Lanka besides CG Helicopter embarked on&nbsp;&nbsp;ICGS Sarang being launched regularly for aerial assessment. No oil spill has been reported so far.&nbsp;

A 16-member salvage team including Marine Chemists and Naval Architects who are onboard Tugboats on-location&nbsp;&nbsp;are in agreement with the methodology adopted by ICG to fight fire and are providing suggestions to make the firefighting more effective.

This very large crude carrier- MT New Diamond is a Greek owned vessel, under charter by Indian Oil Cooperation. The vessel has been ablaze following a major explosion in the engine room, while transiting Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The first information about the vessel being on fire was received at Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai.

MT New Diamond is reportedly carrying more that 2.7 lakh MT Kuwait export crude oil that was destined for Paradip, Odisha. According to&nbsp;Marinetraffic dot com, MT New Diamond is a 20-year old Crude oil tanker that is 333 meters long and 60 meters wide.&nbsp;

The fire which had re-ignited Monday, on-board a very large crude carrier (VLCC) MT New Diamond off the Sri Lanka coast has been doused and boundary cooling is being done to prevent re-ignition.

The fire which had re-ignited Monday, on-board a very large crude carrier (VLCC) MT New Diamond off the Sri Lanka coast has been doused and boundary cooling is being done to prevent re-ignition. The fire had almost risen to a height of upto 60 meters from the main, weather-exposed deck of the ship, which is also known as the weather deck. However, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has said that the blaze has been visibly doused and that measures are being undertaken to prevent re-ignition. Sustained firefighting efforts by ICG Ships Sujay, Shaurya, Sarang, specialised ICG Pollution Response Vessel Samudra Paheredar along with Sri Lankan Ships and tugs ensured the intensity and magnitude of fire was reduced considerably by Tuesday morning. The master of MT New Diamond, on-board ICGS Shaurya has also intimated the Coast Guard that the fire appears to have been doused. The situation is being monitored closely and boundary cooling with sea water and application of foam has been enhanced to avoid re-ignition. Also read: Fresh fire hits stricken oil supertanker off Sri Lanka in Indian Ocean The MT New Diamond is being held about 30 miles from the Sri Lankan Coast by a tug boat and join firefighting and pollution response operations are being carries out by the assets of the Indian Coast Guard, the Indian Navy and their Sri Lankan counterparts. It is also observed that the accommodation superstructure in the merchant vessel has been weakened owing to the blaze. This refers to the tower-like structure, which is the tallest portion and also houses the accommodation for the crew in a Marchant vessel. Owing to the use of large quantities of water and other suppressants to control the fire, it is said that the rear portion of the ship (aft) has gone down into the water by about 3 feet. However, there is no significant tilt(list) in the ship caused by the same. The ICG vessels have been deployed for fire-fighting and consequential pollution response for MT New Diamond off since September 3rd. A bilateral MoU between ICG and SLCG covers co-operation in the Marine pollution Response domain. The Indian Coast Guard is also the Competent National Authority under South Asian Co-operative for Environment Protection (SACEP) for responding and coordinating pollution response in South Asian Sea region. Also read: Sri Lanka oil tanker fire extinguished, says Lankan navy spokesperson In order to supplement the surface firefighting efforts with aerial dropping, the Lankan Navy had requested the Indian Coast guard for Dry Chemical Powder (DCP). To facilitate this, ICGS Abheek with 1.5tons of DCP was diverted from on-scene to enter Trincomalee harbour for the handing over. ICG Dornier aircraft with 700 kgs DCP was also dispatched on Thursday morning from Chennai to Trincomalee. An ICG Dornier aircraft continues to operate from Mattala, Sri Lanka besides CG Helicopter embarked on ICGS Sarang being launched regularly for aerial assessment. No oil spill has been reported so far. A 16-member salvage team including Marine Chemists and Naval Architects who are onboard Tugboats on-location are in agreement with the methodology adopted by ICG to fight fire and are providing suggestions to make the firefighting more effective. This very large crude carrier- MT New Diamond is a Greek owned vessel, under charter by Indian Oil Cooperation. The vessel has been ablaze following a major explosion in the engine room, while transiting Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The first information about the vessel being on fire was received at Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai. MT New Diamond is reportedly carrying more that 2.7 lakh MT Kuwait export crude oil that was destined for Paradip, Odisha. According to Marinetraffic dot com, MT New Diamond is a 20-year old Crude oil tanker that is 333 meters long and 60 meters wide.

Fire that reignited on board MT New Diamond doused by joint efforts, says Indian Coast Guard

The oil leakage from a Japanese bulk carrier off the coast of Mauritius is causing the ocean life around the carrier to die.

In Pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/images-show-the-extent-of-ecological-damage-caused-by-oil-spill-off-mauritian-coast-319374">Images show the extent of ecological damage caused by oil spill off Mauritian coast</a>

On Tuesday, volunteers fished out scores of dead eels dripping in oil in a bid to skim the oil off the surface in what are considered the most pristine beaches in the Indian Ocean. An estimated 1,000 tonnes of oil is currently in the ocean, and more expected to flow in as the ship nears a breaking point.

Home to renowned reefs

Mauritius is home to world-renowned coral reefs. Now, thousands of species run the risk of drowning in a sea of pollution.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/mauritius-struggles-to-preserve-ecosystem-amid-catastrophic-oil-spill-319807" hreflang="en">Mauritius struggles to preserve ecosystem amid catastrophic oil spill</a>

The pristine&nbsp;turquoise waters of Mauritius have turned murky brown. Thousands of endangered species and spectacular corals are at risk.&nbsp;A Japanese ship owned by the Nagashiki shipping company has been oozing fuel into the island nation's seawater.&nbsp;

The MV Wakashio&nbsp;believed to have been carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil&nbsp;ran aground on a coral reef on July 25 and now&nbsp;a massive round-the-clock clean-up drive is underway.

