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☆ Australia and US unveil undersea drones Ghost Shark and Manta Ray
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Ghost Shark and Manta Ray protect the undersea realm. Ghost Shark and Manta Ray are the names of prototype uncrewed underwater vehicles – UUVs or drones – introduced recently by Australia and the United States respectively. But when Australia unveiled Ghost Shark last month, it called the prototypes “the most advanced undersea autonomous vehicles in the world.”The first Ghost Shark prototype, "Alpha," was co-developed by the Defence Science and Technology Group, Navy and Anduril Australia. Like the Orca, the Manta Ray hasn’t come together as quickly as Ghost Shark. Its program began in 2020 and DARPA didn’t give a goal for the Manta Ray – or some variant of it – to join the US fleet.

Persons: Ray, Manta Ray, Rodney Braithwaite, ” Shane Arnott, Anduril’s, ”, Tanya Monro, Emma Salisbury, “, ” Salisbury, Chris Brose, Northrop, Manta, Northrop Grumman, ” Kyle Woerner, Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray hasn’t, Manta Ray –, –, Salisbury, Sutton Organizations: South Korea CNN, Marvel, Defence Science, Technology Group, Navy, Anduril, Government Defence, Australian Defense Ministry, “, US Navy, Boeing, Pentagon, Advanced Research Products Agency, DARPA, Research Projects Agency, Northrop Grumman, Manta, Defense, Research, Agency, US, U.S . Navy Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Australia, United States, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Kyiv, Swiss, Anduril Australia, Geostrategy, Southern California, Maryland, California, China, UUVs, Beijing, Canada, France, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, Sutton

Great Barrier Reef, Australia CNN —As the early-morning sun rises over the Great Barrier Reef, its light pierces the turquoise waters of a shallow lagoon, bringing more than a dozen turtles to life. CNN witnessed bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in mid-February, on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern parts of the 2,300-kilometer (1,400-mile) ecosystem. “It’s a die-off,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia and chief scientist at The Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Our destination is Lady Elliot Island, a remote coral cay perched on top of the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. — Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Guano miners once stripped Lady Elliot Island of its topsoil.

Persons: Elliot Island, ”, Kate Quigley, “ We’re, Ove Hoegh, I’m, Guldberg, ‘, Elliot, Peter Gash, “, ” Gash, Lady Elliot, ” Peter Gash, CNN Gash, Derek Manzello, Peter Harrison, “ We’ve, ” Harrison, ” David Ritter, ” Ritter, David Wachenfeld Organizations: Australia CNN —, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, CNN, Minderoo, University of Queensland, Eco, Reef Watch, Southern Cross University, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Greenpeace, Australia CNN Scientists, AIMS Locations: Australia, El, Brisbane, Queensland, Red Sea, Indonesia, Seychelles, Caribbean, Florida, “, New South Wales, Greenpeace Australia, Briggs, Elliot Island

☆ The US military's massive unmanned 'Manta Ray' submarine cleared its first sea test
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Drones like the Manta Ray can function like a torpedo, mine, or small submarine. AdvertisementA US military submarine that looks like a giant metal manta ray and is currently under development passed its first major test at sea. Related storiesOne photograph of the Manta Ray shows it sitting adjacent to a support boat, and another shows it with people standing on top of it. AdvertisementDARPA program manager Dr. Kyle Woerner (right) talks with a member of the Northrop Grumman team while standing atop the Manta Ray vehicle. AdvertisementUS Navy Sailors launch an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) from an 11-meter rigid hull inflatable boat.

Persons: Manta Ray, —, Northrop Grumman, Ray, Kyle Woerner, Dr, Woerner, John Paul Kotara II, UUVs Organizations: Drones, Service, Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Manta, Northrop, Northrop Grumman, Research, Agency, US Navy, Navy, Navy Sailors, Force Locations: Southern California, Iran, Yemen, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ Khloe Kardashian suspects her children are using whale drawings to make fun of her
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewKhloe Kardashian is convinced her two children, True and Tatum Thompson, are poking fun at their mom with whales around the house. In one post, Kardashian shared that the kids had left her a crudely drawn whale in the ocean. AdvertisementIn a second post, Kardashian revealed that she had found more whales among her daughter True's homework. Kardashian said on X last year that she dealt with a fear of whales for years and acknowledged that the trepidation was "totally irrational." AdvertisementLike many other cetaphobes, Kardashian said on X she is afraid of the usually peaceful mammal because of its "ginormous" size.

