A tiny robot-fish has been designed by scientists to remove microplastics from oceans. This 13-mm-long fish will swim around and adsorb the microplastics through its body. What is special about this fish is that its body is soft, flexible and self-healing. It is also a self-propelled fish. With the help of a light laser system in its tail, the fish can swim and flap around at almost 30 mm a second. It is similar to the speed at which plankton drifts in moving water.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/human-like-robots-in-making-slightly-sweaty-robotic-finger-with-living-skin-developed-by-experts-in-japan-486915" hreflang="en">Human-like robots in making? 'Slightly sweaty' robotic finger with living skin developed by experts in Japan</a>

The robo-fish has been created from materials inspired by elements, which are available in the sea, like mother-of-pearl or nacre. It has been used in the interior covering of clam shells. A material similar to nacre was created by layering various microscopic sheets of molecules, as per nacre’s specific chemical gradient. It is also stretchy, flexible to twist, and can pull a weight up to 5 kg, as per the study. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Amber Heard’s face most beautiful in the world. Find out how

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This fish will help in solving the worsening microplastics issue in the world. “It is of great significance to develop a robot to accurately collect and sample detrimental microplastic pollutants from the aquatic environment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of such soft robots,” said Yuyan Wang, researcher, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University. Wang was one of the lead authors of the study, which has been published in the journal ‘Nano Letters’.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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A tiny robot-fish has been designed by scientists to remove microplastics from oceans. This 13-mm-long fish will swim around and adsorb the microplastics through its body.

A tiny robot-fish has been designed by scientists to remove microplastics from oceans. This 13-mm-long fish will swim around and adsorb the microplastics through its body. What is special about this fish is that its body is soft, flexible and self-healing. It is also a self-propelled fish. With the help of a light laser system in its tail, the fish can swim and flap around at almost 30 mm a second. It is similar to the speed at which plankton drifts in moving water. Also Read: Human-like robots in making? 'Slightly sweaty' robotic finger with living skin developed by experts in Japan The robo-fish has been created from materials inspired by elements, which are available in the sea, like mother-of-pearl or nacre. It has been used in the interior covering of clam shells. A material similar to nacre was created by layering various microscopic sheets of molecules, as per nacre’s specific chemical gradient. It is also stretchy, flexible to twist, and can pull a weight up to 5 kg, as per the study. Watch: Amber Heard’s face most beautiful in the world. Find out how This fish will help in solving the worsening microplastics issue in the world. “It is of great significance to develop a robot to accurately collect and sample detrimental microplastic pollutants from the aquatic environment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of such soft robots,” said Yuyan Wang, researcher, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University. Wang was one of the lead authors of the study, which has been published in the journal ‘Nano Letters’. WATCH WION LIVE HERE (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

13-mm-long robot-fish designed by scientists to ‘eat’ microplastics in oceans

Meet the WasteShark, a boxy 5 foot, 2 inch long (157 centimeter) aquatic drone, hoovering up plastic waste in a pond in Rotterdam. Richard Hardiman, Founder and CEO of Ranmarine explains the mission.

"So we wanted it to be as easy to deploy as possible, as easy to capture the trash and bring it back to land, make it safer so that the operator is stood on the shore rather than was in the water, make it battery operated, so it was zero emissions, not diesel or fossil fuel powered. And it was easy to store away. A lot of the time our customers have bigger boats that need a captain and a lot of maintenance and a lot of mechanical movement to make them work. We wanted something very sleek, very simple, gets the trash out and starts recycling faster than what has been done right now."

The drone's hold can accommodate 42 gallons (160 liters) of trash, floating plants and algae, according to RanMarine Technology. It can operate up to eight hours on one charge.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coca-cola-and-pepsico-ranked-as-worlds-leading-plastic-polluters-449536">Coca-Cola and PepsiCo ranked as world's leading plastic polluters</a>

It's inspired by the whale shark, which swims the ocean with its mouth wide open.

"The WasteShark was based on the whale shark, which has a large mouth for capturing its prey. So that's why we have two pontoons, one on each side, so that the waste can come in from the front and it gets trapped in between the pontoons," explains design engineer Tessa Despinic.

More than 40 have been sold to buyers in a dozen countries including the UK, US, Nigeria and Singapore, according to the developers.

Prices start at 23,500 euros (about $25,600) for manually controlled models, more for programmable versions.

The WasteShark is just one of numerous technologies that have been developed to help reduce the problem of plastic waste in rivers and oceans.

Trash is blown, washed or thrown into waterways.

Storm drains funnel in litter tossed onto streets.

In places without refuse collection, people use convenient waters to carry trash away.

Nancy Wallace, director of the US&nbsp;National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Program, says it's important to try and prevent the plastic waste ending up in the oceans.

"Once plastic or trash ends up in the ocean, it's very hard to collect because it does break down. And so it gets smaller and smaller and it's just hard to get out to our big open oceans and collect the trash there. We'd much rather collect that trash closer to shore, which is easier, it's less costly," she says.

Also in the Netherlands, the Bubble Barrier Amsterdam devicesits across a river, at the intersection of several canals.

It's a simple system invented by a Dutch company which pumps compressed air into a submerged tube with thousands of tiny holes in it.

The escaping air from the holes form a curtain of bubbles that you see on the water's surface.

Watch |&nbsp;20,000 tons of Plastic flows through Las Vacas each year

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These bubbles steer the waste floating on the water as well as rubbish suspended midstream into a collection point moored at one bank.

The tube is set diagonally to direct trash to a rectangular collecting device near the shore.

In India, steel mesh fences that extend above and below aluminium floats have been installed.

The system is modular, inexpensive, easy to maintain and able to withstand monsoons.

