The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is set to advance its crewed underwater research through an agreement it signed with the Proteus Ocean Group, using a forthcoming underwater research station off the coast of Curacao.
Why it matters: The partnership would give NOAA access to an underwater version of the International Space Station, complete with laboratories and living quarters, along with media and food production facilities.
With an El Niño likely taking shape in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean, forecasters are already taking into account the likely knock-on effects.
Why it matters: Such an event may alter global weather patterns for at least the next six months to a year, including by limiting the number of Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes this upcoming season.
