First ASEAN maritime forum held in Surabaya

Antara News, Saturday, July 31, 2010 20:53 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia held the First ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF) in Surabaya, East Java, on 28-29 July 2010.

The forum was a follow up to a stipulation in the ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC) Blueprint, according to the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat, in a statement here, Saturday.

The Forum was officially opened by the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Triyono Wibowo.

Speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, Bagas Hapsoro, acknowledged the multi-dimensional nature of maritime aspects, such as the protection of the environment, security, navigation, and other security-related challenges.

DSG Bagas also underscored the necessity to further enhance efforts to address maritime issues urgently in a comprehensive manner.

Although maritime issues are not something new for the Member States, they remain crucial in ASEAN community building efforts, he said.

The inaugural meeting of the AMF discussed cross cutting matters related to maritime, including topics such as connectivity, maritime security problems and search and rescue to assist persons and vessels in distress at sea.

The establishment of AMF is timely, in that it coincides with the implementation of the APSC Blueprint to enhance regional linkages that will eventually contribute to the fostering of the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015.

The Forum is hoped to produce inter-sectoral recommendations for reference of ASEAN sectoral bodies in addressing maritime related issues within its functions and responsibilities.

Maluku set to serve up a fishy world record

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon | Sat, 07/31/2010 10:39 AM

The organizers of a celebratory feast coinciding with the Sail Banda maritime festival in Maluku are attempting to make history by serving a world record number of fish dishes all at once.

The national Makang Patita communal food feast will present 2,010 different fish recipes on Sunday.

The organizers have called on the Indonesian Record Museum to witness the event.

As the organizers laid out preparations for the endeavour, 45 yachts competing in a yacht race that kicked off in Darwin, Australia, last Friday, arrived in Banda Neira, 132 kilometers southeast of Ambon, the capital of Maluku.

The Sail Banda festival will reach its climax on Aug. 3 when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrives to declare Maluku as the nation’s fish center.

Ambon Deputy Mayor Olivia Latuconsina said the food festival represented the public’s contribution to Sail Banda.

Makang Patita is a traditional communal feast that typically accompanies ceremonies or parties in Maluku.

“The Makang Patita is part of the public’s direct involvement in making the Sail Banda event a success as well as showing the world the local wisdom of our region,” Latuconsina told The Jakarta Post in Ambon on Friday.

The feast of 2,010 fish recipes will be arranged by the Ambon City Family Welfare Movement in coordination with its district chapters.

Suryadi Sabirin, chairman of the feast organizing committee, said his team would distribute 25 kinds of fish to the movement’s members.

The food festival will span from the state treasury building in Ambon to Trikora Monument, and every subdistrict in the province will set up its own stand to present their unique dishes.

The event will run from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. local time. The records museum will announce whether the feat is successful at 2 p.m.

The Maluku Food Reliance Agency said Maluku was ready to break the record.

“The feat is being carried out to show that Maluku is ready to become the national fish center. The effort will not only break the national record but also the world record and can be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records,” Sabirin said.

He said the national record museum’s certificate would be presented to Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu on Aug. 3.

Meanwhile, Maluku Police office have heightened security ahead President’s arrival, dispatching 263 officers to several hotels in Ambon.

Harold Huwae, police deputy chief, said that 1,500 personnel would be involved in ensuring the President’s security.

“The personnel will be assigned to strategic sites, including Patti-mura airport, sea ports and hotels,” he said.

The National Makang Patita communal food feast will present 2,010 different fish recipes on Sunday.

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Thai company will pay for Timor oil spill

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 07/31/2010 11:37 AM

PTTEP Australasia has agreed to pay Indonesia compensation for damage to its territory near Timor from an oil spill caused by the Thai company’s rig, an official says.

“They have agreed to pay our claim,” Indonesian advocacy team leader Masnellyarti Hilman said.

An exact amount for compensation is still being calculated by the Indonesian government since the oil slick has expanded to cover over 66,000 square kilometers (sqm) of the Timor Sea.

More than 500,000 tons of oil spilled into the Timor Sea after a PTTEP Australasia oil platform exploded in the Montara field off Australia’s north coast in August 2009.

Negotiators from Indonesia and PTTEP Australasia met for the first time Tuesday in Perth. The two parties have not yet scheduled meetings.

The team will ask the National Aeronautic and Aviation Agency (LAPAN) to perform modelling on the areas affected by the spill before proposing a final amount for compensation, Masnellyarti said.

