Falmouth, Cornwall, UK. Falmouth Harbour is trialling the world’s first all-concrete marina pontoon float, designed and built by the team at ScaffFloat in neighbouring Penryn, in a first step to removing all Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) floats from its leisure and commercial operations.

The Harbour has pledged to move away from EPS products in the light of mounting evidence that polystyrene microplastics in the world’s oceans inflict serious damage on the marine environment and life within it. Polystyrene, globally used for its lightness and buoyancy, is made from fossil fuels, is virtually un-decomposable, and when it breaks down into microplastics can be ingested by marine life with devastating consequences.

“The amount of broken-up polystyrene around our creeks and rivers, particularly after this year’s storms, is awful to see and very hard to clean up without damaging the delicate ecology of our shorelines. Expanded Polystyrene fragments in the marine environment pose a serious ecological concern, as seabirds, fish, turtles and other fauna mistake EPS beads for food, which can cause internal injuries or death; entering the food chain poses health risks to humans as well.”

Vicki Spooner, Environment Manager, Falmouth Harbour

Inside the Reef Float: an inert, recyclable alternative to EPS

Penryn marine company ScaffFloat Ltd has tackled the challenge of finding alternatives to traditional pontoons by inventing the “Reef Float.” Their first commercial prototype, made entirely from concrete, has been undergoing trials beneath a Falmouth Harbour pontoon. ScaffFloat developed the new product as part of a business development project that received £284,787 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as part of Cornwall’s Good Growth Programme.

The Reef Float’s buoyant core is made using ultra-low-density waterproof concrete, instead of EPS foam, and the core is then cast inside a high-strength engineered concrete skin. In the highly unlikely event that a Reef Float ever failed, the materials would simply sit inertly as stone in the marine environment, whereas a cracked-open EPS float exposes its polystyrene foam core to the marine elements.

“We replaced a failing EPS pontoon float at Falmouth Harbour with a Reef Float, where it survived all that this January’s storms could throw at it. It’s what we would expect, of course, as we’ve designed it to be strong with an ultra-long life. But it’s also completely inert in the marine environment and 100 percent recyclable, so a game-changing alternative to the EPS floats currently used all over the world.”

Toby Budd, Founder and Managing Director, ScaffFloat

Local innovation, global stage

Local MP Jayne Kirkham, checking out the new Reef Float in Falmouth, called it “exactly the kind of innovation we want to see in Cornwall: local businesses developing practical but cutting-edge solutions to global environmental challenges. Cutting polystyrene pollution from our waters while creating skilled jobs is a win for our marine environment and our economy. I’m proud to see government funding helping projects like this lead the way.”

“Falmouth Harbour has made the conscious decision to move away from EPS foam pontoons in all our operations, and it’s fantastic that our neighbours at ScaffFloat are the first company to offer a plastic-free alternative. Reef Floats are easily installed, in situ, on a rolling basis, as and when we need to replace old EPS floats, and they have a zero-cost, 100 percent recyclable end-of-life disposal. It’s another tremendous example of Cornish ingenuity, and we look forward to working with them into the future.”

Miles Carden, CEO, Falmouth Harbour

The Reef Float team has been shortlisted for the Innovation Award at Marina26 in Australia this May, with an invitation to attend and present at the biggest marina conference in the world, demonstrating what a major issue EPS has become for the marina industry and legislative authorities alike.

Australia itself lost more than 1,000 pontoons in the 2022 Queensland floods, where they broke up and created an environmental disaster known as the “White Spill,” with the ocean and beaches covered with EPS balls that were almost impossible to clear up.

Learn more. For more information on Reef Float and parent company ScaffFloat, visit scafffloat.co.uk/reeffloat. For more on Falmouth Harbour, including its wide-ranging environmental initiatives, see falmouthharbour.co.uk.

Adapted from a press release issued by Louise Midgley Communications, on behalf of ScaffFloat and Falmouth Harbour.

KINGSTON, R.I., April 20, 2026. A new study published in Nature Geoscience describes an artificial intelligence-powered technique that can measure ocean surface currents over broad areas in greater detail than ever before. Among the co-authors is Nick Pizzo of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography.

Called GOFLOW, short for Geostationary Ocean Flow, the approach uses AI to analyze thermal images from weather satellites already in orbit. Because it relies on existing satellites, no new hardware is required, marking what researchers describe as a major advancement in ocean observation.