AlphaMERS Ltd. has installed the big floating barriers across rivers at eight southern cities from Hyderabad to Tuticorin.

Each is angled to guide trash to a riverbank where excavators pile it into dump trucks.

Eight traps on the Cooum River at Chennai, costing about $120,000 in total, corralled about 2,400 tons (2,200 metric tons) of plastics and 21,800 tons (19,800 metric tons) of other trash and floating plants in 2018, their first year in position, according to the designer D.C. Sekhar.

The system with the biggest fan base may be the anthropomorphized Trash Wheels at the mouths of four Baltimore watersheds.

The devices combine ancient and modern technology to run rakes and a conveyor belt that moves floating trash into barge-mounted dumpsters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-map-antarctic-ocean-reveal-never-before-seen-visuals-486294">Scientists map Antarctic ocean, reveal never-before-seen visuals</a>

The current usually turns a water wheel for power.

When the current slows, a solar-powered water pump spins the wheel.

Osprey Initiative LLC, of Mobile, Alabama, sets up floating traps on creeks, canals and rivers in the US&nbsp;Southeast and trains local crews to deal with the trash they catch.

The company employs about 10 people full-time, with about 30 part-time local workers at projects across nine states, according to owner and founder Don Bates.

It is also helping to change habits in the local community.

"So in the five years since we started, it's amazing the change in our personal footprints and how we are protecting what's downstream. So the products that are out there are becoming more and more recyclable, we love recycling because if it's recycled, it's not becoming litter. So, the awareness, what we're doing and being smart about it, people are really bringing that home. And the best way to fight litter and litter in the water is it never becoming litter on the land," says Don Bates, owner of Osprey Initiative.

The science of plastic pollution is new and almost as much in flux as the waters it studies.

For instance, a scientist who reported in 2017 that rivers might carry anywhere from 450,000 to 4.4 million tons (410,000 to 4 million metric tons) of plastic a year into the sea was part of a 2021 study that narrowed the range considerably, with an upper limit of nearly 3 million tons (2.7 million metric tons).

The devices are fledgling attempts to dent an estimated 8.8 million tons (8 metric tons) of plastic that enter the ocean every year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trash-has-value-kenyan-inventor-turns-plastic-into-bricks-466744">'Trash has value': Kenyan inventor turns plastic into bricks</a>

Once there, the waste maims or kills marine plants and animals including whales, dolphins, and seabirds and accumulates in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and other vast swirls of currents.

Wallace says we need to reduce plastic use and littering in the first to make a real difference to the health of our rivers and oceans.

"The most important thing with marine debris or plastic or trash in our ocean is we don't want it there in the first place. So while all of these devices are incredibly helpful, we really need to work on the upstream solutions of generating less waste from the consumer standpoint, but also the industry standpoint. And so there's a lot of different players that are going to help solve this problem overall." 
&nbsp;

Meet the WasteShark, a boxy 5 foot, 2 inch long (157 centimeter) aquatic drone, hoovering up plastic waste in a pond in Rotterdam. Richard Hardiman, Founder and CEO of Ranmarine explains the mission.

