It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
Tuvalu Seeks Help From Sea Shepherd to Curb IUU Fishing
WHEN AN OUTLAW NGO BECOMES THE STATE
Allankay (Photo by Flavio Gasperini / Sea Shepherd Global)
The government of Tuvalu has sought assistance from Sea Shepherd Global, the well-known conservation NGO, to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Tuvalu’s waters.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last week by the Honorable Simon Kofe, Tuvalu’s Minister of Justice, Communications and Foreign Affairs, Sea Shepherd Global committed to send its marine conservation vessel Allankay, which will support Tuvalu’s law enforcement officers during sea-patrols.
The Allankay, a 54.6-meter vessel, is a recent addition to the Sea Shepherd Global fleet. Formerly, it was a Patagonian toothfish longliner and was transformed into a marine patrol vessel, relaunched in February.
According to the MoU, Allankay will accommodate a detachment from the Tuvalu Police Service with the authority to board, inspect and arrest fishing vessels engaged in criminal activities within Tuvalu’s territorial waters.
Sea Shepherd Global confirmed it will provide Allankay at no cost to the government of Tuvalu.
With rising use of satellite imagery, the Pacific region has been highlighted as a major hotspot for IUU fishing. The problem is aggravated since most Pacific Island states lack enforcement capacity and resources, making them prime targets for the IUU fishing trade.
With more than 50 percent of Tuvalu’s economy dependent on fisheries, IUU fishing is tantamount to an economic disaster. Despite threatening marine ecosystems and biodiversity of the Pacific, IUU fishing also undermines the livelihoods of local communities that depend on the Ocean for food and income.
The Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) estimates that the annual loss due to IUU fishing in the Pacific is around $600 million.
“The engagement of Sea Shepherd Global to provide support in monitoring and surveillance of Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) could not come at a better time, as Tuvalu’s sole patrol boat, the Te Mataili II, was severely damaged by a cyclone in Vanuatu in March this year and is currently under repair in Australia,” said Minister Kofe.
Kofe also expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Shivshankar Nair, Tuvalu’s Envoy for the Oceans and Climate Change, for his role in initiating the collaboration with Sea Shepherd Global.
“Sea Shepherd Global is excited to bring a model that we know works to the South Pacific for the first time. We know the impact of these patrols. In the places where we work, illegal fishing has been largely eliminated,” said Alex Cornelissen, CEO of Sea Shepherd Global.
Since 2016, Sea Shepherd Global has been working with government partners especially in the African continent to curb IUU fishing. These include Gabon, Tanzania, Liberia, The Gambia, Benin, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone and Namibia. Reportedly, this has led to arrest of 85 vessels for illegal fishing and other fisheries crimes.
Video: Researchers Find Wreck of the Blythe Star After 50 Years
A view of Blythe Star's canoe stern on the bottom (CSIRO)
Australian research institute CSIRO has discovered the wreck of the lost freighter Blythe Star, which went down off Tasmania 50 years ago.
On October 13, 1973, Blythe Star capsized without warning during a voyage from Hobart to King Island, possibly due to overloading. All crewmembers managed to abandon ship successfully into a life raft. However, in an era before the invention of the satphone or EPIRB, they had no way to transmit their location to rescuers. A massive search operation was mounted, the largest ever in Australia to date, and rescuers managed to find seven survivors 12 days after the sinking.
Unfortunately, three crewmembers died before the rescuers arrived. The wreck of the Blythe Star was never found.
This year, the CSIRO research vessel RV Investigator conducted a five-week research voyage to study underwater landslides off the coast of Tasmania. As a side project, the Investigator's crew also used sonar to scan a known but unidentified shipwreck about five nm off Tasmania's South West Cape.
On April 12, Investigator scanned the wreck in detail, and its dimensions matched the Blythe Star. A visual inspection using underwater camera systems confirmed the wreck's identity: Blythe Star was sitting upright, with half of her name clearly visible on the bow. She showed signs of damage to the stern and her wheelhouse was missing, but the hull was largely intact.
One of the Blythe Star's crewmembers, Mick Doleman, served as deputy national secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia for three decades. He is the sole remaining survivor of the sinking, and he told the Daily Mail that he was "just blow away" at the news that the vessel has been found. "It is in pretty good nick actually, considering its journey," he said.