The study was co-led by Luc Lenain of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and Kaushik Srinivasan of the University of California, Los Angeles. Co-author Roy Barkan of Tel Aviv University and Pizzo are also alumni of Scripps. The project was supported by grants from the Office of Naval Research, NASA, and the European Research Council.

Ocean currents and vertical mixing

Ocean currents play a huge role in shaping Earth’s weather and climate, transporting heat around the planet, moving carbon between the atmosphere and ocean interior, and carrying nutrients that support marine life.

“In areas where the ocean pushes together and pulls apart, information from the atmosphere and ocean interior are exchanged in ways we do not fully understand. This is one of the most exciting areas of physical oceanography today.”

Nick Pizzo, URI Graduate School of Oceanography

Understanding currents also matters for search-and-rescue efforts and for tracking the movement of oil spills. Yet measuring currents across large stretches of ocean has remained extremely difficult. Some satellites only revisit the same location about every 10 days, too infrequently to capture currents that can appear and disappear within hours. Ships and coastal radar can track faster changes, but only in limited areas.

This has left a persistent gap in observations at the scales where most of the ocean’s vertical mixing occurs, when shallower waters are mixed deeper, or vice versa. The phenomena that drive vertical mixing can be less than 10 kilometers (six miles) wide and transform in hours. Vertical mixing matters because it powers key processes such as bringing nutrients up to the surface and pumping carbon dioxide into the deep ocean, where it is stored long-term.

Deep learning, applied to a moving ocean

The GOFLOW team trained an AI model to recognize how surface temperature patterns shift as water moves below. The neural network learned from advanced computer simulations of ocean circulation, then applied that knowledge to real satellite imagery from the North Atlantic collected by the GOES-East weather satellite. The researchers tested the method against shipboard observations in the Gulf Stream and found that GOFLOW matched existing measurement techniques while revealing much finer detail, capturing smaller, more energetic features linked to vertical mixing.

For scientists such as Pizzo, these advances open new opportunities to study ocean dynamics through actual observations rather than relying primarily on computer models.

“We are using this real-world inference to better understand how the ocean transports important quantities like heat from one place to another, and how vertical motions that are important for exchanges between the atmosphere and the ocean are supported.”

Nick Pizzo, URI Graduate School of Oceanography

Because GOFLOW works with satellites already in service, the method could eventually be integrated into weather forecasts and climate models, helping improve predictions of ocean-atmosphere interactions, marine debris transport, and ecosystem change. The researchers are now working to expand the method globally and to improve performance when cloud cover blocks satellite views.

This story was written by Mackensie duPont Crowley, digital communications coordinator in URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography, and is published with permission via the URI Communications and Marketing office.

Every meaningful project begins with a moment of connection—an experience that shifts perception and plants the seed for something larger than oneself. Sounds of the Ocean was born from such a moment: while teaching a yoga class, it struck me how deeply sound can influence presence and awareness. As students moved through their breath and stretches, I realized that auditory experience could guide attention, calm the mind, and connect people to something larger than themselves. This insight sparked the idea: what if the hidden soundscapes of the ocean could be used in the same way—to foster presence, reflection, and a profound connection to our planet?

The ocean has always been both a place of mystery and calm—a space of reflection and immense unseen activity. While many experience it visually, few are aware that it is alive with sound. From the complex songs of whales and dolphins to the low-frequency hum of shipping lanes, the ocean is anything but silent. The idea behind Sounds of the Ocean was simple yet powerful: what if people could truly hear the ocean, not as background noise, but as a living, breathing entity?

This curiosity led to an exploration of underwater acoustics—the science behind how sound travels in marine environments—working closely with my colleague Dr. John Ryan, Senior Marine Acoustics Oceanographer at MBARI. Together, we investigated how whale songs reveal migration patterns, dolphin clicks uncover social interactions, and the pervasive noise of shipping offers insight into the human impact on marine life. These collaborations allowed us to understand the ocean not just as a visual landscape, but as a complex, communicative environment shaped by both nature and human activity.

