The 10 October shipwreck of Taiwan’s R/V Ocean Researcher V, which resulted in two deaths, is a major setback for ocean research in Taiwan, according to scientists.

Randy Showstack
Randy Showstack, senior news writer for Eos.org, reports on policy, politics, and discovery in the areas of Earth and space science and the environment. His coverage ranges from climate change and frontiers of ocean and space research to actions by federal and international agencies, the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court.
NOAA Research Vessel Explores Atlantic Ocean Seamounts
NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer and two remotely operated vehicles help scientists investigate creatures, habitat, and geology on and near New England seamounts.
Energy Industry Executives Call for Looser Government Regulations
Industry executives call for loosening U.S. federal government regulations that they say restrict energy exploration and development.
Greenland Premier Calls for Balanced Development of Natural Resources
With Greenland confronting environmental and economic challenges, Premier Aleqa Hammond has called for developing natural resources while protecting the environment and dealing with climate change.
China’s Push for Energy Raises Regional Security Concerns
Efforts by China to bolster its energy resources include internal development efforts but also raises regional security concerns.
Geological Data Preservation Program Receives Bipartisan Support
Experts called for Congress to reauthorize the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program Act. They said the data are key for natural resource development and management.
Forest Service Groundwater Plan Oversteps Bounds, Critics Say
The U.S. Forest Service says a directive on groundwater resource management is an innocuous internal directive. However, critics charge the agency with overstepping its bounds.
Earth Observation Plan Focuses on User Needs and Measurements
A new U.S. National Plan for Civil Earth Observations focuses on user needs and defines a framework for constructing a balanced portfolio of Earth observing systems, White House officials said.
NOAA Lists 20 Coral Species as Threatened
Twenty coral species have been listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on 27 August.
Pluto-Bound Spacecraft Crosses Orbit of Neptune
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, which is en route to explore Pluto and its planetary system in 2015, crossed the orbit of Neptune on 25 August.