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soundings )) Aquarius Reef Base Loses Funding. The federal government has eliminated funding for NOAA's Undersea Research Program, which includes the Aquarius Reef Base, the world's only undersea research station. The last federally funded mission to Aquar- ius, its 117th, occurred in July. Funding for the undersea research program fell from $7.4 million in fiscal year 2011 to $3.98 million in fiscal 2012, before being cut altogether in fiscal year 2013, while NOAA has asked for a $163 million increase to more than $2 billion to fund its weather satellite program in 2013, The Washington Post reported. Aquarius, operated by the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which will no longer host it after December, is adjacent to deep coral reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at a depth of 63 feet. The 81-ton structure houses six bunks, a shower and toilet, and computers with wireless telemetry. It has been used as a base for saturation-diving research expeditions and for simulation training for astronauts. Sylvia Earle, who co-led Aquarius' last mission, said people should not be canceled out completely from ocean fieldwork in favor of technology. "You can't surprise a machine," she told NPR, "but you certainly can surprise a human being, and a human being can react with a body of knowledge. That's the joy of exploration. If you knew what you were going to find, you wouldn't have to go. But it's the unexpected you have to prepare for, which is what humans do." A continuing resolution is planned to be introduced in the U.S. Congress to possibly fund Aquarius for six months at $100,000 per month. The Aquarius Foundation, an independent group in Key Largo, Florida, is trying to raise money to fund the lab's $3 million annual budget. A fundraiser on www.indiegogo.com/SaveARB seeks to raise $100,000 by November 16. )) Stricter MARPOL Emissions Control Comes Into Effect for North America. The North American Emission Control Area (ECA), under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), came into effect on August 1, with stricter controls on emissions of sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter for ships trading off the coasts of Canada, the U.S. and the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said. There are now three designated ECAs in effect globally, the other two being sulphur oxide ECAs in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea areas. A fourth area, the U.S. Caribbean Sea ECA, was designated under MARPOL amendments adopted in July 2011, with expected entry into force on January 1, 2013, as well as the new ECA taking effect on January 1, 2014. Within ECAs, the sulphur content of fuel oil must be no more than 1 percent by mass; falling to 0.10 percent on and after January 1, 2015. This compares to 3.50 percent outside an ECA, falling to 0.50 percent on and after January 1, 2020. This date could be deferred to January 1, 2025, depending on a review, to be completed by 2018, of the availability of compliant fuel oil. )) Oil Tanker and US Navy Destroyer Collide in Strait of Hormuz. The Panamanian-flagged bulk oil tanker MV Otowasan collided with the USS Porter (DDG 78) near the Strait of Hormuz in August, resulting in no casualties or injuries, the Bahrain- based U.S. Fifth Fleet said. The collision was not combat related, according to the fleet. As a result of the collision, the Porter had a breach about 10 feet by 10 feet in the starboard side, the Associated Press reported. There were no reports of spills or leakages from either the Porter or the Otowasan, the U.S. Navy said. The Porter, a guided-missile destroyer, transited under its own power to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, after the collision and is now pierside for assessment and repair. The inci- dent is under investigation. The Porter is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility, conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. The Strait of Hormuz is located between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, and is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. One-fifth of the world's oil is routed through the strait, and tensions have risen in the area due to Iran threatening to block tanker traffic, according to the Associated Press. )) Lophelia Coral Found at Record-Breaking Depth in Gulf. A team of scientists from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Manage- ment (BOEM), NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Temple, Pennsylvania State and Florida State universities has discovered in July Lophelia pertusa, a deep cold-water coral that lives where there is no sunlight, growing deeper than previ- ously seen in the Gulf of Mexico. Through cameras on an ROV, scientists observed Lophelia coral at a depth of 799 meters on undersea structures supporting the Ram Powell platform, one of the deepest platforms in the gulf. The previous record depth for Lophelia in the gulf was 630 meters. The mission's intent was to examine coral ecosystems and related habitats that de- veloped over several decades on or near actively producing deep-ocean oil and gas production platforms. Scientists imaged corals in high-definition video and still photography, and took samples for DNA sequencing to better understand the biology, growth and distribution of deep-sea corals. Data from the 10-day expedition on Lophelia's growth rate and conditions will inform future environmental review and decision making for the protection of deepwater coral habitats. )) Robot Collects First Samples of Marine Life at Bottom of Puerto Rican Trench. Sampling of the deepest marine life ever found was accomplished in August at 8,000 meters depth in the Puerto Rican Trench, Promare Inc. (Chester, Connecticut) said. The robot that conducted the dive is the first ever to arrive at the bottom of the trench, the company said. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are studying the three-hour, high-definition video recorded during the dive and examining the retrieved samples of what appear to be a form of shrimp. The video also shows fish and what seem to be other life forms on the seabed, which could be evidence of highly developed and rich biodiversity at the bottom of the trench. The Puerto Rico Trench is the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean and is about 500 miles long. n www.sea-technology.com SEPTEMBER 2012 / st 9