Microscope News

The maritime industry accounts for more than 90% of global trade and employs over 3 million people in the United States, and like other modes of transportation, our industry encounters unique risks. Waterfront workers are exposed to various hazards such as heavy machinery, hazardous substances, extreme weather and long hours. If not properly managed, these hazards can result in serious injuries, illnesses and even fatalities. That is why ensuring the safety of waterfront workers is a top priority for all of us who work in the maritime industry.

As the global shipping industry is under the microscope to reduce emissions, three Japanese leaders in the maritime space: Hitachi Zosen, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.(MOL) and Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd. (YPT), have targeted methane slip as an area of study via its "Development of Methane Slip Reduction Technology from LNG Fueled Vessels by Improving Catalysts and Engines", with Hitachi Zosen serving as the managing company in the "Development of Next Generation Vessels Project"…

Highlighted in Marine Technology Reporter's MTR100 is the work and technology ongoing in the halls of academia. The most recent report released by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasized our warming planet, an expected announcement for many in the scientific community. Faced with the confirmation that human activities have caused an increase in global temperatures, research has turned to seeking answers in the planet’s natural systems. How does each part of the global carbon cycle work and how may it be impacted by the changing climate?

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…

Classification society RINA signed an agreement with VRMedia, an augmented and virtual reality company, to boost the development of remote inspection technologies to carry out ship inspections using VRMedia’s Kiber system.Kiber is a wearable hardware and software fully integrated system for remote assistance, that allows the consultation and sharing of real time information between several participants through augmented reality tech.With the Kiber Helmet, a headset equipped with a video camera…

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings signed an agreement with Norway's Ulstein to build a new polar vessel, expanding the line’s National Geographic polar fleet to four ships. The ship is the next phase of Lindblad’s fleet expansion following the launches of new builds National Geographic Quest in July 2017, National Geographic Venture in December 2018 and the scheduled delivery of National Geographic Endurance in Q1 2020.The new ship is scheduled for delivery in Q3 2021. Sister ship to National Geographic Endurance…

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is introducing a new user-friendly concept for digital learning that is new to the expedition ship world, as the Hanseatic Nature, Inspiration and Spirit will feature an innovative touch wall when they launch.The study wall will measure 6 meters by 1.8 meters, allowing guests to research complex topics and background information about their cruise destinations.Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has been developing this concept for around two and a half years, in partnership with the Hamburg-based companies mgp ErlebnisRaumDesign GmbH and Intermediate Engineering GmbH.More than 250 topics from the fields of oceanography, ethnography, and geology have been digitized for the study wall, together with regional information.

IMO’s 2050 deadline to reduce GHG emissions 50% from 2008 levels has set off a gold rush to develop Zero Emissions SolutionsClimate change is the biggest issue facing [all aspects of] the maritime industry, said Kitak Lim, IMO secretary general, in an interview earlier this year with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. He predicted that shipping could experience as much change in the next 10 to 20 years as it has in the last 100 years, as the industry races to meet a number of challenges…

As the U.S. Coast Guard tightens its BWTS compliance rules and more systems are approved, there are still many unanswered questions for operators finally looking to comply.It’s no secret among marine stakeholders that ballast water regulations remain a top concern at the start of 2018, and a confusing one, to say the least. Hence, if someone offers to sell you a clear, concise and complete ballast water instruction manual, move that email over to your spam filter right away. However…

Alison Nolan is General Manager and a fourth-generation owner of Boston Harbor Cruises (BHC), a company that moves more than 2.5 million passengers annually on its fleet of 60 vessels with more than 600 daily departures seven ports and more than 30 facilities. But the story of BHC and Alison Nolan transcends raw numbers; as the company and passenger vessel industry are in her DNA, more of a lifestyle than a career. She spoke with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently to address the rewards and challenges inherent in her position.

First polar newbuild ordered for the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic fleet. Expedition cruising and adventure travel company Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. has signed an agreement with Norwegian shipbuilder and ship designer Ulstein to build a new polar expedition ship for delivery in the first quarter of 2020, with an option for two additional ships to be delivered in subsequent years. The state-of-the-art vessel will be built in Ulsteinvik, Norway and has been designed with a focus on safety and comfort…

While the cruise industry grows globally in earnest, this maritime niche is under the microscope like no other, operating high profile, high design billion dollar ships in and out of some of the most pristine places on the planet. Tasked to keep the company’s ships running efficiently and environmentally sound is John Haeflinger, VP of maritime policy and analysis, who directly oversees the sustainability team at Carnival Corp. Haeflinger shares with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News his insights on the tech and technique to keep today and tomorrow’s fleet running clean and efficient.

