Ocean and Climatic Research Institute

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Ocean and Climatic Research Institute

Exploring oceans, understanding climates, shaping the future.

Join us at the Ocean and Climatic Research Institute for insightful updates on marine science and climate studies. 🌊🌍

16/10/2025

Recent survey of coral 🪸 reefs , Read More...

06/10/2025

Here are some other interesting collective nouns for animals that live in, upon, or adjacent to the ocean:

Comorants - Gulp, Flight
Clams - Bed
Crocodiles - Bask, Congregation, Float
Dogfish - Troop
Dolphin - School, Herd, Team
Dugongs - Herd
Herons - Flight, Sedge, Sege, Seige
Herrings - Army, Glean, School
Jellyfish - Bloom, Brood, Flutter, Smuth
Manatees - Herd
Narwhales - Blessing
Octopus - Consortium
Otters - Romp, Bevy, Family (some may be freshwater only)
Pelicans - Pod
Peguins (land) - Huddle, Colony, Tuxedo, Waddle
Peguins (water) - Raft
Porpoises - Pod, School, Shoal
Polar Bears - Aurora, Celebration, Pack
Sardines - Family
Sandpipers - Fling
Walruses - Huddle, Herd, Pod

Graphic by Dive Buddies 4 Life

03/10/2025

Climate Mitigation vs. Adaptation: Do you know the difference?

In the climate action dialogue, two key terms often surface: Mitigation and Adaptation. They aren't interchangeable—they're two essential sides of the same coin.
Here’s a straightforward breakdown:
🔹 Climate Mitigation: Tackling the Cause This is about stopping the problem at its source. The goal is to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions.
Think: Renewable energy (solar, wind), improving energy efficiency, reforestation, and carbon capture.
In short: Preventing the problem from worsening.
🔹 Climate Adaptation: Managing the Effects This is about adjusting to the climate change that is already happening or is unavoidable. The goal is to build resilience and reduce our vulnerability to its impacts.
Think: Building climate-resilient infrastructure (like sea walls), developing drought-resistant crops, and creating early warning systems for extreme weather.
In short: Preparing for and adjusting to the changes.
⚖️ Why Both Are Crucial Focusing only on Mitigation leaves us vulnerable to the impacts we're already experiencing. Focusing only on Adaptation means we're preparing for a crisis that will continue to escalate.
The most effective strategy combines both. We need to aggressively reduce emissions (Mitigation) while simultaneously preparing our communities and economies for the new reality (Adaptation).
What are some examples of mitigation or adaptation you see in your industry?
hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

29/09/2025

Cities aren’t just bricks and drains. They’re living organisms—tested daily by heatwaves, floods, droughts, and disruption.

The question isn’t just how do we survive? But how do we thrive differently after each shock?

This A–Z guide explores the principles, practices, and provocations that make cities not just bounce back—but bounce forward.

🧭 Resilience, in 4 Moves

🔁 Anticipation & Adaptation – Don’t wait for disaster. Plan for it.
⚖️ Inclusion & Justice – Protect those most at risk first.
🌱 Nature & Systems Thinking – Cities flourish when they work with nature, not against it.
🏛️ Institutional Muscle – Local governments need authority, not just advice.

📖 A–Z Highlights
🅰️ Adaptation – Designing flexible cities that can absorb shocks.
🅱️ Blue-Green Infrastructure – Flood protection with forests, wetlands, and parks.
🅲 Climate Risk – Seeing hazards not in isolation, but in how they overlap with inequality.
🅳 Data-Driven Planning – Evidence beats hunches, especially in informal settlements.
🅴 Equity – Resilience without justice is just survival for the lucky few.
🅵 Finance – Funding resilience isn’t optional. It’s the price of staying in the game...all the way to...
🆉 Zoning Reform – Rewiring land-use laws for sustainability and fairness.

🚀 Why it matters
Resilient cities create futures worth living in - more just, more inclusive, and more imaginative.

📣 Share this with a planner, policymaker, or climate optimist.
💬 Which letter feels most urgent in your city today?

21/09/2025

The electric eel

18/09/2025

🏝️ Nature-based solutions use coastal ecosystems to protect us from flooding and coastal hazards like storm surges and tsunamis.

Coastlines are under threat from erosion and sea level rise – especially sandy beaches which are valuable for the tourism industry – but there are solutions: nature-based solutions.

We can protect and restore coastal ecosystems by restoring natural buffers against these hazards. By stabilising beaches, these valuable environments can be maintained.

This can be done in three different coastal zones:
🌱 Upper beaches and dunes
🫧 Intertidal wetlands
🪸 Equatic ecosystems

Have you seen any of these nature-based solutios used along your coastlines?

Discover how coastal disaster risk reduction can protect beaches and tourist assets ➡️ https://ow.ly/3Lfl50WXEYz

26/08/2025

🌊🔬 Why Ocean pH Matters

Did you know that the ocean’s average pH has dropped from 8.2 to about 8.1 since the Industrial Revolution? 📉 That may seem small, but it represents a 30% increase in acidity—a massive change for marine life.

