Page 2 - Ocean

Indian Navy vs pirates: Op launched to rescue crew of Iranian FV Al-Kambar

Indian Navy has responded to Israel-Hamas conflict's impact in maritime domain by re-orienting and significantly enhancing scope of its ongoing maritime security operations

Sea water recedes more than usual in Alappuzha leaving seabed exposed

A stretch of the coast near Alappuzha witnessed an unusual phenomenon on Tuesday, where the sea receded from its usual shoreline, leaving a portion of the seabed exposed. The sea receded approximately 50 metres along a half-kilometre stretch from Purakkad to Ayyankovil near Ambalappuzha, raising concerns among the fishing community. The affected area, now filled with sludge, has hindered their ability to embark on fishing ventures. Local MLA H Salam, along with other public representatives, visited the site to assess the situation. Official sources said district revenue officials visited the area and attributed this occurrence to the "chakara," a distinctive marine phenomenon characterised by the congregation of numerous fish and prawns during specific seasons, often coinciding with mud bank formations.

India's Samudrayaan set to explore ocean bed by 2025 end: Kiren Rijiju

India should be able to send its scientists to study the deep ocean 6 km under the sea surface in its own Samudrayaan by the end of next year, Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju has said. In a video interview to PTI, Rijiju said India's deep-ocean submersible Matsya6000, which will take humans up to a depth of 6,000 meters under the sea, was "well on course" and could be tested by the "end of this year". "When you talk about Samudrayaan, you are now talking about our mission to go up to around 6,000 meters, 6 km deep inside the ocean, where even light cannot reach. I can say that as far as our Matsaya, the machine which will take human beings inside, (is concerned), it's well on course," Rijiju said. The minister said he had reviewed the project and scientists should be able to carry out the first shallow water testing by the end of this year. "But broadly I feel confident that by the end of 2025, that means next year, we should be able to send our human crew to the deep ocean, m

CSIR-NIO launches advance underwater vehicle to monitor coral reefs

The Goa-based CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has launched an autonomous underwater vehicle called C-bot, a robot with advanced features for increased surveillance over the coral reefs. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Director General Dr N Kalaiselvi launched the C-bot on Sunday and said the vehicle can travel to a depth of 200 metres underwater. This robot is the first step to building a capable underwater vehicle that can scan the depth of the Indian Ocean, she told reporters on the CSIR-NIO campus on Monday. Kalaiselvi said they plan to develop this vehicle further which will be able to travel thousands of metres in the sea. CSIR-NIO Director Sunil Kumar Singh said the C-bot will help in maintaining surveillance over the coral reefs in the ocean. He said that coral bleaching is taking place because of the climate change. "With different sensors, different cameras, the robot measures what the parameters are, and might help explain why the cor

Science packed 2024: Human spaceflight tests, deep ocean exploration

After the momentous landing on the moon's south pole, India has now set its sights on more challenging missions -- sending humans to space and getting samples from the lunar surface back to earth. Test flights for both the projects are scheduled in the new year. For Indian scientists it is just not about the moon and beyond. Furthering deep ocean exploration, the country is scheduled to send aquanauts on board the "Samudrayaan", first to a depth of 500 metres in March, and later, achieve its targeted depth of up to 6,000 metres. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to begin the new year with the launch of XPoSat.? The X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat)? will seek to unravel the mysteries of the sources of X-Rays and study the enigmatic world of black holes. The satellite is set for launch on January 1 on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Sriharikota. This would be followed by the insertion of the Aditya L-1 satellite at the Lagrange Point-1 on .

Explained | Blue Economy & Modi's Amrit Kaal Vision 2047

India recently unveiled an ambitious plan named 'Amrit Kaal'. Investing Rs 20 trillion by 2047, India aims to supercharge its maritime sector. >

India signs two MoUs in medical product regulation with Dominican Republic

India on Wedesday signed two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in ocean sciences and medical product regulation with Dominican Republic.The MoUs were signed during a meeting between Raquel Pena Rodriguez, the Vice President of Dominican Republic, and India's Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar here in the national capital.The two leaders also held discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in diverse sectors including trade, pharmaceuticals, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), agriculture, food processing, space, higher education, capacity building, Ayurveda and Yoga.Taking to X, Office of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar shared about the significant move saying, "H.E. Ms. Raquel Pena Rodriguez, the Vice President of Dominican Republic met Hon'ble Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar in New Delhi today. Discussions between the two leaders focused on enhancing cooperation in diverse sectors including trade, pharmaceuticals, ICT, agriculture, food processing, space, higher .

Predator drones help Navy keep close watch over Indian Ocean region

The two drones have been operated by the Indian Navy since November 2020 when the force got them on lease from the American firm General Atomics as part of the emergency procurement powers

TMS Ep521: Festive sales, cricket fans, small-cap rally, Matsya 6000

Will India see the best Diwali sales ever this time? Why can't BCCI take care of cricket fans? Is the small-cap rally ripe for correction? What is the Matsya 6000? All answers here

Oceans release microplastics waste back into atmosphere: Research

In order to reach the Arctic region, the researchers collected air samples from several points along the Norwegian coast

High ocean temperatures harming Florida coral reef, crews race to help

Steps away from the warming waters of Florida Bay, marine biologist Emily Becker removed covers from the dozens of water-filled tanks under her watchful eye. Nestled in seawater carefully maintained at about 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius) lay hundreds of pieces of coral some a sickly white from the bleaching that threatens to kill them, others recovered to a healthy bright iodine in colour. As Becker looked over the coral, crews of reef rescue groups arrived in trucks carrying more brought up by divers in a massive effort aimed at saving the coral from an ocean that is cooking it alive. People jumped into action really quickly, as best as they could, Becker said, wiping sweat from her brow. Up and down the chain of islands that form the Florida Keys, coral rescue groups and government and academic institutions have mobilized to save the coral from a historic bleaching event that experts say threatens the viability of the third-largest reef tract in the world. They've

