Ocean

CSIR-NIO's study on microplastics reveals extent of pollution on Goa coast

The CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography's study on microplastics over the last decade has been instrumental in uncovering the extent of pollution on Goa's coast. The CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Dona Paula began its research on microplastics in 2013-14 with the partial support of the state and Central governments. A team of researchers led by principal scientist Dr Mahua Saha has been collecting samples from beaches littered with plastic bottles and other waste to study the presence and impact of microplastics. Talking to PTI, CSIR director Dr Sunil Kumar Singh said the problem is that microplastics in water (rivers and sea) have started making their way into food and entering human bodies. He said plastic waste breaks down into microplastics, enters the water system, and subsequently into the food chain through fish and other marine life consumed by humans. The NIO has established the country's first laboratory dedicated to microplastic research. Principa

Titan submersible owner's top officials to testify before Coast Guard

One of the top officials with the company that owned the experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreckage of the Titanic is scheduled to testify in front of the Coast Guard on Tuesday. Amber Bay, OceanGate's former director of administration, is one of the key witnesses Tuesday. OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush was among the five people who died when the submersible imploded in June 2023. The Coast Guard opened a public hearing earlier this month that is part of a high level investigation into the cause of the implosion. Some of the testimony has focused on the troubled nature of the company. The co-founder of the company told the Coast Guard panel on Monday that he hoped a silver lining of the disaster is that it will inspire a renewed interest in exploration, including the deepest waters of the world's oceans. Businessman Guillermo Sohnlein, who helped found OceanGate with Rush, ultimately left the company before the Titan disaster. This can't be the end of deep

Titan submersible's director says sub malfunctioned prior to Titanic dive

The scientific director for the company that owned the Titan submersible that imploded last year while on its way to the Titanic wreckage testified on Thursday that the sub had malfunctioned just prior to the fatal dive. A mission specialist for the company that owned the Titan submersible that imploded last year told the US Coast Guard on Thursday that the firm was staffed by competent people who wanted to make dreams come true. Renata Rojas was the latest person to testify who was connected to Titan owner OceanGate. An investigatory panel had previously listened to two days of testimony that raised questions about the company's operations before the doomed mission. OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush was among five people who died when the submersible imploded en route to the site of the Titanic wreck in June 2023. Rojas' testimony struck a different tone than some of the earlier witnesses, who described the company as troubled from the top down and focused more on profit than ...

Employee who called Titan unsafe testifies firm only wanted to make money

A key employee who labelled a doomed experimental submersible unsafe prior to its last, fatal voyage testified Tuesday that he frequently clashed with the company's co-founder and felt the company was committed only to making money. David Lochridge, OceanGate's former operations director, is one of the most anticipated witnesses to appear before a commission trying to determine what caused the Titan to implode en route to the wreckage of the Titanic last year, killing all five on board. His testimony echoed that of other former employees Monday, one of whom described OceanGate head Stockton Rush as volatile and difficult to work with. The whole idea behind the company was to make money, Lochridge said. There was very little in the way of science. Rush was among the five people who died in the implosion. OceanGate owned the Titan and brought it on several dives to the Titanic going back to 2021. Lochridge's testimony began a day after other witnesses painted a picture of a troubled

Coast Guard to hear from ex OceanGate employees about Titan implosion

US Coast Guard officials investigating the implosion of an experimental watercraft en route to the wreck of the Titanic were scheduled Monday to hear from former employees of the company that owned the Titan submersible. The aim of the two-week hearing in Charleston County, South Carolina, is to uncover the facts surrounding the incident and develop recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future, the Coast Guard said in a statement earlier this month. The ongoing Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of marine casualty investigation conducted by the Coast Guard. The Titan imploded in the North Atlantic in June 2023, killing all five people on board and setting off a worldwide debate about the future of private undersea exploration. Among those killed was Stockton Rush, co-founder of OceanGate, the Washington state company that owned the Titan. The company suspended operations after the implosion. Witnesses scheduled to testify on Monday include OceanGate's .

GRSE to build ocean research vessel in collaboration with NCPOR

Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) signed a contract with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) for constructing an ocean research vessel, an official said on Wednesday. The contract, worth approximately Rs 840 crore, was signed between GRSE and NCPOR officials for the construction of the vessel in 42 months, the shipyard informed the stock exchanges. The Kolkata-headquartered warship builder said it has the necessary expertise in the field of survey vessels and has been building them for the Indian Navy for nearly four decades now. The contract was signed by the officials of the shipyard and NCPOR in Goa on Tuesday, the GRSE official said in a statement. In December 2023, GRSE delivered the INS Sandhayak, the largest survey vessel to be built in the country, to the Indian Navy. Three more vessels of this class are at various stages of completion at the shipyard, he said, adding that this experience will stand GRSE in good stead wh

ISA members negotiate deep sea mining code in Jamaica as opposition mounts

Supporters say deep sea mining will help boost supplies of raw materials like cobalt and nickel, which are needed for the global energy transition

A year after Titan disaster, OceanGate co-founder plans ocean sinkhole trip

The team will attempt to unravel the secrets of Dean's Blue Hole in The Bahamas, while being subjected to an extreme pressure of about 20 times greater than that felt on the surface

A yr after Titan's dive, deep-sea explorers vow to pursue ocean's mysteries

The deadly implosion of an experimental submersible en route to the deep-sea grave of the Titanic last June has not dulled the desire for further ocean exploration, despite lingering questions about the disaster. Tuesday marks one year since the Titan vanished on its way to the historic wreckage site in the North Atlantic Ocean. After a five-day search that captured attention around the world, authorities said the vessel had been destroyed and all five people on board had died. Concerns have been raised about whether the Titan was destined for disaster because of its unconventional design and its creator's refusal to submit to independent checks that are standard in the industry. The US Coast Guard quickly convened a high-level investigation into what happened, but officials said the inquiry is taking longer than the initial 12-month time frame, and a planned public hearing to discuss their findings won't happen for at least another two months. Meanwhile, deep-sea exploration ...

India to become sixth country to have deep sea mission, says Jitendra Singh

Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said India is set to become the sixth country to have its own deep-sea mission. Chairing a meeting to discuss the ministry's 100-day action plan, Singh expressed pride and happiness on the progress of the deep-sea mission and India being among the very few nations to achieve this feat. He asked institutes to focus on achieving a resilient blue economy to empower people dependent on the ocean and its energy for livelihood. Singh said the deep-sea mission is not limited to mineral exploration but development of ocean sciences and exploration of flora and fauna and conservation of marine biodiversity. He lauded the National institute of Ocean Technology's (NIOT) efforts for the development of Matsyayaan 6000, which can dive 6,000 metres deep into the ocean. Taking stock of the progress, he directed officials to complete the first stage of the vessel's harbour trial by September and finish the subsequent ones by 2026. Singh ...

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 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