Ocean This Week: Deep-Sea Mining Shock, Marine Monument Rollback, Whale Crisis & Vision Breakthrough

AS Marine Conservation & Travel Media 63 subscribers 6 likes 73 views 12 Feb 2026 This week in ocean news: A five-year study in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the central Pacific revealed nearly 800 species at a deep-sea mining site — while documenting a 37% decline in animal abundance where mining equipment disturbed the seafloor. The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off Cape Cod has been reopened to commercial fishing, removing protections from more than 12,000 square kilometers of deep-sea coral habitat. Researchers in the Southern Ocean are raising alarms over southern right whale reproduction, linking declining calving rates to shrinking Antarctic sea ice and krill shortages. Meanwhile, a simple weighted device is boosting pollack survival rates after catch-and-release from 56% to over 80%, and scientists in the Red Sea have identified a hybrid photoreceptor cell in deep-sea fish larvae that blends rod and cone functions — a discovery that could influence future camera technology and eye research. Full coverage and sources: https://sevenseasmedia.org — SEVENSEAS Media is an independent ocean journalism platform covering marine science, policy, and conservation. Subscribe for weekly ocean updates.