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As the current COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting crew change crisis exacerbates the mental health problem faced by seafarers, various maritime stakeholders have mobilised their resources and strengths to provide a variety of supportive measures to address the issue. This paper aims to find out what measures have been adopted in the industry and how widely they have been experienced/received by seafarers and evaluate their effectiveness. To achieve this aim, this research employed a mixed methods design involving qualitative interviews with 26 stakeholders and a quantitative questionnaire survey of 817 seafarers. The research identified a total number of 22 mental health support measures, all of which were perceived to have contributed positively to seafarers' mental health. However, not all of them were widely available to or utilised by seafarers. The findings also highlighted the importance of family, colleagues, shipping companies, and government agencies, as they are associated with the most effective support measures, namely communication with family, timely crew changes, being prioritised for vaccination, being vaccinated, and a positive and collegial atmosphere on-board. Based on the findings, recommendations are provided.

Marine traffic has been identified as a serious threat to Mediterranean cetaceans with few mitigation strategies in place. With only limited research effort within the Eastern Basin, neither baseline species knowledge nor the magnitude of threats have been comprehensively assessed. Delineating the extent of overlap between marine traffic and cetaceans provides decision makers with important information to facilitate management. The current study employed the first seasonal boat surveys within the Eastern Mediterranean Sea of Turkey, incorporating visual and acoustic survey techniques between 2018 and 2020 to understand the spatial distribution of cetacean species. Additionally, marine traffic density data were retrieved to assess the overlap with marine traffic. Encounter rates of cetaceans and marine traffic density were recorded for each 100 km2 cell within a grid. Subsequently, encounter and marine traffic density data were used to create a potential risk index to establish where the potential for marine traffic and cetacean overlap was high. Overall, eight surveys were undertaken with a survey coverage of 21,899 km2 between the Rhodes and Antalya Basins. Deep diving cetaceans (sperm and beaked whales) were detected on 28 occasions, with 166 encounters of delphinids of which bottlenose, striped and common dolphins were visually confirmed. Spatially, delphinids were distributed throughout the survey area but encounter rates for both deep diving cetaceans and delphinids were highest between the Rhodes and Finike Basins. While sperm whales were generally detected around the 1000m contour, delphinids were encountered at varying depths. Overall, two years of monthly marine traffic density were retrieved with an average density of 0.37 hours of monthly vessel activity per square kilometer during the study period. The mean density of vessels was 0.32 and 1.03 hours of monthly vessel activity per square kilometer in non-coastal and coastal waters respectively. The Easter

Maritime transportation is crucial to national economic development as it offers a low-cost, safe, and efficient alternative for movement of freight compared to its land or air counterparts. River and channel dredging protocols are often adopted in many ports and harbors of the world to meet the increasing demand for freight and ensure safe passage of larger vessels. However, such protocols may have unintended adverse consequences on flood risks and functioning of coastal ecosystems and thereby compromising the valuable services they provide to society and the environment. This study analyzes the compound effects of dredging protocols under a range of terrestrial and coastal flood drivers, including the effects of sea level rise (SLR) on compound flood risk, vessel navigability, and coastal wetland inundation dynamics in Mobile Bay (MB), Alabama. We develop a set of hydrodynamic simulation scenarios for a range of river flow and coastal water level regimes, SLR projections, and dredging protocols designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We show that channel dredging helps increase bottom ('underkeel') clearances by a factor of 3.33 under current mean sea level and from 4.20 to 4.60 under SLR projections. We find that both low and high water surface elevations (WSEs) could be detrimental, with low WSE (< -1.22 m) hindering safe navigation whereas high WSE (> 0.87 m) triggering minor to major flooding in the surrounding urban and wetland areas. Likewise, we identify complex inundation patterns emerging from nonlinear interactions of SLR, flood drivers, and dredging protocols, and additionally estimate probability density functions (PDFs) of wetland inundation. We show that changes in mean sea level due to SLR diminish any effects of channel dredging on wetland inundation dynamics and shift the PDFs beyond pre-established thresholds for moderate and major flooding. In light of our results, we recommend the need for integrated analyses that account for compound

For decades, the shipping sector has been incorporated into the global decarbonization process. At present, global shipping - as a whole - aims to reduce its emission levels by 40 % by 2030 in relation to the 2008 level. In reducing greenhouse gas emissions, regulations such as the MARPOL 73/78 Convention and Energy Efficiency Design Index as well as other monitoring and managing schemes already in operation (e.g., Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan and Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator) play a crucial role in measuring fuel consumption and ship engine emission output. Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) is another measure, projected to be ratified in 2023, in-line with decarbonization targets in which the International Maritime Organization has planned a 70 % reduction in emissions level by 2050 using the same 2008 baseline. For this to happen, ship speed may need to be reduced, a decrease of fleet capacity may also need to be considered, and new ships may need to replace older ones already in service. The costs of implementing these types of reforms are obviously significant to the sector. Such change will augment the overall shipping overhead, effecting subsequent transportation and consumer costs. This paper aims to specify the scale of the expected costs of implementing EEXI globally. The current maritime fleet has been analyzed in terms of energy demand, deadweight tonnage, and expected CO2 emission reduction marginal abatement costs (MAC). Two pathways to achieve the desired EEXI values are presented, including the most common and available technologies to reduce demand. These technologies are subjected to MAC valuation and presented quantitatively for the world fleet. The research also investigates alternative fuel options in regard to lessening the CO2 impact, developing wind support systems, and avoiding conventional advancements to ships (e.g., upgrading the propeller or the propulsion system). At length, the target of the work is t

The COVID-19 pandemic and its lock-down measures have resulted in periods of reduced human activity, known as anthropause. While this period was expected to be favorable for the marine ecosystem, due to a probable reduction of pollution, shipping traffic, industrial activity and fishing pressure, negative counterparts such as reduced fisheries surveillance could counterbalance these positive effects. Simultaneously, on-land pressure due to human disturbance and tourism should have drastically decreased, potentially benefiting land-breeding marine animals such as seabirds. We analyzed 11 breeding seasons of data on several biological parameters of little penguins from a popular tourist attraction at Phillip Island, Australia. We investigated the impact of anthropogenic activities on penguin behavior during the breeding season measured by (1) distribution at sea, (2) colony attendance, (3) isotopic niche (4) chick meal mass, and (5) offspring investment against shipping traffic and number of tourists. The 2020 lock-downs resulted in a near absence of tourists visiting the Penguin Parade®, which was otherwise visited by 800,000+ visitors on average per breeding season. However, our long-term analysis showed no effect of the presence of visitors on little penguins' activities. Surprisingly, the anthropause did not trigger any changes in maritime traffic intensity and distribution in the region. We found inter- and intra-annual variations for most parameters, we detected a negative effect of marine traffic on the foraging efficiency. Our results suggest that environmental variations have a greater influence on the breeding behavior of little penguins compared to short-term anthropause events. Our long-term dataset was key to test whether changes in anthropogenic activities affected the wildlife during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper presents a geometric stochastic channel model designed for analyzing maritime communication and navigation services between moving ships using the C-band or sub-6 GHz spectrum, which aligns with the focus of emerging 5G networks on land. The channel model is validated through channel measurements conducted both on the sea and land. A software tool has been developed to integrate and analyze these measurements, which is included with this publication. The main challenge in developing the channel model for maritime services lies in the dynamic nature of the sea surface, leading to constantly changing reflection conditions due to varying reflectors and scatterers on the water. Additionally, the motion conditions of the transmitter and receiver on ships change in all three dimensions, depending on the sea state. To address these complexities, data from several measurement campaigns in diverse areas were collected. The analysis involved examining the propagation conditions over the sea with variations in sea surface roughness, antenna heights, and used bandwidths. Moreover, additional propagation conditions over nearby land were also taken into account. The study demonstrates that the changing antenna height on the ship, influenced by sea conditions, significantly affects the reflection and scattering conditions. The research aims to develop reliable, high-data rate, and broadband marine communication systems. Therefore, a measurement bandwidth of 120MHz was employed to derive the propagation model. This model not only offers absolute timing information but can also be used for time-based ranging or positioning systems. The proposed geometric stochastic channel model provides valuable insights into the complex maritime communication and navigation environment. By accounting for the continuously evolving sea surface and its impact on antenna height, the model offers a robust framework for studying and optimizing marine communication systems. The availability of

