Jacksonville Adds PORTS Real-time Data System
Officials from NOAA, the Jacksonville Marine Transportation Exchange, and the Jacksonville Port Authority officially dedicated a new information system today which will increase safety for ships using the St. Johns River. The system, called Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS), provides real-time information on water levels, currents, meteorological conditions, and under-bridge clearance, giving users critical information when traveling through the river. The St. Johns River in Jacksonville will become the 23rd location to use the system and is the second largest PORTS ever established. “Our nation’s ports are critical cogs in our country’s economic engine,” said Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.
Cruise Ship to be Inspected on First Coast
The Captain of the Port of Jacksonville has ordered a Carnival Cruise Lines ship be inspected at sea before it can return to the First Coast. The Carnival Cruise ship Celebration, based out of Jacksonville, is limping back to port at below its top speed after an accident in the Bahamas. The Coast Guard says an engine propeller struck the ocean floor while docking in Nassau. They say oil from the ship was spilled into the ocean and the ship was damaged. Coast Guard inspectors want to take a close look at the ship's systems for two reasons: to make sure there's no further risk of environmental damage and to ensure the ship's steering will hold up as it heads into the congested St. Johns River and up to Dames Point to dock.