“We will collect supporting data from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, which previously reported a level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAH] that exceeded marine water quality standards,” she added.

Samples collected by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources indicate that the hydrocarbons now found in the Timor Sea were similar to samples taken from the Montara platform, she added.

The Environment Ministry said its analysis showed the quality of sea water in Timor Sea failed to meet tolerable levels set by Indonesian government.

The ministry sampled sea water in five different areas.

It said that the total suspended density (TSS) of particulate matter in the samples was at 147 milligram per liter (mg/l), far higher than the tolerable level of 20 mg/l.

The East Nusa Tenggara environmental agency also found physical and chemical contamination from the oil spill that exceeded the tolerable level set by the Indonesian government.

The Montara field was developed by the Norwegian and Bermudan-owned Seadrill company and operated by PTTEP Australasia, a unit of PTT, the Thai state-owned oil and gas company.

The company’s oil platform exploded spilled more than 500,000 liters of crude oil into the Timor Sea.

Thirty-eight percent of Indonesia’s sea territory in the Timor Sea was affected by the spill, local fishermen’s catches dropped and thousands of tons of dead shallow water fish and whales were discovered.

The spill also destroyed seaweed farms cultivated by coastal communities in East Nusa Tenggara.

Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, who is the head of the National Team for Ocean Oil Spill Emergency Situations, previously said the government asked PTTEP Australasia to pay US$5 million in initial compensation to repair environmental damage from the spill.

The initial payment will cover the short-term impacts of the spill, such as losses suffered by fishermen and seaweed farmers in the area, and is estimated to exceed Rp 247 billion, he said

“That was the figure when the oil spill area was still around 56,000 sqm. Now that the area extends over 66,000 sqm. We must recalculate the figure,” he said.

The East Nusa Tenggara provincial administration estimated damage from the oil spill in the short term could reach Rp 806.17 billion.

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Pelindo to Pump Additional $77m Into Tanjung Priok as Upgrade Steams Ahead

Jakarta Globe, Faisal Maliki Baskoro, July 29, 2010

PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II plans to invest Rp 700 billion ($77.7 million) more in the next 12 months to revamp Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta. (Antara Photo/Fanny Octavianus)

State-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II plans to invest Rp 700 billion ($77.7 million) more in the next 12 months to revamp Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta as part of an ongoing upgrade program.

President director Richard J Lino said the company, known as Pelindo II, would use internal funds. It has already allocated Rp 2.7 trillion this year to buy equipment and pay for the initial phase of reclaiming 246 hectares over the next eight years.

“Our customers are global customers and we need to match that by transforming the port into a world-class facility by increasing productivity through expanding capacity, investing in new equipment and giving 24-hour service in all of our ports,” Richard said.

Pelindo II is undertaking a massive program of capital expenditure to upgrade and expand its 12 ports nationwide, including Tanjung Priok, which it hopes to turn into a port capable of being a regional shipping hub.

Richard estimates that the total program will cost Rp 12 trillion for all ports over the next three years, with the total bill for Tanjung Priok’s upgrade coming to $1.6 billion over eight years.

Pelindo II is considering an initial public offering, as well as issuing bonds and seeking bank loans, to finance the projects.

“If we can increase productivity and reduce loading time it would reduce logistics costs,” Richard said. “Logistics costs in Indonesia are among the highest in the world, ranking around 70th. We want to give our customers nearly zero waiting time.”

The World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index ranks Indonesia 75th among 155 economies.

The government has been pushing its seaports and airports this year to prepare for an expected increase in the flow of goods resulting from free-trade deals with China and India.

It said in February that it would spend Rp 10.3 trillion to upgrade 66 seaports and 25 airports this year, compared with Rp 3.27 billion last year.

Pelindo plans to double its productivity within the next eight years, starting with a 90-hectare beach reclamation at Tanjung Priok and buying new cranes. Tanjung Priok and three other national ports began operating 24 hours a day in November.

Divers dance with white whales under icebound Arctic Sea

english.news.cn

(Photo Source: sohu.com)

More Pictures ....

Damage Claims in Timor Oil Spill Keep Spreading

Jakarta Globe, Camelia Pasandaran& Fidelis E Satriastanti, July 29, 2010

Jakarta. Government officials on Thursday said more compensation was needed to pay for the Timor Sea oil spill, because the coastal residents faced long-term losses and the recovery process would take at least 10 years.

Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi declined to quote a figure, but emphasized the need for greater payments from those at fault.

“The mangroves need 10 years to recover, not to mention the fish stocks, which are only expected to return to normal after two years,” he said. “According to scientific calculations, this will take a long time, and we need money to cover the losses.”

Last August, the Montara oil rig blew out in the Timor Sea, polluting waters near East Nusa Tenggara with a large oil slick. The crude has been said to cover 16,420 square kilometers of Indonesian territorial waters.

The well, located 690 kilometers west of Darwin and operated by PTT Exploration & Production Australasia, a unit of the Thai energy major, was staunched 74 days after the spill began.

“In principal, [PTTEP] has agree to pay for losses incurred, but they need time and they need to verify claims. We have requested their data for comparison,” Freddy said.

He had earlier said officials involved in the recovery had demanded that the Thai oil company pay $5 million in reparations for the loss of business suffered by local fishing communities.

According to government data, direct losses from the oil spill add up to Rp 247 billion ($27.4 million) while indirect losses amount to Rp 42 billion.

“The East Nusa Tenggara provincial administration wanted more than Rp 800 billion, but we came up with a more pragmatic amount which doesn’t include the value of environmental losses, which account for the biggest claims,” Freddy said.

Separately, Ferdi Tanoni from the West Timor Care Foundation, which supports impoverished fishermen in Eastern Indonesia, claimed the numbers were nonsense because they were not based on scientific research.

“The numbers keep changing. It just shows how unprofessional the [recovery] team is. We have been strongly demanding that they not come forward with numbers until independent scientific investigations have been conducted,” he said.

“We cannot say for sure how long the environment will take to recover. What if it takes 30 years? Then how do we distribute the money to sustain the livelihoods of those people most effected by this spill?”

Meanwhile, Jose Martins, director and chief financial officer of PTTEP Australasia, said in a statement that no claims for compensation with verifiable evidence of any damage have been presented to the company yet.

Martins also said that the company and the government would exchange and review scientific data, and that the government would present a formal written claim to PTTEP.

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Indonesia, US navies conduct disaster handling exercise

Antara News, Thursday, July 29, 2010 19:28 WIB

Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - The United States and Indonesian navies held a joint exercise on Wednesday on the handling of natural disasters in integrated ways, a spokesman said.

The exercise which involved about 40 personnel from the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), the United States Navy (USN) and Maluku`s Search and Rescue (SAR) team lasted one day, spokesman of the US hospital ship USNS Mercy T-H 19 for Pacific Partnership 2010 Affairs, Daniel Bernardi, said.

"This exercise is held to provide knowledge on how to handle a natural disaster in an integrated way because a natural disaster in one country is different from that in another one," Bernardi said.

So, he said, if a natural disaster happens in a country, rescue workers sent to help mitigate the victims can provide assistance effectively because they already know how to handle it.

He said the joint exercise was divided into two sessions, one was on theories organized at the office of the Maluku governor`s office while the other one was field practice.

Bernardi said that during the Sail Banda event, the Pacific Partership 2010 held a lot of exercises, among others in the health field, emergencies and other types of exercises.

"We call the exercise SMET (Subject Matter Expert Training) which sometimes involve Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and the United States," he said.

The USNS Mercy is in Maluku on a Pacific Partnership 2010 mission and to support Operation Surya Bhaskara Jaya which is part of the international yachting event, Sail Banda.

The Pacific Partnership 2010 is an annual humanitarian program of the United States consisting of exercises on the handling of natural disasters in Indonesia.

Yachts brave rough seas reaching Banda, more to come

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon | Thu, 07/29/2010 9:21 AM

Waves reaching about 5 meters high had 25 yachts taking part in the Sail Banda international maritime event trail behind 21 others, which had reached Banda Neira, located around 132 kilometers southeast of Maluku capital of Ambon.

The yachts, flagged off at Darwin’s Cullen Bay in Australia on Saturday to mark the start of the event, was earlier scheduled to reach Banda Neira, a group of islands renowned for its splendid underwater garden, in Central Maluku regency on Tuesday.

“Until Wednesday noon, 21 yachts had anchored.

“The rest are still on the way,” the Sail Banda 2010 organizing committee secretary, Ansori Jawawi, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

“They have been slowed down by the big waves reaching 5 meters high in Banda Sea,” he added.

Despite the big waves, he said the participants would not face problems since the committee was backed by the Navy, the Search and Rescue team and others tightly guarding the participating yachts.

