Marine Research in Virginia in the USA
UVa’s research has helped to restore marine seagrass meadows off of Virginia’s shores for 20 years. These meadows are vital for the wildlife, they provide habitat for many fish, they produce oxygen, they filter nitrogen out of the water to increase its quality and increase the stability of the sediment layer. The research team worked for a long time conducting observations and experiments to help with its restoration and predict any future threats. Firstly, they tested the water to sea if the seagrass could survive, then they looked at ways they could connect the seagrass to the surrounding ecosystem in order for nutrients to flow between them. In 2015 the group faced a challenge because 90 percent of their seagrass died due to a marine heatwave, since then they have worked hard to grow most of it back. From now on they are monitoring carefully any heat that would threaten the meadows as well as the levels of sulfide toxicity that seagrass normally can get rid of itself however, with the added heat stress they can’t. This research project has allowed for the vital information to plant more seagrass meadows and benefit the ecosystems.
The Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The sea route goes through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It used to be impossible to pass through the Northwest Passage because it was covered by thick ice all year around. However due to climate change, this passage has become easier to travel through because of melting ice. The Northwest Passage significantly reduces shipping length and therefore shipping time. Although positive for shipping, it does cause political problems such as: Russia getting less money because more vessels use this central route and tensions between the US and Canada since both countries view it as international and Canadian waterways respectively
COVID-19 Pollution in Oceans
Although COVID-19 has had negative effects on economies worldwide, the global lock downs have led to a 5% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. However, our streets, beaches and oceans are now having to deal with more plastic waste e.g. face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer bottles. Overall though, there has been a drastic decrease in pollution, illegal fishing, over fishing and habitat loss.
India Ocean Adventure
India will soon launch a ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ to explore the minerals and diversity of the ocean, which is still mostly unexplored. The mission is being organised by the Ministry of Earth Science. One of the mission’s objectives is to search for mining opportunities along the seabed, for metals that are used in electronic devices, like smartphones and batteries. Areas of deep ocean are often home to rare and unique species that have adapted to the specific conditions; mining could cause them to become extinct before they are even discovered. Because not a lot is known about the deep sea’s ecology, it’s difficult to know exactly what the environmental impacts will be.
The Seawise Giant
One of our most important uses of our oceans is for trade. You may think that our goods come to us by plane, but this is very expensive. Instead we use shipping… and we’ve built some enormous ships to do so! The Seawise giant is the longest ship built at 458.45 metres. It was in service between 1979 and 2009, but was scrapped in 2010. It was an oil tanker and operated from Norway and was constructed in Japan. The rudder alone weighs the same weight as 46 elephants. It was actually sunk during the Iran-Iraq War (May 1988). It laid at the bottom of the ocean for a year, before it was lifted up by the Norwegians and was put back into service. After it was scrapped, the anchor was placed in the Hong Kong Maritime Museum as a constant reminder of our progress in shipping.