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Yemen
Houthis Launch Largest Airstrike
On Tuesday, Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched the largest attack yet of missiles and drones at ships in the southern Red Sea. American and British naval forces shot down 18 drones and 3 missiles. No damage to military or civilian vessels was reported. The Yemen-based Houthis have said they will attack any vessel passing through the Red Sea or the Bab el-Mandeb strait which is connected to Israel so long as Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza, but many of their attacks have been on vessels which have no apparent Israeli connection. Last week, a coalition led by the US, UK, and ten other countries issued a joint statement asserting the right to take military action to protect freedom of navigation. Nearly 15% of the world’s seaborne trade travels through the Red Sea, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. This route saves around 4,000 miles (6,400 km) for ships traveling from Europe to South and East Asia versus the trip around the continent of Africa.
This map depicts the Bab el-Mandeb strait, where an international naval coalition is in place to protect shipping vessels from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Click on the map to learn more.
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Ecuador
TV Studio Attacked On Air
Ecuador’s president ordered the military to “neutralize” gangs after days of violence culminated in an attack where gunmen broke into a TV studio during a broadcast, forcing staff to the floor. Police made 13 arrests following the attack, which injured two employees. At least 10 people have been killed since a 60-day state of emergency began on Monday. The emergency was declared after Adolfo Macías Villamar, the leader of Ecuador’s biggest gang, vanished from his prison cell in Guayaquil. Uprisings have broken out in several prisons since then, leading to more escapes. On Tuesday, President Noboa said an “internal armed conflict” now existed in the country, and he was mobilizing armed forces to carry out operations against transnational organized crime fueled by lucrative cocaine smuggling routes.
This map depicts Ecuador’s capital Quito and its largest port city, Guayaquil, where armed gunmen broke into a TV studio during a live broadcast this week. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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World
GeoAI Reveals ‘Dark Fleets’ at Sea
A new study in Nature by Global Fishing Watch (GFW) has exposed the enormous scale of untracked human activity at sea, or “dark fleets,” using geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI). Researchers found that 75 percent of the world’s industrial fishing vessels aren’t being publicly tracked, with almost a third of transport and energy vessel activity missing from public tracking systems. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is the primary tool to track vessels through radio activity, however, it’s easy for ships to stay off the grid. To get a clearer picture, AI was used to scan 2,000 terabytes of satellite data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite constellation, which was then combined with GPS data to highlight otherwise undetected or overlooked ships. A machine learning program then analyzed the massive information sets to pinpoint undocumented fishing vessels. GFW’s director said the study marks “the beginning of a new era in ocean management and transparency.”
This map depicts the percentage of global industrial fishing activity recorded by public tracking systems. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What biologically diverse ecosystem is known as the “rainforest of the sea?”
A: Coral Reefs
Although they cover less than 0.1% of the earth’s surface, coral reefs are the most biodiverse marine ecosystem in the world. Scientists estimate that 25 percent of all marine species live in and around coral reefs. Corals protect coastlines from storms and erosion and serve as protection and shelter for many species of fish and sea life. Reefs are composed of thousands of tiny animals called polyps. A coral polyp is an invertebrate with a saclike body and a mouth that is encircled by stinging tentacles. The polyp uses calcium carbonate (limestone) from seawater to build a hard, cup-shaped skeleton. These polyp colonies consume particles found in the ocean, serving as a water filtration system, and they also help process carbon dioxide. Despite their importance and value, reefs are severely threatened by both local and global threats, including pollution, warming seas, tropical cyclones, and ocean acidification.
Source
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Q: In the 15th century, what important trading city was home to the largest library in Africa since the Library of Alexandria?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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