The issue of biofouling has been under the microscope at a series of national workshops delivered by International Maritime Organization (IMO), most recently, a national workshop held in Antananarivo, Madagascar (25-27 April). All ships can experience a build-up of aquatic organisms on their underwater hull and structures, which is known as biofouling. This can impact on the ship speed and energy use, but it could also potentially see aquatic organisms transferred to new areas, where they could become invasive species. IMO has acted to regulate anti-fouling systems in order to prevent adverse impacts from the use of anti-fouling systems and the biocides they may contain.

Terragon Environmental Technologies Inc. and Marship Engineering entered into a contract with Zhejiang Ouhua Shipbuilding China to supply a MAGS V8 for the new build vessel mv Happy Sun of Netherlands based BigLift Shipping (a member of the Spliethoff Group). As shipping companies are increasingly under a microscope regarding their emissions to the environment, the decision by BigLift Shipping to chose MAGS gasification technology reflects its role as an early adopter of innovative technologies on their ships.

Jensen Maritime was recently selected to provide detailed design and production engineering services for two, 100 passenger, U.S. flagged, coastal cruise ships for Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. The twin screw diesel ships, will be built at the Washington state shipyard of Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) and have planned delivery dates of second quarter 2017 and 2018. Once complete, the $94.8 million duo will operate tours between Baja, Costa Rica and Panama during the winter months and southeast Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Canada during the summer months. For this project, Jensen will utilize its innovative 3D modeling capabilities to allow Lindblad the unique opportunity to confirm the vessel’s layout, maintenance envelopes and operational access prior to construction.

Turner Designs, along with scientists from around the world participated in a research cruise aboard the RV Meteor, a vessel owned by the Federal Republic of Germany through the Ministry of Research and Technology (BMFT) and funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The goal of this cruise was focused on ballast water sampling techniques and protocols. Various instruments were used to test collected ballast water enabling researchers to determine efficiency for the various sampling techniques employed.

On 29 October 2015 the research icebreaker Polarstern will leave its homeport in Bremerhaven for Cape Town, South Africa, where it is expected to arrive on 1 December. It will take 32 students hailing from 19 countries on board, who will be introduced to the latest methods and instruments used in oceanography. Nine instructors from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the FU Berlin and Ireland’s Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology will teach the participants in the “floating summer school”. 470 applications from around the globe were submitted for the 32 places on the North South Atlantic Transect Training Programme (NoSoAT).

There is a global boom in the development of unmanned systems, from below the ocean’s surface to high in the sky to the world’s roads. Add to this list the maritime industry, on both military and civilian vessels. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News examines in depth recent developments taking place in Europe to discover general thoughts and technical trends driving the future of unmanned shipping. The joint European Research Project MUNIN was finalized in August 2015, a project…

Asian container liner finances are put under the microscope in a recent Drewry Maritime Equity Research report. It is a challenge to find an investable container shipping stock in the current environment. Most companies have seen their cash balances wither and total industry debt has more than doubled in the past five years to USD 100-bn. Drewry’s analysis of the financial health of the industry paints a grim scenario for the global container liners with financial health under severe strain and shareholder value eroded.

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program has come under the microscope after news of an electrical problem resulted in a brief loss of power for USS Freedom (LCS 1) over the weekend and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a critical, 72-page report today scrutinizing the cost of the program. However, top Navy leadership including the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert view the performance problems as common for any first-in-class platform--especially…

Malaysia confirmed early on Thursday that a piece of a wing washed up on an Indian Ocean island beach last week was from Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, the first trace of the plane found since it vanished last year with 239 people on board. "Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that an international team of experts have conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370," Prime Minister Najib Razak said in an early morning televised address. "I would like to assure all those affected by this tragedy that the government of Malaysia is committed to do everything within our means to find out the truth of what happened," Najib said.

Shipowners and managers will gather in Singapore next week to examine the strengths of their relationship and consider the state of the global shipping industry during the first International Shipowning and Shipmanagement Summit. Taking place at the Singapore headquarters of international communications specialist Singtel on October 14, the Summit features thought-provoking presentations from industry leaders representing both the ship owning and ship management sectors. The International Shipowning and Shipmanagement Summit will consider latest industry developments and international concerns, as well as examining relationships within the shipping chain.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has spelled out in a memorandum his expectations for the review and audit of procedures, administration, and performance of all husbanding and port services contracts. "Back in September, I directed a complete review of our husbanding and port services contracts following the investigation into contracting procedures in the Pacific Fleet. This tasking memo reiterates the urgency of that review and provides additional tasking," said Mabus. Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research…