Cayman Islands (Global Adventures): The first expedition to search for deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Cayman Rise has turned up three distinct types of hydrothermal venting, reports an interdisciplinary team led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). While hydrothermal activity occurs all around the world, the diversity of the newly discovered vent types, their geologic [...]

Baltic Sea (Global Adventures): Divers may have found the oldest and perhaps most expensive load of champagne on the bottom of the ocean. While exploring the remains of a 230-year-old shipwreck close to the Finnish Aland archipelago in the Baltic Sea, instructor Christian Elkstrom spotted several objects partially buried in the sand. The Swedish diver [...]

Kaliningrad (Global Adventures): Russia has developed a new submersible capable of diving to 19,685 feet (6,000 meters). Designed and build for the Russian Navy by the JSC Admiralteyskie Verfi shipyard in Kaliningrad, the vessel has successfully passed a set of factory tests, the news agency Itar-Tass reports. Further dives are currently under way in the [...]

Shin-Da Harbor (Global Adventures): The Taiwan Ocean Research Institution (TORI) hopes that Iver2 will to establish an ocean information database and network. The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) will allow the institution to map and photograph the ocean floor using side-scan sonar and an onboard camera system. During a 4-year research initiative, TORI hopes to develop [...]

Arctic (Global Adventures): British scientists experienced another unexpected sign of potential global warming: rain in the high Arctic off Ellef Ringnes Island, Canada. "I had to look twice. Snow flurries we expect, not rain," said Catlin Arctic Survey team member Paul Ramsden. "I felt distinctly nervous for a while because the consequences of getting wet [...]

Kuruman (Global Adventures): One of the deepest caves in the world is located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Bushman's Hole, or Boesmansgat, is approximately 930 feet (283 meters) deep and only partially explored. Mike Rathbourne was one the first divers exploring the sinkhole in 1977. Over the years, the underwater cave has [...]

Playa Vista (Global Adventures): With $100 million in prices and seed capital over a 10 year period, the X Prize Foundation hopes to spur innovation and address worldwide challenges in the areas of Energy and Environment, Exploration of the Oceans and Space, Life Sciences, and Education and Global Development. The nonprofit organization wants to accelerate [...]