Vessel strikes are one of the main threats to large whales globally and to endangered blue, fin, and humpback whales in California waters. For over 10 years, NOAA has established seasonal voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) zones off of California and requested that all vessels 300 gross tons (GT) or larger decrease speeds to 10 knots or less to reduce the risk of vessel strikes on endangered whales. We offer a comprehensive analysis quantifying cooperation levels of all vessels ≥ 300 GT from 2010 to 2019 within designated VSR zones using Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) data. While average speeds of large vessels have decreased across the years studied, cooperation with voluntary 10-knot speed reduction requests has been lower than estimated to be needed to reduce vessel-strike related mortality to levels that do not inhibit reaching and maintaining optimal sustainable populations. A comparison of vessel speeds across inactive and active voluntary VSR time periods show a modest (+ 15%) increase in cooperation from 2017 to 2019. A complementary, incentive-based VSR program that was started in 2014 and scaled up in 2018 within the region likely improved voluntary VSR cooperation levels, as participating container and car carrier vessels traveled at lower speeds during the VSR season than vessels not enrolled in the incentive-based effort. Comparisons of vessel speeds in the incentive-based VSR program across inactive and active time periods showed a significant (+ 41%) increase in cooperation. With cooperation levels for the voluntary VSR hovering around 50%, and the challenge of funding and sustaining an incentive-based VSR program, voluntary VSR approaches may be insufficient to achieve cooperation levels needed to significantly reduce the risk of vessel strike-related mortality for these federally protected whales, suggesting that VSR regulations warrant consideration.

A major expansion of Europe's offshore wind capacity is on the horizon and Poland wants to be a leading player. The country aims to build 28 GW of new offshore wind capacity by 2050. A new report now finds that the upcoming global shortage of specialised offshore wind vessels might pose a risk for project execution in Poland and worldwide. Poland should see the shortage as an opportunity to build up a fleet of modern vessels to service national and international markets.

The Covid-19 pandemic is the latest example in a growing number of health, social, economic, and environmental crises humanity is facing. The multiple consequences of this pandemic crisis required strong responses from governments, including strict lockdowns. Yet, the impact of lockdowns on coastal ecosystems and maritime activities is still challenging to quantify over large spatial scales in comparison to the pre-Covid period. In this study, we used an object detection algorithm on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images acquired by the two Sentinel-1 satellites to assess the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the presence of boats before, during and after lockdown periods in the French Mediterranean Exclusive Economic Zone. During the French most severe lockdown period (March - May 2020), we observed that ship frequentation remained at the same level from March to July 2020, instead of rising towards the summer peak like in previous years. Then, ship frequentation increased rapidly to a normal level in August 2020 when restrictions were lifted. By comparing morning and evening (7:00 am and 7:00 pm) ship frequentation during this period to pre-Covid years, we observed contrasting patterns. On the one hand, morning detections were particularly high, while on the other hand evening detections were significantly lower and less concentrated in coastal touristic waters than in previous years. Overall, we found a 9% decrease in ship frequentation between the year 2020 and the 2017-2019 period, with a maximum of 43% drop in June 2020 due to the lockdown. So, the Covid -19 crisis induced only a very short-term reduction in maritime activities but did not markedly reduce the annual ship frequentation in the French Mediterranean waters. The satellite imagery approach is an alternative method that improves our understanding of the pandemic impacts at an unprecedented spatiotemporal scale and resolution.

