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Tag: Ocean

  • Fisker Ocean Electric SUV Debuts At CES, Beats Tesla’s Price

    Fisker Ocean Electric SUV Debuts At CES, Beats Tesla’s Price

    According to Roadshow, by CNET, Fisker has debuted its Ocean electric SUV at CES 2020, undercutting Tesla’s price.

    Anticipation for the electric SUV has been building for months, with one of the biggest features being its sub-$400 lease price. The official debut didn’t disappoint, with an MSRP of $37,499 and a lease price of $379 per month. With federal tax credits, the price drops to $29,999.

    As an added bonus, Fisker has very favorable lease terms. According to a statement Fisker gave Roadshow, lessees “can return the vehicle in one month, eight months, 22 months or several years.” There are “no long-term contracts, with 30,000 miles per year included.” In addition, “Fisker will pick up and return vehicles when maintenance is required, or service is requested,” the company said.

    While specific, comprehensive details have yet to be announced, the Ocean “will be powered by an approximately 80-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The company is targeting an electric driving range of somewhere between 250 and 300 miles.”

    For observers and consumers who have wanted more competition in the electric vehicle market, the Fisker Ocean debut is welcome news. In combination with the news that Rivian recently raised $1.3 billion, as well as inked deals with Amazon and Ford, the electric vehicle market is beginning to heat up.

  • Gulf of Mexico ‘Dead Zone’ the Size of Connecticut

    Oceanic researchers revealed that a man-made “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico has bloomed to roughly the size of the state of Connecticut.

    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), dead zones are hypoxic areas in large bodies of water, caused by “excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors that deplete the oxygen required to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water.”

    The Gulf dead zone, which occurs annually at springtime, is roughly 5,000 square miles in size at present, and is the second largest in the world, behind the zone in the Baltic Sea around Finland. Though, the oxygen-depleted area fluctuates in diameter. In 2002, the zone comprised 8,400 square miles, and in 1988 it was only 15 square miles.

    Louisiana State University researchers discuss the dead zone in the Gulf:

    Gene Turner, a researcher at LSU’s Coastal Ecology Institute, explains that the main cause of the annual dead zone is excess nutrient runoff from farms along the Mississippi River.

    The nutrients in the farm waste feed algae growth, which consumes oxygen as it works its way to the bottom of the Gulf. “It’s a poster child for how we are using and abusing our natural resources,” Turner commented.

    Here is an NOAA clip concerning the Gulf dead zone:

    According to a report by Turner and research associate Nancy Rabalais, there are roughly 550 dead zones worldwide at present, and the number has been increasing for decades. The Gulf dead zone began to form in the 1970s, as an increase in agriculture lead to an increase in pollution. The zone has been steadily growing since, though Turner remarked that “floods, droughts, storms and other factors affect the volume of nutrients flowing into the Gulf and account for year-over-year fluctuations.”

    Rabalais added, “It seems to have leveled out in size, but it could get worse.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • 1888 Shipwreck Found in San Francisco Bay

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released images Wednesday of the wreckage of a ship that sank in San Francisco Bay in 1888, which killed 16 people. The iron and wood steamship called City of Chester went down on August 22, after being hit by a larger ship named the Oceanic, in conditions of dense fog and low visibility.

    City of Chester was carrying 106 travelers en route to Eureka, California and Portland, Oregon. Thirteen passengers and three crewmen perished when the ship sank.

    The NOAA inadvertently discovered the wreckage while mapping shipping lanes in the bay, and City of Chester was located 217 feet down, just inside the Golden Gate Bridge. The NOAA team utilized a multi-beam sonic imaging system to capture three-dimensional images of the wreckage.

    James Delgado, an NOAA shipwreck researcher, archaeologist and Titanic expert, combed through San Francisco newspapers from the era when City of Chester went down, which leaned toward putting the blame on the relatively unscathed Oceanic, which was an immigrant vessel. “The papers initially reacted, talking about the tragedy and accusations that the Chinese crew stood by and let people drown,” Delgado said. “But what happens is you start to see things also come out countering that. Some leapt in water to save a drowning child.” The initial investigation faulted the skipper of the City of Chester.

    Robert Schwemmer, NOAA’s West Coast regional maritime heritage coordinator added, “The Oceanic crew was up on the bow reaching down to survivors on the Chester, lifting them on the deck. After the collision, in five or six minutes, the Oceanic crew went on to save a lot of people.”

    In 1888, San Francisco Bay was one of the world’s busiest and most crucial shipping ports. The City of Chester sinking was the second worst maritime disaster regarding casualties San Francisco Bay had ever seen. The most catastrophic occurred when a steamer called the SS City of Rio de Janeiro hit a reef in 1901, killing over 120.

    Image via NOAA

  • Iceberg Twice the Size of Atlanta Enters Ocean

    Iceberg Twice the Size of Atlanta Enters Ocean

    An iceberg with an area almost twice the size of Atlanta has broken away from the Antarctic continent and is drifting into the ocean, which could threaten shipping lanes in the Southern Ocean during the Antarctic winter. The floating, frozen island has been named iceberg B31. Scientists have reported from NASA’s Earth Observatory that B31 spans 255 square miles and is estimated to be roughly a third of a mile thick.

    Iceberg B31 calved off Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier last November, and the crack that began the separation was first spotted by NASA in 2011. So far, B31 has drifted out of Pine Island Bay and into the Amundsen Sea, off the western side of Antarctica. In a statement from NASA, Grant Bigg from the University of Sheffield in England said, “The iceberg is now well out of Pine Island Bay and will soon join the more general flow in the Southern Ocean, which could be east or west in this region.”

    NASA’s Earth Observatory posted a clip delineating the path of B31’s movement, utilizing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-equipped Terra and Aqua satellites:

    Icebergs are free-floating, massive pieces of freshwater ice that have broken off a glacier or an ice shelf. Due to the conflicted densities between pure ice and seawater, typically only one-tenth of the volume of an iceberg is above water. This had fostered the expression “tip of the iceberg,” and contributed to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.

    Robert Marsh, a scientist at the University of Southampton in England, said an iceberg of B31’s magnitude can take a year to melt. The largest iceberg ever recorded was iceberg B15, which was the size of the state of Connecticut, at 4,250 square miles. B15 calved off Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf in March, 2000. Fragments of B15 still float around the Antarctic today.

    Image via NASA

  • Seafaring Smugglers May Pose Threats for Coast Guard

    As awareness increases along the border of the U.S., smugglers have resorted to seafaring methods in order to transport drugs. The U.S. Coast Guard, which patrols 95,000 miles of coastline, has continually upheld the responsibility of keeping a watchful eye over the waters. However, recent budget cuts have made this responsibility challenging.

    In 2013, the Coast Guard reduced operating costs to meet federal budget guidelines. Decreasing manpower and limiting the resources of the Coast Guard has made the waters more vulnerable to potential threats.

    According to Adm. Robert Papp of the Coast Guard, “Our interdictions are down 30 percent from the year before, when we had more assets out there, so that’s an indicator to me that as soon as we start pulling assets away, they’re running more drugs and they’re getting through. The land border is a much simpler border to defend. You can put up fences. You can put people out there. But it’s a finite area. You know where your land starts and where it ends. When you go out into the maritime, it’s huge.”

    Cmdr. Chris German echoed the sentiments expressed by Papp. “We’ve had to cut back in hours and funding, and cut back on resources on the water. The Coast Guard’s aircraft and ships have cut back on fuel, so every hour we’re not in the air or on the water, it does leave a gap.”

    Members of the Coast Guard are not only preoccupied with protecting the borders and assisting individuals who may succumb to maritime dangers, but also must be prepared to participate in safety initiatives relating to regional weather conditions.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons and courtesy of Robert Green

  • Marshall Islands Castaway Survives 13 Months Out at Sea

    The story of an El Salvadoran man who allegedly was lost at sea for more than a year almost mirrors one of Hollywood’s most adventurous and heart-felt films, “Castaway,” which was released in 2000 starring Tom Hanks.

    The realistic castaway, 37-year-old Jose Salvador Alvarenga, was discovered Monday washed ashore on a tiny island of the Marshall Islands. The islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, 5,500 miles away from Mexico.

    His story entails a 13-month ordeal at sea after leaving on a shark-fishing trip with a fellow friend.

    Alvarenga tells investigators that he was originally from El Salvador, but lived in Mexico for the past 15 years where he worked as a fisherman catching sharks.

    According to the longhaired, bearded man, he and his traveling friend Xiquel set sail from Mexico on Dec. 2012 when their engine died. They were then propelled off course by a storm and left adrift.

    Xiquel was said to be the teenage son of Alvarenga’s boss. After a few months abandoned at sea, the young boy starved to death.

    Alvarenga recalled his own survival experience to officials, one that involved surviving off of turtles, raw fish, bird blood and prayer.

