Positive News

Chemical engineers in Massachusetts are developing a process to equip ships with the ability to turn collected plastic pollution into “blue diesel” on board, using an innovative chemical process called hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to convert harvested plastic pollution into a usable fuel. Our ocean is littered with expansive swathes of plastic pollution — the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" covers an area bigger than Texas. Technology like HTL is beginning to turn the tide of plastic pollution, repurposing trash into fuel, and hope into action. ⛴ | Source: Good News Network

Cornwall local and marine life rescue volunteer Lizzi Larbalestier has been awarded an Animal Action Award for caring for injured seals off the southeast coast of the U.K., even turning her holiday home into a makeshift animal hospital to care for the pups. Now in their third birthing season, the hospital saw 3,000 calls to respond to injured, malnourished or displaced marine life just last year, with hopes to fully rehabilitate 100 local Cornish seals annually. 🦭| Good News Network

Australian coral scientists have been collaborating with technologists to develop AI-powered robots that can automate and accelerate coral restoration and rehabilitation, experimenting with artificial skeletons made of recycled stone waste to hold coral fragments. Manual rehabilitation is a slow, laborious, and expensive task, with current efforts rehabilitating just 1 hectare annually — with this new technology, a coral startup hopes to increase that number dramatically, eventually restoring 100 hectares of reefs every year! 🪸 | Source: Bloomberg

A new report has shown a remarkable 212% increase in seagrass coverage around the mooring area of Cawsand Bay, U.K., following the installation of a new advanced mooring system four years ago, successfully protecting and restoring seagrass meadows whilst also allowing boats to moor safely in the area. The simple but innovative design lifts the heavy chain of traditional moorings off the seabed with subsurface buoys, giving the seagrass bed a chance to rewild, restore, and recover freely 🌱 | Source: Marine Conservation Society

The U.K. government is backing a global moratorium on deep-sea mining, after dozens of scientists warned of the grave consequences of seabed exploitation for our oceans. The welcome policy shift puts the U.K. on a growing list of at least 20 countries calling for a pause on commercial deep-sea mining, joining Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Sweden in advocating to protect our oceans from the risky practice. 🌊 | Source: The Guardian

Research suggests that whales enjoy playing with seaweed in a newly identified behavior known as “kelping.” Whales in Australia have been observed tossing swaths of seaweed in the air and swimming through the algae headfirst for sensory stimulation. Three individuals have even been observed “sharing” their kelp! This development signals that there’s more to discover about the relationship between these vital members of marine ecosystems around the world. 🐋 | Source: BBC News

An innovative robotics company is crafting a manta ray-shaped underwater robot to collect carbon-rich sargassum seaweed and sink it to the dark depths of the ocean floor. Sargassum is growing at an alarming rate — likely due to industrial activity — and piling up along coastlines, but the “AlgaRay” is being developed to reduce these harmful blooms and rapidly sequester carbon. The founder suggests that harnessing the algae could remove billions of tons of carbon every year. 🥽 | Good News Network

Tidal power holds remarkable potential for renewable energy generation, with studies suggesting that tides could provide as much as 11% of the U.K.'s annual electricity needs! While wind and solar remain important sources of renewable energy, they depend on clear skies and strong winds. But the predictable tides provide a reliable ebb and flow that is likely to play a significant role in the promising future of renewable energy in the U.K. and beyond 🌊 | Source: BBC

Environmental activists in Venezuela are putting hair to good use by weaving donations of local locks into nets, or “booms,” that will absorb the extensive oil spill in Lake Maracaibo, one of the world’s largest and oldest lakes. Research suggests that two pounds of hair can soak up to 17 pounds of oil, so in pursuit of this innovative and cost-effective natural solution, salons, environmentalists, and those seeking a trim are working together to collect approximately seven tons of hair every three months! ✂️ | Source: The Washington Post

The Wild Oysters Project released 10,000 native oysters off the northeast coast of England this month as part of an initiative designed to restore an oasis of oyster reefs along the U.K. coastline. In addition to helping restore diminishing populations, the oysters will filter pollutants from the water and act as natural storm barriers, with a single oyster filtering up to 100 liters of water per day — that’s more water than a full bath! 🛁 | Source: Good News Network