Accurate and automated detection of maritime vessels present in aerial images is a considerable challenge. While significant progress has been made in recent years by adopting neural network architectures in detection and classification systems, these systems are usually designed specific to a sensor, dataset or location. In this paper, we present a system which uses multiple sensors and a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture to test cross-sensor object detection resiliency. The system is composed of five main subsystems: Image Capture, Image Processing, Model Creation, Object-of-Interest Detection and System Evaluation. We show that the system has a high degree of cross-sensor vessel detection accuracy, paving the way for the design of similar systems which could prove robust across applications, sensors, ship types and ship sizes.

Anthropogenic noise is a recent addition to the list of human-made threats to the environment, with potential and established negative impacts on a wide range of animals. Despite their economic and ecological significance, few studies have considered the impact of anthropogenic noise on crustaceans, though past studies have shown that it can cause significant effects to crustacean physiology, anatomy, and behaviour. Mating behaviour in crustaceans could potentially be severely affected by anthropogenic noise, given that noise has been demonstrated to impact some crustacean's ability to detect and respond to chemical, visual, and acoustic cues, all of which are vital in courtship rituals. To explore if noise has an impact on crustacean mating, we tested the responses of male green shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) from the southwest UK coast by exposing them to ship noise recordings while simultaneously presenting them with a dummy-female soaked in the female-sex pheromone uridine diphosphate (UDP) in an experimental tank setup (recording treatment: n = 15, control treatment: n = 15). We found a significant, negative effect of noise on the occurrence of mating behaviour compared to no noise conditions, though no significant effect of noise on the time it took for a crab to respond to the pheromone. Such effects suggest reproductive impairment due to anthropogenic noise, which could potentially contribute to decreased crustacean populations and subsequent ecological and economic repercussions. Given the findings of our preliminary study, more research should be undertaken that includes larger sample sizes, double blind setups, and controlled laboratory trials in order to more fully extrapolate the potential impact of noise on mating in the natural environment.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), as a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for the safety and security of international shipping and the prevention of pollution from ships, has applied two main area-based management tools (ABMTs): the "Special Areas" established under the MARPOL 73/78; and the "Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas" (PSSAs) established under the IMO resolutions. The new Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ agreement) stipulates the establishment of a comprehensive system of ABMTs to conserve and sustainably use areas beyond national jurisdiction. Strengthening coordination in the use of ABMTs established by the IMO and the BBNJ Agreement is important for vessel pollution control in the high seas. The IMO is a stakeholder for relevant proposals and consultations on proposals regarding the establishment of ABMTs in the BBNJ Agreements, and can provide information on the implementation of them. The Conference of the Parties (COPs) to the BBNJ Agreement can also make recommendations to the IMO and its parties to promote the adoption of special areas and PSSAs. This article respectively elaborates on the practices and effect of ABMTs of the IMO and explores the relevant rules of the BBNJ agreement and their enforcement. Then this article discusses the possible approaches for the ABMTs coordination between the IMO and the BBNJ agreement regimes and their implications on vessel pollution Control in the high seas. Overall, relevant rules of the BBNJ agreement shall be interpreted and applied in a manner that does not undermine relevant legal instruments of the IMO. Meanwhile, it is necessary to promote cooperation and coordination between the COPs to the BBNJ Agreement and the IMO under the idea of conserving ecosystem integrity, gradually forming a normal cooperation and informati