“So far, there’s been no problem,” he said.

Ansori said the first yacht to reach Banda was the Convergence.

The vessel reached Banda at 5 p.m. on Monday.

It took the ship’s six-member crew, captained by Randy Repass, 54 hours to reach Banda from Darwin.

Convergence was one of 109 ships taking part in the maritime event, with participants coming from 19 countries.

Out of the 109 ships, 46 set sail to Banda, 62 to Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara and another through Bangka-Belitung.

Jawawi said that within the next three months, the participating ships would stopover in 18 regencies in the country’s eight provinces — Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Bali, Central Java, Southeast Sulawesi, South Kalimantan and Bangka-Belitung.

After Banda, the yachts will set sail to Ambon on July 31 where the participants are scheduled to take part in a series of activities including visiting tourist sites and participating in cultural festivals.

“The activities in Ambon are scheduled to run until Aug. 5 and then the participants will set sail to Wakatobi,” Jawawi said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to host a reception to entertain the participants in Ambon from Aug. 3-4.

After Ambon, the yachts are set to continue their trip to Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi.

Separately, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said the Sail Banda was the right moment to make Banda known once again.

“The government will try to make it happen.

“To make Banda known by the world again,” he said.

Banda islands are made up of three larger islands and seven smaller ones perched on the rim of the country`s deepest sea, the Banda Sea.

International divers estimated that the underwater garden in Banda Neira has approximately 400 flora and fauna species of wide diversity.

Mercy visit: The US Navy's USNS Mercy hospital ship docks in the Gulf of Jakarta on Wednesday. The ship will take part in the Sail Banda 2010, which is scheduled to run from late July to August.Antara/Fanny Octavianus

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16 yachts arrive in Banda Island

Antara News, Wednesday, July 28, 2010 12:24 WIB

Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - Some 16 yachts of the 49 participants of the international trip of Sail Banda have arrived at Banda Naira, Central Maluku regency, after the flag off from Cullen Bay pier in Darwin, North Australia, on July 24, 2010.

Race officer of Sail Banda Iwan Ngantung said in Ambon Tuesday 16 yachts had arrived in Banda which had become the icon of the international sailing tour.

"Eight of the 16 yachts which had arrived in Banda were the participants competing for the total prize of 5,000 US dollars. Eleven yachts are participating in Sail Banda, and the rest are taking part in a rally," he said.

Convergence, the yacht from the United States captained by Willye, was the only yacht which had arrived in Banda on Monday (July 26) at 4.45 pm.

The 16 yachts which arrived on Tuesday were Toccata I from France captained by Jean Jaques arrived at 8 am, followed by Intiag of Switzerland captained by Rossat Jean Francois, Orono I (Australia) with skipper Peter Vibral, Esprit (UK) skipper Charles E. Mc. Williams, Pegasus (Australia) with skipper Jason Charles Lawrence, Miranda (Australia) skipper Georfrey Phillip Rawlins Birch, and Anui (US) skipper Scoot Kevin Amstrong.

The others are Harmonie (US) captain Donald W. Nyers, Prissilia (Australia) skipper Thomas Foley, Red Boomer (Australia) skipper William Thomas Mc.Neil, Story Teller (Australia) skipper John David Gilder, Camille (UK) skipper Peter Boardman, Citting Edge (Australia) with captain Peter Brandon, Island Time (Australia) skipper Matthew Brain Paulin, and Firts Light III (Australia) skipper Bernard Mc Goldrick.

Ngantung estimated that all the yachts which will be arriving in Banda on Wednesday to take part in the welcome on the Portuguese old fort Belgica in the presence of Minister of Marine and Fishery Affairs Fadel Muhammad and Maluku Governor Albert Ralahalu.

He also disclosed that the wind blowing from the southeast in Banda Sea with waves reaching three meters high, helped the participants reach the finish of the first stage in Banda Island.

"Right now the waves are not too high compared to two weeks ago and the wind is rather friendly, helping the participants reach the first point of call in Banda," he added.

He also said that the 11 participants are leaving Banda earlier for Ambon on July 29, and may have arrived in 24 hours at Ambon city as the second point of call of Sail Banda 2010.

In the meantime the participants taking part in the yacht rally will be leaving Banda for Ambon on July 30.

Some 69 pct of Java, Bali mangrove forests damaged

Antara News, Wednesday, July 28, 2010 12:45 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News)- The People`s Coalition for Fishery Justice has appealed to the government on the need to preserve and improve mangrove forests.

