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Manila has repeatedly accused the Chinese coastguard of blocking resupply missions to its troops on The Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, as it did on 5 Aug when it sprayed a Philippine vessel with a water cannon.

The South China Sea dispute involves territorial claims by multiple nations, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. It centres around control of islands, reefs, and waters in the South China Sea. 

Seaweed in the Atlantic

These sprawling masses of seaweed, often stretching for miles, have been observed in the Atlantic over the past few years. While such occurrences are not entirely new, their increasing frequency and size have raised concerns about their potential environmental impacts.

A recent in-depth exploration by BBC Future sheds light on the phenomenon, unraveling the complex factors behind the enigmatic seaweed blooms.

The team, aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor, located the nursery nearly 2,800 meters below the ocean's surface. The expedition's footage, captured by the underwater robot ROV SuBastian, showcased breathtaking marine life, including octopus hatchlings, tripod fish, and vibrant coral gardens.

A recent study has unveiled a fascinating aspect of octopus biology: their ability to adapt to cold ocean temperatures by making precise edits to their RNA. 

RNA editing is a molecular process through which cells can modify nucleotide sequences in RNA, resulting in proteins that differ from those directly encoded by DNA. This ability is particularly enhanced in octopuses, who use it to fine-tune the functions of their nervous system at low temperatures.

Elephant seals were recently the focus of a groundbreaking study that explored their sleep patterns during dives. The research, partly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and published in the journal Science, provides a unique insight into the world of these marine mammals.”

In a world where facial recognition technology is becoming commonplace, it is not just humans who are being identified. A groundbreaking study has successfully applied this technology to identify individual whales and dolphins in the wild across 24 species.

Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981, narrowly avoided a downgrade to the "in danger" status during a recent meeting of the World Heritage Committee. The decision was made despite the repeated warnings by experts about the escalating impact of climate change on the world's largest coral reef system.

Considered a marine delicacy in Asia, sea cucumbers are widely known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Now, new research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) suggests that they might be a crucial ingredient in the fight against diabetes.