"There is so much life down there," said marine biologist and expedition leader Thilo Maack.AFP journalists joined the 30 crew, scientists and campaigners for 10 days of their three-week long exploration. Some of the species at Vema have clearly flourished since then.Little more than one percent of ocean areas lying outside national jurisdictions benefit from some form of international protection, according to the UNs Ocean Action website."There is crayfish, theres a lot of seaweed, theres a lot of sponges and fish of any kind". Atlantic haven is a test bed for planet&plastic fork Manufacturers039;s sickly oceans. He added: "This is just a perfect example of what happens if we leave nature on its own for a certain period of time even if it was overfished, it will replenish". Vema is fortunate to be one of the very few areas of the deep seas that enjoy such a shield. Researchers with Greenpeace sailed a thousand kilometres (600 miles) northwest of Cape Town to Vema Seamount, one of the most remarkable, yet poorly-known, features of the Blue Planet. Vema -- named after a vessel which discovered it in the 1950s -- lies in international waters. It was absolutely awesome to see. Its conical peak, eroded to a flat top by waves over thousands of years, reaches to just 26 metres (85 feet) from the surface.The sunnier outlook even extends to the Tristan rock lobster -- a species that was twice driven to near-extinction to meet seafood demand in East Asia.

The divers resurfaced, elated. "There were lots of fish around us, just swimming around us, in a big circle. Aboard the research ship Arctic Sunrise, specialist divers shared jokes as they put on bright orange and black dry suits, strapped on air cylinders and ran through final checks of high-resolution cameras.In 2007, an intergovernmental fisheries science and management body, the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO) banned bottom trawling on Vema and other seamounts. Below the waves, the divers took samples and recorded an inventory of sea life. Vema -- named after a vessel which discovered it in the 1950s -- lies in international waters. "Who says there are no lobsters down there?" quipped German diver Pascal van Erp as he stepped back on deck after his first dive.The volcanic mountain rises a colossal 4,600 metres (15,000 feet) from the ocean abyss -- almost as high as Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe.When the current was too strong for divers to go into the water, the researchers launched an underwater drone and sat inside a blue shipping container on the ships deck, monitoring screens sending back video footage.Vema is an ocean oasis -- its shallow summit is bathed in sunlight, enabling algae, kelp and black coral to grow, which in turn draw fish and crustaceans. (Photo: AFP) Clad in diving gear or oilskins and gumboots, a team of scientists and activists spent weeks in the South Atlantic, enduring storms and choppy seas to check up on a place almost no-one has heard of.They jumped out through the pilot door, disappearing in the deep blue waters for about 45 # minutes -- a twice-a-day ritual, weather permitting. Beautiful!" said Dutch diver Sander Jansson.Marine conservation organisations are pushing for ocean havens to be vastly expanded.Their mission: To monitor an underwater mountain for clues of global warming and plastic pollution -- and vet the impact of a 12-year-old ban on trawling

PM Modi said, "On this years Indias Independence Day, we called for a mass movement to have freedom from single-use plastic.PM Modi hoped that India could be an inspiration to the world on the ban of single-use plastics."The Climate Action Summit will see leaders make national statements, followed by statements of coalitions and national statements again. I hope that this will raise awareness against the usage of single-use plastic, at a global level."Acting on the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1. Talking about protecting natural resources, PM Modi said, "We have provided clean cooking gas connections to millions of families.He further said that time for talking was over and the world needs to act now. PM Narendra Modi at UN summit on Climate Change. We have started Jal Jeevan mission for water resource development, water conservation and rainwater harvesting.PM Modi hoped that India could be an inspiration to the world on the ban of single-use plastics.5 degrees celsius, he said that India has a capacity of 4GW and the country has set a target of adding 100 GW of solar power by 2022. (Photo: ANI) New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, addressed the United Nations summit on climate change and said China plastic tray Suppliers that India believes in practicing than preaching