Ocean

Move to dismantle $368m sea observatory initiative faced opposition from experts and lawmakersThe Donald Trump administration has reversed its decision to dismantle a $368m deep-sea observation system following an outcry from lawmakers and ocean experts.On Thursday, the National Science Foundation announced that it would halt plans to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, stating: “effective immediately, [it] will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance”. Continue reading...

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator, joins Democrats in bid to stop dismantling the Ocean Observatories InitiativeUS politics live – latest updatesA group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters on Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally.The Ocean Observatories Initiative is a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386m. Over the last decade it has tracked ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change and extreme weather, producing data freely available to the public and informing more than 500 scientific publications. The project was slated to run another 15 to 20 years. Continue reading...

Experts say dismantling the ocean observation system will ‘severely degrade’ the accuracy of weather predictionsThe Trump administration’s plan to dismantle an ocean observation system vital to understanding the climate crisis and marine ecosystems would “severely degrade” the accuracy of weather predictions and El Niño forecasts, with economic consequences for the US, European and American scientists have warned.Decommissioning the US system, which plays a major part in a global ocean observation network, would lead to a massive increase in error in the annual estimates of ocean heating rates, according to research published last month. Continue reading...

Ocean Observatories Initiative, $368m network that has provided crucial climate data, latest victim of Trump cutsThe Trump administration plans to dismantle a $368m deep-sea observation system that has for more than a decade provided crucial data on ocean systems and climate change.In a notice, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that it had “initiated descoping of the Ocean Observatories Initiative” (OOI), a vast ocean observation network comprising more than 900 instruments that collect data on ocean health, including current patterns, climate variability and marine biodiversity. Continue reading...

• The 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships will take place on June 23 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, Philippines. • The event brings together regional athletes to compete in Sambo, a combat sport originating from the Soviet Union. • This championship is expected to significantly boost local sports tourism by attracting international visitors and participants to the city.

• The United States seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight, according to three U.S. officials cited in the FDD overnight brief. • President Donald Trump has warned he could resume military strikes on Iran, while Tehran remains in a standoff over its nuclear program and highly enriched uranium. • The move comes amid broader concerns about Iranian maritime and military capabilities, including a newly disclosed U.S. assessment that identified at least 10 sophisticated naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

• The CDC said on May 2, 2026, it is responding to a deadly outbreak of Andes virus, a type of hantavirus, among passengers and crew on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. • The agency said no cases have been confirmed in the United States from the outbreak and that the risk of a pandemic and the overall risk to American travelers is “extremely low.” • Andes virus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe and potentially deadly lung disease, making the outbreak notable for public health monitoring.

• Ocean Network Express (ONE) posted a US$55 million profit in the fourth quarter of FY2025 as freight rates recovered, though overall cargo movements remained sluggish throughout the year. • The container shipping company faced persistent headwinds from weak cargo demand in 2025, signaling continued challenges in the global freight market. • Industry observers view ONE's modest profitability as reflective of broader shipping sector weakness, with market recovery dependent on improved global trade volumes.

Victorian and federal Labor governments greenlight Otway basin drilling project with potential to supply one-third of state’s gasFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcasA new gas drilling project approved for Victoria’s Otway basin will make “the path to a safe climate harder” and put a “pristine ocean environment” at risk, environment groups have warned.The federal and Victorian governments on Thursday announced they had greenlit the production licence for Amplitude Energy’s Annie gasfield project in the Otway basin, which expects to start producing gas by 2028. Continue reading...

• The Federal Reserve Board approved an application by OceanFirst Financial Corp on April 24, 2026. • This regulatory greenlight supports the bank's strategic initiatives in the financial sector. • The decision reflects ongoing oversight of mergers and expansions in US banking amid economic shifts.

• Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reported that Atlantic cod and other commercial fish populations have rebounded 34% over the past four years following strict catch quotas and marine protected areas implemented in 2022. • Population surveys conducted across 850,000 square kilometers of Atlantic waters show biomass increases in previously depleted stocks, with detailed findings presented at the American Fisheries Society conference on April 19. • The recovery demonstrates that science-based fisheries management can restore ecosystems within a decade, providing a model for international ocean conservation efforts.

