Oxygenation by Sponges in the deep Ocean

• Life began by oxygenation in ocean and the atmosphere
• Oxygen at the upper layer of atmosphere >> bottom layer
• To sustain life the oxygen demand ~ oxygen supply
• At the botton: when demand gets high, lifeforms struggle to evolve

Role of Sponges: 

• Helped in reducing oxygen consumption and creating conditions suited for the evolution of more complex, multi-cellular life with higher oxygen needs 
• Also helped in “removing” phosphorus found in the ocean
• This led to a rise in oxygen supply in the deep ocean for the animals to evolve.

*Courtesy: Nature Geoscience

China's ASBM in the Pacific Ocean

What: ASBM (Anti Ship Ballistic Missile) + Onboard radar

Purpose: Can track and strike an aircraft carrier in  the Pacific from about 2000 km distance

Comment: "Has shaken the traditional view of the U.S. Navy’s unassailable superiority in the Pacific"

Note:

China currently has three clusters of ELINT (Electronic Intelligence)satellites that provide global surveillance. 

The People's Liberation Army (PLA). It is the world's largest military force, with a strength of approximately 3 lakhs.

The UNEP Minamata Convention

Type                United Nations treaty
Signed             10 October 2013
Location          Kumamoto, Japan
Signatories      94

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.
*Minamata is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning.