July 2024 Edition
A monthly round-up of news and trends important to the AltaSea community.
AltaSea Community Spotlight
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, the world’s largest ocean research and development destination for the Blue Economy, today announced the launch of its 2024 Ocean Pathways High School Research Mentorship program, developed alongside Hugo Neu Corporation, New York/New Jersey Baykeeper, and the Boys & Girls Club of Newark (BGCN). The six-week program provides high school students in Los Angeles, New York, and New Jersey with firsthand research experience and mentorship opportunities in marine biology, sustainability, and environmental conservation.
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The eThekwini Municipality has announced its ambitious plans to mimic successful international programmes related to the ocean industry, particularly that of Los Angeles in the US. Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said this follows a fruitful discussion between the City delegation, led by Economic Development and Planning Committee chairperson, Councillor Thembo Ntuli, and the AltaSea team in the Port of LA.
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The Port of Los Angeles reached another milestone in its quest to become a zero-emission (ZE) port today, deploying the first commercially available battery-powered electric cargo top handlers in the U.S. The five electric, human-operated top handlers purchased by Yusen Terminals will replace more polluting, diesel-powered equipment.
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Geraldine is currently the Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles. Located in San Pedro, California, this project, currently in progress is transforming 35 acres of land in the Port of Los Angeles into an ocean-side innovation campus. Geraldine is also a Professor of Practice and Policy and Engineering, a joint appointment between the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy and the Viterbi School of Engineering. She was the first woman to serve as the Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles.
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Join Biocom California for the 3rd annual Greater LA Life Science Forum. This conference unites local business leaders, industry companies, investors, elected officials and regional decision-makers to delve into the newest developments within the Greater Los Angeles life science sector. Featuring many speakers including Jenny Krusoe, Executive Vice President and COO, AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles.
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Never before have Californians had more climate information at their fingertips: Planes soar above the Sierra measuring snowpack with lasers; cameras enhanced with artificial intelligence scan the landscape for wildfire; and satellites swirl overhead collecting detailed images of real-time conditions.
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AltaSea Events
July 16th | 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Career pathways in aquaculture encompass a diverse range of professions and roles within the aquaculture industry, from production and management to research, education, and policy advocacy. It involves acquiring the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to pursue rewarding and impactful careers in aquaculture.
Marine Science
Taking carbon dioxide from the ocean could increase its natural ability to remove emissions from the atmosphere, like wringing out a sponge to make it more absorptive. The world’s oceans already act as a vast carbon sink, offsetting approximately one-quarter of the CO2 emissions that human activity generates each year. But as they face challenges like acidification and rising temperatures, they’re becoming less effective at taking up the planet-warming gas.
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As diplomats from around the world convene in Jamaica next month to discuss international guidelines on deep sea mining, environmental activists are urging nations to consider a California law they say could mitigate the need to destroy fragile ocean ecosystems.
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The world’s coral reefs are like underwater cities, bustling with all kinds of fish and sea animals. Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean, but they support an estimated 25% of all marine species, including many important fish species. The economic value of the services that these complex ecosystems provide is estimated at over US$3.4 billion yearly just in the U.S.
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The ocean appears to be reaching a tipping point. For the past year, sea surface temperatures have shattered records daily. Ninety percent of the globe’s big fish populations are depleted. Half of the coral reefs are destroyed. The triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss is pushing Earth, especially life below water, to the brink of extinction.
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Sustainable and Innovative Business
California urgently needs solutions to our energy affordability and reliability crisis, especially as we approach summer and inevitable heat waves that drive up temperatures along with energy bills. Fortunately, a suite of bills rapidly advancing through the state legislature would go a long way towards solving problems of energy reliability, affordability and safety.
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This resilient marine plant, thriving in harsh ocean conditions, offers the perfect properties for innovation in material science. Businesses are increasingly pivoting to seaweed-based models, utilizing its strength and flexibility to produce eco-friendly products like straws, cutlery, and packaging.
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The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) approved the preliminary design of a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-hybrid research vessel that will join the fleet at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography when completed.
The vessel’s design was developed by naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten. Approval of the preliminary design shows that it meets technical requirements and safety standards, and lays the groundwork for the expanded use of zero-emission hydrogen-powered propulsion at sea.
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The water between its spinning blades has been transformed into an experimental underwater seafood farm.
Four hundred-meter (328-foot) lines spread between the turbines grow seaweed and mussel crops. The seaweed was recently harvested for the first time.
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The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth. It regulates the climate, absorbs greenhouse gas emissions, and generates oxygen on which all life depends. The ocean economy has always existed for transport and trade, resource extraction, and waste disposal (intentional and unintentional). The call for a new blue economy is to focus on sustainable subsets within the global ocean economy and push other subsets to become more ocean-friendly. By leveraging AI, the blue economy can move humankind closer to the long-sought balance between economic prosperity and ecological resilience.
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Education
New research shows that filings and shavings left over from grinding, drilling, and cutting metal alloys can be transformed into catalytic electrodes for water splitting. The nanotextured surface of the waste metal is perfect for holding single atoms of platinum and cobalt. These act as electrocatalysts, speeding up key reactions on the electrode’s surface.
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Ocean innovators from the third startBlue cohort gathered at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography on May 29 to pitch science- and engineering-based solutions for ocean-related challenges at a Demo Day event.
The startBlue accelerator program is advancing the blue technology sector by facilitating the translation of ocean science and technology intellectual capital into startups ready to leverage innovation and market resources.
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Scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography are part of a new study that reveals significant progress in the drive to reduce levels of chemicals that destroy Earth’s ozone layer, confirming the success of regulations limiting their production.