Creative solutions underway

Mauritians have made floating booms of human hair and leaves&nbsp;to mop up the oil from leaking further.

Some hair salons are even offering discounts to those donating hair.&nbsp; A&nbsp;state of emergency has been declared in Mauritius as fishermen try and salvage their precious waters. For now, close to 500 tonnes of oil has been safely pumped out of the water.

What is of grave concern is that large cracks have appeared in the hull of the cargo ship which has prompted the prime minister to warn that it may break in two.

Mauritius is home to some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world. It's rich flora and fauna attract tourists from across the globe.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/japanese-ship-that-caused-mauritius-oil-spill-was-approved-in-annual-checks-319686" hreflang="en">Japanese ship that caused Mauritius oil spill was approved in annual checks</a>

Tourism is a major contributor to this island economy and added around $1.6 billion to its coffers last year. Authorities are worried that the oil spill near the blue bay marine park may endanger the corals, fish and other marine life and locals worry that this catastrophe could hamper their livelihood.

A spokesperson for the Mitsui Osk Lines, the operator of the ship, has profusely apologised for the spill.&nbsp;

An aerial view of the Mauritius coastline serves as a reminder of the havoc wreaked by mankind upon nature. For now, the entire country's ecosystem hangs in the balance.

The oil leakage from a Japanese bulk carrier off the coast of Mauritius is causing the ocean life around the carrier to die. In Pics: Images show the extent of ecological damage caused by oil spill off Mauritian coast On Tuesday, volunteers fished out scores of dead eels dripping in oil in a bid to skim the oil off the surface in what are considered the most pristine beaches in the Indian Ocean.

The oil leakage from a Japanese bulk carrier off the coast of Mauritius is causing the ocean life around the carrier to die. In Pics: Images show the extent of ecological damage caused by oil spill off Mauritian coast On Tuesday, volunteers fished out scores of dead eels dripping in oil in a bid to skim the oil off the surface in what are considered the most pristine beaches in the Indian Ocean. An estimated 1,000 tonnes of oil is currently in the ocean, and more expected to flow in as the ship nears a breaking point. Home to renowned reefs Mauritius is home to world-renowned coral reefs. Now, thousands of species run the risk of drowning in a sea of pollution. Also read: Mauritius struggles to preserve ecosystem amid catastrophic oil spill The pristine turquoise waters of Mauritius have turned murky brown. Thousands of endangered species and spectacular corals are at risk. A Japanese ship owned by the Nagashiki shipping company has been oozing fuel into the island nation's seawater. The MV Wakashio believed to have been carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil ran aground on a coral reef on July 25 and now a massive round-the-clock clean-up drive is underway. Creative solutions underway Mauritians have made floating booms of human hair and leaves to mop up the oil from leaking further. Some hair salons are even offering discounts to those donating hair. A state of emergency has been declared in Mauritius as fishermen try and salvage their precious waters. For now, close to 500 tonnes of oil has been safely pumped out of the water. What is of grave concern is that large cracks have appeared in the hull of the cargo ship which has prompted the prime minister to warn that it may break in two. Mauritius is home to some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world. It's rich flora and fauna attract tourists from across the globe. Also read: Japanese ship that caused Mauritius oil spill was approved in annual checks Tourism is a major contributor to this island economy and added around $1.6 billion to its coffers last year. Authorities are worried that the oil spill near the blue bay marine park may endanger the corals, fish and other marine life and locals worry that this catastrophe could hamper their livelihood. A spokesperson for the Mitsui Osk Lines, the operator of the ship, has profusely apologised for the spill. An aerial view of the Mauritius coastline serves as a reminder of the havoc wreaked by mankind upon nature. For now, the entire country's ecosystem hangs in the balance.

Oil spill off Mauritian coast is killing aquatic life

There’s so much about our planet that we don’t know. The biggest mystery besides the fact that we live on a gaseous ball floating in space is perhaps how little knowledge we have of our oceanic bodies.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/ocean-bed-now-has-more-microplastics-than-ever-before-296144" hreflang="en">Ocean bed now has more microplastics than ever before</a>

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), about 95 per cent of the world’s oceans and 99 per cent of the ocean floor remain unexplored, implying we know little to nothing about the ocean. 
 
A sinkhole of sorts

A few years ago, scientists discovered “blue holes” on the ocean floor. Now, they’re set on studying it.

A blue hole is intrinsically a sinkhole in the ocean floor, which creates a cave like structure. Located off Florida’s coast, the hole has been nicknamed the “Green Banana”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/science/dinosaur-era-microbes-lying-dormant-in-ocean-resuscitated-by-scientists-316620" hreflang="en">Dinosaur-era microbes lying dormant in ocean resuscitated by scientists</a>

Reported first by the Independent, the exploration mission for Green Banana is starting this month. The hole is 300 feet deep, which very little is known about.

Scientists are looking for a lot of answers, primarily whether the water inside the hole is different than the regular saltwater found in the ocean, which is situated higher than the cavern.

Freshwater caves?

It is entirely possible that these holes are a product of freshwater micro-bodies in the ocean. “Green Banana” hosts a lot of life, including fish and aquatic plants. Scientists want to understand what creates such conditions near the hole.

The water looks different too. As opposed to the general ruggedness of the ocean water, the water surrounding the hole is much clearer, which is another mystery that remains unsolved.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/plastic-pollution-flowing-into-oceans-to-triple-by-2040-study-315624" hreflang="en">Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: Study</a>

To better understand this, researchers intend to drop a piece of hardware into the water. Similar to objects sent to space, a “lander” of an aquatic kind will be hoisted in the Green Banana hole.

At the same time, scientists will collect samples from the water. The lander will try to understand the basic differences between ocean water and blue hole water.