Meet the WasteShark, a boxy 5 foot, 2 inch long (157 centimeter) aquatic drone, hoovering up plastic waste in a pond in Rotterdam. Richard Hardiman, Founder and CEO of Ranmarine explains the mission. "So we wanted it to be as easy to deploy as possible, as easy to capture the trash and bring it back to land, make it safer so that the operator is stood on the shore rather than was in the water, make it battery operated, so it was zero emissions, not diesel or fossil fuel powered. And it was easy to store away. A lot of the time our customers have bigger boats that need a captain and a lot of maintenance and a lot of mechanical movement to make them work. We wanted something very sleek, very simple, gets the trash out and starts recycling faster than what has been done right now." The drone's hold can accommodate 42 gallons (160 liters) of trash, floating plants and algae, according to RanMarine Technology. It can operate up to eight hours on one charge. Also read | Coca-Cola and PepsiCo ranked as world's leading plastic polluters It's inspired by the whale shark, which swims the ocean with its mouth wide open. "The WasteShark was based on the whale shark, which has a large mouth for capturing its prey. So that's why we have two pontoons, one on each side, so that the waste can come in from the front and it gets trapped in between the pontoons," explains design engineer Tessa Despinic. More than 40 have been sold to buyers in a dozen countries including the UK, US, Nigeria and Singapore, according to the developers. Prices start at 23,500 euros (about $25,600) for manually controlled models, more for programmable versions. The WasteShark is just one of numerous technologies that have been developed to help reduce the problem of plastic waste in rivers and oceans. Trash is blown, washed or thrown into waterways. Storm drains funnel in litter tossed onto streets. In places without refuse collection, people use convenient waters to carry trash away. Nancy Wallace, director of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Program, says it's important to try and prevent the plastic waste ending up in the oceans. "Once plastic or trash ends up in the ocean, it's very hard to collect because it does break down. And so it gets smaller and smaller and it's just hard to get out to our big open oceans and collect the trash there. We'd much rather collect that trash closer to shore, which is easier, it's less costly," she says. Also in the Netherlands, the Bubble Barrier Amsterdam devicesits across a river, at the intersection of several canals. It's a simple system invented by a Dutch company which pumps compressed air into a submerged tube with thousands of tiny holes in it. The escaping air from the holes form a curtain of bubbles that you see on the water's surface. Watch | 20,000 tons of Plastic flows through Las Vacas each year These bubbles steer the waste floating on the water as well as rubbish suspended midstream into a collection point moored at one bank. The tube is set diagonally to direct trash to a rectangular collecting device near the shore. In India, steel mesh fences that extend above and below aluminium floats have been installed. The system is modular, inexpensive, easy to maintain and able to withstand monsoons. AlphaMERS Ltd. has installed the big floating barriers across rivers at eight southern cities from Hyderabad to Tuticorin. Each is angled to guide trash to a riverbank where excavators pile it into dump trucks. Eight traps on the Cooum River at Chennai, costing about $120,000 in total, corralled about 2,400 tons (2,200 metric tons) of plastics and 21,800 tons (19,800 metric tons) of other trash and floating plants in 2018, their first year in position, according to the designer D.C. Sekhar. The system with the biggest fan base may be the anthropomorphized Trash Wheels at the mouths of four Baltimore watersheds. The devices combine ancient and modern technology to run rakes and a conveyor belt that moves floating trash into barge-mounted dumpsters. Also read | Scientists map Antarctic ocean, reveal never-before-seen visuals The current usually turns a water wheel for power. When the current slows, a solar-powered water pump spins the wheel. Osprey Initiative LLC, of Mobile, Alabama, sets up floating traps on creeks, canals and rivers in the US Southeast and trains local crews to deal with the trash they catch. The company employs about 10 people full-time, with about 30 part-time local workers at projects across nine states, according to owner and founder Don Bates. It is also helping to change habits in the local community. "So in the five years since we started, it's amazing the change in our personal footprints and how we are protecting what's downstream. So the products that are out there are becoming more and more recyclable, we love recycling because if it's recycled, it's not becoming litter. So, the awareness, what we're doing and being smart about it, people are really bringing that home. And the best way to fight litter and litter in the water is it never becoming litter on the land," says Don Bates, owner of Osprey Initiative. The science of plastic pollution is new and almost as much in flux as the waters it studies. For instance, a scientist who reported in 2017 that rivers might carry anywhere from 450,000 to 4.4 million tons (410,000 to 4 million metric tons) of plastic a year into the sea was part of a 2021 study that narrowed the range considerably, with an upper limit of nearly 3 million tons (2.7 million metric tons). The devices are fledgling attempts to dent an estimated 8.8 million tons (8 metric tons) of plastic that enter the ocean every year. Also read | 'Trash has value': Kenyan inventor turns plastic into bricks Once there, the waste maims or kills marine plants and animals including whales, dolphins, and seabirds and accumulates in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and other vast swirls of currents. Wallace says we need to reduce plastic use and littering in the first to make a real difference to the health of our rivers and oceans. "The most important thing with marine debris or plastic or trash in our ocean is we don't want it there in the first place. So while all of these devices are incredibly helpful, we really need to work on the upstream solutions of generating less waste from the consumer standpoint, but also the industry standpoint. And so there's a lot of different players that are going to help solve this problem overall."

River trash traps chew at huge ocean plastics problem

Earth is called a blue planet for a reason. Most of its surface is covered by oceans and what is left is made use of by us to live ad survive. Oceans and ocean currents have a major role in regulating global climate. They keep our planet cool AND warm. Oceans are rich in life as they are in minerals and oil. This makes them extremely important for modern global economy. For all the progress we've made in transport solutions, sea lanes still see traffic of ships carrying out most of the trade in the world.

Celebration of World Oceans Day is thus a fitting ode to a living, breathing body without which humans would not survive.

United Nations has high priority for World Ocean's Day as 90 per cent of the big fish population and 50 per cent of coral reefs have died out. This does not bode well for our planet.&nbsp;

"World Oceans Day reminds every one of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our Planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere. The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans," says United Nations.

For World Oceans Day 2022, the UN is organising first hybrid celebration of the annual event. The celebration will be hosted at United Nations headquarters in New York. It will also be broadcast live.

The theme of World Oceans Day 2022 is “Revitalization: collective action for the ocean”.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Earth is called a blue planet for a reason. Most of its surface is covered by oceans and what is left is made use of by us to live ad survive. Oceans and ocean currents have a major role in regulating global climate.

Earth is called a blue planet for a reason. Most of its surface is covered by oceans and what is left is made use of by us to live ad survive. Oceans and ocean currents have a major role in regulating global climate. They keep our planet cool AND warm. Oceans are rich in life as they are in minerals and oil. This makes them extremely important for modern global economy. For all the progress we've made in transport solutions, sea lanes still see traffic of ships carrying out most of the trade in the world. Celebration of World Oceans Day is thus a fitting ode to a living, breathing body without which humans would not survive. United Nations has high priority for World Ocean's Day as 90 per cent of the big fish population and 50 per cent of coral reefs have died out. This does not bode well for our planet. "World Oceans Day reminds every one of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our Planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere. The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans," says United Nations. For World Oceans Day 2022, the UN is organising first hybrid celebration of the annual event. The celebration will be hosted at United Nations headquarters in New York. It will also be broadcast live. The theme of World Oceans Day 2022 is “Revitalization: collective action for the ocean”. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

June 8, 2022, World Oceans Day: Saving the lungs of our planet

According to a recent study, oceans have now passed the point of no return in 2014. The report reads that the wild oceans crossed a threshold eight years ago, Climate change has made marine heatwaves become the new normal.

Study: Oceans 'passed point of no return' in 2014

We live on a planet 71 per cent of which is covered in water. It is the water that gives Earth its unique blue colour from space; but the origin of this liquid water, which sustains our seas and has nourished life for millennia, still remains a subject of intense debate.

Some researchers argue that water in one form or the other has been present in our world ever since it coalesced out of swirling clouds of dust and gas 4.5 billion years ago. Earth has always been provided with a reservoir, in short.

