JEFFERSON IN

NOAA, Navy Monitor Ocean Conditions Near Spill

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson is underway on a mission to deploy a variety of U.S. Navy ocean monitoring instruments in the vicinity of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The floats, drifters and autonomous underwater vehicles will aid researchers in monitoring the surface and deep currents that are distributing the oil. Of particular interest is the Loop Current and its potential to spread the oil to a much wider area.    “NOAA is proud to partner with the U.S. Navy in the ongoing effort to provide scientific data critical to understanding the Loop Current and the marine environment in the Deepwater Horizon spill area,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson’s mission will add significantly to the growing body of information NOAA is gathering on the Gulf of Mexico's dynamic environment in collaboration with our federal agency and university partners.”    NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson was deployed to the Gulf of Mexico in early April to conduct surveys to update the nautical charts and to baseline benthic habitats in the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary. Operated by the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, the 208-ft. hydrographic vessel has a crew of 36 NOAA Corps officers, survey technicians and wage mariners.  The ship is homeported in Norfolk, Va. 

Coast Guard Investigates Barge Breakaway

Coast Guard investigators from Marine Safety Office (MSO) St. Louis are investigating the breakaway of over 76 barges that happened Sunday evening in the Port of St. Louis. No injuries or pollution were reported in conjunction with the accident. The breakaway forced the closure of the river by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, St. Louis, from 11:03 p.m. Sunday, to 6:30 a.m. Monday. The closure affected a 10-mile stretch of the river beginning at the Jefferson Barracks Bridge

This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History - July 6

1809- Congress authorized the construction of twelve new cutters to enforce President Thomas Jefferson’s embargo.   1942- Coast Guard amphibious aircraft V-166 landed in the open ocean and took aboard 21 survivors of a torpedoed tanker in Gulf of Mexico.   Source: USCG Historian’s Office

CG Monitoring LNG Vessel Repairs

The Coast Guard is monitoring and assisting a Liquefied Natural Gas tanker that temporarily lost propulsion about 45 miles east of Boston today. The 920 ft tanker Suez Matthew, carrying 31 people and a full load of LNG from Trinidad to Boston, lost propulsion just before 12 a.m., Dec. 27. Propulsion was restored aboard the Suez Matthew within the hour and the tankship executed a successful test of propulsion by 8:45 a.m

Coast Guard Assist Injured Crewman

A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station New Orleans airlifted an injured crewman suffering from a blow to the head aboard the fishing vessel MISS JADE, approximately 35 miles south of Grand Isle, La. The Coast Guard was notified shortly after 2 a.m. that Thao V. Le, 46, needed to be airlifted due to a head injury he sustained while working aboard the shrimp boat. A Coast Guard helicopter crew was dispatched to the scene to assist and transport the crewman to a medical facility for

U.S. Coast Guard to Host Public Meeting

Media are invited to attend the public meeting on the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Reader Requirements Notice of Proposed Rulemaking April 18, 2013. WHO: Personnel from the Office of Port and Facilities Compliance, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C.WHERE: Crystal City Marriott Hotel at Reagan National Airport, 1999 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, Va., 22202 WHEN: April 18, 2013, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Super Bowl XLVII & Lower Mississippi Maritime Security Ops

In support of Super Bowl XLVII, a team of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies begin maritime safety and security operations on the lower Mississippi River, Monday. Response boats, patrol vehicles and enforcement personnel from more than 16 law enforcement agencies will conduct maritime security operations in the downtown New Orleans area and at the Port of New Orleans. All agencies will work together within a unified command

Odyssea Marine Releases Information on Vessel Fire

On August 11, the M/V Odyssea Voyager, a 195-ft. dive support vessel owned by Odyssea Marine, Inc., and operated by Odyssea’s North Bank Towing Division, was severely damaged by fire the cause of which is not yet known. Located in West Delta Block 35, the Voyager, in a four-point mooring configuration, was supporting diving operations of Superior Offshore International, Inc., when flames were noticed in a compartment in the bow section of the vessel

MARAD Awards $17.1m in Shipyard Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced $17.1m in grants to 14 small shipyards in 10 states.  The grants are part of the Assistance to Small Shipyards program. “Small shipyards are vitally important for the health of the maritime industry, and for the nation’s economy,” said Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.  The purpose of the grants is to make capital and infrastructure improvements that facilitate the efficiency

Texas – Barge Hits Well Head

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur has responded to a report of a tug and barge that struck an inactive production well-head in Sabine Lake during the early hours of Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008. The well-head pipe was broken off approximately six feet above the water line and is releasing natural gas, condensate, and water.  Although there are no threats to the public onshore, there is a light sheen in the area and the Coast Guard encourages marine traffic to stay clear