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5.3-million-year-old whale graveyard hotspot found in Indian Ocean

Scientists have discovered the world's deepest and largest collection of whale remains on the ocean floor, a site they call a "whale necropolis." Located in the Diamantina Zone of the southeastern Indian Ocean at depths reaching 7,000 meters, the site contains both ancient fossils and active whale-fall ecosystems that have been forming for at least 5.3 million years. The discovery comes as the United Nations highlights the ocean's critical role in sustaining life on Earth, noting that it covers more than 70% of the planet, produces at least half of the Earth's oxygen, provides a primary source of protein for more than 1 billion people and absorbs around 30% of human-generated carbon dioxide. In today's newsletter, we also explore how new technologies are increasingly supporting ocean conservation alongside economic development, as well as how China has transformed a remote island into a livable and thriving community in the South China Sea.

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