Research institutions from Norway and other countries have collected a great amount of data from the northern oceans in recent years. Many people want.
The microscopic, free-floating algae called phytoplankton and the tiny zooplankton that eat them are notoriously difficult to count. Researchers need to know how a warming climate will affect them both. A new kind of smart, lightweight autonomous underwater vehicle (LAUV) can help.
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IMAGE: The seas are alive with ships, from fishing vessels to container ships. This screenshot from marinetraffic.com gives a sense of just how many vessels are out on the high sea.. view more
Credit: Screenshot: Marinetraffic.com
Nearly everything in our daily lives from the electronic gizmos we all use, to the coffee we drink and the bananas we eat relies on shipping. Ships worldwide transport roughly 11 billion tons of goods annually, which works out to about 1.5 tons for every person on the planet.
But how do those ships navigate safely on the open ocean or in the crowded quarters of shipping lanes?