“When the RV Knorr set sail for the Galapagos Rift in 1977, the geologists aboard eagerly anticipated observing a deep-sea hydrothermal vent field for the first time. What they did not expect to find was life—abundant and unlike anything ever seen before. A series of dives aboard the HOV Alvin during that expedition revealed not … Read More “What we’ve missed in the Abyss: Mining 40 years of cruise reports for biodiversity and research effort data from deep-sea hydrothermal vents.” »
[Note: this article originally appeared on the Deep-sea Mining Observer. It is republished here with permission.] In 2001, on an expedition to hydrothermal vent fields in the Indian Ocean, researchers made a bizarre discovery. Clustered in small aggregations around the base of a black smoker was an unusual snail, seemingly clad in a suit of … Read More “A big-hearted iron snail is the first deep-sea species to be declared endangered due to seabed mining.” »
Foghorn (A Call to Action!) Shameless plug for my Patreon! This month, subscribers who sign up for the Ocean Pun Sticker reward will get this glorious squat lobster in high quality vinyl. Suitable for dive gear, laptops, field equipment, or anywhere luxuriously goofy stickers are displayed. Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now) Gator falls! … Read More “Deep-sea gator bait, a mining company’s continued decline, why are there so many Garfield phones on French beaches, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: April 1, 2019.” »
One curious contradiction in the International Seabed Authority is that some of the member states that are currently most vocal about enforcing a strong moratorium (if not outright ban) on deep-sea mining also currently hold ISA exploration leases. The UK and France, as well as Germany and Brazil, have all made statements in support of … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How are pro-moratorium member states dealing with their own mining leases?” »
The disaster continues in Mauritius. With the cleanup and salvage well underway, Mauritius has begun assessing the broader impacts of the disastrous bulk carrier wreck. Fishermen have reported seeing 30 to 30 dead dolphins floating in a lagoon near the wreckage including mothers and calfs. Dead whales, as well as sick and injured whales, are … Read More “Dead dolphins wash up in Mauritius, mining for cobalt on the bottom of the sea, and Norwegian whaling – What’s up with the Ocean this week?” »
August 5, 2020 Holy Mola we are back! Bass my flounder for I have finned. It has been Half A Year since I last posted anything on Southern Fried Science. Granted, that year is 2020, so I think we can all give each other all the slack we need. I have missed this place, my … Read More “Hurricanes, Sharks, Mining the Deep Sea, and the Great American Outdoors – What’s up with the Ocean this week?” »
Transcript available below.
Transcript provided below.
Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now) What Makes Things Slimy? Now, I’m just a humble country deep-sea ecologist, but I reckon it’s probably the slime. I’m not not considering this: I Live Alone in an Island Paradise. Hong Kong diver, 66, wages marine war against ocean’s silent killers – ghost nets.
Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now) ‘We Are Not Prepared to Die’: Island Nations Push Ambitious Plan at UN Climate Talks. This is beautiful: What the ocean floor can tell us about climate change. Plastic pollution discovered at deepest point of ocean. The Most Terrifying Climate Disasters of 2018.