Tag: Ocean

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...

In dicey situations, fire-dousing robots or fire-fighting drones can save lives on both land and air. Now, thanks to a Portuguese startup and its remotely-operated life buoy, those in peril on the sea could expect help to come just as fast. With a turbine on each side, the U-shaped device has a top speed of 15 km/h and is...

Filters can rid water of pollutants directly at the source. Now, an LA-based startup is aiming to remove CO2 from seawater. Why? The world’s oceans store around 30% of annual CO2 emissions and can absorb 150 times more of the gas than air. But as coral death shows, the situation is far from ideal. The new process sees carbon...

Building elements filled with seeds and surfboards containing straw are allowing nature to grow. Now, a Hong Kong-based startup is 3D printing hexagonal tiles from clay which are installed on the seafloor and planted with young coral. A coral-specific algorithm tells a robotic arm how to print the tiles' labyrinthine structure. This not only promotes growth but enables corals...

Used chewing gum can be transformed into skateboard wheels. Beaches, meanwhile, benefit from crushed used glass. Broken surfboards left by the sea are less hip, however. Therefore, a Welsh designer has developed a surfboard that serves as a breeding ground for corals in its second life. The skeleton is 3D-printed from biodegradable material, and filled with fungal spores and...

The hearing-impaired community can safely navigate cities with apps. Birds have natural GPS, while elephant-nose fish create electric fields to avoid obstacles. Now a Massachusetts-based science centre is taking endangered right whales by the proverbial fin. Smart buoys are being installed off two of America’s busiest shipping ports on the Atlanatic coast to record the mammals’ acoustic signals and...