    “He has a story that can be verified so those are the next steps to find out when he left Mexico and then add up the evidence and the information he has provided. But certainly if what he is saying is true, he is one of the best survivalists around,” U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hart Armbruster told NBC News.

    His health is shockingly in good condition, except for a minor case of low blood pressure and swollen limbs.

    Some officials fail to believe that a castaway could survive such an extended long period of time without adequate survival tools. However, there have been similar stories in the past where fishermen have survived up to nine months lost at sea.

    “It does sound like an incredible story and I’m not sure if I believe his story,” said Gee Bing, secretary of foreign affairs for the Marshall Islands. “When we saw him, he was not really thin compared to other survivors in the past. I may have some doubts. Once we start communicating with where he’s from, we’ll be able to find out more information.”

    Although he appears to be a bit flustered and incoherent, Alvarenga was able to provide the names of his parents and siblings.

    His brother and brother-in-law have both been contacted by authorities and say that Alvarenga definitely looks like their long-lost family member; but they are not getting their hopes up just yet.

    Officials are still investigating the details of Alvarenga’s account to validate his identity and “miraculous” story.

    Alvarenga has been taken to a hospital on the Majuro Island for further medical treatment and examination.

    Here’s a list of some of the luckiest survivors.

     Image via Youtube

  • Shark Photobomb, Just When You Thought it Was Safe!

    Some types of sharks such as great whites have a reputation for being fierce predators, the type that can easily capture prey. So, when a shark is noticed as part of the backdrop within a family picture after-the-fact, surprise is one expected emotion. On Friday, June Emerson snapped photos of her family enjoying time at Manhattan Beach. Emerson’s 12-year-old son Quinn is shown surfing in one of the photos in front of what appears to be an image of either a shark or a dolphin.

    According to June Emerson, there are many who have concluded that the marine creature was a shark. “It was quite a shock to see [the photo].” Emerson said before adding, “Many local surfers and lifeguards have seen this and believe it to be a shark. Of course, I told my kids it was a dolphin, as we live at the beach and are in the waters here almost daily.”

    The thought of being within feet of a shark may sound exciting and thrilling to some; however, Emerson shared a different take on the experience when interviewed by CBS2/KCAL9. “I’m not sure what it was, but it definitely scared me when I thought it might be a shark,” she said.

    According to the Shark Research Committee, sharks are a diverse species. “Some sharks give live birth, some lay eggs. Some are carnivores and others survive on phytoplankton and zooplankton. Some sharks do not reach maturity until they are more than 10 years of age,” the Shark Research Committee website explains. Humans have entered the domain of many types of sharks.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwubcIRkV6k

    The Shark Research Committee details three types of known shark encounters including: an unprovoked shark attack distinguished by an aggressive “striking” or display, a shark encounter where the shark circles the human without leading to any sort of violence, and white shark predation that involves the shark hunting down, capturing, and eating prey.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YVp3U_5mqI

    Image Via Twitter

  • Turks and Caicos Capsizing Leaves 18 Dead

    On Christmas Day, a 28-foot boat transporting Haitian migrants capsized roughly 100 meters from Providenciales, an island located within the Turks and Caicos Islands. The ship was in the process of being escorted to shore by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force around 3 a.m. EST. Tragically, eighteen of the passengers have been killed. However, 32 passengers were rescued including a 12-year-old boy. Officials are still in the process of searching for missing individuals, which includes a 10-year-old child.

    Though the exact cause behind the accident has not been officially declared, some have speculated on the chain of events that influenced the outcome. Some claim that the behavior of the migrants themselves ultimately caused the capsizing. Karlo Pelissier, who is the Haitian consul to the Turks and Caicos, said that passengers jumped from the boat in an effort to reach land, which caused the boat to ultimately turn. Pelissier spoke about the health condition of the individuals who were fortunate to be recovered safely from the water. “They are tired, but they are OK,” he said.

    Salim Succar, who is an adviser to Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, spoke about the devastating incident. “We are saddened by such tragedy and present our condolences and prayers to the families and friends of those affected by this accident.”

    According to an official statement, “Police are still searching for the handful of people who reached shore and fled the scene, and their investigations into the incident continue.”

