WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION

Iron Supplements Tested as Means to Improve Ocean Health and Climate

Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will host a public forum to discuss the pros and cons of “iron fertilization” of the oceans as a means to mediate global warming. The forum, entitled “Ocean Fertilization: Ironing Out Uncertainties in Climate Engineering,” is a public follow-up to an interdisciplinary science workshop conducted at WHOI in September. The free event will be held at 2:30 p.m. on October 19 in the Redfield Auditorium on Water Street in the Village of Woods Hole, MA. The discussion of iron fertilization comes in response to several recent scientific and commercial proposals to spread dissolved iron into the sea. This “seeding” of the ocean is intended to promote the growth of carbon dioxide-consuming plants (phytoplankton) that could help offset rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Many ocean scientists are skeptical about whether the process would remove carbon dioxide for the long term or just for a fleeting time. The ecological impact of long-term, large-scale fertilization is also a concern. During the September workshop at WHOI, 80 researchers, environmental advocates, regulators, and business leaders discussed previous scientific iron fertilization experiments, the variability in environmental responses to those experiments, and the intended and unintended consequences that may result when such projects are conducted on a larger scale

Oceanology International to be Held in New Orleans

The premier Oceanology International Americas 2003 Exhibition/The Oceanography Society Ocean (OI) Conference will be held inn New Orleans, La., at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center on June 4-6. Organized by Spearhead Exhibitions Ltd., OI is part of the second "Americas" version of Oceanology International. This year, the event features an exciting integration of Spearhead’s exhibition expertise and the technical reputation of The Oceanography Society, combining the best of both

Gladding-Hearn Delivers Research Boat to WHOI

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has taken delivery of Tioga, a new coastal research vessel from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. Designed by Roger Long Marine Architecture, the all-aluminum vessel, replaces the Institution’s aging 46-foot vessel Asterias. The new vessel’s shallow-V planing hull measures 60 ft. overall, with a 17.7-ft. beam and 5-ft. draft. The vessel is U.S. Coast Guard-certified for up to 49-passengers.

Woods Hole Group Awarded BPTT Contract

Woods Hole Group, Inc. of Falmouth, Massachusetts has been contracted by BP Trinidad and Tobago, LLC (bpTT) to design, build and install a meteorological and oceanographic measurement system on the bpTT Cassia oil and gas production complex, offshore eastern Trinidad. Woods Hole Group, Inc. will provide system design, integration, installation, and real time data display along with monthly data monitoring and archiving during the 24-month project.

Nantucket into Senesco Marine for Fix

Senesco Marine recently spent a little over a month making the ferry Nantucket seaworthy for Martha’s Vineyard Nantucket Steamship Authority in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. "Work included freeboard and underwater hull sandblasting, recoating, propeller and tail shaft removal and inspection along with rudder inspection," said Ed Kracunas, Vice President of Operations at Senesco Marine. Other work performed on the Nantucket involved overhauling the sea valves

Construction on New Pier at USCG Group Woods Hole, Mass.

AGM Marine Contractors Inc. of Mashpee, Mass., began construction of a new pier facility at USCG Group Woods Hole, November 23. The USCG Facilities Design and Construction Center (Atlantic) of Norfolk, Va., will manage the $2.9 million project. Construction should be complete by late summer 1999. Maquire Group of Foxboro, Mass., designed the improvements, which include replacement of more than 1,000 ft. of deteriorating sheet pile bulkhead and replacement of a 10,000 sq. ft

FRV's Get Advanced Noise Control

The engineering consulting firm, Noise Control Engineering has just received a subcontract from Friede-Goldman Halter for the engineering and acoustical design services on NOAA's new Fisheries Research Vessel, the FRV-40. The ship will be designed to quietly perform fish stock assessment studies in the open ocean. According to Mr. William Michaels, NOAA Fisheries Biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service in Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Passenger Vessels:Old Dominion Gets New Research Vessel

The new research vessel, delivered to Old Dominion University's Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, is expected to commence a growing trend in research boat design -- toward smaller, faster and more versatile vessels — equipped to study a variety of sea characteristics. Designed by Roger Long Marine Architecture of Portland, Maine, the all-aluminum vessel has a modified V-hull that measures only 55 ft. with a 17-ft. beam. Its five ft

Research Teams Survey Chios Wreck

In the fourth century B.C., a Greek merchant ship sank off Chios and the Oinoussai islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. The wooden vessel may have succumbed to storm, fire or rough weather, ruining the cargo of 400 ceramic jars of wine and olive oil. The ship went down in 60 meters of water where it remained unnoticed for centuries. The classical-era ship might never have divulged to archaeologists its clues to ancient Greek culture but for a research team from MIT

NOAA: Air Pollution Plummets when Ships Shift Fuels

New clean fuel regulations in California and voluntary slowdowns by shipping companies substantially reduce air pollution caused by near-shore ships, according to a new NOAA-led study published online today in Environmental Science & Technology. The study examined a container ship operating under a 2009 California regulation requiring that ships switch to low-sulfur fuels as they approach the California coast, and also adhering to a voluntary state slowdown policy