New deep-sea coral species discovered in Scotland

 

A new species of coral has been discovered in waters off the coast of Scotland, with scientists predicting it could be a gamechanger for deep-sea biodiversity.

Scientists from the Scottish Government teamed up with researchers from the University of Seville, Spain, for an almost decade-long assignment to learn more about the murky, rarely-traversed deeper depths of the ocean off the Scottish coast.

The team collected multiple specimens from the continental slopes and plains of the Rockall Trough, off the west coast, travelling to depths of 2000 metres.

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Accumulated heat in the upper ocean is at record levels again

The world's oceans are hotter than ever before, continuing their record-breaking temperature streak for the sixth straight year. The finding based on the latest data through 2021 comes at the end of the first year of the United Nations' Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development Goals, the 17 interlocked goals to maintain human societies and natural ecosystems around the globe, many of which are related to ocean health.

"The ocean heat content is relentlessly increasing, globally, and this is a primary indicator of human-induced climate change," said paper author Kevin Trenberth, distinguished scholar at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado. "In this most recent report, we updated observations of the ocean through 2021, while also revisiting and reprocessing earlier data."

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NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute Webinar Series Available for Viewing

Throughout Fall 2021, as part of the NOAA Science Seminar Series, the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute  (OECI) presented a six-part series of virtual public seminars to introduce the OECI. Recordings of each seminar are available for viewing. From presentations on how exploration of shipwrecks from the past can inspire explorers of the future to the development and use of innovative technologies to explore the deep ocean, these seminars provide an introduction to the OECI partners, their achievements, and their plans to push forward to the next stage of ocean exploration.

A complete list of the seminar topics, speakers, and links for viewing is available on the OECI Webinar Series web page .

The OECI is a NOAA-funded institute aimed at accelerating the pace of ocean exploration through the development of novel technology, training the next generation of ocean explorers, and conducting ambitious sea-going expeditions to expand our knowledge of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Selected through a competitive process by NOAA in 2019, the OECI brings together the University of Rhode Island, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the not-for-profit Ocean Exploration Trust to complement and amplify the capabilities of NOAA Ocean Exploration.

URCHINOMICS: ONE OF THREE COMMERCIAL VENTURES IN THE WORLD ENDORSED BY THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) OCEAN DECADE

The United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (Ocean Decade) has announced that Urchinomics is at this time one of only three commercial ventures in the world to be formally endorsed as an Ocean Decade action.

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) demonstrates the conviction of UN Member States that enhanced knowledge of the ocean is a prerequisite to achieving sustainable development. The Ocean Decade seeks to create a paradigm shift in the generation of qualitative and quantitative ocean knowledge to inform the development of solutions to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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Tech Startups Invited to Join Yara Marine X Accelerator Program

Yara Marine Technologies is now accepting applications for the second edition of its 3-month tailored startup accelerator program, Yara Marine X.

The program offers selected companies a unique opportunity to develop and pilot their innovative solutions while supported by direct access to Yara Marine’s industry competence, network distribution and knowledge scale.

“At Yara Marine, we are committed to enabling a clean transition to a decarbonized future. We are innovators at heart and always pursuing the improvements we need to make real sustainable change. I believe that to achieve this, we must encourage fresh approaches to longstanding problems and welcome new voices within our industry” said Thomas Koniordos, CEO of Yara Marine Technologies.

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CSA Ocean Sciences Completes World’s Deepest Pelagic Biota Sampling Campaign

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), a marine environmental consulting and survey company, recently completed a ground-breaking deepwater sampling campaign in the Tropical Eastern Pacific for The Metals Company (TMC), which included successfully collecting pelagic biota from a record depth of 4,000 m below the surface.

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