Indian, Japanese scientists discover 600 million-year-old ancient ocean

The vast stretch of deposits was found by the team across a significant stretch of the western Kumaon Himalayas, expanding out from Amritpur to the Milam glacier, and Dehradun to the Gangotri glacier

Cargo ship carrying nearly 3,000 cars catches fire in north sea, 1 dead

A fire on a freight ship carrying nearly 3,000 cars was burning out of control Wednesday in the North Sea, and the Dutch coast guard said one crew member had died, others were hurt and it was working to save the vessel from sinking. Boats and helicopters were used to get the 23 crew members off the ship after they tried unsuccessfully to put out the blaze, the coast guard said in a statement. Currently there are a lot of vessels on scene to monitor the situation and to see how to get the fire under control," Coast Guard spokeswoman Lea Versteeg told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "But it's all depending on weather and the damage to the vessel. So we're currently working out to see how we can make sure that ... the least bad situation is going to happen. Asked if it was possible the ship could sink, Versteeg said: It's a scenario we're taking into account and we're preparing for all scenarios. The Fremantle Highway was sailing from the German port of Bremen to Port

Ocean currents regulating climate could collapse mid-century: Study

Collapse of ocean currents, that redistribute temperatures and precipitation between the tropics and the North Atlantic, is predicted to happen around mid-century if current greenhouse gas emissions persist, new research has found. Shutting down these currents could have serious consequences for the Earth's climate, such as a colder future for Europe, increased warming in the tropics and increased storminess in the North Atlantic region, the research published in Nature Communications journal said. The currents, called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is estimated with high certainty to collapse in this century and most likely to occur in 2057, the analysis from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, found using advanced statistical tools on ocean temperature data from the last 150 years. "Our result underscores the importance of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible," said Peter Ditlevsen, co-corresponding author of the study. The AMOC

US rejects plea to release radioactive water from nuclear plan into sea

Massachusetts environmental regulators have denied a request by the company dismantling a shuttered nuclear power plant to release more than 1 million gallons (3.8 million litres) of radioactive wastewater into Cape Cod Bay. The state Department of Environmental Protection's draft decision issued Monday said it denied Holtec's request for a permit modification because the discharge from Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth would violate a state law that designates the bay as an ocean sanctuary. The draft will not be finalised until after a public comment period that ends Aug. 25. Environmentalists and politicians praised the decision. Release of the treated wastewater would pose a threat to the bay's environment, human health, the fishing and shellfishing industries, and the economy of the region, Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, said in a statement. Holtec sought to profit at the expense of the people, the environment and economy o

UN agency that governs int'l waters mired in debate over deep sea mining

Members of a UN agency that governs international waters were locked in a fierce debate late Friday over whether to allow deep sea mining and set a new deadline for proposed regulations still stuck in draft mode. The UN International Seabed Authority, which is based in Jamaica, began its two-week conference on the issue July 10 but discussions behind closed doors dragged on during the last day of the meeting. It's quite a marathon, Michael Lodge, the agency's secretary general, said at a press briefing Friday. There are still loose ends to tie up. The agency has yet to issue any provisional mining licenses, and it missed a July 9 deadline to approve a set of rules to govern such activity. Companies and countries can now apply for a mining license as demand surges for precious metals that are found in the deep sea and are used in electric car batteries and other green technology. The UN agency has issued more than 30 exploration licenses but none for actual mining so far. Most of t

A race for the high seas' dominion

In light of rich nations' efforts to control the high seas in search of minerals, India must swiftly catch up in the economic, technological, and strategic spheres

Climate change has shifted colour of over half of world's oceans: Study

The colour of over 56 per cent of the world's oceans, larger than Earth's total land expanse, has changed significantly over the last two decades and human-caused climate change is likely the driver, according to researchers. These colour changes, subtle to the human eye, cannot be explained by natural, year-to-year variability alone, the researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, and other institutes write in their paper published in the journal Nature. Ocean colour, a literal reflection of the life and materials in its waters, in regions near the equator was found to have steadily turned greener over time, indicating changes in the ecosystems within the surface oceans. The green colour of the ocean waters comes from the green pigment chlorophyll present in phytoplankton, the plant-like microbes abundant in upper ocean. Scientists are, therefore, keen to monitor phytoplankton to see their response to climate change. However, the authors of this study sho

Oceanic exploration: In too deep

Humans have "conquered" the world's surfaces and mountaintops. The oceans, however, have largely escaped such scrutiny, with their floors far less well known than the surfaces of the moon, or Mars

Centre's help needed for projects to check sea erosion: Karnataka minister

The Union government should provide assistance to the state in taking up permanent projects to check sea erosion at different places along the 320-km coastal line of Karnataka, state Minister for Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport Mankala S Vaidya has said. Talking to reporters after visiting the Kodi Kanyana fisheries port in Udupi district on Sunday, he said the state government is doing its best by taking temporary measures to prevent sea erosion. However, a permanent should be found by taking up projects in a phased manner with the support of the Union government, Vaidya said. He said the problems being faced by fishermen in Bengre, Kodi Kanyana and Hangarakatte will be solved jointly by the Fisheries and Port departments. The jetty project at Kodi Kanyana will be taken up soon. Former minister Jayaprakash Hegde and leaders of fishermen groups accompanied Vaidya during the visit.