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International Business Times
20 hours ago
- Science
- International Business Times
Tourism Sector Alert! World-First Footage Shows Antarctic Seafloor at Risk as Ship Anchors Destroy Unique Marine Ecosystem
A latest study, published in Frontiers in Conservation Science, revealed on Monday, June 9, that ship anchors are causing significant damage to the fragile Antarctic seafloor. This action is eventually crushing the unique marine life and leaving long-lasting scars. According to scientists from New Zealand, Canada, and the United States, video footage from 36 Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island sites revealed that ship anchoring leaves areas almost lifeless, with crushed sponges and scarred seafloor, while surrounding undisturbed zones remain biodiverse. Sally Watson, a marine geophysicist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and the study's co-author said, "Anchoring impacts are understudied and underestimated globally. It's so important to recognize and mitigate the impacts across all industries and limit planned anchoring." Using underwater cameras, the researchers discovered that the problem is worsening as shrinking sea ice makes more of Antarctica available for cruise, research, fishing, and private vessels, adding that anchor damage is almost entirely unregulated in Antarctica, despite strict conservation rules for other activities. During the 2022-2023 Antarctic summer, at least 195 ships anchored in Antarctic seas, most certainly underestimating the total number, according to the study. In disturbed regions, footage showed crushed ancient sponges and a paucity of benthic creatures, whereas undisturbed places were rich in unusual, slow-growing species that were particularly vulnerable to such impacts. While research on anchor impacts is expanding in tropical reefs, Watson identified a significant knowledge gap in Antarctica. Each vessel that anchors in 30-40 meters of water might disturb at least 1,600 meters of seafloor, not counting further damage from chains dragging if ships move, she said. Scientists warn that recovery from seafloor damage in Antarctica might take decades, although similar damage in warmer places has persisted for over ten years. Matthew Mulrennan, who founded the California-based ocean exploration and conservation nonprofit KOLOSSAL, and the study's lead author said that the loss of sponges and other seafloor life disturbs essential ecological services including water filtration, carbon storage, and habitat provision, jeopardizing the broader Antarctic food chain, which includes species such as penguins and seals that attract tourists. Mulrennan concluded, "Anchoring is likely the most overlooked ocean conservation issue in terms of global seafloor disruption; it is on par with the damages from bottom trawling."
Canada Standard
a day ago
- Science
- Canada Standard
Antarctic seafloor at risk as ship anchors crush unique marine life: study
WELLINGTON, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Ship anchors are causing significant damage to the fragile Antarctic seafloor, crushing unique marine life and leaving long-lasting scars, a new study revealed on Monday. Video footage from 36 Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island sites shows that ship anchoring leaves areas nearly lifeless, with crushed sponges and scarred seafloor, while nearby undisturbed zones remain biodiverse, according to scientists from New Zealand, Canada and the United States. "Anchoring impacts are understudied and underestimated globally. It's so important to recognize and mitigate the impacts across all industries and limit planned anchoring," said the study's co-author Sally Watson, a marine geophysicist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Using underwater cameras, the research found that the problem is growing as shrinking sea ice opens up more of Antarctica to cruise, research, fishing, and private vessels, the scientists said, adding that anchor damage is almost entirely unregulated in Antarctica, despite strict conservation rules for other activities. During the 2022-2023 Antarctic summer, at least 195 ships anchored in Antarctic waters, likely underestimating the true number, said the study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science. Footage revealed crushed ancient sponges and a lack of benthic animals in disturbed areas, while undamaged sites were rich in unique, slow-growing species highly vulnerable to such impacts. While research on anchor impacts is increasing in tropical reefs, Watson highlighted a major knowledge gap in Antarctica. Each vessel anchoring in 30-40 meters of water could disturb at least 1,600 meters of seabed, not accounting for additional damage from chains dragging if ships move, she said. Scientists caution that recovery from seafloor damage in Antarctica could take decades or longer, as similar harm in warmer regions has persisted for over ten years. The loss of sponges and other seafloor life disrupts key ecosystem functions like water filtration, carbon storage, and habitat provision, threatening the broader Antarctic food web, including species such as penguins and seals that draw tourists, said the study's lead author, Matthew Mulrennan, who founded the California-based ocean exploration and conservation nonprofit KOLOSSAL. "Anchoring is likely the most overlooked ocean conservation issue in terms of global seafloor disruption; it is on par with the damages from bottom trawling," Mulrennan said.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Ships in Antarctica destroying planet's oldest living animals
By Stephen Beech Antarctic sea life - including the oldest living creatures on the planet - are at risk from increasing number of ships dropping anchor there, warns a new report. Underwater video footage has revealed for the first time the impact of anchor and chain damage caused by cruise, research, fishing and other vessels on the Antarctic sea floor. Species at risk include giant volcano sponges which may live up to 15,000 years, say scientists. Global shipping activity is becoming more widespread, even in the most remote regions of the planet. Now, an international research team has gathered the first video evidence of anchoring and chain damage in Antarctic waters. Study first author Matthew Mulrennan said: "This is the first time the impacts of ship anchoring and chain damage are documented in Antarctic waters. "Activities in Antarctica have a lot of strict rules around conservation, yet ship anchoring is almost completely unregulated." Co-author Dr. Sally Watson, of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand, said: "Documentation is way overdue, given the importance of these ecosystems and the protections we place on them. "Anchoring impacts are understudied and underestimated globally. "It's so important to recognize and mitigate the impacts across all industries and limit planned anchoring." At least 195 tourism, research, and fishing vessels, as well as private yachts were recorded in anchorable depths in Antarctica during the 2022-23 season. But it is likely that more ships operate there without licenses, according to the research team. During the austral summer of that year, the team used underwater cameras to observe the seafloor at 36 sites across the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island. Footage, published by the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science, was captured close to the surface, midwater, and one metre above the sea floor. It showed disturbances to the seafloor and marine life where ships had anchored. Grooves, striations and mud deposits from anchor retrieval were visible in the substrate of the ocean floor. At the disturbed sites, little to no marine life was present. Instead, the researchers observed crushed sponge colonies and a lack of benthic biomass. Dr. Watson said: "We know that anchor impacts in tropical reefs can last a decade. "In muddy sediment the scours can still be visible over a decade later. "Ecological recovery is really site specific. Things in cold waters are much slower growing than in warmer temperatures so I expect that recovery would take longer the higher the latitude." The researchers say future research should look at the short- and long-term impacts of anchoring on the seabed, recovery periods, and the impacts on the broader ecosystem. Mulrennan added: "Anchoring is likely the most overlooked ocean conservation issue in terms of global seafloor disruption; it is on par with the damages from bottom trawling. "It's a pressing environmental issue, but it's out of sight, out of mind." The post Ships in Antarctica destroying planet's oldest living animals appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
NZ Herald
02-06-2025
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Winter weather: Warmer, wetter than average conditions for much of New Zealand
Kiwis should not bring out their warm coats yet, with forecasters predicting a warmer, but wetter, winter for much of New Zealand. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) forecaster Chris Brandolino said rain-bearing low-pressure systems
Scoop
07-05-2025
- Science
- Scoop
New Study Reveals Climate Change Is Already Impacting The Andes
Seven nations sharing world's longest mountain range already impacted by climate change. Climate change is already reshaping life and landscapes across the world's longest mountain range which extends the length of South America's western side, new research has found. Climate change isn't just a future threat for the Andes mountain region, but a present reality that is already occurring, found the study, published in the Communications Earth & Environment journal. An international team of six scientists from four different countries collaborated to compare predictions from climate models with real-world observations of the Andean climate, natural environment, industries and societies. "We examined evidence that climate change and its impacts are already occurring in the Andes, the world's longest mountain range, which crosses seven South American nations from Argentina and Chile in the south, through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, to Venezuela in the north," says hydrologist Dr Ana Ochoa-Sánchez from Ecuador's University of Azuay. "What we found was that human-induced climate change is warming all of the Andes. Climate change is already occurring and noticeably impacting one of the world's iconic mountain regions. One of the most significant impacts is that climate change is likely causing less precipitation on the eastern side of the mountain range. "Mountain regions are predicted to be among the most sensitive and vulnerable to human-induced climate change, with changes causing a cascade of impacts across South America, says climate scientist Dr Dáithí Stone, at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). "Throughout the Andes the climate trends are causing rapid shrinking of glaciers and reduction in the accumulation of snow. This results in reduced water flowing down from the mountains and brings about changes in ecosystems. This in turn, in multiple countries, affects food production, industry, health, culture and societies." The research will improve understanding of future impacts, and the effectiveness of adaptation, says Dr Stone. "In order to understand how climate change might affect us in the future, we need to understand how it is already affecting us. As we implement more measures to adapt to climate change, future updates of this study will also be able to evaluate how effective those adaptation measures have been and how they might be made more effective." The extensive and diverse Andes, which runs from the Caribbean coast to its southern tip in Patagonia, means the study advocates for localised adaptation strategies, informed by scientific research and indigenous knowledge, says Dr Ana Ochoa-Sánchez. "The research also stresses the need for global climate policies to reduce emissions and increase adaptation to support vulnerable mountain regions, such as our iconic Andes. The findings highlight that climate change is not a distant threat but a current crisis already unfolding across one of the world's most celebrated mountain landscapes."
