Latest news with #AustralianAntarcticProgram
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists discover strange life on Antarctica's ocean floor
In the beginning of 2025, a team of scientists discovered a pristine underwater ecosystem in the Antarctic (Southern) Ocean after a large iceberg broke away from the massive continent. Now, only a few months later, a new team of scientists exploring the Antarctic Ocean floor has captured and documented several strange species that call the cold floor home. The crew on the RSV Nuyina is on a mission to study the effects of warming sea temperatures on the Denman Glacier. DON'T MISS: According to the Australian Antarctic Program website: 'The Denman Glacier is one of the fastest retreating glaciers in East Antarctica, with the potential to increase global sea levels by 1.5 metres.' Part of the team's mission is also to study and reveal what life exists on the seafloor near the glacier to understand the biodiversity of species for future conservation. Path the RSV Nuyina is taking to reach the Denman glacier on it's groundbreaking voyage. (Commonwealth of Australia/Australian Antarctic Division) Using a beam trawler, the team pulled up heavy mud containing several interesting bottom-dwelling creatures. A camera was also deployed to the ocean floor so the team could observe the creatures without disturbing them. SEE ALSO: Additionally, the ship is equipped with a specialized "wet well" which allows researchers to gently pull up small, fragile creatures from the water and into a tank where they can be collected and observed. Scientists are able to observe and take care of captured specimens in aquariums onboard the RSV Nuyina. (Commonwealth of Australia/Australian Antarctic Division) 'Nobody has ever done this in this area—it is real 'voyage of discovery' stuff,' Craig Johnson, Senior Scientist and project lead for the benthic imagery team for the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science on the Denman Marine Voyage, said in a blog post published on April 4. 'The silence in the room gives way to sounds of delight as all manner of animals come into view. Bloated sea pigs and other species of sea cucumber, brittle stars, and sea stars feed on the organic material in the sediment, while spectacular feather stars (crinoids), sponges, fan worms, hydroids, and sea whips (octocorals) filter their food from the water.' This gelatinous-looking blob is called a "sea pig," and is a type of sea cucumber that was collected by scientists on the Antarctic ocean floor. (Commonwealth of Australia/Australian Antarctic Division) One of the species that has garnered public attention is the sea pig. No, it isn't an actual aquatic pig living on the bottom of the ocean; it's a type of sea cucumber that was named for its pig-like appearance. Another misnomer species the scientists collected is the sea butterfly. Called a butterfly for its fluttering appearance while swimming, this creature is actually a type of sea snail! Called a "sea butterfly" for its fluttering appearance when swimming in the water, this creature collected by the team of scientists is a type of sea snail. (Commonwealth of Australia/Australian Antarctic Division) Those who suffer from a fear of spiders may not want to know that large sea spiders were also collected from the ocean floor. Despite their creepy, spindly appearance, sea spiders are actually more closely related to crabs and crustaceans than to the arachnids we all know and (sometimes) love. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's news outlet, ABC News, some of the scientists onboard the vessel believe that some of the species they've collected and observed could be new to science. In addition to this research, other teams on the RSV Nuyina are investigating how clouds are formed over the Antarctic Ocean. The voyage will make its return to Hobart, Australia, in early May. Written with files from ABC News and Live Science. Thumbnail image supplied by the Commonwealth of Australia/Australian Antarctic Division.