The mission, which begins later in August, is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Many scientists believe that the vicinity of blue holes situated close to one another might hold some key in understanding them - perhaps a cave like network of freshwater springs hiding in the innards of the ocean.

There’s so much about our planet that we don’t know. The biggest mystery besides the fact that we live on a gaseous ball floating in space is perhaps how little knowledge we have of our oceanic bodies.

There’s so much about our planet that we don’t know. The biggest mystery besides the fact that we live on a gaseous ball floating in space is perhaps how little knowledge we have of our oceanic bodies. Also read: Ocean bed now has more microplastics than ever before According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), about 95 per cent of the world’s oceans and 99 per cent of the ocean floor remain unexplored, implying we know little to nothing about the ocean. A sinkhole of sorts A few years ago, scientists discovered “blue holes” on the ocean floor. Now, they’re set on studying it. A blue hole is intrinsically a sinkhole in the ocean floor, which creates a cave like structure. Located off Florida’s coast, the hole has been nicknamed the “Green Banana”. Also read: Dinosaur-era microbes lying dormant in ocean resuscitated by scientists Reported first by the Independent, the exploration mission for Green Banana is starting this month. The hole is 300 feet deep, which very little is known about. Scientists are looking for a lot of answers, primarily whether the water inside the hole is different than the regular saltwater found in the ocean, which is situated higher than the cavern. Freshwater caves? It is entirely possible that these holes are a product of freshwater micro-bodies in the ocean. “Green Banana” hosts a lot of life, including fish and aquatic plants. Scientists want to understand what creates such conditions near the hole. The water looks different too. As opposed to the general ruggedness of the ocean water, the water surrounding the hole is much clearer, which is another mystery that remains unsolved. Also read: Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: Study To better understand this, researchers intend to drop a piece of hardware into the water. Similar to objects sent to space, a “lander” of an aquatic kind will be hoisted in the Green Banana hole. At the same time, scientists will collect samples from the water. The lander will try to understand the basic differences between ocean water and blue hole water. The mission, which begins later in August, is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Many scientists believe that the vicinity of blue holes situated close to one another might hold some key in understanding them - perhaps a cave like network of freshwater springs hiding in the innards of the ocean.

Scientists to begin studying 'blue holes' situated deep in the ocean this month

2020 has been an uncanny year on all fronts, from a raging pandemic to natural disasters to political upheavals, this year has seen it all.

In another uncanny yet good news coming in from a tiny Pacific island, three mariners were rescued after flagging an SOS message on the beach sand.

Thrown off course

Last Thursday, the three men intended to&nbsp;travel&nbsp;on a boat for 42 kilometres (26 miles) from Pulawat to Pulap in the Federated States of Micronesia.

After taking on the journey, mariners fell off the right path, which led to an uninhabited island called Pikelot, which was 190 kilometres (118 miles) away from where they had originally planned to go.&nbsp;After running out of fuel in the ocean, they were forced to take refuge on the stranded island, Australian and US authorities reported.

<h6><img alt="This handout photo taken on August 2, 2020 and received on August 4 from the Australian Defence Force shows the letters &quot;SOS&quot; (L) on a beach on Pikelot Island where three men were found in good condition after being missing for three days. Three Micronesian sailors stranded on a tiny island in the remote Western Pacific were rescued after Australian and US warplanes spotted a giant &quot;SOS&quot; they had scrawled on the beach, officials said." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="14a4b77a-205f-4796-b294-cfd705808d1b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-2_43.jpg" /> 
This handout photo taken on August 2, 2020 and received on August 4 from the Australian Defence Force shows the letters "SOS" (L) on a beach on Pikelot Island where three men were found in good condition after being missing for three days. Three Micronesian sailors stranded on a tiny island in the remote Western Pacific were rescued after Australian and US warplanes spotted a giant "SOS" they had scrawled on the beach, officials said. | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

The island where they got lost lies 800 kilometres (500 miles) from Guam. When people realised that the man hadn’t arrived in Pulap, a search and rescue operation was launched by the US Coast Guard in Guam.

A US Air Force KC-135 noticed the SOS sign by the beach. Three men were found after three hours of operation.

"SOS" saved their lives

Apparently, the aircraft was just nearing the end of three hour long operation when they an SOS sign on the beach, after which they also spotted a boat. The pilot made a post on Facebook which further claimed that they sought the assistance of Australian Navy after which they were rescued.

<h6><img alt="This handout photo taken on August 2, 2020 and received on August 4 from the Australian Defence Force shows an Australian Army ARH Tiger helicopter landing near the letters &quot;SOS&quot; (C) on a beach on Pikelot Island where three men were found in good condition after being missing for three days. Three Micronesian sailors stranded on a tiny island in the remote Western Pacific were rescued after Australian and US warplanes spotted a gian" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7623b20-f7bb-41ea-9dfa-66e7825bb7a7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-3_32.jpg" /> 
This handout photo taken on August 2, 2020 and received on August 4 from the Australian Defence Force shows an Australian Army ARH Tiger helicopter landing near the letters "SOS" (C) on a beach on Pikelot Island where three men were found in good condition after being missing for three days. Three Micronesian sailors stranded on a tiny island in the remote Western Pacific were rescued after Australian and US warplanes spotted a giant SOS sign | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

"We were toward the end of our search pattern. We turned to avoid some rain showers and that's when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and that's when we saw SOS and a boat right next to it on the beach. From there we called in the Australian Navy because they had two helicopters nearby that could assist and land on the island”, the pilot, Lt Col&nbsp; Jason Palmeira-Yen, said in a post made on Facebook.

Supplies for the distressed men were dropped by Australia’s assault ship HMAS Canberra, while they were also checked for major injuries. Their identities were then confirmed and they were rescued from the island.

