Ocean Observation
NOAA Adjusts Hurricane Season Outlook Averages
NOAA is updating its baseline numbers used for gauging hurricane season activity using more recent storm data.Once every decade, the agency revises its set of statistics used to determine when hurricane seasons are above-, near- or below-average relative to the climate record. Beginning with this year’s hurricane season outlooks,
Shrinking Sea Meadows Store More Carbon Than Forests. Scientists Race to Track What’s Left
Hundreds of miles from the nearest shore, ribbon-like fronds flutter in the ocean currents sweeping across an underwater mountain plateau the size of Switzerland.A remote-powered camera glides through the sunlit, turquoise waters of this corner of the western Indian Ocean, capturing rare footage of
Consortium for Ocean Leadership Names Leonardi as President and CEO
Today, the Board of Trustees of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership announced the appointment of Dr. Alan Leonardi as president and CEO, effective May 24, 2021.As the president and CEO of COL, Dr. Leonardi will lead the consortium, which represents the leading ocean science, research and technology organizations from academia,
Mauritian Climate Activist Holds Underwater Protest to Protect Seagrass
In a remote stretch of the western Indian Ocean, a 24-year-old Mauritian marine scientist donned a snorkel and dived below the choppy waves to float in protest above the world’s largest seagrass meadow.Holding a placard reading ‘Youth Strike for Climate,’ Shaama Sandooyea held her breath and hoped the
RSS Sir David Attenborough Delivered to LR Class
Britain’s new polar research ship, the RSS Sir David Attenborough, has been formally presented with Lloyd's Register (LR) certification after a four-year-long construction period, the classification society said.The high-profile vessel, the U.K.’s largest commercial newbuild for over 30 years,
WHOI Names Kathryn Link VP & CFO
Kathryn Link has been named vice president for operations and chief financial officer of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), a private, nonprofit organization on Cape Cod, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering and higher education.Effective March 8, Link will act as financial and
Undisturbed Benthic Sampling with Multiple Corers
Traditional benthic samplers such as box corers must be deployed with sufficient momentum to ensure penetration of the seabed. This creates a bow wave that will disrupt the surface layer of the seabed before the corer is able to collect a full sample.The multiple corers available from seabed sampling
RRS James Clark Ross Makes Its Last Antarctic Call
It's the end of an era for the U.K.'s RRS James Clark Ross, which made its final call to Rothera Research Station in Antarctic on February 19 after 30 years of service. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said the polar research vessel will be sold at the end of the 2020/2021 Antarctic season and
A Net-zero Future Depends on the Ocean’s Ability to Absorb Carbon
Most of us growing up along Canada’s East Coast never worried about hurricane season. Except for those working at sea, we viewed hurricanes as extreme events in remote tropical regions, seen only through blurred footage of flailing palm trees on the six o’clock news.Today, a warming ocean spins hurricanes faster,
Gliders Probe Huge Iceberg's Impact on Penguin Island's Ecosystem
For the next four months, robotic submersible vehicles will swim the frigid, choppy waters around South Georgia island, gathering evidence to determine whether a massive Antarctic iceberg might have harmed wildlife there, scientists said Wednesday.The iceberg, known as A68a, approached the South Atlantic island as a single block of more than 4,
New Recordings of Ultrasonic Seal Calls Hint at Sonar-like Abilities
I’m sitting on the edge of a hole drilled through 15 feet of Antarctic sea ice, about to descend into the frigid ocean of the southernmost dive site in the world. I wear nearly 100 pounds of gear – a drysuit and gloves, multiple layers of insulation, scuba tank and regulators, lights, equipment,
NOAA Partners with University of Southern Mississippi on Uncrewed Systems
A 10-year agreement signed Thursday between NOAA and the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) aims to improve how uncrewed systems (UxS) are used to collect ocean observation data and augment NOAA’s operational capabilities. The deal provides a framework for collaborating with NOAA scientists