Yet, other scientists have a different and, frankly, much more interesting viewpoint.

According to them, Earth was once parched and almost waterless, and our oceans were merely the result of ice and water raining down from extraterrestrial sources.

Yes, aliens gave us water! The theory suggests that extraterrestrials may be responsible for most of the 332,500,000 cubic miles of water covering our planet today.

And...drumroll, please...now, British scientists are backing up the hypothesis that our seas are actually from "out of this world."

Studying grains of material from an asteroid called 25143 Itokawa brought back to Earth by a Japanese robot probe, this group of scientists concluded that these grains support the hypothesis that our oceans came from outer space.

Luke Daly, of the University of Glasgow, says that the dust they studied provides compelling evidence that our oceans were formed from water from other parts of the solar system. He says that there is strong evidence that at least half of the water on Earth has been filtered by interplanetary dust.

The scientists report in a paper published in Nature Astronomy that the grains brought back from the asteroid contained a significant amount of water. Daly and his colleagues examined grains of dust returned from Itokawa 25143 using atom-probe tomography. By using this technique, scientists can count atoms one by one in a sample.&nbsp;

As Daly explains, this water was most likely created by the solar wind, a stream of particles emanating from the Sun. In the clouds of dust that float throughout the solar system, these particles would have interacted with oxygen atoms to create water molecules which would have built up in the clouds over the solar system's history.

The dust grains, as well as their water, would have been mopped up by the Earth as it orbited the Sun. According to an argument, this would have allowed water, which Leonardo da Vinci once called "the driving force of all nature," to filter down from the skies onto the earth.

Professor Martin Lee of the University of Glasgow, who was part of the group, stressed that all the water that is found in our seas did not come from solar dust grains.&nbsp;

Ice from comets and asteroids crashing on Earth would have made an equally substantial contribution. According to Lee, solar dust and icy comets provided us with the oceans in which life then evolved.

This discovery is important not only for providing compelling evidence about the origins of water on Earth, but for several other reasons as well. It implies that there may be water on other worlds in our solar system, perhaps in the form of ice. This has profound implications for future exploration of space and the hunt for life across the universe.

We live on a planet 71 per cent of which is covered in water. It is the water that gives Earth its unique blue colour from space; but the origin of this liquid water, which sustains our seas and has nourished life for millennia, still remains a subject of intense debate.

We live on a planet 71 per cent of which is covered in water. It is the water that gives Earth its unique blue colour from space; but the origin of this liquid water, which sustains our seas and has nourished life for millennia, still remains a subject of intense debate. Some researchers argue that water in one form or the other has been present in our world ever since it coalesced out of swirling clouds of dust and gas 4.5 billion years ago. Earth has always been provided with a reservoir, in short. Yet, other scientists have a different and, frankly, much more interesting viewpoint. According to them, Earth was once parched and almost waterless, and our oceans were merely the result of ice and water raining down from extraterrestrial sources. Yes, aliens gave us water! The theory suggests that extraterrestrials may be responsible for most of the 332,500,000 cubic miles of water covering our planet today. And...drumroll, please...now, British scientists are backing up the hypothesis that our seas are actually from "out of this world." Studying grains of material from an asteroid called 25143 Itokawa brought back to Earth by a Japanese robot probe, this group of scientists concluded that these grains support the hypothesis that our oceans came from outer space. Luke Daly, of the University of Glasgow, says that the dust they studied provides compelling evidence that our oceans were formed from water from other parts of the solar system. He says that there is strong evidence that at least half of the water on Earth has been filtered by interplanetary dust. The scientists report in a paper published in Nature Astronomy that the grains brought back from the asteroid contained a significant amount of water. Daly and his colleagues examined grains of dust returned from Itokawa 25143 using atom-probe tomography. By using this technique, scientists can count atoms one by one in a sample. As Daly explains, this water was most likely created by the solar wind, a stream of particles emanating from the Sun. In the clouds of dust that float throughout the solar system, these particles would have interacted with oxygen atoms to create water molecules which would have built up in the clouds over the solar system's history. The dust grains, as well as their water, would have been mopped up by the Earth as it orbited the Sun. According to an argument, this would have allowed water, which Leonardo da Vinci once called "the driving force of all nature," to filter down from the skies onto the earth. Professor Martin Lee of the University of Glasgow, who was part of the group, stressed that all the water that is found in our seas did not come from solar dust grains. Ice from comets and asteroids crashing on Earth would have made an equally substantial contribution. According to Lee, solar dust and icy comets provided us with the oceans in which life then evolved. This discovery is important not only for providing compelling evidence about the origins of water on Earth, but for several other reasons as well. It implies that there may be water on other worlds in our solar system, perhaps in the form of ice. This has profound implications for future exploration of space and the hunt for life across the universe.

Wait, what!? Scientists say water in our oceans has alien origins

June 8 is celebrated as World Oceans Day every year to highlight the importance of oceans in our ecosystems and the role played by expansive water bodies in keeping life afloat on planet Earth.

Over the years, the day has gained more importance owing to the threat posed to marine life by increasing pollution.&nbsp; Even though most humans overlook the importance of oceans, it is notable that without the water bodies, life would cease to exist on the planet.

<img alt="Ocean" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="89510014-5899-4dfd-83a4-af23c1e29a7d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1_64.jpg" />

The oceans provide human civilisations with food and medicines, and constitute an important part of our eternal quest to survival as the danger of climate change threatens ecosystems both underwater and on the ground.

According to the United Nations, the goal of the day is to mobilise people to act on the preservation of oceans.

World Oceans Day 2021:&nbsp;Why are oceans important?

