Oceanography

• Bristlemouth is the first open ocean connectivity standard, removing a key barrier to scaling innovation and growth across research, government, and industry
  SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bristlemouth , the open ocean connectivity standard, launched its accelerator program during BristleCon - a two-day conference connecting people and organizations across the ocean community.
• The Bristlemouth Accelerator program supports entrepreneurs and startups to accelerate from concept to product through funding and mentorship guidance.
• It aims to drive ocean impact by catalyzing the commercial development of Bristlemouth-based solutions, supporting the next era of ocean innovation.
• The accelerator is an extension of the Bristlemouth Pioneer program launched during World Oceans Week earlier this year.

• ATLANTA, Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition opens at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this Saturday, October 21, 2023.
• E/M Group, RMS Titanic, Inc., and Carnegie Science Center are bringing a curated collection of real Titanic artifacts to audiences all over the world.
• "We are excited to bring TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition to Carnegie Science Center," said Jason Brown, Henry Buhl, Jr., Director of Carnegie Science Center.
• "E/M Group is thrilled to bring TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition back to Carnegie Science Center.

Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced a new ministerial portfolio in August: Marine and Blue Economy. This was welcome news as it renewed hope for economic development outside the oil sector. We asked marine sustainability and blue economy expert Isa Olalekan Elegbede to explain how the ministry could benefit Nigeria.

Why has Nigeria established a new ministry for the blue economy?

• It includes a wide range of sectors and resources related to oceans, seas, coasts and waterways.
• Nigeria’s establishment of a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is a strategic move.
• I believe the ministry will tap the country’s rich marine resources as an element of the national economic framework.
• Marine resources can be exploited to create jobs and transform Nigeria into a leader in sustainable marine activities.

What four areas should the ministry focus on?

Nigeria hopes to generate over US$1.5 trillion annually from exploiting its marine resources. To achieve this, the ministry should do the following:

What benefits will Nigerians feel if these steps are taken?

• Harnessing the blue economy could be a game changer for Nigeria.
• First, it could create jobs and generate income from fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, shipping and renewable energy.
• Second, a blue economy could mitigate environmental damage as it enables the restoration of marine ecosystems.
• Despite competition from more experienced countries in the marine industry, the blue economy offers Nigeria significant potential.

• Nearly 450 of these wells were tagged “orphan” in 1994, which means they have been dormant and possibly leaking methane gas for nearly 30 years.
• Thanks to a $3 million grant from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, LSU Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering Professor Ipsita Gupta is working with a team of LSU researchers to find out which wells are leaking and measure their emissions before and after they are plugged.
• One of the ways to accurately measure methane emissions in the state is to measure individual wells, which is being done by LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Chair and Professor Kanchan Maiti.
• “It will not only have an immediate impact on reducing methane emissions from orphan wells, which is an important health, safety, and environmental concern; plugging orphan wells will also be impactful for ongoing and future efforts on carbon dioxide storage as the CO2 will be safely sequestered underground if there are no leaking wells around.