2020 has been an uncanny year on all fronts, from a raging pandemic to natural disasters to political upheavals, this year has seen it all. In another uncanny yet good news coming in from a tiny Pacific island, three mariners were rescued after flagging an SOS message on the beach sand.

2020 has been an uncanny year on all fronts, from a raging pandemic to natural disasters to political upheavals, this year has seen it all. In another uncanny yet good news coming in from a tiny Pacific island, three mariners were rescued after flagging an SOS message on the beach sand. Thrown off course Last Thursday, the three men intended to travel on a boat for 42 kilometres (26 miles) from Pulawat to Pulap in the Federated States of Micronesia. After taking on the journey, mariners fell off the right path, which led to an uninhabited island called Pikelot, which was 190 kilometres (118 miles) away from where they had originally planned to go. After running out of fuel in the ocean, they were forced to take refuge on the stranded island, Australian and US authorities reported. This handout photo taken on August 2, 2020 and received on August 4 from the Australian Defence Force shows the letters "SOS" (L) on a beach on Pikelot Island where three men were found in good condition after being missing for three days. Three Micronesian sailors stranded on a tiny island in the remote Western Pacific were rescued after Australian and US warplanes spotted a giant "SOS" they had scrawled on the beach, officials said. | AFP The island where they got lost lies 800 kilometres (500 miles) from Guam. When people realised that the man hadn’t arrived in Pulap, a search and rescue operation was launched by the US Coast Guard in Guam. A US Air Force KC-135 noticed the SOS sign by the beach. Three men were found after three hours of operation. "SOS" saved their lives Apparently, the aircraft was just nearing the end of three hour long operation when they an SOS sign on the beach, after which they also spotted a boat. The pilot made a post on Facebook which further claimed that they sought the assistance of Australian Navy after which they were rescued. This handout photo taken on August 2, 2020 and received on August 4 from the Australian Defence Force shows an Australian Army ARH Tiger helicopter landing near the letters "SOS" (C) on a beach on Pikelot Island where three men were found in good condition after being missing for three days. Three Micronesian sailors stranded on a tiny island in the remote Western Pacific were rescued after Australian and US warplanes spotted a giant SOS sign | AFP "We were toward the end of our search pattern. We turned to avoid some rain showers and that's when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and that's when we saw SOS and a boat right next to it on the beach. From there we called in the Australian Navy because they had two helicopters nearby that could assist and land on the island”, the pilot, Lt Col Jason Palmeira-Yen, said in a post made on Facebook. Supplies for the distressed men were dropped by Australia’s assault ship HMAS Canberra, while they were also checked for major injuries. Their identities were then confirmed and they were rescued from the island.

'SOS' on the sand saves lives of three men stranded on a Micronesian island

Scientists never stop surprising, for better or for worse. What seemed to have been a heavy year for bad news owing to the coronavirus pandemic, scientists may have just done the unthinkable.

A team at Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology successfully revived microbes that had been lying on the ocean floor since the age of dinosaurs.

"Feed and multiply"

When resuscitated, the microbes were able to feed and also multiply.

Microorganisms can live for tens of millions of years without needing food or oxygen, and are sometimes called the planet’s most primitive species for that reason.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/plastic-pollution-flowing-into-oceans-to-triple-by-2040-study-315624" hreflang="en">Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: Study</a>

It is owing to such characteristics that scientists successfully brought them back to life in laboratory conditions.

To achieve this goal, the scientists picked up and analysed sediment samples from 100 million years ago, laying dormant in the seabed of the South Pacific.

<h6><img alt="This picture shows an Indian Ocean Crocodile fish lying on the sea bed at Marsa Murey diving site off the coasts of al-Quseir in the Egyptian Red Sea on October 8, 2018. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e35f2bf7-a2f9-4a9a-9d8a-a02b72c4b6c2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-3_30.jpg" /> 
This picture shows an Indian Ocean Crocodile fish lying on the sea bed at Marsa Murey diving site off the coasts of al-Quseir in the Egyptian Red Sea on October 8, 2018. | AFP</h6>

The territory in question hosts lesser nutrients than normal, which is why the findings are so shocking, for the terrain cannot sustain life over long periods of time.

After attempting to incubate the samples of microbes, nearly all of them came back to life.

Scepticism&nbsp;

The lead author Yuki Morono told AFP that upon finding the results, they were sceptical of their findings. Many thought it could have been owing to an error or an experiment failure.

However, it wasn’t any of that. They had successfully brought back the microbes from their deep sleep.

Morono said, “We now know that there is no age limit for [organisms in the] sub-seafloor biosphere”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/science/subsurface-ocean-on-jupiters-moon-europa-deemed-potentially-habitable-308564" hreflang="en">Subsurface ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa deemed potentially 'habitable'</a>

These microbes were sought out by drilling into the seabed, which opened a peephole into the oldest sediment to ever exist.

Another author of the study said&nbsp;that even with the “least amount of food, there are still living organisms, and they can wake up, grow and multiply”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/ocean-bed-now-has-more-microplastics-than-ever-before-296144" hreflang="en">Ocean bed now has more microplastics than ever before</a>

But how did they survive for so long? Oxygen! Owing to the trapped oxygen in the sediments, microbes can survive for millions of years without needing anything else.

The microbes on the ocean floor anyway require less oxygen than the ones lingering on the surface.

However, this was not an ideal condition for life to sustain, which is why the results were so shocking to the scientists.

Studies undertaken earlier have exhibited how bacteria can live on world’s least hospitable places, even in areas that lack oxygen.

Scientists never stop surprising, for better or for worse. What seemed to have been a heavy year for bad news owing to the coronavirus pandemic, scientists may have just done the unthinkable.

