Benerson Little

The Whaler Charles W. Morgan. A fascinating article in the NY Times, "A Quest to Make the Morgan Seaworthy", on high technology being used to survey the construction of the 19th century New Bedford whaling ship. The Mystic Seaport museum hopes to sail the ship in 2012. Herman Melville would be proud.

More on the Chinese Naval Build-Up. The US Department of Defense has stated that the Chinese naval build-up has been deliberately shrouded in secrecy. Conversely, China continues to complain about the US presence in "Chinese waters." China claims most of the South China Sea, although such claims are disputed by its neighbors, many of whom welcome a US naval presence in the area. In a related issue, a number of news agencies are reporting on a Chinese missile, the Dong Feng 21D, intended as an anti-aircraft carrier weapon, although the implementation of any such weapon is believed to be a year or more away. Analysts also wonder whether the missile will have the required accuracy. The missile is expected to have a 900 mile range. The most likely scenario being discussed for the missile's use is US intervention in a Chinese attack on Taiwan. (Source: BBC, AP, et al)

Oil Remains. Several articles have recently pointed out that an enormous plume of oil remains underwater in the Gulf of Mexico, and that more oil remains than the US government recently stated. According to some researchers, governments scientists misinterpreted the data. (Sources: AP, BBC, NY Times)

Plastics in the Atlantic Another study of article on plastics plastics at sea and the damage they do, this one discussed by the BBC.

A Real Leviathan. Paleontologists have discovered the fossils of a 12 million year old sea creature they have dubbed Leviathan. More than 17 meters long, the whale had large teeth, and scientists believe it was an "aggressive predator." The article is available here.

Israeli Naval Commando 13. BBC Panorama has posted a video report online showing the naval commandos in training exercises. Naval Commando 13 was involved in boarding the Gaza-bound flotilla in May.

"Strategic Jousting." The Economist of July 31-August 6 has a good article on the strategic naval maneuvering in the western Pacific as China expands its naval presence.

Titanic Salvage. A US judge has awarded RMS Titanic, Inc. $110 million for salvaging artifacts from the Titanic. The company was awarded salvage rights in 1994, but was not permitted ownership of the salvaged objects. (Source: BBC)