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National Oceanic And Atmospheric Association News

21 Apr 2021

Tug and Barge Strike Dock in Puerto Rico

The tug boat Don Jaime and the deck barge Marilin H at the Ensenada Honda docking pier in Culebra, Puerto Rico on April 21, 2021. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A U.S.-flagged tug and deck barge reportedly struck a pier and grounded while conducting docking maneuvers at the Ensenada Honda auxiliary cargo dock in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday.The tugboat Don Jaime and barge Marilin H have been refloated, and there are no reports of injuries, oil discharge or sheening in the surrounding waters, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, whose inspectors are on scene to investigate the marine casualty incident.“We are looking to identify…

15 Sep 2020

Charting Terradepth's Big Ambitions in the Unmanned Vehicle Space

The Terradepth leapfrog concept. Graphic from Terradepth.

Ocean mapping at scale is the target of a new unmanned systems player started by two ex-US Navy SEALS. They have big ambitions, from new building unmanned vehicles to creating the intelligence that will drive them to changing how accessible ocean data is. Elaine Maslin learned more. The pace of change in the ocean mapping space has been fast in recent years. New entrants have come into the scene offering “force multiplier” mapping using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

22 Jan 2018

Coast Guard Cutter Elm Heads to Baltimore for Overhaul

File photo: USCG photo by John Edwards

The 20-year-old U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Elm is scheduled to make its way to the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore this month for a planned major dry dock overhaul. The cutter’s departure from Atlantic Beach, N.C. will mark its last from its current homeport. After the overhaul work is completed, the Elm will report to a new homeport in Astoria, Oregon. Coast Guard Cutter Maple, which is presently undergoing a midlife overhaul of its own, will replace the Elm in Atlantic Beach this April.

04 Feb 2017

Black Carbon in Arctic Blamed on Russia

According to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 35% of black carbon in the Russian Arctic originates from residential heating sources, 38% comes from transport, while open fires, power plants, and gas flaring are responsible for only 12%, 9%, and 6% respectively. These estimates confirm previous work for some areas of the European Arctic, but for Siberia, the findings differ from previous research, which had suggested that contribution from gas flaring were much higher. Black carbon, or soot, increases snow and ice melt by dulling the reflective surface and increasing the absorption of sunlight.

12 Jul 2016

Neches River Traffic Restricted due to Sunken Boat

Vessel traffic on the Neches River is restricted as a result of a shrimp boat that sank Monday morning. At approximately 3 a.m., the Captain Kevin sank in the Neches River, causing oil sheen and one minor injury. The vessel is currently located approximately 1500 feet from the end of the channel and 100 feet from the west side of the jetty. The Coast Guard has established a safety zone one-quarter mile north and one-quarter mile south of the sunken boat, spanning from jetty to jetty. Some deep draft vessels have been authorized to transit the area to determine what, if any, impacts vessel movement may have on the sunken boat. The Coast Guard is working with the Texas General Land Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, and vessel owners to recover the vessel and fuel.

16 Dec 2014

White House Takes Aim at Illegal Seafood Trade

Photo: NOAA

A White House task force on Tuesday issued proposals to tighten the grip on the illegal global seafood trade, which the group said causes billions of dollars in losses to the legal fishing industry annually. Under the plan, the United States would create a program to trace seafood entering its ports from the source to the shelves, to prevent illegal products from getting into the domestic market. The recommendations would compel Congress to grant several federal agencies the authority to search, inspect and seize illegal seafood at U.S. U.S.

17 Nov 2014

Willard Marine to Develop SOLAS FRBs for NOAA

Willard Marine's 670 SOLAS rescue boat (Photo courtesy of Willard Marine)

Willard Marine, Inc. has been awarded contracts to develop two new sizes of Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Fast Rescue Boats (FRBs) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). An inboard-powered 5.9-meter SOLAS rescue boat with waterjet propulsion will be built for the NOAA ship Nancy Foster and a 5.4-meter outboard-powered SOLAS rescue boat is contracted for the Hi’ialakia in Hawaii. The SOLAS self-bailing fiberglass-hull RIBs are gel-coated international orange. Willard Marine will acquire the necessary U.S. Coast Guard SOLAS certification for both vessels.

04 May 2012

MSC Hospital Ship Departs for Humanitarian Mission

Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed Naval Station San Diego May 3, beginning its part in Pacific Partnership 2012, a four-and-a-half month humanitarian and civic assistance mission to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. Mercy is crewed by 70 civil service mariners working for MSC who operate and navigate the ship while Navy planners and medical personnel plan and execute the mission. Mercy was scheduled to depart May 1, but a mechanical problem delayed the ship’s departure for two days.

01 May 2012

US Hospital Ship Deploys to Asia

The San Diego-based Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy is scheduled to deploy Tuesday for a four-month humanitarian mission to four Asian nations, reports San Diego 10News. Converted from an oil tanker in the mid 1980s, the Mercy first saw duty in the Persian Gulf War. Following that deployment, it left its berth at Naval Base San Diego. However, the 2004 tsunami that struck Indonesia prompted the hospital ship to return to the area every year since. The Mercy carries about 400 Naval medical personnel, along with civilian crew members with the Maritime Sealift Command. Crew members on the Mercy will provide medical, dental and veterinary care in the host nations and help with civil engineering projects.

12 Mar 2012

ITIC: Professional Indemnity Cover Needed

ITIC says professional indemnity cover essential in litigious shipping industry. International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has warned that, in today’s increasingly litigious business environment, there is a growing need for shipping professionals to have third-party indemnity insurance cover. This can be the case even in those sectors where insurance has not previously been deemed necessary, and in cases where, despite a favourable outcome to legal proceedings, substantial costs may be unrecoverable.

25 Feb 2009

Photo: Yasa Golden Dadanelles Grounded

In this photo by the U.S. Coast Guard, the 800 ft grounded tank ship Yasa Golden Dardanelles is moored next to the lightering vessel SPT Crusader, Monday, Feb. 23, 2009. The Yasa Golden Dardanelles became grounded 22 miles off the Galveston coast, Friday, Feb. 20, 2009. Lightering operations commenced Monday afternoon in an effort to refloat the tank ship. An estimated 3.5 million gallons of the tank ship's cargo will be offloaded during the lightering procedure. Marine Safety Unit Galveston is working on the response effort with the following organizations: Texas General Land Office…

12 Nov 2003

Training & Education: NOAA Computerized Training to Unify, Save Money

When it comes to rolling out training to vessel crew and scientists, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) faces challenges similar to most other large fleets deployed within the waterways, coastal and offshore regions of the United States. These challenges include a geographically dispersed trainees and little time available in a busy work schedule to take time out for full day training sessions. In addition, while on leave crew and scientists want to be able to enjoy their time away from work with family and friends rather than attend classroom training to update qualifications or skills. NOAA operates and maintains the largest fleet of non-military research and survey ships operated by a federal agency.