Scientists never stop surprising, for better or for worse. What seemed to have been a heavy year for bad news owing to the coronavirus pandemic, scientists may have just done the unthinkable. A team at Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology successfully revived microbes that had been lying on the ocean floor since the age of dinosaurs. "Feed and multiply" When resuscitated, the microbes were able to feed and also multiply. Microorganisms can live for tens of millions of years without needing food or oxygen, and are sometimes called the planet’s most primitive species for that reason. Also read: Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: Study It is owing to such characteristics that scientists successfully brought them back to life in laboratory conditions. To achieve this goal, the scientists picked up and analysed sediment samples from 100 million years ago, laying dormant in the seabed of the South Pacific. This picture shows an Indian Ocean Crocodile fish lying on the sea bed at Marsa Murey diving site off the coasts of al-Quseir in the Egyptian Red Sea on October 8, 2018. | AFP The territory in question hosts lesser nutrients than normal, which is why the findings are so shocking, for the terrain cannot sustain life over long periods of time. After attempting to incubate the samples of microbes, nearly all of them came back to life. Scepticism The lead author Yuki Morono told AFP that upon finding the results, they were sceptical of their findings. Many thought it could have been owing to an error or an experiment failure. However, it wasn’t any of that. They had successfully brought back the microbes from their deep sleep. Morono said, “We now know that there is no age limit for [organisms in the] sub-seafloor biosphere”. Also read: Subsurface ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa deemed potentially 'habitable' These microbes were sought out by drilling into the seabed, which opened a peephole into the oldest sediment to ever exist. Another author of the study said that even with the “least amount of food, there are still living organisms, and they can wake up, grow and multiply”. Also read: Ocean bed now has more microplastics than ever before But how did they survive for so long? Oxygen! Owing to the trapped oxygen in the sediments, microbes can survive for millions of years without needing anything else. The microbes on the ocean floor anyway require less oxygen than the ones lingering on the surface. However, this was not an ideal condition for life to sustain, which is why the results were so shocking to the scientists. Studies undertaken earlier have exhibited how bacteria can live on world’s least hospitable places, even in areas that lack oxygen.

Dinosaur-era microbes lying dormant in ocean resuscitated by scientists

Over 50,000 homes in Western Australia have no electricity owing to the wild weather battering the country for a second day in a row.

Winds with speed of upto 100 km/h have ravaged the state’s coastline over the weekend. Described as a “rare event” and a “once-in-a-decade” storm, the storm is a product of ex-Tropical cyclone Mangga’s collision with a cold front.

Strong winds accompanied by rain and flooding are expected to keep hitting the Australian state.

Wind speeds of over 132 km/hour were recorded in Cape Leeuwin - the state’s southern spot, and recorded the wildest winds in 15 years.

<h6><img alt="pp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8633293f-f024-4c8d-810a-d771341179b0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-2_7.jpg" /> 
A man (L) walks past shops roped off after they sustained damage in the Perth suburb of Bedford on May 25, 2020, after the area was lashed by gale force winds and a tidal surge from the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Mangga | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

"Some wild weather has affected large parts of WA, causing widespread damage and large scale power outages. Please listen to the advice of emergency services and stay safe everyone," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on social media.

"New damage from the windborne debris has meant the overall number of impacted homes and businesses remains high," Western Power announced on Twitter.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services Chief Superintendent Danny Mosconi told a local news outlet that over 390 emergency calls were received on Sunday alone, mostly from Perth. As of now, the department has received 407 emergency calls.

Dust was seen speedily winding across areas like Gascoyne and Central West, while many towns were barely visible in the haze, as per the information given out by the Bureau of Meteorology.

<h6><img alt="pp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a1e42f22-f40e-4abc-ae36-9a68d530b09c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-3_5.jpg" /> 
Waves crash to shore as a dust storm blows towards the sea in Geraldton, Western&nbsp;Australia, in this still image taken from a May 24, 2020 | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

Additionally, high tides swarmed the country’s west coast, with many areas recording their highest tides of the year.

On Sunday, almost 62,000 homes were out of power. But the number went down as power was slowly restored. However, the damage done in some areas is too heavy for power to resume immediately.

The government issues warnings against using electrical appliances, and to avoid using landline phones in case of lightning. They were also asked to stay away from windows.

Drivers and motorists were asked not to venture or drive over water of unknown depth and to stay indoors.

(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Over 50,000 homes in Western Australia have no electricity owing to the wild weather battering the country for a second day in a row. Winds with speed of upto 100 km/h have ravaged the state’s coastline over the weekend.

Over 50,000 homes in Western Australia have no electricity owing to the wild weather battering the country for a second day in a row. Winds with speed of upto 100 km/h have ravaged the state’s coastline over the weekend. Described as a “rare event” and a “once-in-a-decade” storm, the storm is a product of ex-Tropical cyclone Mangga’s collision with a cold front. Strong winds accompanied by rain and flooding are expected to keep hitting the Australian state. Wind speeds of over 132 km/hour were recorded in Cape Leeuwin - the state’s southern spot, and recorded the wildest winds in 15 years. A man (L) walks past shops roped off after they sustained damage in the Perth suburb of Bedford on May 25, 2020, after the area was lashed by gale force winds and a tidal surge from the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Mangga | AFP "Some wild weather has affected large parts of WA, causing widespread damage and large scale power outages. Please listen to the advice of emergency services and stay safe everyone," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on social media. "New damage from the windborne debris has meant the overall number of impacted homes and businesses remains high," Western Power announced on Twitter. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services Chief Superintendent Danny Mosconi told a local news outlet that over 390 emergency calls were received on Sunday alone, mostly from Perth. As of now, the department has received 407 emergency calls. Dust was seen speedily winding across areas like Gascoyne and Central West, while many towns were barely visible in the haze, as per the information given out by the Bureau of Meteorology. Waves crash to shore as a dust storm blows towards the sea in Geraldton, Western Australia, in this still image taken from a May 24, 2020 | Reuters Additionally, high tides swarmed the country’s west coast, with many areas recording their highest tides of the year. On Sunday, almost 62,000 homes were out of power. But the number went down as power was slowly restored. However, the damage done in some areas is too heavy for power to resume immediately. The government issues warnings against using electrical appliances, and to avoid using landline phones in case of lightning. They were also asked to stay away from windows. Drivers and motorists were asked not to venture or drive over water of unknown depth and to stay indoors. (With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

'Rare event': Bizarre weather leaves 50,000 Australian homes without electricity

The ocean now has the highest level of microplastics ever recorded on the seabed.