Persons: —, Khloe Kardashian, Tatum Thompson, Kardashian, Instagram, Tatum, I'm, she's, Khloe, Kim Kardashian Organizations: Service, Business, People, National Institute of Health

☆ How climate change could be driving ‘killer’ cold outbreaks in oceans
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —It’s not just ocean heat that’s affecting marine life – new research shows extremely cold events are welling up and causing mass mortalities. And the same planet-warming pollution that’s driving the climate crisis is likely to blame for these “killer events” on the other end of the temperature spectrum. The world’s oceans have been plagued by unprecedented heat over the past year, fueling concerns for marine life. “Climate change is actually really complex,” said Nicolas Lubitz, lead author of the study and a researcher at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. He said seasonal upwelling events are common in that area, with water temperature dropping quickly.

Persons: CNN — It’s, ”, Nicolas Lubitz, “ It’s, Lubitz, “, Ajit Subramaniam, School’s Lamont, it’s, ” Subramaniam Organizations: CNN, welling, James Cook University, East Australian, Columbia Locations: Queensland, Australia, South Africa

☆ The Maldives are known as a luxury vacation destination. But for $100 per day, my husband and I had the trip of a lifetime.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Geena Truman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThe key to budget travel in the Maldives is visiting the local islandsWe found visiting local islands to be a beautiful and affordable way to experience the true culture of the Maldives. AdvertisementThe local Maldivian Islands were affordable and beautifulThe local islands were stunning. These excursions proved the waters of the local islands had just as much to offer as the private-island resorts. By staying on the local islands, we got to experience more of the Maldivian cultureBecause we visited the local islands, we got to learn a lot about the local culture. By staying on the local islands, we got to interact with members of the community and learn about their incredible sea-faring history.

Persons: —, Geena Truman, we'd, Truman Organizations: Service, Business, Manta Rays Locations: Maldives, Southeast Asia, Ukulhas, Omadhoo, Maldivian

☆ Fire Blanketed Lahaina in Toxic Debris. Where Can They Put It?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Mike Baker | Lisa L. Schell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When a firestorm consumed the Hawaii town of Lahaina last year, killing 100 people, it left behind a toxic wasteland of melted batteries, charred propane tanks, and miles of debris tainted by arsenic and lead. Crews have already removed some of the most hazardous items, shipping them out for disposal on the mainland. Now begins the even more formidable task of collecting hundreds of thousands of tons of additional debris and soil — enough to cover five football fields about five stories high. Even as excavators began filling dump trucks this month, the question of where it should all ultimately go remained unanswered. For now, the county has chosen a “temporary” dump site in Olowalu, a few miles south of Lahaina on the West Maui coastline.

Persons: Crews Locations: Hawaii, Lahaina, Olowalu, Maui

☆ Graphic video shows orcas hunting and eating dolphins near San Diego. Orca scientist says they just like playing with their food.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Orcas were spotted hunting dolphins off the coast of San Diego, in a graphic new drone video. This behavior is normal, especially since this pod of killer whales specializes in eating dolphins. Killer whales eat a meat-based diet, but the prey they choose depends on what part of the world they live in. So, for the orcas that cruise the area, eating dolphins is about a combination of opportunity and interest, Marino explained. The orcas are playing and teaching their youngA female killer whale and her newborn calf in Grays Harbor near Westport, Washington.