Miami Herald
15-04-2025
- Miami Herald
Antarctic creature makes rare appearance on New Zealand beach. See the ‘king'
The large mass of land and ice on the southern tip of the planet is ruled by the emperor penguin. Standing more than 4 feet tall, the massive bird is the largest penguin in the world, uniquely adapted to survive in the barren Antarctic. The surrounding islands, however, belong to their slightly smaller noble cousin — the king penguin. King penguins live in places like the South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia Island and the Crozet Islands in breeding colonies on the small patches of land in the south Atlantic and Indian Oceans, according to the Australian Antarctic Program. These islands are incredibly remote, making sightings of the penguins outside the subantarctic rare. That's why a tour group in a private nature reserve in New Zealand were so shocked when they saw a king penguin walking along the beach. 'A rare sighting at The (Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance) today — a king penguin stopped briefly on the beach before heading back out to sea,' the organization said in an April 13 Facebook post. 'These birds have been sighted fewer than 10 times in New Zealand.' The tour group watched as the penguin spent about 20 minutes on the beach before heading back to the water, alliance director Jerad Haldan told Radio New Zealand on April 15. 'It is incredibly rare,' Haldan told the news outlet. 'I think most people will be aware we had an Adélie (penguin) stop by last year during the season and so this is two seasons now where we've had some of the rarest penguins stopping by.' The distance from Dunedin, where the reserve is located, to mainland Antarctica is more than 1,500 miles, and the distance to the isolated islands is even farther, so while the species themselves are not rare, their appearance so far outside their natural range is noteworthy. 'It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for our staff as well,' Haldan said. King penguins were first discovered by European explorers in the 18th century and were thought to be the same as emperor penguins until 1844, according to the Australian Antarctic Program. In the 19th and 20th centuries, they were hunted nearly to extinction after the seal population was hit severely and hunters turned to the king penguins as a new source of oil, according to the program. Today, their population is considered of 'least concern' and their numbers are increasing, according to the International Union on the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. King penguins specifically eat lantern fish but increase their diet variety to include squid over the winter, according to the Australian Antarctic Program. Dunedin is in southern New Zealand, on the Pacific coast.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Imposes Tariffs on Islands Only Inhabited by Penguins
Originally appeared on E! Online Not even the penguins are exempt from 's tariffs. On April 3, the president announced a new plan that implements a universal 10 percent tariff on imports to the U.S., as well as higher tariffs for dozens of select countries. Among the places that will be facing the plan's new import taxes include Australian territories Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which are near the Arctics. But these islands—which currently contain active volcanoes—are completely uninhabited by humans. In fact, it takes a two-week journey by boat from Perth to even access the islands. "Since the first landing on Heard Island in 1855, there have been only approximately 240 shore-based visits to the island,' notes the Australian Antarctic Program website, 'and only two landings on McDonald Island (in 1971 and 1980).' And with the value of all items imported by the U.S. in 2024 adding up to zero, the 10 percent tariff will seemingly only affect the penguins and seals that call the small territories home. More from E! Online Teddi Mellencamp Confirms Stage 4 Cancer and New Tumors in Heartbreaking Update Kanye West Reveals Wife Bianca Censori Left Him After Controversial Rants Malcolm in the Middle's Erik Per Sullivan Seen for the First Time 18 Years However, these islands aren't the only nearly barren lands that are facing Trump's tariffs. Jan Mayen Island, which has a population of zero, is facing the same circumstances. But in this case, the Norwegian volcanic island's polar bears will, er, bear witness to the new plan. Meanwhile, the Falkland Islands, which is a British overseas territory in the Atlantic, has a population of 3,200 people and around one million penguins. Now, the remote archipelago is facing tariffs of 41 percent. Meanwhile, Britain itself only faces 10 percent tariffs. Norfolk Island, which is another Australian territory that has just over 2,000 inhabitants, is also facing exponentially higher tariffs than its mainland with a whopping 29 percent. 'I'm not sure what Norfolk Island's major exports are to the United States and why it's been singled out, but it has,' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters after Trump's announcement, per CBS News. 'I'm not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States, but that just shows and exemplifies the fact that nowhere on Earth is safe from this.' For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump imposes tariffs on uninhabited islands and a US military base
President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on uninhabited islands and a U.S. military base on Wednesday as he announced his widespread levies. Trump imposed tariffs on the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean, Axios noted. The mostly barren UNESCO World Heritage site was featured on Trump's list of areas that now face a minimum of 10 percent tariffs on U.S. imports, along with mainland Australia. 'It takes around 10 days, depending on the weather, to get to Heard Island by ship from the port of Fremantle, near Perth in Western Australia,' according to the Australian Antarctic Program. The islands feature 'penguin, seal and flying bird colonies, which include several species with conservation status at a national and international level.' The 10 percent levy was also imposed on the British Indian Ocean Territory, which only counts U.S. and U.K. service members as its inhabitants at the Diego Garcia base.
Axios
03-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump announces tariffs on uninhabited islands
President Trump's sweeping tariffs announced Wednesday extend to countries and territories across the world — including the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean. The big picture: The remote UNESCO World Heritage- listed Australian territory, which features a mostly barren landscape, was included in the list of baseline 10% taxes on U.S. imports, along with mainland Australia. The Heard and McDonald Islands were included because they are Australian territory, according to a White House official. Zoom in: This region that features the only volcanically active subantarctic islands is "teeming" with colonies of seals, penguins and other birds, per an Australian Antarctic Program post. Humans need a permit to visit the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are more than 2,000 miles southwest of Perth, Western Australia. It takes two weeks to sail from the Australian mainland. People and cargo may also land onshore "by helicopters, inflatable rubber boats (IRBs) or amphibious vehicles supported from a larger vessel," according to the Australian Antarctic Program.