A group of scientists, part of the analysis by the University of Manchester recently discovered up to 1.9 million plastic pieces per square metre in the ocean.

The sediments were pulled out from the bottom of the Mediterranean near Italy.

According to BBC, these items include clothing fibres, synthetic textiles, and fragments from bigger objects.

Microplastics are objects smaller than 1 mm. These have become concentrated in the ocean bed owing to currents down under.

At least four to 12 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the oceans every year through rivers, a study had earlier claimed.

However, we can only account for just 1 per cent of the total plastic waste. The rest 99 per cent still remains untraceable.

<h6><img alt="ppp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e9dd330-6632-4a5b-9f6a-f53037aa0adf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-2_4.jpg" /> 
A canoeist delivers plastic waste and other items collected by scuba divers from a bay during a 'clean-up day' campaign of the ocean off the coast of the capital Dakar on September 15, 2019 | AFP</h6>

&nbsp;

Some of this waste has been consumed by marine life, as evident in postpartum reports of animals that are flushed out of the ocean.

A large amount of this plastic waste has probably fragmented and has sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

The research also displayed how deep-sea trenches and ocean canyons can house microplastics.

However, these microplastics are moved further to greater depths by flows of mud, sometimes by 100 of kilometres in one go.

Such deep-water currents provide oxygen and nutrients of deep-sea creatures. If microplastics travel to such depths, they could lodge into biodiversity hotspots, and could be ingested by creatures.

The ocean now has the highest level of microplastics ever recorded on the seabed. A group of scientists, part of the analysis by the University of Manchester recently discovered up to 1.

The ocean now has the highest level of microplastics ever recorded on the seabed. A group of scientists, part of the analysis by the University of Manchester recently discovered up to 1.9 million plastic pieces per square metre in the ocean. The sediments were pulled out from the bottom of the Mediterranean near Italy. According to BBC, these items include clothing fibres, synthetic textiles, and fragments from bigger objects. Microplastics are objects smaller than 1 mm. These have become concentrated in the ocean bed owing to currents down under. At least four to 12 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the oceans every year through rivers, a study had earlier claimed. However, we can only account for just 1 per cent of the total plastic waste. The rest 99 per cent still remains untraceable. A canoeist delivers plastic waste and other items collected by scuba divers from a bay during a 'clean-up day' campaign of the ocean off the coast of the capital Dakar on September 15, 2019 | AFP Some of this waste has been consumed by marine life, as evident in postpartum reports of animals that are flushed out of the ocean. A large amount of this plastic waste has probably fragmented and has sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The research also displayed how deep-sea trenches and ocean canyons can house microplastics. However, these microplastics are moved further to greater depths by flows of mud, sometimes by 100 of kilometres in one go. Such deep-water currents provide oxygen and nutrients of deep-sea creatures. If microplastics travel to such depths, they could lodge into biodiversity hotspots, and could be ingested by creatures.

Ocean bed now has more microplastics than ever before

SURTASS: How Japan, US 'wolfpacks' can now seek Chinese submarines in the Ocean

Each year around 12 million tons of plastic waste is dumped into the world's oceans, polluting the water, killing wildlife and creating microplastics that enter the food chain.

The Battle Against Ocean Plastic

Lumix's People's Choice Awards 2019 - Wildlife Photographer of the Year  People's Favourites

British endurance swimmer and United Nations patron of oceans Lewis Gordon Pugh braved the freezing temperatures of East Antarctica, swimming in its icy rivers, to raise awareness about climate change.

Swimmer raises awareness on climate change in freezing Antarctic waters

French prosecutors said Sunday that they had opened an investigation after finding a "significant amount" of cocaine and other drugs on beaches all along the Atlantic coast since last month.

The cocaine is particularly pure and therefore dangerous, according to the prosecutor's office in the western city of Rennes, urging people who come across the packages not to touch them.

"Suspect packages have been found on all beaches... from the Loire Atlantique department down to the Landes department",&nbsp;more than 500 kilometres,&nbsp;the office said in a statement.

A "very significant number" of packages have been found, it said, without detailing the amount.

The Sud-Ouest newspaper reported that two people discovered two packages on the beach at Arcachon, southwest of Bordeaux, on Friday containing a total of three kilograms&nbsp;of cocaine.

It said some of the packages were marked "Diamante" or "Brillante," which were also reported to have washed up in Florida during hurricane Dorian in September.

A source close to the inquiry told AFP that tides started washing up the packages a month ago on beaches stretching from Nantes as far south as the resort town of Biarritz.

French prosecutors said Sunday that they had opened an investigation after finding a "significant amount" of cocaine and other drugs on beaches all along the Atlantic coast since last month.

