Hydrothermal vents that have ceased venting superheated fluid temporarily (inactive) or permanently (extinct) can harbour large deposits of polymetallic sulphides in their chimney structures, which are of growing interest to deep-sea miners.  Little is known about the animals that inhabit such structures, as the life-giving chemical soup no longer emanates from within. GOBI scientists are investigating whetherContinue Reading Inactive hydrothermal vents in the spotlight

While much of the world has been contending with the trials of a viral pandemic, GOBI colleagues and members of the Marine Mammal Protected Area Task Force have been busy reviewing candidate IMMA proposals from two recent regional IMMA workshops, as well as revamping the online repository of IMMA-related information. Their efforts have not been inContinue Reading New Important Marine Mammal Areas published

In this grave new world where public gatherings have been cancelled or postponed, the GOBI Newsletter has embraced the virtues of going virtual (and possibly viral – although that’s a contentious expression at present). The march of science is, however, relentless, and the GOBI partnership has not stopped in its pursuit of knowledge to supportContinue Reading The Summer 2020 GOBI Newsletter is out now!

MiCO, a system that illustrates migratory connectivity in the oceans, has won the Innovation Award at this year’s Ocean Awards organised by the Blue Marine Foundation and BOAT International. The Innovation Award recognises the individual or group that has introduced innovative technologies and practices that help aid ocean conservation. MiCO has so far analysed theContinue Reading MiCO wins Ocean Awards 2020

The Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO) system – conceived by scientists at Duke University (USA) and at the University of Queensland (Australia), and developed collaboratively with GOBI’s support under its current grant from Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) – has been shortlisted for The 2020 Ocean Awards, under the Innovation category. The awards areContinue Reading MiCO is shortlisted for prestigious innovation award

GOBI had an opportunity to showcase some of its outputs during the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13) in Gandhinagar, India, 15-22 February 2020.  Infused throughout the COP13 agenda was the concept of ecological connectivity, essential for migratory species whose life journeys spanContinue Reading GOBI at CMS COP13

Another expert regional workshop to identify Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) has just been completed in Perth, Australia.  The week-long workshop (10-14 February 2020) hosted 31 marine mammal scientists and observers from six countries, who together mapped the important habitats for marine mammals in the waters of Australia, New Zealand and the South East Indian Ocean.Continue Reading The IMMA process forges on!

The second World Marine Mammal Conference has concluded in Barcelona (December, 2019), with an extraordinary display of enthusiasm and results from scientists from around the world.  With 2,611 participants, it was the largest ever gathering of marine mammal scientists and conservationists. Amongst the varied presentations were those from our GOBI partners and associates:  the Tethys Research Institute,Continue Reading Marine mammals in the spotlight

GOBI partner Fundación MarViva in Costa Rica has launched an interactive ‘geoportal’ for the Costa Rica Thermal Dome.  The creation and launch of the portal is in addition to the printed and electronic versions of the Atlas of the Dome, which were launched at the most recent UN BBNJ negotiations in New York (BBNJ IGC3, AugustContinue Reading The Costa Rica Thermal Dome becomes interactive

Active hydrothermal vents in the deep sea are valued for their lush communities of strange organisms that rely on chemicals spewing from the seafloor for their sustenance.  Every vent eventually becomes inactive.  For decades, inactive vents were overlooked by the scientific community, but now that the metal-rich massive sulphide deposits at inactive vents have attracted the attentionContinue Reading Deep-sea inactive sulphide ecosystems in the spotlight