    U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Sabrina Laberbesque reported that the U.S. Coast Guard sent two helicopters to the scene in order to aid in the rescue efforts. In addition, two emergency-response vessels were sent to the area of the accident by the Florida Coast Guard.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Everglades Whales Stranded and Beached

    The Everglades has been described to this writer as “the Australia of America,” in that most of the things inhabiting it, including many of the plants, would like nothing more than to kill you. A rugged, muggy wilderness, mentions of the Everglades do not tend to also bring to mind whales, often thought of as docile giants of the sea. The combination, however, is much more common than one might initially believe; pods of Pilot whales are common in the waters near the Everglade forests. This combination has proved harmful, however; a pod of the whales found themselves about 20 miles off course of their typical stomping ground, and many have been beached and stranded as a result.

    Pods of short-finned Pilot whales tend to consist of about twenty five to thirty mammals, but the pod that has found itself in the thick of this trouble has nearly four dozen members in it, not including the ten whales that beached themselves and have been confirmed dead. The unlucky pod somehow stumbled into Highland Beach, the Western boundary of the Everglades and a particularly difficult area to navigate. Groups of rescuers spent hours on Wednesday working to shepherd the giants away from the shallow water and back towards the more suitable ocean.

    These efforts have proved rather fruitless, however. Pilot whales are very social, tight-knit creatures, and will often beach or strand themselves if one of their pod mates has done so. Linda Friar, a spokesperson, says, “Pilot whales are common stranders. [Even after being rescued] they tend to rebeach themselves.” Friar went on to say that this particular pod was “not cooperating” with rescuer’s efforts to herd them back into the safety of deeper water. Rescuers face an extra set of troubles, however, since shallow water near the shore is not the only problem; even if the whales do turn back, they then face a maze of sand bars and shallow patches that could ensnare them even further.

    Rescue efforts were called off on Wednesday evening, and are expected to continue as needed on Thursday morning.

    [Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.]

  • Maui Shark Attack Kills Fisherman

    Maui Shark Attack Kills Fisherman

    A shark attack in Maui resulted in the death of a kayak fisherman whose foot was severed in the attack. The fisherman, who has been identified by the Maui County Police Department as Patrick Briney Stevenson, was reported to have been fishing with a partner at the time of his attack.

    Briney’s fishing partner allegedly spotted a nearby boat from which he sought help. Briney was taken ashore by the boat and then to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.  According to CNN,  William Dunaway was one of the passengers of the boat that helped to transport Briney’s body. Dunaway reported what he says he witnessed of the incident:

    “We noticed in the distance there was a man in a kayak that was waving to us, and he started paddling over to us. We saw that he was tethered to another kayak. And as he got closer we saw that there was a body lying flat out in the kayak and the body didn’t look good. It had a very odd tint to it, and I think we all realized that there was something wrong.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VacKx9s7q4w

    While shark attacks have been greatly feared (especially since the production of Jaws), marine scientists have always worked hard to assure the public that shark attacks are typically rare and few in number.

    But little consolation comes to those who frequent the waters as well as those who do not, due to the highly televised stories of the most grizzly shark attacks, such as the attack suffered by pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton back in 2003. Hamilton was only 13 years old when she lost her arm to a tiger shark during a morning surf at Tunnels Beach in Kauai.

    And this year, Hawaii has been more shark-infested than usual with a total of 13 shark attacks recorded. Of the 13 incidents, Maui makes up the majority of these attacks with what is being counted now as its eighth attack this year.

    The chairman of the Department of Land and Natural Resources William J. Aila has announced measures toward finding the reason for the increase in shark attacks happening around Hawaii:

    “We are not sure why these bites are occurring more frequently than normal, especially around Maui. That’s why we are conducting a two-year study of shark behavior around Maui that may give us better insights.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    Video and via Youtube

  • Man Punched On Head By Humpback Whale [Video]

    Dory, the famous blue palette surgeonfish, tried to speak the language of a humpback whale in the classic Disney movie, Finding Nemo, and everyone thought it was quite comical and cute at the time. Remember? However, one man appeared to try a similar task when faced with the underwater confrontation between the peaceful, yet massive ocean dweller.

    Chris Coates was in the middle of filming footage about the humpback whale near the eastern coast of Africa when the head-to-fin encounter occurred.

    Thirty-eight-year-old photographer, Chris Coates, spoke with Mike Skogmo of JukinVideo.

    “But I must admit, I got quite a shock when it swam right up at me. At one stage it was only one foot away, and even though I know that they generally don’t hurt people, it’s so big and strong, it is still scary,” Coates said.

    Coates went on to explain the event in greater detail where he even noted the sensation of having a barnacle-ridden humpback charge against one’s flesh. ‘Ew’, or maybe this is more of an ‘Ah’ situation.

