US Announces $27 Million for Pacific Salmon Research
here in Washington,” said Washington Senator Maria Cantwell. “Salmon are central to the culture, economy and marine ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest, and this investment in science will help us make the right choices and help protect salmon for years to come.""From the California Coast through upstream rivers, Chinook and coho salmon populations have plummeted, leading to catastrophic consequences for the environment and for fishers, tribes, businesses and families who depend on healthy salmon fisheries,” said California Senator Alex Padilla. “As climate change
NTSB Recommends Pipeline Operators Implement Safety Management Systems
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending new notification alarms and procedures for potential incursions on pipelines and a change to an anchorage off the California coast following a crude oil release in 2021 caused by ship anchors damaging an underwater pipeline.NTSB investigators determined that the oil leak, which began on October 1, 2021, in San Pedro Bay, resulted from an anchor strike on the pipeline that occurred eight months earlier, when anchors from the containerships Beijing and MSC Danit dragged and contacted the pipeline during high winds and seas caused by a
Glosten, Siemens Energy Select Key Equipment Vendors for World's First Hydrogen-hybrid Research Vessel
for the fuel cells—both essential components of a hydrogen-fuel-cell propulsion system. The equipment from these vendors will allow extended zero-emissions operation of the Scripps’ CCRV to help the university to meet its goals for clean operations during science missions along the California coast.“Ballard Power Systems and Chart Industries are known for their expertise in hydrogen technologies, so we felt like they were a natural choice for a hydrogen propulsion system this unique,” said Tim Leach, the principal naval architect at Glosten leading the CCRV design effort.
How Do Floating Wind Turbines Work?
wind turbines that float.In California, where drought has put pressure on the hydropower supply, the state is moving forward on a plan to develop the nation’s first floating offshore wind farms. On Dec. 7, 2022, the federal government auctioned off five lease areas about 20 miles off the California coast to companies with plans to develop floating wind farms. The bids were lower than recent leases off the Atlantic coast, where wind farms can be anchored to the seafloor, but still significant, together exceeding US$757 million.So, how do floating wind farms work?Three main ways to float a turbineA
Glosten Tapped to Design Scripps' New Hydrogen-hybrid Research Vessel
UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography today announced that naval architecture and marine engineering company Glosten has been selected as the naval architect for the university’s new California coastal research vessel. The new vessel will feature a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-hybrid propulsion system.Selected after participating in the university's request for proposal process, Glosten will provide the preliminary design, contract design and detailed design for the research vessel to be operated by Scripps Oceanography.“This vessel will be the first of its kind
'Catastrophic' California Offshore Oil Spill Kills Fish, Damages Wetlands
A large oil spill off the southern California coast left fish dead, birds mired in petroleum and wetlands contaminated, prompting local officials to call it an environmental catastrophe.The U.S. Coast Guard, heading a clean-up response involving federal, state, and city agencies, said on Sunday there was an around-the-clock investigation into how the spill occurred.An estimated 126,000 gallons, or 3,000 barrels, had spread into an oil slick covering about 13 square miles of the Pacific Ocean since it was first reported on Saturday morning, said Kim Carr, the mayor of Huntington Beach, at a press
Shrinking Sea Meadows Store More Carbon Than Forests. Scientists Race to Track What’s Left
more acidic.But seagrasses provide some buffer from acidification, which can damage animals’ shells and disrupt fish behaviors. In one study published March 31 in the journal Global Change Biology, scientists at the University of California, Davis, found that seagrasses dotted along the California coast could reduce local acidity by up to 30% for extended periods.The plants also help clean polluted water, support fisheries, protect coasts from erosion, and trap micro-plastics, said the study’s lead author Aurora Ricart.“What is even cooler is that these habitats are present everywhere
Research Vessel Delivered to Orca Maritime
Hunt Photography / Armstrong Marine)The catamaran features a full-width cabin with fly bridge, large aft working deck, hydraulic A-frame (5,000 lb. SWL), Northern Lights 9kw diesel generator, and Garmin/NMEA electronics package. The vessel is well equipped for multi-day operations along the Southern California coast with two interior work stations, a 4-person sleeping cuddy, head with shower, refrigerator/freezer, and 600-gallon fuel capacity.Benthic Cat is powered by twin Volvo Penta D11 510hp inboards paired with Volvo IPS 650 propulsors and Volvo electric steering. Builder sea trials indicated 32mph
#Oi2020 History
Scripps researchers began sea-surface temperature and salinity readings at the pier.In 1925, Scripps began taking seafloor water temperature measurements, and the daily collection is still completed by hand and maintained by the institution’s Shore Stations program. With nine stations on the California coast that measure seawater temperature and salinity, the program also keeps continuous automated measurements of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll and pressure as part of the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System.According to Scripps researchers, the record warmth is in tandem with
February 2024
