Jennifer Leevan
Ocean Gliders, Ocean Gas, Rockets, Spooky Fish and more! Check out The Weekly Dive for your ocean news!

 

Studying our Ocean: Blue, UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science & Technology's ocean glider is off on its journey this week to gather data on the coastal ocean environment. The resulting data will help scientists recognize the dynamics that affect ocean habitats.

Photo by Kim Seng, Creative Commons License

#Gas: Don’t worry; it’s not what you’re thinking. Deep within rocks in the ocean floor, tiny microbes may hold a key to removing unwanted greenhouse gases from the sea. Methane-breathing microbes have been discovered in regions of the ocean with naturally occurring methane and have now been observed in a new environment. These microbes are responsible for maintaining low levels of marine methane.

Photo by hyper7pro, Creative Commons License

Planned Rocket Landing on Floating Ocean Platform: Our ocean is now playing a role in rocket travel as SpaceX, the creators of the world’s first reusable rocket, plans to bring a rocket back from space and land it on a giant, floating platform in the middle of the ocean.

Photo by Howard Ignatius, Creative Commons License

An Unwanted Pest: The threat of invasive species expanding into new regions due to climate change is becoming more of a reality. With water temperature changes, the areas formerly too cold for them are becoming destinations in which they can thrive.

Photo by MacGillivray Freeman Films 

After Halloween: Life In the Shadowy Depths: scary creatures lurk in the dark… Be brave and dive in, if you dare.

Photo by Mirna Lerotic, Creative Commons License

#Pumpkin: In honor of Fall, PADI offers an Underwater Pumpkin Carving Distinctive Specialty course —a unique c-card for any diver’s logbook. It’s a lot harder than it looks. You must consider proper weighting, buoyancy control and cool carving techniques.

Photo by Jennifer Leevan