Over 70 per cent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans which are intrinsic to human existence along with the sustenance of other other organism.&nbsp; At least 50 per cent of the planet’s oxygen is produced by oceans. In addition, the marine industries would support the livelihoods of over 40 million people by 2030, a UN estimate claims.&nbsp;

<img alt="ocean" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a3f387a7-5257-44bc-b56e-472cde19f65f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2_49.jpg" />

But the oceans are currently in the worst shape in history. Over 90 per cent fish populations have depleted while 50 per cent coral reefs have disappeared from the world due to the changes in Earth’s physiology caused by mass industrialisation and pollution.

Theme and significance of&nbsp;World Oceans Day 2021

The theme for this year’s event is “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods”, a building block toward UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021-2030. This year, the event is spearheaded by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations in collaboration with Ocean Global, a non-profit organisation.

<img alt="Ocean" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ced645d4-1259-4c5c-8fb8-b07af8f46699" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/4_11.jpg" />

Even with all human technological advances, the ocean remains dark and unexplored. The oldest species on Earth are marine, hinting at the ancient role played by oceans in regulating existence on Earth. Even now, humans have been able to map only 5 per cent of the total oceanic area on the planet.

Many secrets of life as it exists today and processes that created such lifeforms could be deep seated in the world’s oceans. Many parts of the ocean are not suitable for humans, for the crushing pressure cannot be endured by us.

Regardless, the messaging for World Oceans Day 2021 is clear - to protect the pristine ecosystems that supplicate Earth’s organisms while we still can!

June 8 is celebrated as World Oceans Day every year to highlight the importance of oceans in our ecosystems and the role played by expansive water bodies in keeping life afloat on planet Earth.

June 8 is celebrated as World Oceans Day every year to highlight the importance of oceans in our ecosystems and the role played by expansive water bodies in keeping life afloat on planet Earth. Over the years, the day has gained more importance owing to the threat posed to marine life by increasing pollution. Even though most humans overlook the importance of oceans, it is notable that without the water bodies, life would cease to exist on the planet. The oceans provide human civilisations with food and medicines, and constitute an important part of our eternal quest to survival as the danger of climate change threatens ecosystems both underwater and on the ground. According to the United Nations, the goal of the day is to mobilise people to act on the preservation of oceans. World Oceans Day 2021: Why are oceans important? Over 70 per cent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans which are intrinsic to human existence along with the sustenance of other other organism. At least 50 per cent of the planet’s oxygen is produced by oceans. In addition, the marine industries would support the livelihoods of over 40 million people by 2030, a UN estimate claims. But the oceans are currently in the worst shape in history. Over 90 per cent fish populations have depleted while 50 per cent coral reefs have disappeared from the world due to the changes in Earth’s physiology caused by mass industrialisation and pollution. Theme and significance of World Oceans Day 2021 The theme for this year’s event is “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods”, a building block toward UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021-2030. This year, the event is spearheaded by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations in collaboration with Ocean Global, a non-profit organisation. Even with all human technological advances, the ocean remains dark and unexplored. The oldest species on Earth are marine, hinting at the ancient role played by oceans in regulating existence on Earth. Even now, humans have been able to map only 5 per cent of the total oceanic area on the planet. Many secrets of life as it exists today and processes that created such lifeforms could be deep seated in the world’s oceans. Many parts of the ocean are not suitable for humans, for the crushing pressure cannot be endured by us. Regardless, the messaging for World Oceans Day 2021 is clear - to protect the pristine ecosystems that supplicate Earth’s organisms while we still can!

World Oceans Day 2021: Health of oceans matters to you. Here is why

Global warming and pollution caused by humanity's carbon-heavy footprint are ravaging Earth's oceans and icy regions in ways that could unleash misery on a global scale, a landmark UN report to be unveiled next week will warn.

Diplomats and scientists from 195 nations will gather in Monaco from Friday to validate a summary for leaders of observed and projected impacts ranging from vanishing glaciers and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-oceans-are-heating-up-at-a-quickening-pace-study-189467">marine heatwaves</a>, to rising seas and unprecedented levels of forced migration, according to a draft seen by AFP.

The underlying 900-page scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the fourth such UN tome in less than a year, with others focused on a 1.5-Celsius cap on global warming, the decline of biodiversity, as well as the land use and the global food system.

All four conclude that humanity must overhaul how it produces, distributes, and consumes almost everything to avoid the worst ravages of global warming and environmental degradation.

The barrage of bad news from science and a newly alarmed public demanding decisive action are the backdrop for a key UN climate summit in New York on Monday designed to push countries into setting more ambitious carbon-cutting goals.

Current pledges -- if honoured -- would see Earth's surface heat up more than three degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. The 2015 Paris Climate Treaty calls for capping global warming at "well below" 2 C, with 1.5 C&nbsp;possible.

A single degree of warming has already seen a crescendo of extreme weather, including killer heat waves and superstorms amped up by rising seas.

Melting Glaciers

"Some of the impacts of climate change on our oceans are now irreversible and others are looking increasingly inevitable", notes Greenpeace International's scientist, Melissa Wang.

"At current emissions rates, we are effectively dumping one million tonnes of CO2 into the oceans every hour", she added.

Oceans and the frozen zones comprising the cryosphere cover more than 80 percent of Earth's surface, yet more money has been spent to explore the Moon.

The IPCC report pulls together thousands of peer-reviewed studies detailing not only how mankind has degraded the planet's seas and ice, but the blowback humanity will suffer as a consequence. &nbsp;

Since the mid-19th century, oceans have absorbed more than 90 percent of excess heat generated by the greenhouse gases that humans have dumped in the atmosphere. &nbsp;

Without oceans, human emissions would likely have warmed the planet's surface by at least 10 C above today's temperature, according to a rough calculation by Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and Director of the Climate Center at Texas Tech University.

