ship

A former fisheries ship bought by Eric and Wendy Schmidt became a research vessel; by 2022, it had mapped 1.3 million square kilometers of seafloor

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Originally built in 1981 for fishery protection, Falkor was acquired by Eric and Wendy Schmidt in 2009 and converted into a research ship offering scientists free access. It completed 81 expeditions before being donated to Italy’s National Research Council in 2022 for continued ocean research. (Wikimedia Commons)

Originally built for fishery protection, scientists later used the ship for ocean research. Named Falkor, the 82.9-meter ship was originally built in 1981 as a fishery protection vessel. According to Schmidt Ocean Institute, Eric and Wendy Schmidt acquired it in 2009, when they founded the institute, and subsequently commissioned a two-year refit to convert it … Read more

MSC cruise ship returns to Texas port cutting short 7-night trip after possible murder aboard- what we know so far

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Representational image. (Unsplash)

A cruise ship run by Switzerland-based firm MSC Cruise returned to The Port of Galveston in Texas, cutting short a seven-night voyage, after a possible murder on board. Representational image. (Unsplash) The FBI’s field office in Houston, Texas, said in a statement that it is investigating the death as a “possible homicide.” Fox 26 Houston … Read more

Jason Leon Watford arrested over Texas cruise ship murder; Tyler man has prior record for assault

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Jason Leon Watford was arrested in connection to the murder on the Texas cruise ship. (X/@IAmyLeigh)

Jason Leon Watford, a man with ties to East Texas, was arrested over the murder on a cruise ship which returned to Galveston on Monday. The 48-year-old is in the Galveston County Jail. Jason Leon Watford was arrested in connection to the murder on the Texas cruise ship. (X/@IAmyLeigh) The new of Watford’s arrest was … Read more

In 2018, Delaware sank its 325-foot Twin Capes ferry after 43 years of service; the ship now forms part of an offshore artificial reef

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The M/V Twin Capes joined Delaware’s artificial reef network in 2018, creating underwater habitat for fish and marine organisms. The reef program also draws anglers and divers and generates more than $6 million in estimated annual economic benefits for the state. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

The ferry M/V Twin Capes had been serving passengers for 43 years, traveling between Delaware and New Jersey. The story of this ferry took a new turn on June 15, 2018, when it was sunk intentionally to form part of Delaware’s artificial reef complex. According to a 2018 Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental … Read more

In 1991, New Jersey sank 460-foot USS Algol off Shark River; the former Navy attack transport became the largest ship on the states artificial reefs

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From Navy transport to an underwater landmark. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

What happens to a giant Navy ship when its job is done? Most of them end up as scrap metal. The USS Algol got a different ending. According to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife’s A Guide to Fishing and Diving New Jersey Reefs, the state’s reef program has used vessels ranging from … Read more

In 2017, Texas sank a 371-foot cargo ship 67 miles off Galveston; the retired ship began a second life as an artificial reef for Gulf fish and divers

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Where an old cargo ship now serves as a home for sea life in the Gulf. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

On January 20, 2017, a 371-foot cargo ship slipped beneath the waves of the Gulf of Mexico(Gulf of America). That was the plan. According to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department news release, the vessel was deliberately sunk 67 miles off the coast of Galveston by the department’s Artificial Reef Program. The ship was called … Read more

In 2025, Florida sank a 227-foot derelict freighter nine miles off Martin County, turning an abandoned ship into the Boo McCulley artificial reef

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An abandoned ship, a new reef: How Florida turned a derelict vessel into a marine habitat. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

An abandoned freighter sat in the Miami River for a decade. Then, on November 18, 2025, it was deliberately sunk. The 227-foot ship, named the Borocho, is now on the seafloor about nine miles off Martin County, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) news release. Today it’s known as the Boo … Read more

Oil prices today: Brent crude hits $106.60 after Saudi Aramco attack, ship strikes near Hormuz

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Oil prices rise after attacks on Saudi Aramco and ships near the Strait of Hormuz. (Representational image) (Reuters)

Oil prices rose on Wednesday after attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and ships near the Strait of Hormuz raised concerns about global oil supplies. The increase came after an attack on the headquarters of Saudi state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco and reports of ships being hit in waters near the important shipping route. Oil … Read more

A Pennsylvania man started welding old car parts into sculptures in 1988; his Erie front yard now has a two-headed dinosaur and rocket ship

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A Pennsylvania man started welding old car parts into sculptures in 1988; his Erie front yard now has a two-headed dinosaur and rocket ship

Image: Schaefer Family Page A Pennsylvania man named Richard Schaefer began turning discarded car parts into sculptures in 1988, and his roadside front yard in Erie has since grown into one of the region’s most unusual local attractions. Visitors driving along Hershey Road will spot a two-headed dinosaur, a rocket ship, a bumblebee, a spider … Read more

US military AI blunder: False intelligence on Chinese ship ‘almost started a war,’ report claims

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A false AI-assisted intelligence report nearly triggered a US operation against a Chinese ship during the Iran war, report says. (AFP)

A false intelligence report created with help from artificial intelligence nearly led the US military to intercept a Chinese ship in the Middle Eastaccording to CNN. The report claimed the vessel was carrying parts linked to a nuclear weapons programme. A false AI-assisted intelligence report nearly triggered a US operation against a Chinese ship during … Read more