Atlantic

El Hierro's rugged coastline seen from above
El Hierro's rugged coastline seen from above

Spain Declares First Marine National Park on the Island of El Hierro

The marine reserve is located in the Atlantic Ocean at the southwestern tip of the island of El Hierro, the westernmost of the Canary Islands. The area is known for its exceptional marine biodiversity, including sharks, dolphins, tuna, rays and turtles. The waters are calm because they are sheltered from the trade winds, and its tropical nature is home to species not found in the rest of the archipelago. The almost complete kelp cover and the diversity of the seabed support a high level of biodiversity. The area is also an essential habitat for beaked whales.

Basking Shark
Basking shark

Drones Reveal Basking Shark Mating Behaviour

The study describes how the researchers launched a drone from the beach and flew it to the site of a disturbance spotted from shore. Two basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) were immediately seen in close proximity—one near the bottom and one near the surface. The latter was confirmed to be a mature male due to the presence of claspers, while the shark near the bottom appeared to be a female.

The steamship Portland sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1898. Portland lies upright on a mud bottom with its wooden hull nearly intact from the keel up to the main deck level. The vessel's entire superstructure is missing, with only the steam propulsion machinery protruding above deck level.

US Calls on Fishermen to Help Preserve Historic Wrecks

NOAA has called on fishermen to play a key role in preserving underwater historical treasures. To protect these maritime time capsules, NOAA has stressed the importance of avoiding fishing activities around known shipwreck sites

There are more than 200 wrecks in the sanctuary, according to NOAA, which specifically mentioned the World War II minesweeper USS Heroic, the trawler Josephine Marie and the 55ft North Star, along with eight unna

Colossal Coral Reef Discovered

Researchers have charted a colossal deep-sea coral reef system off the southeastern coast of the United States. Described as an underwater metropolis of a 'million mounds', this vast network stretches across the continental shelf and heralds a new chapter in ocean exploration.

The mapping of this coral reef, a feat accomplished through advanced 3D imaging technology, is a landmark in maritime science, underscoring the vast, uncharted territories that still lie hidden beneath the waves.

Azores: Adventure in the Atlantic

Whale shark feeding on bait ball of snipefish in the Azores
Whale shark feeding on bait ball of snipefish in the Azores

A powerful influencer of climate and ocean currents, the Atlantic Ocean is vast, stretching from the North Pole down to the South Pole. At around the middle of this massive system lie the Azores Islands, about seven hours flight from New York or approximately four hours from Lisbon. Silke Ptaszynski shares her adventure to the southernmost island of Santa Maria, with photos by Rainer Schimpf.

seaweed
Seaweed at a North-Atlantic coast.

Unraveling the enigma of the Atlantic's seaweed blobs

Seaweed in the Atlantic

These sprawling masses of seaweed, often stretching for miles, have been observed in the Atlantic over the past few years. While such occurrences are not entirely new, their increasing frequency and size have raised concerns about their potential environmental impacts.

A recent in-depth exploration by BBC Future sheds light on the phenomenon, unraveling the complex factors behind the enigmatic seaweed blooms.

The Gulf stream current and its speed
The Gulf stream current and its speed

Is the Gulf Stream about to collapse?

A study just published in Nature Communications suggests that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), of which the Gulf Stream is a part, could be approaching a tipping point. The AMOC, which has been gradually weakening over the last century and is reportedly at its weakest in over a millennium, could shift from its current strong mode to a weak one, with profound implications for the global climate.

Groundbreaking project maps shipwrecks of The Bahamas

Hidden beneath the serene waters of The Bahamas lay the remnants of approximately 5,000 shipwrecks, entombed for centuries. These relics are finally seeing the light of day, thanks to an innovative project called The Bahamas Lost Ships Project, kickstarted in 2023 by Allen Exploration and In Search of Shipwrecks (ISOS).

176 shipwrecks traced

The project has shed light on the maritime heritage of The Bahamas, particularly along the eastern flank of the Straits of Florida, a maritime corridor frequented since the 15th century.

Lithographic print of men in whaleboat lancing a sperm whale.

Iceland suspends controversial whale hunt

“I have taken the decision to suspend whaling” until 31 August, food minister Svandis Svavarsdottir said in a statement, after a recent government-commissioned report concluded the hunt does not comply with Iceland’s Animal Welfare Act.

The report which provided a video showing a whale being hunted for five hours concluded the killing of whales during the hunt took too long.

Animal rights groups and environmentalists hailed the decision, with the Humane Society International calling it “a major milestone in compassionate whale conservation”.

The missing submersible is believed to be OceanGate's Titan sub, which can reach depths of up to 4,000m and has 96 hours of life support available for a crew of five.

Titanic tourist submarine goes missing

Paying tourists can take trips in small submarines to see the sunken wreck of the Titanic.

According to BBC, OceanGate Expeditions, a private company that organises deep sea expeditions, confirmed in a statement that it owned the missing submersible and people were on board.