Crossbreeding corals from Honduras could help protect Florida's coast
Warming ocean waters have had a devastating impact on the coral reefs of the Sunshine State. Efforts are underway to save the third-largest barrier reef system in the world, including the use of lab-grown corals and the removal of healthy corals, but scientists are now trying a method that they say has never been done before.
"It's the first time ever in the world that an international cross of corals from different countries have been permitted for outplanting on wild reefs," Dr. Andrew Baker, a marine biologist at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine Science, told CBS News on a boat ride near Miami.
There are dozens of stony coral species along Florida's 350 miles of reefs, from the Florida Keys up to the St. Lucie Inlet. Two of them are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, one of which is the Elkhorn coral.
The Elkhorn species helps form the skeleton of a healthy reef, but according to Baker, more than 95% of the Elkhorn coral off Florida has been wiped out by a combination of factors, including rising temperatures fueled by climate change, increased coastal development and disease outbreaks
"Over the last 50 years or so, we've lost more of these Elkhorn corals, culminating in 2023 when we had this really warm summer," Baker said. "And in order for that population to recover, it was determined that we need more diversity from outside the Florida population."
So, scientists and conservationists started looking off the Caribbean coast in Honduras, specifically Tela Bay, where Elkhorn coral live in "the kind of conditions where corals have to be really tough to survive," Baker said.
To crossbreed the Elkhorns, scientists with Tela Marine, a Honduras-based aquarium and marine research center, carefully plucked coral from the reef in Honduras. Permits were then needed to transport the coral fragments into the U.S.
Once they arrived in Florida, scientists with the University of Miami and the Florida Aquarium in Tampa worked to create the "Flonduran" Elkhorn, as it was nicknamed by Baker.
Earlier this month, the crossbred species were planted for the first time in Florida, underneath protective umbrellas to deter predators.
"And if these corals can live through the next marine heat wave, then that is critical for our coastal protection on the coast of Florida," said Keri O'Neil, the director of coral conservation at the Florida Aquarium.
With robust and healthy corals, South Florida's coastal communities are better protected from flooding because the reefs help break up hurricane-fueled waves. The planting of the first Flondurans is just the start of what's needed to rebuild.
"We need to now scale this up and be out planting hundreds of thousands of baby corals all throughout the reef," Baker said. "And there are ways to do that, but we've got to gear up and get going."
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Business Wire
19 hours ago
- Business Wire
Rocket Lab Schedules Fifth Electron Mission for Constellation Operator iQPS
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'The Harvest Goddess Thrives' will be the fifth mission deployed on Electron for iQPS, following previous successful missions ' The Moon God Awakens ' in December 2023 as well as ' The Lightning God Reigns', ' The Sea God Sees' and ' The Mountain God Guards ' in 2025. Three more dedicated iQPS missions are scheduled to launch on Electron through the remainder of this year and into 2026. This upcoming launch falls within a year of records for Rocket Lab, which continues to demonstrate consistent responsive launch capabilities and operational excellence amid a steadily increasing launch cadence. Achieving 100% mission success for all Electron launches this year, Rocket Lab continues to solidify its position as the global leader in dedicated small satellite launches for commercial, civil, and government missions, all while preparing for the anticipated debut of its medium-lift reusable Neutron rocket. 'The Harvest Goddess Thrives' launch information: 'The Harvest Goddess Thrives' launch window opens: About Rocket Lab Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of flight proven spacecraft, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 200+ satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab's family of spacecraft have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act') and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 'Exchange Act'). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy, are forward-looking statements. The words 'believe,' 'may,' 'will,' 'estimate,' 'potential,' 'continue,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'expect,' 'strategy,' 'future,' 'could,' 'would,' 'project,' 'plan,' 'target,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC'), accessible on the SEC's website at and the Investor Relations section of our website at which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Seattle-based startup wants to redefine the concept of a Harvest Moon. Interlune, launched in 2020 by former Blue Origin executives, develops excavation equipment and technology to mine the moon for an extremely valuable and rare helium isotope — and already has customers lining up for the ambitious mission, including the U.S government. Extremely Valuable, Extraordinarily Rare "At $20 million dollars a kilogram, helium-3 is only resource in the universe that is priced high enough to warrant going to space and bringing it back to Earth," Interlune cofounder and CEO Rob Meyerson told Newsweek. "And we felt like with the ability to buy services, we can make the economics work and that's where we are today." If successfully extracted from lunar soil, or regolith, where Interlune estimates up to a million metric tons is concentrated, the newfound abundance of helium-3 could revolutionize a number of industries, including quantum computing, national security and medical imaging. The scarce isotope also "holds promise" as a potential fuel source for nuclear fusion, Meyerson said. A full-scale prototype of Interlune's excavator to harvest helium-3 from the moon, developed in partnership with industrial equipment manufacturer Vermeer Corporation, was unveiled by the companies in May. A full-scale prototype of Interlune's excavator to harvest helium-3 from the moon, developed in partnership with industrial equipment manufacturer Vermeer Corporation, was unveiled by the companies in May. courtesy of Interlune "We work backwards from an aspirational vision and that vision is a fleet of five harvesters that are machines that will excavate, sort, extract and separate the helium-3 from the lunar regolith and produce tens of kilograms of helium-3 per year," he said. "It's challenging and dependent on private financing. It's also dependent on a lot of other companies." Meyerson said Interlune's quest to become the first company to commercialize natural resources from space is contingent upon continued progress at Elon Musk's SpaceX, which recently unveiled the latest design of its super heavy-lift launch vehicle, Starship, ahead of preflight testing. Musk has said he hopes to utilize the spacecraft for uncrewed missions to Mars as soon as next year, though that timeline is thought to be highly optimistic. "But I do think that we need to put challenging milestones into place," Meyerson said. "And I think it's doable." While extremely rare on Earth due to its magnetic field that blocks many charged particles from the sun, helium-3 is abundant on the moon after more than 4 million years of bombardment by solar winds. A rendering of the Interlune Harvester, which will process moon dirt, or regolith, back onto the lunar surface, which will subsequently resemble a tilled field, according to company officials. A rendering of the Interlune Harvester, which will process moon dirt, or regolith, back onto the lunar surface, which will subsequently resemble a tilled field, according to company officials. courtesy of Interlune Interlune plans a prospecting mission by the end of 2027 — aiming to launch a 50-kilogram payload to sample lunar regolith in search of helium-3, Meyerson said. "And that's the mission we're working toward," he said. "Major design progress going on within the team. We're testing hardware now and getting ready to conduct our mission." Alongside partners from Vermeer Corporation, which manufactures industrial and agricultural equipment, Interlune in early May unveiled a full-scale prototype of an excavator designed to process 100 metric tons of moon dirt per hour. Since helium-3 on the lunar surface is measured in parts per billion, continuous extraction capability is essential, Meyerson said. "We're in another cycle now where we're updating the design, so we'll have more by the end of the summer or early fall," Meyerson told Newsweek of the next upcoming iteration of its excavator. Interlune envisions harvesters, a solar power plant, a rover and return launchers as key components of its multi-year mission in search of helium-3. Interlune envisions harvesters, a solar power plant, a rover and return launchers as key components of its multi-year mission in search of helium-3. courtesy of Interlune Jason Andringa, Vermeer's president and CEO, previously worked as an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contributing to the Curiosity Rover and other early-phase mission concepts. The burgeoning collaboration with Interlune represents an opportunity for the Iowa-based firm to take its excavation expertise to an "all-new, out-of-this-world jobsite," he said. "The engineering team at Vermeer has been energized by the challenge and we are proud of the solutions we're working on in partnership with Interlune," Andringa told Newsweek in a statement. "We look forward to being a part of this impressive project that will ultimately positively impact our world for decades to come." Customers Line Up Each harvester will be about the size of an electric car, Meyerson said. Once on the lunar surface, the machines will begin a four-step proprietary process to excavate, sort, extract and separate helium-3. Meyerson acknowledged the cost of a