Mountain glaciers in Asia and South America provide water for drinking and agriculture to nearly two billion people, and the stable weather patterns to which northern hemisphere populations have adapted depend on sea ice and ocean currents destabilised by global warming.

As the 21st century unfolds, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/himalayan-glaciers-melting-doubled-since-2000-study-229032">melting glaciers</a> will first give too much and then too little to billions who depend on them for freshwater, according to the draft report.

Food Chain Disrupted

Without deep cuts to manmade emissions, 30 to 99 percent of the northern hemisphere's surface permafrost could melt by this century's end, unleashing billions of tonnes of planet-warming carbon.

By 2050, many low-lying megacities and small island nations will experience "extreme sea-level events" every year, even under the most optimistic emissions reduction scenarios.

And by 2100, "annual flood damages are expected to increase by two to three orders of magnitude", or 100 to 1,000 fold.

Even if the world manages to cap global warming at two degrees Celsius -- a big "if" -- the global ocean waterline will eventually rise enough to submerge areas inhabited today by more than a quarter of a billion people, the draft report says.

"The migration crises we are witnessing in North Africa and Central America would pale in comparison to the repercussions of a 1.2 metre rise in sea level", Belize's Carlos Fuller, lead climate negotiator for the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS), told AFP.

Acidification is disrupting the ocean's basic food chain, and marine heatwaves (which have become twice as frequent since the 1980s) are creating vast oxygen-depleted dead zones.

The final advice to policymakers will be released on September 25.

While the underlying science cannot be modified, diplomats with scientists at their elbow will tussle over how to frame the findings, and what to leave in or out.

Global warming and pollution caused by humanity's carbon-heavy footprint are ravaging Earth's oceans and icy regions in ways that could unleash misery on a global scale, a landmark UN report to be unveiled next week will warn.

Global warming and pollution caused by humanity's carbon-heavy footprint are ravaging Earth's oceans and icy regions in ways that could unleash misery on a global scale, a landmark UN report to be unveiled next week will warn. Diplomats and scientists from 195 nations will gather in Monaco from Friday to validate a summary for leaders of observed and projected impacts ranging from vanishing glaciers and marine heatwaves, to rising seas and unprecedented levels of forced migration, according to a draft seen by AFP. The underlying 900-page scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the fourth such UN tome in less than a year, with others focused on a 1.5-Celsius cap on global warming, the decline of biodiversity, as well as the land use and the global food system. All four conclude that humanity must overhaul how it produces, distributes, and consumes almost everything to avoid the worst ravages of global warming and environmental degradation. The barrage of bad news from science and a newly alarmed public demanding decisive action are the backdrop for a key UN climate summit in New York on Monday designed to push countries into setting more ambitious carbon-cutting goals. Current pledges -- if honoured -- would see Earth's surface heat up more than three degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. The 2015 Paris Climate Treaty calls for capping global warming at "well below" 2 C, with 1.5 C possible. A single degree of warming has already seen a crescendo of extreme weather, including killer heat waves and superstorms amped up by rising seas. Melting Glaciers "Some of the impacts of climate change on our oceans are now irreversible and others are looking increasingly inevitable", notes Greenpeace International's scientist, Melissa Wang. "At current emissions rates, we are effectively dumping one million tonnes of CO2 into the oceans every hour", she added. Oceans and the frozen zones comprising the cryosphere cover more than 80 percent of Earth's surface, yet more money has been spent to explore the Moon. The IPCC report pulls together thousands of peer-reviewed studies detailing not only how mankind has degraded the planet's seas and ice, but the blowback humanity will suffer as a consequence. Since the mid-19th century, oceans have absorbed more than 90 percent of excess heat generated by the greenhouse gases that humans have dumped in the atmosphere. Without oceans, human emissions would likely have warmed the planet's surface by at least 10 C above today's temperature, according to a rough calculation by Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and Director of the Climate Center at Texas Tech University. Mountain glaciers in Asia and South America provide water for drinking and agriculture to nearly two billion people, and the stable weather patterns to which northern hemisphere populations have adapted depend on sea ice and ocean currents destabilised by global warming. As the 21st century unfolds, melting glaciers will first give too much and then too little to billions who depend on them for freshwater, according to the draft report. Food Chain Disrupted Without deep cuts to manmade emissions, 30 to 99 percent of the northern hemisphere's surface permafrost could melt by this century's end, unleashing billions of tonnes of planet-warming carbon. By 2050, many low-lying megacities and small island nations will experience "extreme sea-level events" every year, even under the most optimistic emissions reduction scenarios. And by 2100, "annual flood damages are expected to increase by two to three orders of magnitude", or 100 to 1,000 fold. Even if the world manages to cap global warming at two degrees Celsius -- a big "if" -- the global ocean waterline will eventually rise enough to submerge areas inhabited today by more than a quarter of a billion people, the draft report says. "The migration crises we are witnessing in North Africa and Central America would pale in comparison to the repercussions of a 1.2 metre rise in sea level", Belize's Carlos Fuller, lead climate negotiator for the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS), told AFP. Acidification is disrupting the ocean's basic food chain, and marine heatwaves (which have become twice as frequent since the 1980s) are creating vast oxygen-depleted dead zones. The final advice to policymakers will be released on September 25. While the underlying science cannot be modified, diplomats with scientists at their elbow will tussle over how to frame the findings, and what to leave in or out.

Climate change could turn oceans from friend to foe, UN report warns

British supermarkets are starting to go "nude". Bowing to pressure from environmentally conscious consumers, big brand shops have begun taking steps to strip their shelves of plastic wrapping over concerns about saving the oceans from waste.