Efficient and rapid deployment of maritime search and rescue(MSAR) resources is a prerequisite for maritime emergency search and rescue, in order to improve the efficiency and accuracy of MSAR. This paper proposes an integrated approach for emergency resource allocation. The approach encompasses three main steps: identifying accident black spots, assessing high-risk areas, and optimizing the outcomes through a synergistic combination of an optimization algorithm and reinforcement learning. In the initial step, the paper introduces the iterative self-organizing data analysis technology (ISODATA) for identifying accident spots at sea. A comparative analysis is conducted with other clustering algorithms, highlighting the superiority of ISODATA in effectively conducting dense clustering. This can effectively carry out dense clustering, instead of the situation where the data spots are too dispersed or obvious anomalies that affect the clustering. Furthermore, this approach incorporates entropy weighting to reassess the significance of accident spots by considering both the distance and the frequency of accidents. This integrated approach enhances the allocation of search and rescue forces, ensuring more efficient resource utilization. To address the MSAR vessel scheduling problem at sea, the paper employs the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II combined with reinforcement learning (NSGAII-RL). Comparative evaluations against other optimization algorithms reveal that the proposed approach can save a minimum of 7% in search and rescue time, leading to enhanced stability and improved efficiency in large-scale MSAR operations. Overall, the integrated approach presented in this paper offers a robust solution to the ship scheduling problem in maritime search and rescue operations. Its effectiveness is demonstrated through improved resource allocation, enhanced timeliness, and higher efficiency in responding to maritime accidents.

The Nigerian Navy said Thursday that it had thwarted a pirate attack on the break bulk / project cargo ship Vectis Osprey off of Bonny Terminal. A government spokesman said that an investigation would focus on her crew, citing a "trend of involvement of crew members in attacks on their own vessels."

The Nigerian Navy said Thursday that it had thwarted a pirate attack on the break bulk / project cargo ship Vectis Osprey off of Bonny Terminal. A government spokesman said that an investigation would focus on her crew, citing a "trend of involvement of crew members in attacks on their own vessels."

On Sunday, hundreds of fishermen in a small port in Vietnam protested the construction of a new terminal for cement exports, a rare public display of dissent in the tightly controlled nation.

On Sunday, hundreds of fishermen in a small port in Vietnam protested the construction of a new terminal for cement exports, a rare public display of dissent in the tightly controlled nation.

Scandinavia is the first region in the world to rely increasingly on battery-powered and thus environmentally-friendly technologies in the shipbuilding industry. After "Ampere", the world's first electrical ferry in Norway, Siemens has received a follow-up order of the Finnish shipping company FinFerries. Ampere was put into operation in Norway in May 2015, and has traveled a distance equivalent to more than 1.5 times around the equator. With the change from diesel propulsion to battery, Norwegian ship owner Norled has reduced the cost of fuel by 60 percent. For FinFerries, SIEMENS has now tailor-made a suitable technical solution for Finland's first emission-free ferry. This follow-up order confirms SIEMENS' pioneer position delivering green solutions in the shipbuilding industry.

Scandinavia is the first region in the world to rely increasingly on battery-powered and thus environmentally-friendly technologies in the shipbuilding industry. After "Ampere", the world's first electrical ferry in Norway, Siemens has received a follow-up order of the Finnish shipping company FinFerries. Ampere was put into operation in Norway in May 2015, and has traveled a distance equivalent to more than 1.5 times around the equator. With the change from diesel propulsion to battery, Norwegian ship owner Norled has reduced the cost of fuel by 60 percent. For FinFerries, SIEMENS has now tailor-made a suitable technical solution for Finland's first emission-free ferry. This follow-up order confirms SIEMENS' pioneer position delivering green solutions in the shipbuilding industry.

The Danish island of Aeroe, located in the Baltic Sea, is one of the few islands not connected to the mainland by a bridge. As a result, it is dependent on car ferries. Aeroe also has another distinction: it aims to become 100 % carbon neutral by 2025. Although it has already made big strides towards achieving this goal via a comprehensive solar and wind powered infrastructure, its dependence on conventional car and passenger ferries sits as a significant roadblock.

Danish anglers could be in for the fishing trip of their lives in a few days' time, after a ship crashed into a fish farm and caused up to 80,000 rainbow trout to escape into the open sea.

Danish anglers could be in for the fishing trip of their lives in a few days' time, after a ship crashed into a fish farm and caused up to 80,000 rainbow trout to escape into the open sea.