Positive News

Through novel seafloor laser mapping, researchers have discovered two new deep-sea cold-water coral reefs off the coast of the Galápagos Islands, a hopeful example of healthy reefs resistant to the heat stress and coral bleaching often found in shallower waters. Scientists believe that the rich diversity of stony corals found at depths of up to 420 meters have supported marine biodiversity for thousands of years, with one of the reefs stretching more than 800 meters — nearly the length of eight soccer fields! 🪸 | Source: Mongabay

The tiny island nation of Dominica has announced the world’s first marine reserve for endangered sperm whales, restricting ship traffic, tourism, and fishing to protect the marine mammals from further harm. Most of the sperm whales that roam the coast of Dominica belong to the Eastern Caribbean Clan, a collection of fewer than just 300 animals that now swim in over 300 square miles of safer waters. 🇩🇲 | Source: Mongabay

The Congolese government has approved a major expansion of the Conkouati-Douli National Park, increasing the marine reach by 2,900 square kilometers into the Atlantic Ocean — an area more than twice the size of New York City! The Conkouati-Douli National Park is a UNESCO-recognized coastal area that is home to a magnificent diversity of marine life, as well as over 8,000 chimpanzees often found hanging out on the lush mangrove coast. 🐒 | Source: Afrik 21

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