Going 'nude': UK supermarkets test plastic-free zones

This International Plastic Bag Free Day, a look at how waste plastic is turned into colourful tiles. #PlasticFreeDay #PlasticTiles #BeatPlasticPollution

Novel solution to fighting plastic pollution

Watch Gravitas full segment and know what has been the most trending and important stories of the day. Watch this video to know more.

Watch: WION Gravitas, 15th April, 2019

Faced with images of turtles smothered by plastic bags, beaches carpeted with garbage and islands of trash floating in the oceans, environmentalists say the world is waking up to the need to tackle plastic pollution at the source.

Stories on social media of giant seas of floating waste or a beached whale found in Indonesia with six kilos (13 pounds) of plastic in its stomach are bringing plastic pollution into the spotlight.

"There is no question plastic is having a moment," said George Leonard, chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy.&nbsp;

"We are in a moment in time where we are starting to stare the problem in the face, and we're quite optimistic and hopeful that we can solve it."

Leonard and other environmental experts are optimistic the exposure will make the problem of plastics hard to ignore and focus attention on how best to deal with such waste.

Eight million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the oceans each year, according to a study in the Science journal.

But that is only what comes from the land, said Francois Galgani, a researcher with the French Institute Ifremer, estimating another two million tonnes could come from ships especially fishing vessels.&nbsp;

As a consequence more than 700 species are impacted, including turtles who confuse plastic bags with the jellyfish they eat, Galgani said.

More than 5 billion plastic bags are used every year, and a ban step by step, country by country is underway, the first phase towards a possible general ban. Bags could be followed by bans on plastic straws and cotton swabs.&nbsp;

The European Union wants to ban certain single-use plastics by the end of 2021. For Galgani, that would be good news, as it would represent around 30 to 40 per cent of the plastic that ends up in the oceans.

"Everyone is working for the good cause, even industries," he said.

Cleaning up?

But according to a study in Science Advances review, from the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced between 1950 and 2015, 6.3 billion tonnes became garbage that was not very biodegradable material and only 9 percent was recycled.

For Greenpeace's Mirjam Kopp, though, recycling is not enough.

"We cannot continue this business as usual, we need to change the throw-away culture we have developed," Kopp said. "We need to tackle the problem at the source.

"Industries are putting the blame on the consumers, saying they should recycle more, but we don't think it will help. They are responsible for the single-use plastics they put on the market."

The UN Environment agency has already declared war on plastics in the oceans and made it the environmental theme of 2018.

"We need stop treating plastic as something that we can just throw away after we have used it, and start treating it as a material that has real value," said Petter Malvik, campaign manager for the Clean Seas campaign launched by UN-Environment in 2017.

Already around 60 countries have joined in the campaign started in 2017 to ban non-reusable plastics.

"Although bans alone won't solve the problem, they are definitely more than just a drop in the bucket," Malvik said.

Another problem is so called "ghost nets" - fishing nets lost at sea or left intentionally and which continue to catch fish for months after.

When it comes to cleaning the oceans, though, experts say the task may be far more complex. Scientists, for example, have doubts for over a giant floating clean-up device proposed by Ocean Cleanup foundation, which aims to clear half of a huge waste deposit floating in the Pacific in the next five years. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Dubbed the "Great Pacific garbage patch", the abnormal mass of floating debris caused by marine turbulence has now reached 80,000 tonnes spread over an area three times the size of France, according to a study in Scientific Reports.

And if you want to clean up the ocean, Leonard says, then the surface is not the place to start.&nbsp;

What floats on the surface -- particles of micro-plastics and larger objects -- is nothing compared to what ends up on the ocean floor, experts say.

So what is the solution? "Degradation," says Galgani of France's Iremer institute, referring to the breakdown of plastics. But for some plastics that means a process that may take "hundreds of years".

Faced with images of turtles smothered by plastic bags, beaches carpeted with garbage and islands of trash floating in the oceans, environmentalists say the world is waking up to the need to tackle plastic pollution at the source.