French prosecutors said Sunday that they had opened an investigation after finding a "significant amount" of cocaine and other drugs on beaches all along the Atlantic coast since last month. The cocaine is particularly pure and therefore dangerous, according to the prosecutor's office in the western city of Rennes, urging people who come across the packages not to touch them. "Suspect packages have been found on all beaches... from the Loire Atlantique department down to the Landes department", more than 500 kilometres, the office said in a statement. A "very significant number" of packages have been found, it said, without detailing the amount. The Sud-Ouest newspaper reported that two people discovered two packages on the beach at Arcachon, southwest of Bordeaux, on Friday containing a total of three kilograms of cocaine. It said some of the packages were marked "Diamante" or "Brillante," which were also reported to have washed up in Florida during hurricane Dorian in September. A source close to the inquiry told AFP that tides started washing up the packages a month ago on beaches stretching from Nantes as far south as the resort town of Biarritz.

France probes drug packages washing up on Atlantic coast

Plastic junk spawns desert island disaster in Pacific

A Wake-Call For Human Race. Plastic Is Found Even In The Depth Of The Ocean.

Gravitas: Plastic Trash Found In Ocean's Deepest Point

The world's oceans are heating up at an accelerating pace as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/2018-was-the-fourth-warmest-year-ever-european-unions-climate-change-service-188839">global warming</a> threatens a diverse range of marine life and a major food supply for the planet, researchers said Thursday.

The findings in the US journal Science, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, debunk previous reports that suggested a so-called pause in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/drought-hit-australia-recorded-third-warmest-year-last-year-189344">global warming in recent years</a>.

The latest technology shows no such hiatus ever existed, raising new concerns about the pace of climate change and its effect on the planet's main buffer -- the oceans.

"Ocean heating is a very important indicator of climate change, and we have robust evidence that it is warming more rapidly than we thought," said co-author Zeke Hausfather, a graduate student in the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley.

About 93 per cent of excess heat -- trapped around the Earth by greenhouse gases that come from the burning of fossil fuels -- accumulates in the world's oceans.&nbsp;

The latest report relied on four studies, published between 2014 and 2017, that gave more precise estimates of past trends in ocean heat, allowing scientists to update past research and hone predictions for the future.

A key factor in the more accurate numbers is an ocean monitoring fleet called Argo, which includes nearly 4,000 floating robots that "drift throughout the world's oceans, every few days diving to a depth of 2,000 meters (yards) and measuring the ocean's temperature, pH, salinity and other bits of information as they rise back up," said the report.

Argo "has provided consistent and widespread data on ocean heat content since the mid-2000s," it said.

The new analysis shows warming in the oceans is on pace with measurements of rising air temperature.

And if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gases, "models predict that the temperature of the top 2,000 meters of the world's oceans will rise 0.78 degrees Celsius by the end of the century," it said.&nbsp;

The thermal expansion -- water swelling as it warms -- would raise sea level 12 inches (30 centimetres), above any sea level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets.

"While 2018 will be the fourth warmest year on record on the surface, it will most certainly be the warmest year on record in the oceans, as was 2017 and 2016 before that," Hausfather said.&nbsp;

"The global warming signal is a lot easier to detect if it is changing in the oceans than on the surface."

The world's oceans are heating up at an accelerating pace as global warming threatens a diverse range of marine life and a major food supply for the planet, researchers said Thursday.

The world's oceans are heating up at an accelerating pace as global warming threatens a diverse range of marine life and a major food supply for the planet, researchers said Thursday. The findings in the US journal Science, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, debunk previous reports that suggested a so-called pause in global warming in recent years. The latest technology shows no such hiatus ever existed, raising new concerns about the pace of climate change and its effect on the planet's main buffer -- the oceans. "Ocean heating is a very important indicator of climate change, and we have robust evidence that it is warming more rapidly than we thought," said co-author Zeke Hausfather, a graduate student in the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley. About 93 per cent of excess heat -- trapped around the Earth by greenhouse gases that come from the burning of fossil fuels -- accumulates in the world's oceans. The latest report relied on four studies, published between 2014 and 2017, that gave more precise estimates of past trends in ocean heat, allowing scientists to update past research and hone predictions for the future. A key factor in the more accurate numbers is an ocean monitoring fleet called Argo, which includes nearly 4,000 floating robots that "drift throughout the world's oceans, every few days diving to a depth of 2,000 meters (yards) and measuring the ocean's temperature, pH, salinity and other bits of information as they rise back up," said the report. Argo "has provided consistent and widespread data on ocean heat content since the mid-2000s," it said. The new analysis shows warming in the oceans is on pace with measurements of rising air temperature. And if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gases, "models predict that the temperature of the top 2,000 meters of the world's oceans will rise 0.78 degrees Celsius by the end of the century," it said. The thermal expansion -- water swelling as it warms -- would raise sea level 12 inches (30 centimetres), above any sea level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets. "While 2018 will be the fourth warmest year on record on the surface, it will most certainly be the warmest year on record in the oceans, as was 2017 and 2016 before that," Hausfather said. "The global warming signal is a lot easier to detect if it is changing in the oceans than on the surface."

World's oceans heating up at a quickening pace: Study

The temperature of oceans in 2017 reached a record high, putting the marine ecosystems in jeopardy, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said.

Compared to 2015, the extra heat in the upper two kilometres of sea water across the globe in 2017 was 700 times the energy China&#39;s electricity used in 2016, the CAS said in a report.

The Atlantic and Antarctic oceans warmed up the fastest, as warming has already taken place in most of the other seas, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

The marine ecosystems remain in jeopardy as a result, with coral reefs and the creatures that live on them threatened, researchers at the institute said.

The expansion caused by warming contributes to rising of sea levels, while more sea ice and ice shelves will melt and ocean currents will be affected.

The heat content of the ocean is a key indicator of climate change. Due to its high specific heat capacity, sea water contains the main signals, as it stores 90 per cent of the energy for global warming, it said.

The Atlantic and Antarctic oceans warmed up the fastest, the academy said.