Persons: they've, Domenic Biagini, Lori Marino, Marino, Biagini, Candice Emmons, they're Organizations: Service, The, Sanctuary, San, NOAA Fisheries, Reuters Locations: San Diego, New Zealand, Southern California, Grays Harbor, Westport , Washington

☆ Rare video footage shows a cannibalistic killer crab gobbling up babies. 'I have never seen this behavior before,' one expert said.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Every year, millions of Christmas Island red crabs make their way to the Indian Ocean to lay eggs. David Attenborough's Netflix series "Our Planet II," shows an adult crab feasting on baby crablets. The Christmas Island crabs are terrestrial, inhabiting the island's rainforests during most of the year. When the eggs hit the water, the red crab larvae hatch. You can watch "Our Planet II" on Netflix.

Persons: David Attenborough's, Lucy Turner, —, I've Organizations: David Attenborough's Netflix, Service, Netflix, University of Plymouth, Parks Australia –

☆ Maldives luxury resort takes fresh approach to waste with new ‘Sustainability Lab’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Karla Cripps | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But do tourists actually care about a resort’s sustainability cred? As the luxury resort’s sustainability manager, he oversees all of the 120-villa property’s eco-inspired initiatives, from protecting the 9-kilometer-long house reef to implementing cutting-edge energy-saving strategies. The predominant color is blue thanks to an abundance of plastic water bottle tops. The structure was designed to kind of replicate a hard substrate of a coral reef. Children can learn more about the resort’s conservation efforts by joining its new Generation Sea program, which includes visits to both the Sustainability Lab and the Coralarium.

Persons: Samuel Dixon, “, CNN Dixon, Dixon, ”, There’s, nontoxic, it’s, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, Maldives CNN, Sustainability Locations: Maldives, Fairmont Maldives, ”

☆ I'm a former Navy SEAL who protects rich people on vacation. I've taken them everywhere from French Polynesia to Mt. Everest.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I used to move US Special Forces troops around Iraq and Afghanistan. As a Navy SEAL, I was awarded a Bronze Star Medal in Iraq and a Bronze Star with V for Valor in Afghanistan. While our services are expensive, we can make our clients' travel insurance cheaper. We protect the family, but we can also protect the yacht's contents — some of our client's yachts have multi-million-dollar art collections on board. If we have a guest who has never skydived before, we'll hook them up with a Special Forces instructor.

Persons: Servius, —, They've, — we've, We've, we'll, we're, he's Organizations: Navy SEAL, Special Forces, Service, Valor, Monaco, Navy, Rangers, Marines, Everest Base, ex, extractions Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan, Polynesia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, South Africa, Miami, South America

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Ecuador sealed the world's largest "debt-for-nature" swap on record on Tuesday, selling a new "blue bond" that will funnel at least $12 million a year into conservation of the Galapagos Islands, one of the world's most precious ecosystems. Tuesday's $656 million "Galapagos Bond," as it has been dubbed, will run until 2041 and gave investors that bought it a 5.645% "coupon" or interest rate, its bankers said. Ecuador sovereign bonds currently yield from 17% to 26%, but the new bond has an $85 million 'credit guarantee' from the Inter-American Development Bank and $656 million of political risk insurance from the U.S. International Development Finance Corp (DFC), effectively making it less risky. The driver has been the remote Galapagos Islands, some 600 miles (970 km) off Ecuador's mainland coast, that inspired Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Scott Nathan, the chief executive of DFC, said people needed to "stay tuned" for similar deals in other countries and the Galapagos deal had been a long time coming.

Redeeming credit card rewards for a stay in the Maldives can save you thousands of dollars. I'll no longer use points for Maldives resorts after an all-inclusive stay that was a much better value. As COVID-19 was sweeping the globe, speculative bookings to faraway places like the Maldives plummeted amid the uncertainty in future travel restrictions. In order to generate revenue, many hotels in the Maldives started offering great deals on fully refundable all-inclusive package deals. Here's how seven days at The Standard Huravalhi Maldives permanently changed my booking approach to one of my favorite destinations.

Persons: —, I'd, Marriott, Ethan Steinberg, we'd, It's, I'm, Shak, Ethan Steinberg Gudaguda, I've, they're, they'll, who's, Zinah, Ethan Steinberg We'd Organizations: Service, Marriott, Malé Locations: Maldives, Malé, Maldivian, KULA, Regis

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