World News for Students of English

27-02-2025 07:00

Sydney Harbor, one of the busiest waterways in Australia, is home to thousands of boats, including ferries, yachts, and commercial vessels.

However, boats use fuel, and global shipping is responsible for 3% of carbon emissions. While Sydney’s commuter ferries will be replaced with electric ones in the next decade, a local startup is already working on solutions to reduce pollution.

Their robot, PBot, removes biofouling, a layer of slime that forms on boats and increases fuel consumption by up to 25%. By cleaning it regularly, the company helps ships move more efficiently and reduces emissions. Additionally, it aims to replace toxic antifouling paint, one of the largest sources of ocean microplastics.

The startup has also developed CBot, a robot designed to control sea urchins, which are harming marine ecosystems. It creates 3D models of the ocean floor, helping scientists study underwater habitats. These robots make cleaning the ocean easier, showing that technology can play a key role in protecting the environment.

Difficult words: biofouling (slime that grows on boats and slows them down), antifouling (a paint that stops the growth of marine organisms on a ship’s bottom noun), urchin (a small sea creature that has a round shell and sharp needle-like points).

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