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Environmental Science News

06 Oct 2022

Canadian Coast Guard to Test Biodiesel, Build Hybrid-electric Vessel

CCGS Caribou Isle (Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) announced a pair of initiatives aimed at reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, including the start of a biodiesel testing project and the launch of the next phase in the construction of the Government of Canada’s first hybrid electric vessel.Earlier this month, following the award of a contract to procure biodiesel from Windsor, Ontario based Sterling Fuels, CCG became Canada's first government agency to trial a 20% biodiesel blend in one of its vessels, the navigation aids tender CCGS Caribou Isle.

08 Sep 2022

Q&A: Growing Blue Economy Opportunities for US Exporters in Canada

Tracey Ford

Canada is one of 20 markets to be featured at the Discover Global Markets: The Blue Economy export forum September 20-22, 2022The growing demand for marine technologies is generating new export possibilities for U.S. companies. To help American businesses pursue these opportunities, the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) is hosting Discover Global Markets: The Blue Economy, in Providence, Rhode Island, Sept. 20-22, 2022. Based at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada Senior Commercial Specialist Tracey Ford is leading a delegation with a Canadian buyer to the event.

01 Aug 2022

Greensea Advancing Autonomous Hull Cleaning for the US Navy

(Photo: Armach Robotics)

Marine software company Greensea Systems Inc. said it has recently been awarded a contract for a two-year Phase II Option Period by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research to continue the technology development for an autonomous hull cleaning vehicle. This is a continuation of the work that Greensea has been conducting through a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program since 2018.“The objective of this STTR is to develop a highly autonomous robotic system for proactively cleaning ship hulls, that can be operated easily and cost effectively with minimal supervision.

28 Jun 2022

Baker to Head BOEM's Office of Renewable Energy Programs

© Fokke Baarssen / Adobe Stock

The United States' Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday announced Karen J. Baker will lead its Office of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP).BOEM, an agency within the Department of the Interior, manages U.S. offshore energy resources.As Chief of BOEM's OREP, Baker will oversee the development of renewable energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf through planning, stakeholder engagement, environmental analysis and technical review.“We’re very excited to add Ms. Baker to our team at such a pivotal time in offshore wind development,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton.

01 Jun 2022

4500 Years Old & 180km: World's Largest Known Plant Discovered in Shark Bay

Posidonia australis seagrass meadow in Shark Bay. Photo by Sahira Bell, PhD graduate from UWA.

Largest known plant on earth discovered at Shark Bay, and it's 4,500 years old.Researchers from The University of Western Australia and Flinders University have located what is believed to be the largest plant in the world – an ancient and incredibly resilient seagrass stretching across 180km that is estimated to be at least 4,500 years old.The discovery of the single plant or ‘clone’ of the seagrass Posidonia australis in the shallow, sun-drenched waters of the World Heritage Area of Shark Bay in WA…

04 Apr 2022

SUNY Maritime Announces $24.8 Million in Campus Improvements

(Photo: SUNY Maritime College)

SUNY Maritime College on Monday announced three major construction projects totaling $24.8 million that will enhance and build on the campus’s state-of-the-art facilities for students pursuing the global marine transportation industry. Ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies today with state and local leaders celebrated Maritime College’s new Student Learning Center and its fully renovated Marine Engineering Systems Laboratory, made possible through significant New York…

01 May 2020

SCIENCE: Seafloor Microplastic Hotspots Controlled by Deep-sea Currents

Simplified graphic showing how seafloor currents create microplastics hotspots in the deep-sea. Image Courtesy NOCS

New research has revealed the highest levels of microplastic yet recorded on the seafloor, with up to 1.9 million pieces in an area of just one square metre.Published this week in the journal Science, this study shows how deep-sea currents act as conveyor belts, transporting tiny plastic fragments and fibers across the seafloor. These currents can concentrate microplastics within huge sediment accumulations, which the authors of the research term ‘microplastic hotspots’. These…

10 Oct 2019

Study: Sunlight Degrades Polystyrene Faster than Expected

Polystyrene pollution at the tide’s edge. Photo by Jayne Doucette, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A study published by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) shows that polystyrene, one of the world’s most ubiquitous plastics, may degrade in decades or centuries when exposed to sunlight, rather than thousands of years as previously thought. The study published October 10, 2019, in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters.“Right now, policy makers generally assume that polystyrene lasts forever in the environment,” says Collin Ward, a marine chemist at WHOI and lead author of the study. “That’s part of justification for writing policy that bans it.

23 Apr 2019

Offshore Wind Developers Invests in Rhode Island

Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind and Eversource pledged $4.5 million Monday to talent and workforce development in Rhode Island based on the Revolution Wind project.Governor Gina M. Raimondo said: "Ørsted and Eversource's commitments, as part of their Revolution Wind offshore wind farm, will expand our efforts already underway to build our talent pool and provide opportunities for college students in Rhode Island to study for a career in offshore wind. When they are ready to work, we will have plenty of jobs for them in our growing offshore wind supply chain, right here in Rhode Island."Ørsted and Eversource have committed to invest $4.5 million locally…

15 Nov 2018

COWI Expands in US Offshore Wind Energy

In a major developement, international consulting group COWI announced it plan to increase its presence in the USA significantly with the consultancy contract with Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts – the first major US offshore wind energy project.The Denmark-based specialist in  engineering, environmental science and economics said in a release that the project is part of a masterplan to construct 10 GW offshore wind farms.The next seven years will see 10 GW offshore wind farms be developed on the northern East Coast – including Massachusetts, New York State, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland.The first major offshore wind farm project is the Vineyard Wind project, which in phase 1 will generate 800 MW for Massachusetts.

04 Nov 2018

CSA Completes Amelia Island Beach Survey

The global marine environmental science consulting firm  CSA Ocean Sciences (CSA) announced the completion of a survey to collect data for hydrodynamic model calibration and verification in Nassau Sound, located north of Jacksonville, Florida.The CSA team measured inshore and offshore water level, tides, current and waves to calibrate and validate a hydrodynamic model. The team installed water level recorders and a wave-enabled Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and conducted an estuarine water discharge survey to gather the needed data.Morgan & Eklund, Inc. (M&E), CSA’s sister company, a licensed survey company specializing in hydrographic surveys, teamed with CSA on this project. The project was contracted and managed by Olsen Associates, Inc.

01 Feb 2018

Serious Questions Surround BWMS Testing

© Jeremy Francis / Adobe Stock

Serious questions have been raised regarding the testing of ballast water management systems (BWMSs). In order for a BWMS manufacturer to sell its equipment for use on commercial vessels operating in U.S. waters, the equipment must be tested in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements and the equipment must then obtain a type approval certificate from the Coast Guard. To date, type approval certificates have been issued to six manufacturers and others are in the pipeline.

06 Dec 2017

MERC to Cease BWMS Type Approval Testing

Maritime Environmental Resource Center will no longer conduct Type Approval Certification testing of ballast water management systems. The Maritime Environment Resource Center (MERC) was established in 2008 by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) to facilitate the development and adoption of Green Ship and Green Port innovations with a primary goal of expanding on over twenty years of research addressing the issues of ballast water invasive species. Invasive species introduction through the release of ship’s ballast water have enormous ecological and economic impacts on coastal waters around the world.

31 Oct 2017

A Turning Point in Oil Spill Recovery

(Photo: Elastec)

Cleaning up marine oil spills can be a challenge as there are various types of oil spilled but only a few effective recovery methods. The three main technologies for oil spill recovery for inland and offshore waters are mechanical, insitu burning (ISB), and dispersant application. Absorbent booms and pads may also be used, but they are more effective for small fuel spills. Mechanical recovery, usually an oil skimmer, is a device that skims contained floating oil and transfers the recovered oil to a storage container or vessel.

16 May 2017

SUNY Maritime Cadets Receive Crowley Scholarships

Kent Napoliello (Photo: Crowley)

Four cadets at State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College have been awarded Thomas B. Crowley Memorial Scholarships to help further their educational opportunities, Crowley Maritime Corp. announced. Recipients Jacob Ennerfelt, John Szczecinski, Gabrielle McCracken and Kent Napoliello, who will each sail with Crowley this summer, were chosen based on their demonstrated leadership skills, financial need and plans to pursue a career in the marine engineering or shipping industries after graduation.

15 Dec 2016

New Research to Examine Oil Spill Impacts

© Arndt Vladimir / Adobe Stock

A research team led by University of South Florida College of Marine Science professor Dr. Steven Murawski has been awarded a $1 million grant to explore how oil spills, such as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) in 2010, impact the economic, ecological and social system aspects of fishing communities. The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced Thursday a total of $2.1 million in grants. Murawski’s team, which also includes Dr.

28 Nov 2016

$45 mln to bolster Reef Protection

The Australian and Queensland Governments are investing $45 million in an Australian first to improve water quality and reduce sediment run-off across the Great Barrier Reef. The $45 million Great Barrier Reef Gully and Streambank Joint Program will deliver a cohesive program of restoration work in key catchments including Burdekin, Fitzroy and Cape York. The joint program between government, the private sector, research institutions and conservations groups includes scientific investigation to understand the nature of gullies and the restorative activities required to fix them. Other work will include physical remediation, mulching, revegetation, fencing, native grass seed production and grazing land management improvements.

25 Jul 2016

Volvo Penta Names Brown Commercial Marine Sales Director

Dave Brown (Photo: Volvo Penta of the Americas)

Dave Brown has joined Volvo Penta of the Americas as director of commercial marine sales. In this new position, Brown will provide strategic and administrative direction and leadership to support overall segment growth. His primary focus will be to secure and maintain effective business relationships with governmental agencies, OEMs, dealers and customers in the marine commercial engine market. He will report to Marcia Kull, vice president of marine sales for Volvo Penta of the Americas. Brown has a 17-year background in business development and sales.

03 Mar 2016

Galley Grease Harms Equipment – and the Environment

John Paparone

Cleaning up the wastewater stream on marine vessels isn’t just about removing hydrocarbons out of oily separators and bilges. Workboat galleys harbor a tremendous amount of FOGs (fats, oils and grease) that, if not properly disposed of, can be a health risk, damage equipment and add to overall operational costs. Even if vessels are equipped with sophisticated grease trap systems, the introduction of nontoxic, neutral pH biologic compounds into the trap and/or waste stream is a necessary step to reduce toxic buildup and environmental pollution.

01 Apr 2016

SUNY Maritime Students Fundraise for Cancer Research

(Photo: SUNY Maritime College)

Research for finding cures to childhood cancers got a little help from SUNY Maritime College students last week. A group of students raised more than $5,500 for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a charity that funds childhood cancer research. One evening last week, more than 20 young men lined up in the barbershop to shave their heads. Since during their first year at the college, all male members of the regiment of cadets, called midshipmen under guidance, have to shave their heads, event organizer James Keegan said he believe the organization was appropriate.

24 Apr 2016

Hurtigruten, Kleven Ink Explorer Ships Construction Deal

Norwegian exploration travel company Hurtigruten, has signed a letter of intent for the construction of up to four new explorer ships with Norwegian shipyard Kleven. The order for delivery in 2018 and 2019 is a move to meet growing demand for adventure travel from travellers in the U.S. and across the globe. The order includes the construction of two new state-of-the-art vessels, which will be designed and customized specifically for adventure-rich expedition voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as along the Norwegian coastline. True to Hurtigruten’s commitment to sustainability, the new ships will be equipped with advanced environmentally-friendly technology to reduce emissions.

18 Nov 2015

Celata Heads BOEM's Gulf of Mexico Office

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper today announced Mike Celata as the Regional Director of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Region. Celata, who starts his position immediately, has been with BOEM and its predecessors since 1988. He has been acting Regional Director since March. The Gulf of Mexico Region is responsible for managing more than 4,600 active leases over 25 million acres of land on the OCS. “Mike has many years of service with the agency, working on aspects of the OCS energy program and on regional and national ocean policy initiatives,” said BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper. After receiving a B.A.

23 Nov 2015

Cammell Laird Seals the Deal for UK Polar Ship

NERC chief operating officer Paul Fox and Cammell Laird CEO John Syvret seal the deal in Birkenhead on November 19 (Photo: Cammell Laird)

The deal has been finalized for marine and engineering services company Cammell Laird to begin work on the U.K.’s new £200 million polar research ship. The Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird said it saw off competition from Europe and beyond including Korea and Singapore to be selected as the preferred bidder to build the new vessel for the government-funded Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Bosses met Friday, November 19 to sign the contract, and detailed design work gets underway immediately.