The recordings used in Sounds of the Ocean are captured using specialized hydrophones, underwater microphones designed to detect even the faintest vibrations. These recordings are both scientific documents and artistic expressions. While the data helps researchers monitor ecosystems, the same sounds can be transformed into immersive compositions that evoke emotion and curiosity. Some performances incorporate whale calls recorded near shipping lanes, highlighting both the majesty of marine mammals and the impact of human activity on their acoustic environment.

This combination of science and art naturally led to opportunities to present the project on global stages, including United Nations Climate Conferences and COP events. Sharing Sounds of the Ocean in these contexts has been both an honor and a responsibility. These gatherings bring together policymakers, scientists, activists, and storytellers, all working toward solutions for the climate crisis. In such spaces, data and policy dominate—but there is also growing recognition of the role of emotion and narrative in driving change.

Presenting at these events has highlighted the unique role that sound can play in climate communication. While charts and reports inform, sound can transform understanding into empathy. Audiences often experience a moment of stillness when they first hear the underwater recordings, as if the ocean is speaking directly to them—bypassing intellectual analysis and connecting on a more instinctive level. That moment of connection is where awareness begins to shift into action.

Collaboration has been central to amplifying this impact. Sounds of the Ocean has partnered with a diverse range of leading scientific and environmental organizations:

• MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) provides access to cutting-edge marine research and high-quality underwater acoustic data.
• Oceanic Global connects the project to international networks of ocean conservation, translating awareness into tangible action.
• UN Ocean Decade offers a global framework for ocean research and sustainable development.
• 1% for the Planet supports environmental funding and advocacy.
• EU4Ocean platform links European stakeholders in science, policy, and society.
• everwave removes plastic from rivers, reducing debris entering the ocean—a mission highlighted in performances that connect river health to marine soundscapes.
• PMDP (Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project) monitors and removes marine debris in one of the world’s most remote and ecologically important marine areas, allowing us to incorporate recordings from cleaner, protected waters and emphasize the importance of debris-free habitats for whales and dolphins.

These collaborations reinforce a key insight: meaningful change requires collective effort. No single discipline or organization can address the complexity of the climate crisis alone. By bringing together scientists, artists, institutions, and communities, Sounds of the Ocean becomes part of a larger ecosystem of solutions—one that values both knowledge and emotion as drivers of change.

As the project evolves, its direction is guided by a central question: how can we deepen the connection between people and the natural world? Live performances in immersive venues, such as planetariums and cultural spaces, allow audiences to be enveloped by sound, creating a sense of presence within the ocean itself. These events transform listening into a shared, collective experience that fosters dialogue and reflection.

Another exciting development is bringing these experiences directly into the field. In collaboration with the Pacific Whale Foundation in Maui, we are designing whale-watching tours where participants wear high-quality wireless headphones to hear whales live, directly under the boat. This approach allows passengers to experience the animals’ vocalizations in real time, bridging the gap between scientific observation and immersive human connection. Hearing whales in their natural environment while also observing them visually fosters a deeper appreciation for these magnificent creatures and the importance of protecting their habitats.

Integration of new technologies also continues to expand the project’s reach. Spatial audio, interactive installations, and virtual environments offer ways to bring ocean soundscapes to life. Imagine walking through an exhibit where each step reveals the calls of whales or the hum of shipping lanes, or experiencing a live performance where sound moves dynamically around the listener, mimicking the fluid nature of the ocean. These innovations make the experience engaging and impactful, particularly for younger audiences.

Education remains a vital focus. By collaborating with schools, universities, and educational platforms, Sounds of the Ocean serves as both an artistic and scientific resource. Introducing students to the acoustic dimension of the ocean enriches understanding of marine ecosystems and encourages curiosity and stewardship. When people feel connected to something, they are more likely to protect it.

Ultimately, the journey of Sounds of the Ocean is one of translation—turning scientific data into emotional experience, distant ecosystems into immediate presence, and awareness into action. It is a reminder that the ocean is not a distant, abstract concept, but a vital, living system that shapes our planet and our future.

Looking ahead, the vision is to continue building bridges between disciplines and audiences. Whether through performances, collaborations, or new forms of storytelling, the goal remains the same: to give the ocean a voice that people can hear, feel, and remember. Because when we truly listen, we begin to understand—and when we understand, we are more likely to care.

In a world increasingly defined by noise, perhaps the most powerful act is to listen. And in listening to the ocean, we may rediscover not only the beauty of the natural world, but also our place within it.

By Joshua Sam Miller