Deep-sea mining, octopus cities, a world without ozone, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: October 2, 2017

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Weekly Salvage

Fog Horn (A Call to Action) Islands and nations across the Caribbean are hurting from multiple hurricanes. We’ve curated a short list of various charities and fundraisers for each island: How to help our island colleagues in the wake of total devastation. Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now) The race to the bottom begins! Japan successfully … Read More “Deep-sea mining, octopus cities, a world without ozone, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: October 2, 2017” »

HAGFISH! Also deep-sea mining, climate change, The Ocean Cleanup, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: July 17, 2017

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Weekly Salvage

Fog Horn (A Call to Action) Hakai Magazine want to hear from you! Dear Hakai Magazine Reader, Who Are You? Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now) Everything Tangier is utterly fascinating right now: Angry messages to the Trump-supporting mayor of Tangier Island illustrate a need to listen, not to shout. I’m still just dumbfounded by … Read More “HAGFISH! Also deep-sea mining, climate change, The Ocean Cleanup, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: July 17, 2017” »

Nerds of trust, deep-sea mining, ocean art, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: July 3, 2017

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Weekly Salvage

Fog Horn (A Call to Action) Protect the Outer Continental Shelf! Last week, the president announced a plan to open up significant portions of the outer continental shelf for oil and gas exploration. Call you representative! The public comment period opens today and runs through August 17. We’ll have a template script prepped for your use … Read More “Nerds of trust, deep-sea mining, ocean art, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: July 3, 2017” »

Half-safe, climate change, deep-sea mining’s last frontier, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: Junes 12, 2017.

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Weekly Salvage

Fog Horn (A Call to Action) 27 National Monuments are under review by the Department of the Interior. Our Nation Monuments are our National Treasures. Don’t let them be sold to the highest bidder! Submit formal public comments on the DOI Monument Review and make your voice heard. Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now) Sand. … Read More “Half-safe, climate change, deep-sea mining’s last frontier, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: Junes 12, 2017.” »

#IAmSeaGrant, Octopus Beats Dolphins, Deep-sea Mining, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: May 29, 2017

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Weekly Salvage

Fog Horn (A Call to Action) #IAmSeaGrant. Despite being one of the most bipartisan research programs in the United States, with a huge return on investment for coastal communities and businesses, Sea Grant is under attack from the current administration. Deep Sea News has been collecting stories from marine researchers who’ve benefited from Sea Grant … Read More “#IAmSeaGrant, Octopus Beats Dolphins, Deep-sea Mining, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: May 29, 2017” »

Whatever happened to deep-sea mining?

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

On January 1, 2016, the Southern Fried Science central server began uploading blog posts apparently circa 2041. Due to a related corruption of the contemporary database, we are, at this time, unable to remove these Field Notes from the Future or prevent the uploading of additional posts. Please enjoy this glimpse into the ocean future … Read More “Whatever happened to deep-sea mining?” »

Beyond the Edge of the Plume: understanding environmental impacts of deep-sea mining

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on Beyond the Edge of the Plume: understanding environmental impacts of deep-sea mining
Conservation, Science

The mining of deep-sea hydrothermal vents for gold, copper, and other precious metals, is imminent. Over the last seven years I’ve worked with industry, academia, and international regulatory agencies to help craft guidelines for conducting environmental impact studies and assess the connectivity and resilience of deep-sea ecosystems. Deep-sea mining, particularly at hydrothermal vents, is a … Read More “Beyond the Edge of the Plume: understanding environmental impacts of deep-sea mining” »

One-fifth of all known hydrothermal vents are threatened by deep-sea mining

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Conservation, Science

Few moments have so profoundly altered our understanding of what it means to be a living thing on Planet Earth as the discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and the organisms that thrive around them. The first vents visited were dominated by Riftia pachyptila, the giant tube worm, whose magnificent ruby plumage parted to reveal an … Read More “One-fifth of all known hydrothermal vents are threatened by deep-sea mining” »

What we’ve missed in the Abyss: Mining 40 years of cruise reports for biodiversity and research effort data from deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Science

“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.” »

A big-hearted iron snail is the first deep-sea species to be declared endangered due to seabed mining.

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Conservation, Science

[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.” »