Displaying items by tag: Vostok

9th March 2013

'New Life' Discovered In Antarctic Lake

#MarineLife - Scientists from Russia say they have found a new form of bacterial life in Antarctic water cut off from the surface for millions of years, as BBC News reports.

The research team at Vostok, the largest subglacial lake on the continent of Antarctica, are studying samples of bacteria from water released after drilling through some 4km of ice to the lake beneath.

The body of water at Vostok is believed to have been isolated for so long that the possibility of it hosting microbial life new to science is high - and scientists say their initial findings are promising.

"We are calling this life form unclassified and unidentified," said geneticist Dr Sergei Bulat of the St Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics, who added that one particular form of bacteria has DNA less than 86% similar to known strains.

"A level of 90% usually means that the organism is unknown," he said.

These astounding new findings are however pending verification by other experts before any confirmation can be made.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Published in Marine Wildlife

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Offshore wind

ESB know the importance of offshore wind in tackling climate change and delivering net zero. Ireland has a unique capability given its prime location to take advantage of the potential of offshore wind. ESB are working hard to develop offshore wind projects for the benefit of everyone across society in Ireland and the UK. This includes ongoing engagement with marine users and local communities so ESB can deliver these significant projects.

Offshore wind will play a major role globally in our fight against climate change. It will help to replace energy generated by burning fossil fuels with that from a clean, safe and secure renewable energy source. Ireland’s geographic location on the exposed edge of the Atlantic presents us with a significant opportunity to generate electricity from wind – both offshore and onshore.

Power from onshore wind farms currently provide over one-third of Ireland’s electricity needs. But, whilst its marine area is many times the size of its landmass, Ireland’s offshore wind potential is only starting to be realised. ESB have a coastline stretching over 3,000km but only one operational offshore wind farm – Arklow Bank, with a capacity of 25 MW. In contrast, Belgium’s coastline is only 63km long, but it has already developed more than 2,000 MW of offshore wind. In Great Britain, with a coastline four times the length of ours, offshore wind generation now equates to over 440 Arklow Banks, with an installed capacity of 11,0000 MW as of late 2021.

The Irish Government's target to install 5,000 MW of offshore wind capacity in our maritime area by 2030 is set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021. It also has the objective to source 80% of Ireland’s electricity needs from renewables by the same year. In line with this, ESB is applying its professional and proven engineering expertise to the challenges set within the Climate Action Plan.

ESB are committed to playing a strong role in developing Ireland’s offshore wind potential for the benefit of the people of Ireland. This will be done in consultation with marine users and local communities, and with due care for the marine environment.