In June, we come together to honour our oceans and raise awareness about their vital (yet often overlooked) role in everyday life. Covering 70% of our planet, the oceans provide us with food, support countless industries, regulate the climate, and offer spaces for recreation.
Preserving marine ecosystems, promoting sustainable practices, and fostering a deeper understanding of life below the surface is done through innovative solutions that address our oceans’ complex challenges today. Technology is at the forefront of these efforts, from combating climate change and pollution to advancing scientific research and supporting the blue economy.
This World Oceans Month, we invite you to join us on an exciting journey across the globe’s five oceans. Each week, we will spotlight groundbreaking projects where our technology has been fundamental. These initiatives span a variety of industries and demonstrate how cutting-edge technology is driving the preservation and sustainability of our oceans and the blue economy.
Week One – The Arctic Ocean
Our first highlight takes us to the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean.
Here, a PhD student from the University of Maine is using PME monitoring equipment to conduct pioneering research. The focus is on understanding lake metabolisms and ecosystems during the harsh winter months when thick layers of ice cover them. This research is crucial for understanding the impacts of climate change on Arctic environments and contributes to broader environmental monitoring and conservation efforts.
Week Two – The Atlantic Ocean
This week, let’s set sail to the Atlantic, the youngest and second-largest ocean.
Here, a team of researchers in South Georgia are using an RBR Concerto to calibrate echo sounder data and provide contextual oceanographic data such as salinity, conductivity, and temperature on a British Antarctic research study to expand what we know about Krill stock dynamics and the distribution of Krill over the winter months.
Week Three – The Indian Ocean
Reporting live and direct from the Indian Ocean, the warmest of all 5 oceans and home to species like the whale shark, sunfish and manta rays
we provided Innovasea fish tags to the Manta Trust who are monitoring the movements of Manta and devil rays in the Indian Ocean with the hopes to better understand and preserve the species from environmental and human activity.
Week Four – The Pacific Ocean
Let’s head to the Pacific, the largest of the oceans and covers over 30% of the earth’s surface and is home to species like giant squid, orcas and humpback whales.
Researchers from the University of Washington have been using SubC Rayfin cameras to capture time-lapse video and photo images for the past 12 years. This data is useful for showcasing the dynamic environment of underwater volcanoes.
Week Five– The Southern Ocean
Last but not least, the Southern Ocean – also known as the Antarctic Ocean. It was only designated as the 5th ocean in the early 2000s and is home to species such as king penguins, southern right whales and elephant seals.
We equipped a Waveradar Rex2 on the RRS discovery which often conducts studies in this ocean.