Faced with images of turtles smothered by plastic bags, beaches carpeted with garbage and islands of trash floating in the oceans, environmentalists say the world is waking up to the need to tackle plastic pollution at the source. Stories on social media of giant seas of floating waste or a beached whale found in Indonesia with six kilos (13 pounds) of plastic in its stomach are bringing plastic pollution into the spotlight. "There is no question plastic is having a moment," said George Leonard, chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy. "We are in a moment in time where we are starting to stare the problem in the face, and we're quite optimistic and hopeful that we can solve it." Leonard and other environmental experts are optimistic the exposure will make the problem of plastics hard to ignore and focus attention on how best to deal with such waste. Eight million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the oceans each year, according to a study in the Science journal. But that is only what comes from the land, said Francois Galgani, a researcher with the French Institute Ifremer, estimating another two million tonnes could come from ships especially fishing vessels. As a consequence more than 700 species are impacted, including turtles who confuse plastic bags with the jellyfish they eat, Galgani said. More than 5 billion plastic bags are used every year, and a ban step by step, country by country is underway, the first phase towards a possible general ban. Bags could be followed by bans on plastic straws and cotton swabs. The European Union wants to ban certain single-use plastics by the end of 2021. For Galgani, that would be good news, as it would represent around 30 to 40 per cent of the plastic that ends up in the oceans. "Everyone is working for the good cause, even industries," he said. Cleaning up? But according to a study in Science Advances review, from the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced between 1950 and 2015, 6.3 billion tonnes became garbage that was not very biodegradable material and only 9 percent was recycled. For Greenpeace's Mirjam Kopp, though, recycling is not enough. "We cannot continue this business as usual, we need to change the throw-away culture we have developed," Kopp said. "We need to tackle the problem at the source. "Industries are putting the blame on the consumers, saying they should recycle more, but we don't think it will help. They are responsible for the single-use plastics they put on the market." The UN Environment agency has already declared war on plastics in the oceans and made it the environmental theme of 2018. "We need stop treating plastic as something that we can just throw away after we have used it, and start treating it as a material that has real value," said Petter Malvik, campaign manager for the Clean Seas campaign launched by UN-Environment in 2017. Already around 60 countries have joined in the campaign started in 2017 to ban non-reusable plastics. "Although bans alone won't solve the problem, they are definitely more than just a drop in the bucket," Malvik said. Another problem is so called "ghost nets" - fishing nets lost at sea or left intentionally and which continue to catch fish for months after. When it comes to cleaning the oceans, though, experts say the task may be far more complex. Scientists, for example, have doubts for over a giant floating clean-up device proposed by Ocean Cleanup foundation, which aims to clear half of a huge waste deposit floating in the Pacific in the next five years. Dubbed the "Great Pacific garbage patch", the abnormal mass of floating debris caused by marine turbulence has now reached 80,000 tonnes spread over an area three times the size of France, according to a study in Scientific Reports. And if you want to clean up the ocean, Leonard says, then the surface is not the place to start. What floats on the surface -- particles of micro-plastics and larger objects -- is nothing compared to what ends up on the ocean floor, experts say. So what is the solution? "Degradation," says Galgani of France's Iremer institute, referring to the breakdown of plastics. But for some plastics that means a process that may take "hundreds of years".

Oceans of garbage prompt war on plastics

The world's oceans have absorbed 60 per cent more heat than previously thought over the last quarter of a century, scientists said Thursday, leaving Earth more sensitive still to the effects of climate change.

Oceans cover more than two-thirds of the planet's surface and play a vital role in sustaining life on Earth.&nbsp;

According to their most recent assessment this month, scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) say the world's oceans have absorbed 90 per cent of the temperature rise caused by man-made carbon emissions.

But new research published in the journal Nature used a novel method of measuring ocean temperature.

It found that for each of the last 25 years, oceans had absorbed heat energy equivalent to 150 times the amount of electricity mankind produces annually.

That is 60 per cent higher than previous studies showed.

Whereas those studies relied on tallying the excess heat produced by known man-made greenhouse gas emissions, a team of US-based scientists focused on two gases found naturally in the atmosphere: Oxygen and carbon dioxide.&nbsp;

Both gases are soluble in water, but the rate at which water absorbs them decreases as it warms.&nbsp;

By measuring atmospheric oxygen and CO2 for each year, scientists were able to more accurately estimate how much heat oceans had absorbed on a global scale.

"Imagine if the ocean was only 30 feet (10 metres) deep," said Laure Resplandy, assistant professor of geosciences at Princeton and lead study author.&nbsp;

"Our data show that it would have warmed by 6.5 degrees Celsius (11.7 degrees Fahrenheit) every decade since 1991."&nbsp;

That compares with a IPCC estimate of a 4.0 C rise each decade.

Resplandy said the data showed mankind must once again revise down its carbon footprint, with emissions needing to fall 25 per cent compared to previous estimates.

"The result significantly increases the confidence we can place in estimates of ocean warming and therefore helps reduce uncertainty," said Ralph Keeling, a geophysicist at the University of California-San Diego and co-author of the study.

The IPCC warns that drastic measures need taking in order to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius by the end of the century but the world produced a record amount of carbon emissions in 2017.

The world's oceans have absorbed 60 per cent more heat than previously thought over the last quarter of a century, scientists said Thursday, leaving Earth more sensitive still to the effects of climate change.

The world's oceans have absorbed 60 per cent more heat than previously thought over the last quarter of a century, scientists said Thursday, leaving Earth more sensitive still to the effects of climate change. Oceans cover more than two-thirds of the planet's surface and play a vital role in sustaining life on Earth. According to their most recent assessment this month, scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) say the world's oceans have absorbed 90 per cent of the temperature rise caused by man-made carbon emissions. But new research published in the journal Nature used a novel method of measuring ocean temperature. It found that for each of the last 25 years, oceans had absorbed heat energy equivalent to 150 times the amount of electricity mankind produces annually. That is 60 per cent higher than previous studies showed. Whereas those studies relied on tallying the excess heat produced by known man-made greenhouse gas emissions, a team of US-based scientists focused on two gases found naturally in the atmosphere: Oxygen and carbon dioxide. Both gases are soluble in water, but the rate at which water absorbs them decreases as it warms. By measuring atmospheric oxygen and CO2 for each year, scientists were able to more accurately estimate how much heat oceans had absorbed on a global scale. "Imagine if the ocean was only 30 feet (10 metres) deep," said Laure Resplandy, assistant professor of geosciences at Princeton and lead study author. "Our data show that it would have warmed by 6.5 degrees Celsius (11.7 degrees Fahrenheit) every decade since 1991." That compares with a IPCC estimate of a 4.0 C rise each decade. Resplandy said the data showed mankind must once again revise down its carbon footprint, with emissions needing to fall 25 per cent compared to previous estimates. "The result significantly increases the confidence we can place in estimates of ocean warming and therefore helps reduce uncertainty," said Ralph Keeling, a geophysicist at the University of California-San Diego and co-author of the study. The IPCC warns that drastic measures need taking in order to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius by the end of the century but the world produced a record amount of carbon emissions in 2017.

Oceans heating faster than previously thought: Study

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