    “The whale hit me on the head and hand. I could feel its barnacles scraping over my forehead. The slap with the fin was quite hard, but I don’t think it was trying to hurt me or it would have been way harder. It also must have hit the camera because it hit my hand that was holding the camera,” Coates said.

    Did the whale give the photographer a right and then a left, or a left and then a right? I guess the moral of the story is; don’t pick a fist fight with a humpback whale or you’ll lose every time.

    [Images And Video Via YouTube And Courtesy of Jukin Video]

  • Lionfish Invasion: Atlantic Ocean Not The Same

    Venomous. Fast. Deadly. Will swallow food whole every time. Subject to only one known predator, which includes humans. What could this describe? The lionfish (native of the Pacific and Indian oceans) is the creature that is now taking over the Atlantic Ocean.

    Roughly sized at fifteen inches, these marine creatures are not intimidating for their size, but rather the poisonous protrusions on their bodies. Typically active during the day, lionfish are found in rocky, shallow bays as well as coral reefs where camouflage is capable.

    Graham Maddocks, the president of Ocean Support Foundation, recently spoke with CNN about the invasion. “The lionfish invasion is probably the worst environmental disaster the Atlantic will ever face.”

    (image)

    Graham Maddocks went on to further explain, “I don’t know if we can stop the lionfish invasion. This isn’t a battle we can win, we can only maintain. Human beings started this problem. It is our fault they are here. We have to take responsibility and try to fix or hope we can control it.”

    (image)

    James Morris, an ecologist with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, echoed the sentiments of Graham Maddocks in a recent phone interview with CNN.

    “It’s an infestation. The Atlantic Ocean is a big place, but the areas being affected are extremely important,” James Morris said.

    (image)

    Concerns for the ecosystem focus around the capacity of the lionfish to devour other types of fish that cross their paths. Lionfish can produce 30,000 to 40,000 eggs within just a few days time and it is not unheard of for these fish to live for fifteen years, which equates with the potential for a high volume of unstoppable fish to dominate whatever areas these marine creatures inhabit. The potential for the survival of other types of marine life that inhabit the same space may be grim.

    (image)

    Lionfish have poison in the needle-like protrusions from their bodies; however, there is no poison within the flesh of the fish and as such humans can consume without fear of ingesting poison. Many people have previously been afraid to eat the fish due to myths about the type of poison.

    (image)

    Efforts have been underway in order to control the population of lionfish, which includes nine various subspecies. Some of the ongoing efforts for population control have included promoting lionfish tournaments and community-wide events such as fish fries.

    (image)

    Though the concern is far from over, people must continue to strive to maintain an eco-friendly balance where one species does not overtake the others.

    [Images Via Wikimedia Commons Courtesy of LASZLO ILYES, Serge Melki, Sebastian Wallroth, Daniel Dietrich and Ocean Support Foundation’s Facebook Page]

  • Researchers Developing Deep-Sea Wifi

    Researchers Developing Deep-Sea Wifi

    Researchers at the University of Buffalo are developing an underwater wifi network for use at sea. Alas, hold your horses – This doesn’t mean there will be any Snapchatting, Instagramming, Facebookery, Tweeting, Vining, Myspacing, Google Plussing, Tumbing, Flickring, Foursquaring, Goodreading, Pinning or Yelping underwater any time soon. The program is intended for more practical uses, like monitoring ocean life and for helping to give advance warning of tsunamis.

    Project lead Tommaso Melodia, an associate professor of electrical engineering at the University of Buffalo, said in a statement, “A submerged wireless network will give us an unprecedented ability to collect and analyze data from our oceans in real time. Making this information available to anyone with a smartphone or computer, especially when a tsunami or other type of disaster occurs, could help save lives.”

    Since radio waves don’t travel effectively underwater, a simple dropping of a few waterproofed 4G hotspots into the sea won’t create a network. Melodia and his team turned to sound waves to create a wireless signal.

    With funding from the National Science Foundation, two 40-pound sensors were attached to a buoy and submerged in lake Erie. The sensors were then able to detect a series of high-pitched chirps, which bounced off a nearby concrete wall. These sound waves were then converted into radio waves.

    Medodia commented, “An Internet underwater has so many possibilities,” adding, “We could even use it to monitor fish and marine mammals, and find out how to best protect them from shipping traffic and other dangers.”

    NASA had established internet in space in 2010, allowing astronauts to surf the ‘net via the Crew Support LAN. This is the official first space-tweet:

    While there’s a chance the first oceanic tweet might have something to do with spring break, the practical applications of the new network are highly valuable.