This process, known as ocean acidification, happens because the ocean absorbs around 30% of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) released into our atmosphere. More CO₂ means more acidic waters, which directly affects:
🐚 Shell-forming species like corals, oysters, and clams
🐟 Fish behavior and survival
🌱 Entire marine food webs

Why should we care? Because healthy oceans regulate our climate, provide food, and sustain the communities that depend on them. 💙

🌍 Protecting the ocean means protecting ourselves. Reducing carbon emissions, restoring coastal ecosystems, and amplifying climate action are all steps we must take—together.

26/08/2025

The Ocean and Climatic Research Institute (OACRI) is proud to have participated in not one, but two powerful Climate Reality Project conferences—with our representatives joining forces from Fiji 🇫🇯 to Brazil 🇧🇷 to advance the fight for climate justice.

The Climate Reality Project - Australia & Pacific

In Fiji, our founder had the immense honour of officially becoming a certified Climate Leader during the Climate Reality Leadership Training. A highlight was meeting Dr. Sivendra Micheal, the Permanent Secretary for , whose commitment to action is truly inspiring. It was also moving to reconnect with former colleagues, students, and partners across the Asia-Pacific—many of whom recognized OACRI’s work and impact. Vinaka vakalevu to all the new Climate Leaders stepping into action—we’re ready to support and amplify your voices. 🌱

Meanwhile, from Rio de Janeiro, our Research Officer Vinicyus Mascarenhas proudly represented OACRI at The Climate Reality Project Conference. Vinicyus shared:

“I had the opportunity to meet people I truly admire, which made the experience even more special. I return from this meeting full of fresh ideas and motivated to keep learning and contributing to crucial issues like sustainability, climate justice, environmental preservation, and the policies shaping our future.”

Both experiences remind us that climate leadership has no borders—whether in the Pacific or South America, we’re united by one mission: building a just, resilient, and sustainable world.

💚 Huge vinaka and obrigado to The Climate Reality Project - Australia & Pacific for creating these spaces of leadership, connection, and hope. This is just the beginning.

26/08/2025

🌍 OACRI at The Climate Reality Project Conference! 💚

Our Research Officer, Vinicyus Mascarenhas from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recently participated in The Climate Reality Project conference!

Vinicyus shared:

"I had the opportunity to meet people I truly admire, which made the experience even more special. I return from this meeting full of fresh ideas and motivated to keep learning and contributing to crucial issues like sustainability, climate justice, environmental preservation, and the policies shaping our future."

We’re proud to see our team so engaged in building a better, greener world! 🌱 Let’s keep pushing forward for climate action and justice together.

24/08/2025

☀️🌍 “Urgent Action Needed to Protect Workers from Heat Stress,” UN Warns

As global temperatures rise, millions of workers worldwide—from farmers to construction crews to factory staff—are increasingly exposed to dangerous heat stress.

🔹 Why it matters:

Heat stress reduces productivity and puts lives at risk

It can cause dehydration, heatstroke, and long-term health issues

The most vulnerable are outdoor workers and those in hot indoor environments

By 2030, the world could lose the equivalent of 80 million full-time jobs due to extreme heat 🌡️

🌱 Protecting workers is not just about safety—it’s about climate resilience, equity, and human rights.

The UN calls for urgent adaptation measures:
✅ Shaded rest areas & hydration access
✅ Heat-resilient workplace policies
✅ Investment in climate-smart infrastructure
✅ Stronger labor protections

💙 At OACRI, we stand with global efforts to protect people and livelihoods in our warming world.

22/08/2025

𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍, 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘
— World Maritime Day 2025

2025’s World Maritime Day theme, announced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), is a powerful call to action: “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.” This theme underscores how deeply our ocean is woven into the global economy, environmental health, and humanity’s future.

World Maritime Day 2025 will be celebrated on 25 September at IMO Headquarters, with a parallel event in the UAE from 29 Sept to 1 Oct. Landmarks worldwide will shine in blue to raise awareness.

Why This Matters to OACRI
At OACRI, our mission aligns closely with this global theme:
Our Ocean is our shared lifeline.
Our Obligation is to act—through research, advocacy, and policy.
Our Opportunity lies in building resilient ocean stewardship across communities and industries.

We’re inspired to take action—whether through support of sustainable shipping, coastal protection projects, or educational campaigns.

22/08/2025

🌊 What Causes Waves in the Ocean Today?

Most of the waves we see are created by the wind. When wind blows across the ocean’s surface, it transfers its energy into the water, forming ripples that grow into waves. The stronger and longer the wind blows, the bigger the waves.

But wind isn’t the only player:

🌍 Earth’s rotation & storms – Cyclones and trade winds generate powerful wave systems.

🌕 The moon & sun – Their gravity creates tides, which move enormous amounts of water.

🌋 Seafloor activity – Underwater earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions can trigger sudden, massive waves called tsunamis.

So, the waves crashing on beaches today are shaped by a mix of local winds, distant storms, and the pull of celestial bodies—making the ocean a constantly moving, living system.

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