Tag: Ocean

It’s important to know ships’ coordinates as well as the effect they’re having on the environment. Now, smaller boats at anchor can help generate renewable energy through hydropower thanks to a startup based in southeast Alaska. Its rotor device is secured to the boat by rope; under the water, tidal currents make the rotor spin, powering the generator. Weighing...

A soap mix is helping to combat skin cancer. Sunscreen is useful there, too, but mostly not eco-friendly. Enter two Boston-based researchers who have pooled their knowledge of underwater molluscs to launch a new startup. Their experiments showed that colour pigments in squid or octopus could protect against the sun when combined with zinc oxide. After recreating the pigments...

Smart buoys are preventing ships from colliding with whales. Normally, container ships and tankers are directed to reach their destinations as quickly as possible. In the harbour, however, they're at anchor for a long time. Enter a British startup aiming to bring all those involved together on its independent platform in order to reduce CO2 emissions promptly. Using pre-specified...

Anomalies in network traffic can be detected musically. Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) can be devastating too, turning entire coastal areas red and tourists away in the process. Enter a university lecturer in Florida and her data on coral diseases and the impact of HABs on coastal economies. Not for her publishing a series of dull tables and reports. Instead,...

Monitoring the fish population could prevent overfishing. Where industrial fishing is concerned, however, there is still room for improvement. Using satellite images and vessel GPS trackers, a US-based non-profit organisation collated 2 million gigabytes of data spanning the years 2017-2021. Data harnessed, in turn, to train an artificial intelligence that could map vessel activities and offshore infrastructure such as...

Efforts are underway to remove CO2 from seawater. Shipping is currently responsible for around 3% of greenhouse gas emissions - a figure that is on the rise. For our planet every reduction counts. Which explains why a female-led startup from London has developed a system that removes up to 95% of the carbon dioxide generated by a ship’s engine....

Recycled glass is saving beaches from erosion; while a remote-controlled buoy could rescue those in peril at sea. Seaweed’s high CO2 uptake means that it is contributing significantly to climate rescue. Still, Sargassum, a brown algae that spreads rapidly (see the 5,000 mile long slick in the Atlantic) has unwanted side effects. It deprives marine life of vital light...

Whether it’s in the airport or on the road, inclusion is gaining ground. But for people with limited mobility, a dip in the sea still presents a significant challenge. Albeit not in Greece - thanks to a startup that provides automatic seawater access stations. At the beach, users can switch from their wheelchairs to a mobile sun lounger which...