    Image via The University of Buffalo.

  • Dolphin “Stampede” Caught on Video

    Dolphin “Stampede” Caught on Video

    For most Americans, seeing dolphins is something that happens at Sea World or another aquatic-themed amusement park. Some are lucky enough to swim with a few dolphins on their honeymoon. Some tourists on a recent whale and dolphin sighting expedition got much more than that.

    Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Safari posted a video this week that shows an estimated 1,000 dolphins as they “stampede” off the coast of Dana Point, California. The business calls the event very rare, and stated that the line of wild dolphins could be seen from miles away. Capt. Dave’s also claims that Southern California is home to the greatest number of oceanic dolphins per square mile in the world, with close to 450,000 common dolphins.

    What isn’t explained is exactly why the dolphins are stampeding. Without a proper explanation, it’s easy to conclude that the dolphins are engaging in some sort of emergency planet evacuation, and that humans should follow suit, lest they be caught on Earth as it is destroyed to make way for a new hyperspace bypass.

    (Image courtesy Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Safari Facebook Page)

  • NASA Study Finds Global Sea Level Rising Once Again

    Though the world’s oceans have been steadily rising at a rate of 3.2 mm per year for decades now, NASA scientists reported last year that the global sea level had actually dropped sharply between early 2010 and summer 2011, by about half a centimeter in total. However, a new study now shows that, as predicted, the global mean sea level has recovered from its drop and is once again rising.

    “The water the ocean ‘lost’ was compensated for rather quickly,” said Carmen Boening, lead author of the study and ocean/atmosphere researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “The newest data clearly indicate that the drop in 2010-11 was only temporary.”

    The paper, published recently in the journal Geophysical Research, shows that the “pothole” on the road to rising sea levels was caused by a strong La Nina event that began in late 2010. La Nina is a periodic Pacific Ocean climate phenomenon, and the counterpart to El Nino. The paper shows that the event changed rainfall patterns all over Earth, moving a huge volume of water from the ocean to land. In particular, rainfall in Australia, Northern South America, and Southeast Asia was heavy.

    “In 2011, we detected a lot of water that was temporarily stored over land, causing severe flooding in some regions,” said Felix Landerer, co-author of the study and research scientist at JPL. “In 2012, we have seen much of this water find its way back into the ocean.”

    (Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech/CNES)

  • Google Maps Takes Street View Under The Sea

    As Google continues to map the Earth, and bring Street View imagery to more exotic places, the company is now tackling the depths of the world’s oceans.

    Google has teamed up with The Catlin Seaview Survey, which studies the world’s reefs, and is contributing photos to Street View. Google says the survey used a specially designed underwater camera, the SVII.

    “Starting today, you can use Google Maps to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray and experience the reef at sunset—just as I did on my first dive in the Great Barrier Reef last year,” says Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Earth. “You can also find out much more about this reef via the World Wonders Project, a website that brings modern and ancient world heritage sites online.”

    Heron Island Resort

    Google Underwater Street View

    Heron Island

    Ancient Boulder Coral

    Boulder Coral

    Snorkelers in Oahu’s Hanauma Bay

    Snorkelers

    Maui’s Crater

    Maui Crater

    Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

    Lady Eliot Island

    Lady Eliot Island

    Here are a couple of promo videos for the project. The second one even shows an underwater Google+ Hangout:

  • Underwater Expedition Produces Odd Sea Creatures

    Middle Earth is a great place, mostly because it is so beautiful. Well that beauty is actually real and takes place in New Zealand. A few weeks ago some scientists there decided to explore another part of their country that hasn’t ever been explored. The ocean around it.

    So some Scientists with New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research jumped in a boat and took off to the Kermadec Ridge in the South Pacific. While there they explored 4 regions that have never been seen before by human eyes.

    The point of the expedition was to take stock of the sea creatures below to understand how human activity could affect what was down there. “In order to ensure that deep-sea ecosystems do not suffer too much damage from things like bottom trawling or mineral extraction, we need to know what animals occur there, and how vulnerable they are to impact,” said Malcomb Clark said in an interview with National Geographic.

    The survey managed to find several unknown species as well as some potential new ones. The 3,800 square mile area that this range covers is huge by our standards but small compared to the ocean. The underwater range is north of New Zealand and does feature some above water islands that are just beautiful.

    Here are some of the photos of the animals found while on the expedition. Thanks to National Geographic for these wonderful images: