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Beaches News

26 Feb 2024

Oil Spotted at Bonaire's East Coast

© Val Traveller / Adobe Stock

Oil stains possibly coming from neighboring Tobago have reached the island of Bonaire, local media said on Monday, prompting authorities to begin organizing protection to beaches and mangrove areas.Since an oil spill from a capsized vessel was first spotted by Trinidad and Tobago's Coast Guard on Feb. 7, it has blackened the Caribbean nation's beaches and is threatening other countries, including Grenada and Bonaire, whose main source of revenue is tourism.Part of Bonaire's East coast…

18 Feb 2024

Tobago's Tourism, Fishing Hit by Oil Slick

Source: TEMA

Nine days after a slick was first spotted by Trinidad and Tobago's Coast Guard, an oil leak from a capsized barge remains unplugged, according to first responders and authorities, prompting nations across the Caribbean to coordinate a response.The spill has spread miles from Tobago's shore, the area first hit by the incident. Trinidad this week alerted neighbors Venezuela and Grenada on possible impact to their coasts.The Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, dependent on regional group Caricom…

13 Feb 2024

Sunken Ship Spilling Oil in Trinidad and Tobago

(Photo: Office of the Chief Secretary)

First responders and volunteers from Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday sought to contain an oil spill detected last week in the Caribbean country's waters and clean areas of Tobago island's coast already affected by the incident.Trinidad and Tobago's coast guard first spotted the spill on Feb. 7, about 6 kilometers off the coast of Studley Park, the chief secretary of Tobago's national assembly, Farley Augustine, said in a press conference on Sunday.Barriers have been installed to contain the spill…

28 Dec 2023

Great Lakes Bags $173.7 Million in New Dredging Contracts

File photo: Great Lakes' hopper dredge Padre Island in Galveston Channel in August 2023. (Credit: Luke Waack / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation on Thursday announced the receipt of five dredging contracts totaling $173.7 million. The projects are in Texas, New Jersey, Florida and Louisiana.The Sabine-Neches Waterway Channel Improvement Project-Phase 1 (Capital, Texas, $62.8 million) includes dredging for channel deepening along the Sabine-Neches Waterway from Sabine Bank Channel to Sabine Pass Channel. The construction of the Sabine-Neches Waterway will generate widespread economic benefits for Southeast Texas…

09 Dec 2023

Oil Sample Lab Results Help ID Responsible Party

In 2019 crew conduct a shore cleanup at Jacob Riis Park Beach in New York, cleaning up tar balls reported on the beach. (U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Dickinson)

The unified command consisting of the Coast Guard, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Office of Emergency Management, and Monmouth County Department of Health, received oil sample lab results from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Laboratory Friday, linking together oil spill cleanup efforts in both New York and New Jersey.Vane Brothers Company, as represented by Gallagher Marine Systems, has been identified as the responsible party.

04 Dec 2023

Marine News' Top Vessels of 2023

Empire State (Photo: MARAD)

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

03 Nov 2023

New High-speed Landing Craft Delivered in Australia

(Photo: Incat Crowther)

A new high-speed low-draft landing craft Island Guardian has been delivered to the Great Barrier Reef Joint Field Management Program in Australia.The new 21-meter vessel has been custom-designed by Incat Crowther and built by Norman Wright & Sons to enhance island protected area management, research, incident response and facilitate more efficient management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.The Great Barrier Reef Joint Field Management Program is delivered jointly by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service…

17 Oct 2023

All-electric Waterways Clean-up Vessel Launched in the UK

(Photo: MMS Workboats)

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…

11 Oct 2023

Vessels Run Aground in the Rivers of the Drought-hit Amazon Region

© juerginho / Adobe Stock

A barge carrying three trucks and 2,000 empty cooking gas cylinders lies stranded on the vast sand banks of a diminished Rio Negro river after running aground last month, highlighting the plight of river transport in the Amazon region hit by severe drought.Officials warned that low river levels risk disrupting grains exports from nearby farm states. On the Madeira, they said barge routes used by grain firms such as Cargill, Bunge and Amaggi, are open but loads are being reduced as a precaution.Shipping and logistics group A.P.

03 Oct 2023

Belize to Make Biofuel from Problem Seaweed

© ENRIQUETA / Adobe Stock

Belize is developing a pilot project to convert the masses of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed swamping its pristine beaches into biofuel, its prime minister said in a statement published by regional Caribbean bloc CARICOM on Tuesday.Many Caribbean countries depend economically on drawing travelers from around the world to their white sand beaches, but since 2010 heaps of rotting seaweed have been massing on the shores for reasons scientists do not yet fully understand but suspect are related to climate change.Floating sargassum provides shelter and food for marine animals but as it washes asho

03 Aug 2023

Freighter Spills Diesel on Lake Michigan

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A U.S. registered bulk carrier has reportedly spilled diesel in Lake Michigan, approximately 1.5 nautical miles offshore of Manistee, Mich., the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, the 630-foot self-unloading bulk carrier Manitowoc reported a hull breach on its starboard diesel tank. The maximum spill potential is 45,174 gallons of diesel, the Coast Guard said.At the time of the report, the lake was at anchor 1.5 nautical miles offshore, northwest of where the Manistee River enters Lake Michigan.

01 Aug 2023

Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol Contracts for New Rescue/Patrol Boat

Copyright FellowNeko/AdobeStock

Moose Boats won a new contract from Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol for the construction of a M2–35 Catamaran Rescue/Patrol Boat. “The Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol is excited to partner with Moose Boats to build our next generation patrol, fire, and rescue vessel," Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol Supervisor, Nathan Alldredge. "Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol is the primary emergency response for the city’s harbor, marina, beaches and Wharf. Additionally, Harbor Patrol’s area of responsibility extends to the near coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean from Santa Barbara Point to Loon Point and out to 3 miles.

07 Jul 2023

Inside the Subsea Cable Firm Secretly Helping America Take on China

On Feb. 10 last year, the cable ship CS Dependable appeared off the coast of the island of Diego Garcia, an Indian Ocean atoll that’s home to a discreet U.S. naval base.Over the next month, the ship’s crew covertly laid an underwater fiber-optic cable to the military base, an operation code-named “Big Wave,” according to four people with direct knowledge of the mission, as well as a Reuters analysis of satellite imagery and ship tracking data.The new super-fast internet link to Diego Garcia, which has not previously been reported, will boost U.S. military readiness in the Indian Ocean, a region where China has expanded its naval influence over the last decade.The CS Dependable is owned by SubCom…

06 Jul 2023

NGO Shipbreaking Platform Pushes for Safe Recycling of FSO Safer

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has called for the safe and environmentally friendly recycling of the FSO Safer, currently being salvaged off the coast of Yemen.The UNDP is looking for a destination for the FSO’s recycling, and the Platform is calling on the Dutch government, one of the biggest donors to the Stop Red Sea Oil Pollution operation, to assist UNDP in identifying a suitable recycling facility. The Netherlands has shown leadership in preventing the environmental disaster an oil spill from the FSO Safer would have caused, says the Platform, along with Dutch company Boskalis, via its subsidiary SMIT Salvage, which has been tasked with the removal of the oil from the FSO.Referring to Dutch involvement in the Stop Red Sea Oil Pollution operation…

26 Jun 2023

Lyman-Morse Builds Workboat for the University of New Hampshire

(Photo: Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding)

Thomaston, Maine based Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding announced it has built and delivered a new workboat for the University of New Hampshire.The new 33-foot-long aluminum landing craft was commissioned by the university's School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering for work in its aquaculture research program in the Gulf of Maine.Operators can land the boat on rocky beaches without damaging the hull, while the wide-open bow functions as a stable and uncluttered work, cargo, or passenger space.

20 Jun 2023

Doyle Returns to Lead Dredging Contractors of America

William P. Doyle (File photo: Maryland Port Administration)

The Dredging Contractors of America (DCA) announced William P. Doyle will return to lead the trade association as chief executive officer and executive director.Doyle, a well-known figure in the U.S. maritime industry, most recently served nearly three years as the executive director of Maryland Port Administration, overseeing the six state-owned marine terminals at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. He resigned from the position on June 16.Doyle previously served as CEO for the DCA, and two terms as a U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner, twice unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

31 May 2023

Career Moves: US Offshore Wind Powering Up

(Photo: STAR Center)

In addition to wind, offshore wind demands human energy, individuals with knowledge and skills first to build and then operate and maintain the dozens of projects required to meet President Biden’s 2030 goal of 30 GW of offshore generation. In an October 2022 National Renewable Energy Laboratory report – “U.S. Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment” – the authors estimate that it will require, on average, between 15,000 and 58,000 employees annually, depending on domestic content scenarios, to build out a huge new wind machine.Mariners and mariner training are integral to offshore wind.

22 May 2023

Eastern Shipbuilding Delivers New Hopper Dredge R.B. Weeks

(Photo: Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.)

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) on Monday announced the delivery of R.B. Weeks, a 8,550 cubic yard capacity trailing suction hopper dredge constructed for Weeks Marine, Inc.“It’s our pleasure to once again deliver a quality vessel on time and on budget to our valued customers at Weeks Marine, Inc.,” said Joey D’Isernia, president of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. “The R.B. Weeks joins an impressive fleet that works alongside the Army Corps of Engineers to preserve our treasured waterways.”Despite building the vessel through the height of the COVID pandemic…

21 Mar 2023

Great Lakes Reports $138.8 Million in New Dredging Contracts

(File photo: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation)

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation, the largest provider of dredging services in the United States, announced the receipt of several major dredging awards totaling $138.8 million.The awarded work includes Trujillo Alto Design and Build for the Lago Loiza (Carraízo) Dredging Project (Maintenance, Puerto Rico, $93.1 million); Townsends Inlet to Cape May Inlet Project (Coastal Protection, New Jersey, $28.8 million); Palm Beach Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project (Maintenance, Florida…

16 Mar 2023

Thailand Rushes to Avert Spill After Fatal Accident on Oil Storage Ship

(Photo: Royal Thai Navy)

Authorities in Thailand on Thursday were working to avert a leak from a storage vessel carrying 400,000 barrels of crude oil.One crew member was killed after seawater entered the hull of the Benchamas 2 when a seal malfunctioned during maintenance earlier this week.Navy spokesperson Admiral Prokgrong Monthatphalin said multiple agencies were working to recover the body of the dead crewman, fix the leak and avert an oil spill."The vessel's condition is safe and weather conditions are not interfering with the rescue operations. However, there is no electricity in the engine room ...

14 Mar 2023

Philippines Beefs Up Efforts to Contain Oil Leak from Sunken Tanker

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

Philippine authorities have increased efforts to contain an oil spill from a sunken fuel tanker that has affected coastal towns and was still spreading, the environment ministry said on Tuesday, as the country grapples with cleanup challenges.Improvised spill booms made from cogon grass and coconut materials were helping to restrict oil leaking from MT Princess Empress, the Philippine-flagged tanker that encountered engine trouble in rough seas on Feb.

13 Jan 2023

What Does Climate Change Mean for Extreme Waves?

© TravisPhotoWorks / Adobe Stock

In 80% of the world, we don’t really know.Across much of the world’s oceans, waves are getting bigger. In the Southern Ocean, where storm-driven swell can propagate halfway across the world to California, the average wave has grown about 20cm in the past 30 years.These changes are part of climate change, and are likely to continue well into the future. If you’re making long-term plans near the sea – like building ships, or constructing flood defenses in coastal cities – you need more detail about how big those waves are going to get.In a study published this week in Science Advances…

07 Dec 2022

Alameda Fire Department Chooses Moose Boats to Build New Fire Boat

(Image: Moose Boats)

California boat builder Moose Boats announced it has been awarded a new contract from Alameda City Fire Department for the construction of an M2–38 Catamaran Fireboat.The M2 – 38 aluminum catamaran will be powered by twin Cummins QSB6.7L 480HP turbo diesel engines coupled to twin Hamilton HJX29 water-jets. Darley pumps will provide 5,000GPM of water through two 5” discharges, two 4” discharges, eight 2.5” discharges and four monitors.The fireboat will allow for deployment of fire attack hose lines in addition to supplemental water supply for land-based operations.