Aquatic News

2024 marks another year for development of a biennial WRDA bill—Water Resources Development Act, critical legislation for the Nation’s waterways, ports and harbors. WRDA encompasses a range of issues, from environmental regs to energy use to agriculture and, of course, a focus on projects critical for economic growth.Because these are dynamic and timely issues, Congress and the maritime sector like to keep WRDA on a two-year reauthorization timeline. Indeed, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, December and January, held three WRDA information hearings.

The IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 11) agreed new guidance on several key environmental issues.Meeting from February 19 to 23, 2024, the following guidance will now be submitted to the Marine Environment Protection Committee for approval this March (MEPC 81) and October (MEPC 82):• the safe transport of plastic pellets by sea• best practices for cutting black carbon emissions from ships operating in or near the Arctic• reducing risks of use and carriage…

Glosten announced it has been selected to develop the concept design of a coastal research vessel for the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).The naval architecture and marine engineering firm said it has been working closely with SARDI to refine the vessel’s capabilities and is beginning to develop a design that best fits their operational requirements: a 30-37-meter monohull with extended range, a launch and recovery system, the ability to perform fisheries research…

Lloyd’s Register (LR), in collaboration with SDC Ship Design and Consult, has developed a new concept for the use of ballast water tanks in place of cofferdams around methanol tanks, allowing ship operators more space for methanol fuel technology.For retrofits of methanol technology on existing ships, the development is expected to enable shipowners to convert their vessels without a loss of valuable space, by removing the requirement for cofferdams around fuel tanks as required by MSC.1/Circ.1621.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).The investments—part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history, nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are intended to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a supplemental proposed rule to reduce the spread of invasive species though ballast water that occurs with normal operation of large marine vessels.Following public input on EPA’s 2020 proposed rule—including meetings with states, tribes and other stakeholders—the agency is now issuing a Supplemental Notice to share new data and control options raised by stakeholders. This supplemental proposal will bolster the development…

MMS Workboats, a division of U.K.-based MMS Ship Repair & Dry Dock Co Ltd. (MMS), has launched a cutting-edge plastic and debris collection vessel: the Envirocat All-Electric Eco 8.5.Designed to make waterways cleaner and support sustainable industries such as fish farming and aquaculture, the 8.5 meter vessel can be operated by a single user, enabling efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly clearance of plastic and flotsam from the water’s surface.The vessel, developed in conjunction with naval architecture firm Rockabill Marine Design…

The United States’ vast network of navigable inland rivers is vital to the nation’s economy, serving as an aquatic superhighway for the efficient shipment of critical commodities like agricultural goods, energy products, building materials and industrial chemicals to destinations within the U.S. and to deepwater ports for export. The Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), which advocates for a modern, efficient and well-maintained inland waterways, often describes the network as “the…

The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of installing a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.Manila's coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources "strongly condemn" China's installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.The barrier blocking fishermen from the shoal was depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities…

ERMA First has received a letter of professional opinion from DNV categorizing ERMA FIRST BLUE CONNECT as an energy-saving device and verifying its positive impact on Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) performance. The system is an alternative maritime power solution that facilitates a vessel's connection to a port's electrical grid to power onboard services, systems and equipment.By plugging into an onshore power supply and shutting down its diesel auxiliary engines while berthed…

Port Angeles, Wash.-based Brix Marine has delivered the Pacific Whale Foundation's new research vessel Kaiao, custom-built to support marine research, conservation and education.Founded in 1980 and based in Maui, Hawaii, the PWF is a nongovernmental organization that has been at the forefront of whale research and public education, striving to safeguard the marine environment and prevent the destruction of Humpback whale populations and other aquatic species in the region.With an overall length of 30 feet and a beam of 11 feet…

Next year marks a crucial milestone for the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, with all ships required to meet the D2 standard for ballast water management by 8 September 2024. D2 specifies the maximum number of viable organisms allowed to be discharged. In most cases, it requires the installation of a ballast water management system (BWMS) on board the vessel.2024 will be a pivotal moment for the ballast water market and while it is true that the retrofit market will diminish and leave behind only a small newbuild market…

The IMO’s MEPC 80 session adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships and advanced other environmental initiatives.The revised IMO GHG Strategy includes an enhanced common ambition to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping close to 2050, a commitment to ensure an uptake of alternative zero and near-zero GHG fuels by 2030, as well as indicative check-points for 2030 and 2040:1. to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 20%, striving for 30%, by 2030, compared to 2008; and2.

The IMO has launched a video about the work of the GloFouling Partnerships project. Filmed amongst the stunning wildlife of the Galapagos, it illustrates the urgent need to tackle the threat of biofouling to vulnerable marine ecosystems and shows the work that IMO and its partners are doing to protect the precious biodiversity of the world’s oceans. The IMO's Glofouling Partnerships project team recently travelled to the Galapagos Islands, 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador, to…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has settled with two shipping companies over claims of violations of EPA’s Vessel General Permit issued under the Clean Water Act.Under the terms of the settlements, Swire Shipping Pte. Ltd. will pay $137,000 in penalties and MMS Co. Ltd. will pay $200,000 in penalties for claims of ballast water discharge, inspection, monitoring, and reporting violations.The violations relate to Singapore-based Swire Shipping’s vessels, the Papuan Chief and the New Guinea Chief…

Green Marine, North America’s environmental certification program for the maritime industry, is celebrating 15 years of sustainability improvements with the release of its 2022 Performance Report.The program includes 52 ports, 49 shipowners (620 vessels), 17 shipyards, & 71 terminals operators (209 sites) in North America, and the report displays all the individual results of the participants in addition to the overall average and an analysis of the environmental performance for the year concerned.

The IMO Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) Sub-Committee held its 10th session from April 24 to 28, 2023, discussing a range of topics including black carbon regulation and an update to biofouling guidance.ABS has provided a summary of the session, noting that after extensive discussion, the Sub-Committee agreed to establish a Correspondence Group that will seek to finalize draft guidelines on black carbon emission data collection and reporting. The group will also draft guidelines on goal-based control measures to reduce its impact on the Arctic, which it expects to be completed in 2025.

KOTUG Canada has applied "revolutionary non-toxic noise reduction coatings" to the hull of one of its vessels, the K.J. Gardner.KOTUG Canada used Graphite Innovation and Technologies' (GIT) XGIT-URN coating to help reduce underwater radiated noise emitted from the ship’s hull and the vibrations that disturb marine life.K.J. Gardner is the first of three vessels using the GIT applications in support of KOTUG Canada’s mission to reduce the impact on the environment, specifically related to the reduction of noise that potentially disturbs aquatic life in the Salish Sea and adjacent waters.

Vessel designer Chartwell Marine has won of a £320,000 Innovate UK Smart Grant which will enable Chartwell and consortium partners — Boat Electric & Electronics and Engineered Marine Systems — to develop and test the feasibility of "a market-first" methanol-fuelled vessel design, with applications in the offshore wind, commercial workboat, and leisure sectors."Methanol fuel presents a significant opportunity to decarbonise in a maritime industry which is confronted with the debate over sustainable fuel alternatives, as it can be produced from biomass and can carry a near-zero carbon footprint.

Lobsters versus right whales: The latest chapter in a long quest to make fishing more sustainableMaine lobster fishermen received a Christmas gift from Congress at the end of 2022: A six-year delay on new federal regulations designed to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.The rules would have required lobstermen to create new seasonal nonfishing zones and further reduce their use of vertical ropes to retrieve lobster traps from the seafloor. Entanglement…

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

International Maritime Organization's Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, used the annual IMO Awards ceremony as an opportunity to pay special tribute to the late William A. O'Neil, IMO Secretary-General Emeritus, who died in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2020, aged 93. O'Neil was Secretary-General of IMO from 1990 to 2003.Lim welcomed those attending the 2022 IMO Awards Ceremony, the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic that the Awards have been held in-person. Addressing the audience…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) signed a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) for the $4 billion Mid-Chesapeake Bay ecosystem restoration project at MDOT Headquarters, August 23, 2022.The PPA – signed by Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District commander, and MDOT Secretary James F. Ports, Jr. – outlines the roles, responsibilities, and financial obligations for both partners for the restoration of both James and Barren islands in Dorchester County…