Chinese military researchers Shi Guanglei and Shi Haiming warn that unmanned undersea vehicles and the AUKUS pact are lowering barriers to undersea warfare by offering low-cost, scalable capabilities for seabed control.
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposed auctioning two massive seabed lease areas near American Samoa for mineral exploration, sparking environmental and local concerns.
The Philippines officially presented its partial submission on its extended continental shelf to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on July 28, demonstrating its commitment to the UN Charter and UNCLOS for a peaceful South China Sea.
The Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command conducted joint naval and air drills near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, citing a response to actions by certain countries undermining regional peace and stability. The exercise aimed to test combat capabilities and safeguard China's territorial sovereignty.
Scientists revealed how Posidonia oceanica, a Mediterranean seagrass, efficiently photosynthesizes in dim seabed light. It adapted by enlarging its light-harvesting system and losing low-energy chlorophyll forms, speeding up energy transfer. This discovery offers insights for crop development.
Less than 30% of Earth's ocean floor is mapped to modern standards, a stark contrast to Mars' fully mapped surface. The Seabed 2030 project has increased coverage to 28.7% since 2017, but vast areas remain unknown, impacting tsunami forecasting, internet cables, climate models, and territorial claims.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the Philippines has raised the seabed by up to 2 meters, exposing coral reefs and seagrass beds, and killing marine life. At least 61 people died and 40 are missing.
An earthquake in the Philippines has caused coastal uplift, raising the seabed by up to two meters and exposing marine life. The phenomenon, reported by locals, has extended shorelines and affected areas near the Cotabato Trench.
An expert stated that China and the US are not among the largest marine powers. He also compared the threat of cutting internet cables to nuclear weapons, emphasizing that the threat itself, rather than actual use, causes unease and disrupts normal operations.
China's maritime authorities have completed their first hydrographic survey east of Taiwan, aiming to improve seabed mapping. The operation, involving multiple agencies, is seen as a strategic move to assert jurisdiction over waters surrounding Taiwan.
A study in Nature reveals a significant increase in Arctic icebergs since the early 2000s, driven by climate change. These icebergs transport debris, altering marine habitats and potentially impacting fishing and shipping routes.
An international team is investigating over 200,000 radioactive waste barrels dumped in the North-East Atlantic between 1946 and the 1990s, using autonomous underwater vehicles to map and assess their condition and impact on deep-sea ecosystems.
Southeast Asian leaders are revitalizing plans for a unified electricity grid, first conceived in 1997. The initiative aims to enable seamless cross-border energy flow, requiring system redesign to integrate new technologies and manage renewable energy variability, according to a new Ember report.
Western intelligence agencies are closely monitoring Russia's "Skythen" project, which reportedly involves deploying nuclear missiles on the seabed. The specialized vessel "Zvezdochka" may be used for this secret military operation, posing a significant challenge to NATO.
China unveiled some of its most advanced military technology, including robot dogs and an AI-enabled underwater system that can neutralise mines, at a defence expo. Autonomous underwater vehicles designed to be launched by submarine were one of the most noteworthy products that featured at the 2026 Chengdu Defence Technology Industry Expo in mid-April. The vessels, which can be launched from 260mm or 533mm torpedo tubes, are mainly designed to conduct high-precision deep-ocean surveys and seabed...
Beneath the surface of the world’s oceans lies an infrastructure so essential, modern life would stall without it – yet so invisible it rarely enters public debate. Submarine cables, slender fibre-optic systems laid across the seabed, carry over 95 per cent of global internet traffic, transmitting the data that underpins financial markets, diplomatic exchanges and everyday communication. What appears to be neutral infrastructure is, in fact, a deeply political system – one that exposes a...
Chinese scientists have created a diving suit that could help users glide through the sea with ease. In tests, the exoskeleton reduced the diver’s oxygen consumption by nearly 40 per cent. The flexible suit not only provides physical assistance but also syncs precisely with the swimmer’s own rhythm, dramatically boosting underwater agility. In tasks ranging from seabed surveys and pipeline inspections to salvage operations and even covert military missions, divers must constantly change the rate...