successful helium-3 lunar mining mission will be significant, with Interlune relying on raising equity and government grants. Some contracts have already been inked, including deals with the U.S. Department of Energy Isotope Program and Maybell Quantum, a quantum infrastructure company. An artist's rendering of a rocket with a capsule containing helium-3 headed to Earth after blasting off from the lunar surface. An artist's rendering of a rocket with a capsule containing helium-3 headed to Earth after blasting off from the lunar surface. courtesy of Interlune "We have customers that have signed contracts for future sales," Meyerson told Newsweek. "Interlune still stands alone as the only company that has contracts for the sale of space resources and that's something we can use to justify our fundraising efforts going forward." Interlune, which has raised $18 million in funding to date, announced both agreements in early May while unveiling its excavator prototype. The Department of Energy has agreed to purchase three liters of helium-3 harvested from the moon no later than April 2029. Christopher Landers, director of the Department of Energy's Office of Isotope R&D and Production, said the agency works to ensure a "healthy domestic isotope ecosystem" so the United States can remain at the forefront of evolving technologies and capabilities. The agency manages federal inventories of more than 300 isotopes, including helium-3, Landers said. Interlune's leadership team, from left: chief executive officer Rob Meyerson, chief operating officer Indra Hornsby, executive chairman Harrison Schmitt, chief technology officer Gary Lai and head of product James Antifaev. Interlune's leadership team, from left: chief executive officer Rob Meyerson, chief operating officer Indra Hornsby, executive chairman Harrison Schmitt, chief technology officer Gary Lai and head of product James Antifaev. courtesy of Interlune "Helium-3 is obviously of high importance," he said. "Helium-3 is needed in cryogenics, which is a huge driver for quantum, it's needed for fusion and there's medical applications as well. But helium-3 is really, if you break it down and look at cryogenics and fusion, is on a trajectory that's moving at an exponential rate." The contract with Interlune signals the agency's attempt to facilitate a "healthy industrial availability" of helium-3, Landers said. "This was an opportunity where if Interlune is successful, they could have a major impact in making helium-3 more readily available commercially," he added. "And then similarly, through our token contract, it can establish a relationship where we could also help ensure a stable supply for that federal reserve." Maybell Quantum, which agreed to buy thousands of liters of helium-3 for delivery between 2029 and 2035, will use the extracted isotope to chill dilution refrigerators to near-absolute zero temperatures. Solar wind has bombarded the moon with helium-3 for billions of years, but Earth's magnetosphere blocks the continual stream of charged particles. The lunar surface contains more than 1 million metric tons of the rare... Solar wind has bombarded the moon with helium-3 for billions of years, but Earth's magnetosphere blocks the continual stream of charged particles. The lunar surface contains more than 1 million metric tons of the rare isotope, Interlune estimates. More courtesy of Interlune Gary Lai, Interlune's cofounder and chief technology officer, said helium-3 represents a "rare commodity" that's extremely limited on Earth yet plentiful on the moon. The company's excavator prototype is now being fine-tuned for zero-gravity operation. "It works quite well on Earth," the former chief architect at Blue Origin told Newsweek. "Now we're designing it to operate in space, and the intention is to go on our first large harvesting space mission, which we call Harvest Moon." 'Humans Find a Way' The upcoming prospecting mission will seek to prove reliable and accessible depositories of helium-3, which are most heavily concentrated in dark regions near the moon's equator. The extracted nonflammable gas must then be cooled until it liquifies before being sent in a rocket bound for Earth, Lai said. "We're actively today in our lab — like, just 100 feet behind me — doing the first sort of groundbreaking experiments to liquify and distill helium-3 out of a mixture of regular helium," Lai said. "That's a critical technology. We have to do that not only here, but we have to build the system to do that on the moon." Interlune hopes to put a full-scale excavator on the moon by 2029, potentially providing a scalable cache of helium-3 that could produce enough clean fusion energy to power the Earth for 10,000 years, as well as immediate impact in quantum computing, national security and medical imaging, Lai told Newsweek. "When there's an abundance of any material on Earth, humans find a way to use it," he said. "It has so many unique physical properties. It has many uses and I'm pretty confident that when it is more available, people will find even more uses for it because it's such a unique isotope."