The temperature of oceans in 2017 reached a record high, putting the marine ecosystems in jeopardy, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said. Compared to 2015, the extra heat in the upper two kilometres of sea water across the globe in 2017 was 700 times the energy China's electricity used in 2016, the CAS said in a report. The Atlantic and Antarctic oceans warmed up the fastest, as warming has already taken place in most of the other seas, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying. The marine ecosystems remain in jeopardy as a result, with coral reefs and the creatures that live on them threatened, researchers at the institute said. The expansion caused by warming contributes to rising of sea levels, while more sea ice and ice shelves will melt and ocean currents will be affected. The heat content of the ocean is a key indicator of climate change. Due to its high specific heat capacity, sea water contains the main signals, as it stores 90 per cent of the energy for global warming, it said.

2017 sees warmest ocean on record: Chinese academy

Present day Pluto may have a liquid ocean sloshing around under its icy crust, according to to a new analysis of data from NASA&rsquo;s New Horizons spacecraft. 
 
When New Horizons buzzed by Pluto last year, it unveiled clues that the dwarf planet might have &ndash; or had at one time &ndash; a sub-surface liquid ocean. 
 
Scientists from Brown University in the US, who used a thermal evolution model for Pluto updated with data from New Horizons, found that if its ocean had frozen, it would have caused the entire planet to shrink. 
 
However, there are no signs of a global contraction to be found on Pluto&rsquo;s surface, researchers said. On the contrary, New Horizons showed signs that Pluto has been expanding. 
 
The pictures New Horizons sent back from its close encounter with the Kuiper Belt&rsquo;s most famous denizen showed that Pluto was much more than a simple snowball in space. 
 
It has an exotic surface made from different types of ices &ndash; water, nitrogen and methane.&nbsp;It has mountains hundreds of meters high and a vast heart-shaped plain.&nbsp;It also has giant tectonic features &ndash; sinuous faults hundreds of kilometres long as deep as 4 kilometres.&nbsp;It was those tectonic features that got scientists thinking that a subsurface ocean was a real possibility for Pluto. 
 
&ldquo;What New Horizons showed was that there are extensional tectonic features, which indicate that Pluto underwent a period of global expansion,&rdquo; said Noah Hammond, a graduate student in Brown University. 
 
&ldquo;A subsurface ocean that was slowly freezing over would cause this kind of expansion,&rdquo; Hammond said. 
 
Scientists think that there may have been enough heat-producing radioactive elements within Pluto&rsquo;s rocky core to melt part of the planet&rsquo;s ice shell. 
 
Over time in the frigid Kuiper belt, that melted portion would eventually start to refreeze. Ice is less dense than water, so when it freezes, it expands. 
 
If Pluto had an ocean that was frozen or in the process of freezing, extensional tectonics on the surface would result, and that is what New Horizons saw. 
 
The thermal evolution model showed that because of the low temperatures and high pressure within Pluto, an ocean that had completely frozen over would quickly convert from the normal ice we all know to a different phase called ice II. 
 
Ice II has a more compact crystalline structure than standard ice, so an ocean frozen to ice II would occupy a smaller volume and lead to a global contraction on Pluto, rather than an expansion. 
 
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t see the things on the surface we&rsquo;d expect if there had been a global contraction,&rdquo; Hammond said. 
 
&ldquo;So we conclude that ice II has not formed, and therefore that the ocean hasn&rsquo;t completely frozen,&rdquo; she said. 
 
The new model bolsters the case for an ocean environment in the furthest reaches of the solar system. 
 
The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. 
 
(PTI)

Scientists think that there may have been enough heat-producing elements within Pluto?s rocky core to melt part of the planet?s ice shell

Present day Pluto may have a liquid ocean sloshing around under its icy crust, according to to a new analysis of data from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. When New Horizons buzzed by Pluto last year, it unveiled clues that the dwarf planet might have – or had at one time – a sub-surface liquid ocean. Scientists from Brown University in the US, who used a thermal evolution model for Pluto updated with data from New Horizons, found that if its ocean had frozen, it would have caused the entire planet to shrink. However, there are no signs of a global contraction to be found on Pluto’s surface, researchers said. On the contrary, New Horizons showed signs that Pluto has been expanding. The pictures New Horizons sent back from its close encounter with the Kuiper Belt’s most famous denizen showed that Pluto was much more than a simple snowball in space. It has an exotic surface made from different types of ices – water, nitrogen and methane. It has mountains hundreds of meters high and a vast heart-shaped plain. It also has giant tectonic features – sinuous faults hundreds of kilometres long as deep as 4 kilometres. It was those tectonic features that got scientists thinking that a subsurface ocean was a real possibility for Pluto. “What New Horizons showed was that there are extensional tectonic features, which indicate that Pluto underwent a period of global expansion,” said Noah Hammond, a graduate student in Brown University. “A subsurface ocean that was slowly freezing over would cause this kind of expansion,” Hammond said. Scientists think that there may have been enough heat-producing radioactive elements within Pluto’s rocky core to melt part of the planet’s ice shell. Over time in the frigid Kuiper belt, that melted portion would eventually start to refreeze. Ice is less dense than water, so when it freezes, it expands. If Pluto had an ocean that was frozen or in the process of freezing, extensional tectonics on the surface would result, and that is what New Horizons saw. The thermal evolution model showed that because of the low temperatures and high pressure within Pluto, an ocean that had completely frozen over would quickly convert from the normal ice we all know to a different phase called ice II. Ice II has a more compact crystalline structure than standard ice, so an ocean frozen to ice II would occupy a smaller volume and lead to a global contraction on Pluto, rather than an expansion. “We don’t see the things on the surface we’d expect if there had been a global contraction,” Hammond said. “So we conclude that ice II has not formed, and therefore that the ocean hasn’t completely frozen,” she said. The new model bolsters the case for an ocean environment in the furthest reaches of the solar system. The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. (PTI)

Pluto may have liquid ocean under ice shell

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