The mangrove preservation is necessary to prevent them from disappearance from the face of the earth because the forests provide ground for fishes, shrimp, and mollusks for spawning and rearing.

According to data of the People`s Coalition for Fishery Justice (Kiara), damage of mangrove forests in the 1997-2008 period reached 68 percent.

Kiara program coordinator Abdul Halim said in Jakarta Wednesday damage of the mangrove ecosystem was caused by industrial anthropogenic waste in coastal areas.

Besides, the other causes include coastal land conversion for industrial purposes, commercial centers and luxury residential areas. The wastes caused damage of the mangrove ecosystem, and consequently making it difficult for fishermen to earn a living, he said.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Marine and Fishery Affairs set itself a target that by 2014, some 1,440 hectares of coastal areas would be preserved preventing them from environmental damage along national coastal areas. And of the 1,440 ha, some 101.7 percent could be preserved each year.

"The target needs to be coupled with the seriousness of the Minister of Marine and Fishery Affairs in carrying out the program," Abdul Halim said.

He added that seriousness in preserving the northern coastal areas of Java and Bali could become a reality if the program did not restore the ecological and social functions of the coastal ecosystem.

It is under these circumstances that it would be very important to involve the fishermen and coastal communities, he said.

For this reason that it is time for the Ministry of Marine and Fishery Affairs for a refreshment in restoring the mangrove forest ecosystem and raise the living standard of fishermen and the community in the coastal regions.

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Dutch court gives teenage sailor go-ahead

RNW, 27 July 2010 - 3:45pm

Sailor Laura Dekker (Photo: Telegraaf)

A Dutch court has ruled that teenage sailor Laura Dekker is free to go ahead with her attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

"The court rejects the request for the extension of supervision" by the child protection authorities over 14-year-old Laura, judge Suzanne Kuypers said in the Middelburg district court in the south of the Netherlands.

"The supervision of the child is lifted with immediate effect."

The child protection services had asked the court to extend the supervision order for a further 12 months, but the court turned down the request. This means formal responsibility for Laura now returns to her parents, who both support her sailing ambitions.

To set a new record as the youngest person to complete such a round-the-world solo trip, Laura Dekker would need to complete the estimated two-year voyage before she turns 17 on 20 September 2012.

(AFP/RNW)

www.lauradekker.nl

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Singapore navy taking part in Sail Banda

Antara News, Tuesday, July 27, 2010 10:30 WIB

Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - The Singapore Navy is ready to support the Bhakti Surya Bhaskara Jaya (SBJ) operations during the international yacht event of Sail Banda 2010, a Singapore Navy commandant said.

"We are ready to support the SBJ activities with a number of medical and construction skilled personnel to rehabilitate schools and worship houses," Commandant of Singapore ship RSS Endeavor-210, Kenny Chen, said.

Kenny Chen met with Ambon`s Naval Base IX deputy commandant Col Eddy Sugiatmo and a number of the Naval Base officers here on Monday. The meeting took place aboard the RSS Endeavour when the Singapore ship berthed at Ambon`s Yos Sudarso pier.

Kenny Chen said he was happy with the opportunity to visit Ambon and other regions in Indonesia to carry out a humanitarian mission in the health field together with other medical teams of the US biggest hospital ship USNS Mercy T-AH 19. USNS Mercy has dropped anchor in Ambon Bay since Monday morning.

Apart from RSS Endeavor and USNS Mercy, Australia also sent two ships of the Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) type from its navy fleet, namely HMAS Labuan and HMAS Tarakan to take part in the humanitarian mission.

Eddy Sugiatmo expressed his thanks for the presence of the medial teams and naval ships of the neighboring countries which came to Ambon to support the SBJ activities held here until August 4, 2010.

"The SBJ operation is one of the Indonesian government and the National Defense Forces (TNI) programs organized to improve the welfare and health of the local people, particularly those living on small islands" he said.

Largest-Ever Solar-Powered Boat Prepares for a World Tour

POPSCI, By Alessandra Calderin,7.22.2010 at 10:23 am

PlanetSolar / Christian Charisius

In February, the Swiss company PlanetSolar SA unveiled PlanetSolar, a floating test bed for renewable energy, during a ceremony held in Kiel, Germany. The $15-million catamaran measures 49 feet wide, 25 feet high and 102 feet long and weighs 94 tons. It is equipped with 5,380 square feet of photovoltaic solar panels, and its four motors run entirely on solar power (when it’s cloudy out, energy stored in batteries powers the boat).