• SpaceX's Starship completed its 15th integrated flight test on April 21, achieving full-stack booster catch at Starbase, Texas, and a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean for the Super Heavy upper stage. • The mission marked the first successful reentry and splashdown of Starship with active thermal management systems, demonstrating technological readiness for crewed lunar missions planned for 2027. • Flight duration extended to 68 minutes with multiple payload bay experiments conducted, including deployment of prototype satellite constellations and in-space refueling demonstrations.

• Indonesian authorities evacuated approximately 200,000 residents from coastal regions across Sumatra and Java on April 10 following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean, triggering tsunami warnings across the region. • The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts for 17 countries across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean basin, with initial sea level measurements showing wave surges of 1.2 to 2.1 meters in Banda Aceh and other coastal communities. • Authorities reported no confirmed fatalities as of press time, with emergency shelters activated and communications being restored in affected areas; officials warned residents not to return to coastal zones until all-clear notices are issued.

The four astronauts are set to touch down on Earth and conclude the 10-day mission after completing moon flybyThe number of human beings who have travelled to the moon and returned safely to Earth will grow to 28 on Friday night when Nasa’s Orion capsule containing four Artemis II astronauts will glide gently to a Pacific Ocean splashdown beneath three giant parachutes.The scheduled 5.07pm PT landing (1.07am BST Saturday) off the coast of San Diego will mark the end of a 10-day lunar odyssey that made the three Americans and one Canadian the first people to travel beyond lower Earth orbit since the final mission of the Apollo program in December 1972. Continue reading...

• Billie Eilish and brother Finneas O'Connell won Song of the Year at the 2026 Grammy Awards held April 5 in Las Vegas for 'Ocean Eyes Reprise'. • Award marks their fifth Song win, beating nominees like Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar; Eilish said, 'This one's for the dreamers who never quit.' • Event viewed by 18.7 million, up 12% from 2025, highlighting music awards' TV resurgence.

Researchers warn the high-pressure conditions could disrupt marine life and ecosystems if it continuesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxFor more than a century, shoreline stations operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have measured water temperatures along the California coast. This year, they are flashing a warning sign.Over the last three months, several stations have repeatedly posted record-breaking daily high temperatures – with the La Jolla station registering temperatures a full 10F above historical average at one point last month. Continue reading...

• Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren opened a congressional hearing emphasizing deep-sea exploration's role in US national security, resource management, economic health, and cultural identity. • Advances in deep ocean knowledge support critical national interests amid growing global competition. • Hearing addresses regulatory and scientific challenges in ocean research funding and policy.

Conservationists hope Murray Watt’s review of national marine parks will ‘right the wrongs’ of previous downgrade of protectionSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereThe federal environment minister, Murray Watt, has pledged to put an extra half a million square kilometres of Australia’s ocean out of reach of fishers and drillers in a step conservationists hope will “right the wrongs” of an Abbott-era downgrade of marine protection.Watt confirmed last year Australia would put 30% of its ocean estate under a high level of protection that bans extractive industries as part of an international agreement to protect 30% of the planet’s oceans. Continue reading...

• A UC Riverside-led study analyzing thousands of samples from unrelated studies found that no places in the ocean remain completely untouched by human chemical impacts. • Researchers combined consistent, high-resolution mass spectrometry methods across multiple laboratories with computational tools to create a unified dataset revealing the extent of human chemical alterations to marine environments. • The study reveals significant data gaps, with heavy concentration in North America and Europe while the Southern Hemisphere and regions like Southeast Asia, India, and Australia remain largely understudied, limiting full understanding of global ocean impacts.

Recording of humpback whale from 1949 could also provide new understanding of how the huge animals communicateA haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known.The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water, and was recorded by scientists in March 1949 in Bermuda, said researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Continue reading...

Models show that as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation gets weaker, the Gulf Stream will drift northwards. There are signs that this is already happening, and a more abrupt shift could warn of more severe climate impacts

Pouring 65,000 litres of sodium hydroxide into the Gulf of Maine removed up to 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere without harming wildlife, according to the researchers behind an ocean alkalinity enhancement test