Benerson Little

Vessels Freed From Ice. Earlier this month, ice off Stockholm trapped dozens of vessels, including ferries, one of them carrying almost a thousand passengers. Icebreakers from Sweden and Finland were dispatched to free the vessels, some of which had been trapped for several days. (Source: BBC)

LCS Exceeds 45 Knots. The USS Independence (LCS 2), a prototype Littoral Combat Ship, recently exceeded 45 knots (52 mph) in sea trials, and sustained speeds of 44 knots for more than four hours. A competitor prototype, the USS Freedom, has proved similar speeds. These warships are intended for a variety of missions, including special operations support.

Octopus Runs...With Coconut Shells. Fascinating, hilarious (and to some people, a bit disturbing) footage of octopuses and coconut shells: "Octopus Snatches Coconut Shell and Runs."

Giant Oarfish Footage. Footage of the giant oarfish in its natural environment has been captured for the first time. The oarfish, which can reach fifty feet long, is probably responsible for many of the purported sightings of "sea monsters." (See for example Richard Ellis's Monsters of the Sea.) The footage, shot at depth in the Gulf of Mexico, was released this past February. (Sources: BBC et al.)

Bluefin Tuna Ban. Both the US and the EU have agreed to a ban on international trade in bluefin tuna until the stocks recover. An international vote will take place near the end of March. Japan has protested, and has stated that it will continue to do so. Japan is the number one market for bluefin tuna, primarily in the form of sushi and sashimi. Stocks are two-thirds depleted in the Mediterranean and eighty percent in the Atlantic, due to a combination of demand and factory trawlers. (Sources: ny times, BBC, and The Independent)

US Navy CO Relieved. The commanding officer of the guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens has been relieved of duty "after an investigation substantiated crew allegations that she was abusive and used her position for personal gain," according to a Military.com article.

Rogue Waves. Up to three rogue waves as much as 26 feet high struck the cruise ship Louis Majesty near Marseilles on March 3 while the vessel was en route from Barcelona to Genoa. Two passengers were killed and fourteen were injured when the waves shattered windows in a dining area. The ship was carrying over 1300 passengers and almost 600 crew. The vessel put about and headed back to Barcelona. (Sources: BBC, LeFigaro)

Chilean Coast Tsunami. Good article on the devastating effects of the Chilean earthquake and subsequent tsunamis that his the coast. While most US media attention was turned to watching the ultimately inconsequential tsunami that sped across the Pacific toward the Hawaiian islands, the Chilean coast had already been devastated. "The Sea, Lifeblood of Chilean Towns, Turns Deadly."

The Plastiki Prepares for Sea. The BBC reports (March 3, 2010) that the Plastiki, a boat made largely from recycled materials, awaits fair weather before it begins its journey from San Francisco to Sydney. The voyage is intended to bring attention to environmental damage done by discarded plastics, and specifically to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch of floating plastic, roughly twice the size of Texas. A similar, but smaller, patch has recently been identified in the Atlantic. "Boat Made of Trash Prepares to Set Sail."