Private nonprofit research and higher education facility studying marine science and engineering
The European Union has announced a substantial investment in ocean observation, positioning Europe at the forefront of marine monitoring as the United States proceeds with the dismantling of the Ocean Observatories Initiative. The NSF has begun a descope of the OOI, pulling instruments from multiple U.S. sites while the EU commits hundreds of millions to expand global ocean data networks.
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society has released the first high‑resolution 3D digital models of Shackleton’s Quest and Scott’s Terra Nova, created from Voyis imaging as part of an international expedition. The effort maps the wrecks with new detail, using Alvin and other deep‑submergence tech to preserve these historic ships for study and display.
More than 1,500 vessels have been stranded in the Gulf since February’s waterway closure. Researchers warn the idle ships are developing biofouling communities that could spread invasive species worldwide when trade resumes, creating a bioinvasion risk described as a “superspreader” event.