The designers purposely eschewed fuel-powered engines to emphasize the need to conserve global resources. The company’s scientific coordinator and COO, Pascal Goulpié, hopes that its size and visibility—the boat will make a world tour next year—will inspire others to pursue alternative-energy ventures throughout the next decade.

Deep-sea discoveries off Canada's coast

CNN, By Derrick Ho, Special to CNN, July 21, 2010 -- Updated 2301 GMT (0701 HKT)

An octopus: Coral's calcified deposits can grow to enormous sizes over long period pf time and form coral reefs -- one of the world's most productive ecosystems, which can harbor more than 4,000 species of fish and many other life forms.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The scientists discovered deep-sea marine life that could shed light on the ocean's climate
• Robotic cameras scoured the ocean bed at a depth of 9,800 feet off the Canadian coast
• The research will also help evaluate if the protected areas should be further conserved

(CNN) -- Using high-tech robotic cameras, a team of scientists is getting a rare first glimpse of marine life in the North Atlantic that could shed light on the ocean's ecosystem and climate to as far back as 1,000 years.

Images of tulip-shaped sponges, brightly colored corals, delicate pink stars and feathery organisms were among the breathtaking marine life beamed up by a submersible robot that scoured the ocean bed at a depth of some 9,800 feet [3,000 meters] off the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland.

The team, from three Canadian universities and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, is in the midst of a 20-day expedition to study 11 areas under the protection of the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization.

Exploring these areas is important because they contain the "trees of the ocean," said Ellen Kenchington, research scientist with the Fisheries Department of Canada. She is among the lead scientists in the expedition.

"It's been really spectacular," she told CNN affiliate CTV from her office at the institute as pictures from the robot streamed on her computer. "It's really changing our perception of the diversity that's out there. ... We're seeing new species in deeper waters."

Kenchington told the Montreal Gazette that scientists potentially can look at the coral's chemical composition and determine the temperature of the water and other data from 1,000 years ago.

"That's how we are able to say if there is warming or a change in climate direction," she said. "In order to understand the present, we need to put it into context."

Corals have been a highly successful life form for 250 million years. They are tiny animals and polyps that exist as genetically identical individuals and can eat, defend themselves and kill plankton for food. In the process they also secrete calcium carbonate, which becomes the basis for an external skeleton on which they sit.

These calcified deposits can grow to enormous sizes over a long period of time and form coral reefs. The reefs are among the world's most productive ecosystems and can harbor more than 4,000 species of fish and many other marine life forms.

Some estimates have suggested 20 percent of the world's coral reefs are already dead and an additional 24 percent are gravely threatened.

In the week they have left in the expedition, Kenchington and her team hope to collect samples and video from the depths of the ocean to gain a new understanding of these corals as well as other marine life.

The underwater robot, operated by crew aboard the Canadian Coast Guard ship Hudson, is enabling the crew to go about 500 meters deeper than they have before.

Kenchington told CTV the research will also help them evaluate areas that are still too deep for current fishing technologies but could be accessible in years to come.

"This will enable us to give advice in the future about what types of organisms are in these areas before they're fished," she said.

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Indonesia and Australia Join Forces for Montara Oil Spill

Jakarta Globe, July 16, 2010

The aftermath of the West Atlas rig explosion, seen in this file photo, and the massive oil spill that came as a result is being assessed by ministers from Indonesia and Australia. (AP Photo/PTTEP Australasia)

The Indonesian and Australian governments have decided to take action on the oil pollution in the Timor waters off Indonesia resulting from the Montara oil field explosion in August 2009, a minister said on Thursday.

“The fact is that both the Indonesian and Australian governments are in the same position and concerned that the oils spill have affected the environment,” said Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

Both countries have conducted environmental research on the matter, he said in a joint press conference after meeting his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith at his office.

Marty said that both governments hold PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) Australasia responsible.

A special meeting led by the Indonesian Transportation Minister was held to establish a team to mediate with PTTEP.

“All we have to do is to develop a synergy with the Australian government in strengthening our efforts,” Marty said.

The Australian Foreign and Trade Minister, Stephen Smith, said that Australian Minister of Resources and Energy and Minister for Tourism Martin Ferguson made an inquiry of the causes and asked for an assessment from the Indonesian government.

Antara

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