Rescue Plan Underway to Tow Disabled Containership Back to Port
Shiling was towed to Tasman Bay while plan can be finalized for its salvage after breaking down for the fourth time in last than a year in New Zealand (photo from Skandi Emerald tug supplied by Maritime NZ)
Officials in New Zealand are working with the port of Wellington as well as the owners of a disabled containership to resolve a plan to bring the ship safely back to port to once again undergo repairs. The Shiling (66,5000 dwt) registered in Singapore was towed to a safer position at the head of Tasman Bay after having lost power in rough seas 22 nautical miles North-Northwest of Farewell Spit at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.
“While the decision around passage, anchoring locations, and towage are managed by the owners of the Shiling, Maritime New Zealand has oversight, and is liaising with CenterPort and Wellington Harbour Master to ensure the process is managed safely,” they said in their latest update on the situation which has been underway since May 11 when the ship blacked out, losing steering capabilities, in seas with waves up to 26 feet. The crew was preparing to abandon ship and authorities were positioning resources before the seas calmed and an ocean-going tug was able to secure the containership.
Officials in the port of Wellington thought they had resolved the problems with the Shiling last week when they cleared the containership to depart for Singapore where it was expected repairs would be completed. The ship had blacked out in Wellington Harbor in April drifting across a sandbar and nearly grounding.
After the ship broke down last month, Maritime New Zealand and the Wellington Harbour Master had set a series of conditions before the vessel could depart, including trials and limits on the weather conditions for when the ship sailed. The New Zealand Herald is reporting that the Shiling requires repairs to her generators and main engine that cannot be completed in Wellington.
The decision was made to complete temporary repairs to give the ship sufficient engine power to sail to Singapore. Another of the conditions for lifting the detention was a requirement that the ship’s class society, Lloyd’s Register, inspect the repairs.
“Lloyd’s Register confirmed to Maritime NZ and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore that the repairs completed in New Zealand gave Shiling sufficient engine power to sail to Singapore for permanent repairs,” a spokesperson told the New Zealand Herald.
The Harbourmaster last month told the media he was not happy that the same ship had blacked out at the port. The Shiling had experienced a brief power problem at Wellington in February and before that another blackout in July 2022. Based on the history of the vessel, the Harbourmaster said they were concerned over the condition of the vessel and setting conditions to ensure it could sail and if there was a problem, they could get it safely back to the dock.
Maritime NZ told the media the concern is to get the vessel back to dock now for the safety of the 24 crew aboard noting that it is easier to address the crew’s needs at dock than in the anchorage. While they are reporting that weather conditions “continue to remain favorable,” they said a passage plan is being developed based on weather and safety concerns.
“As the passage plan is developed, a risk assessment will be undertaken and the Maritime Incident Response Team will have oversight to ensure it is done correctly,” said Maritime NZ. They are reporting that according to the current forecast, the next potential weather window for relocation is on Friday. They are emphasizing however that no formal decision has been made and the cost of the towing would be the responsibility of the Shiling’s owners and their insurers. Port officials are also emphasizing the need for planning with the CentrePort terminal to limit further disruptions to the port in the event the ship is brought back to Wellington.
HMM Plans "Cost-Cutting Measures" After 90 Percent Drop in Profits
After reporting a 90 percent drop in profits in the first quarter, South Korean container line HMM has promised to cut costs to align with the cooling ocean freight market.
Volumes on the core east-west trade lanes have plummeted since the late-COVID import boom came to an end last year, and despite carriers' efforts to right-size capacity, rates have fallen precipitously. At HMM, revenue fell 58 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, and profitability dropped even further, down by 90 percent over the same period. To be fair, the line still posted a reasonable profit of $230 million for the quarter, but nothing like the supercharged $2.4 billion profit that HMM posted in the go-go days of early 2022.
Those days will not be back soon, according to most analysts and executives. The SCFI has fallen back to a normal level of about 1,000 points, 80 percent lower than it was at the same time last year. This is great news for shippers and consumers, but it means a return to lower profits for ocean carriers.
HMM predicts a protracted period of low demand, driven by inflation in energy and raw material costs. The carrier believes that a downward trend in the global economy will continue, and sees "no encouraging sign of restoring consumer confidence in the near term."
To match its overhead to the business environment, HMM plans "a wide range of cost-cutting measures and enhance operational efficiency" to ensure competitiveness. Competitor Maersk has issued similar guidance, advising that it is focused on "proactively managing costs."
With the container segment cooling, HMM may soon be expanding into a hotter segment of the shipping industry: LNG carriers. Its former LNG shipping operation was spun off a decade ago to raise funds, but last week, HMM gave notice of intent to enter into bidding to repurchase the business from current owner IMM Holdings.
Scientists call for chemical pollution monitoring in Antarctica to support global chemical policy
A horizon-scan of chemical pollution research needs in has Antarctica has called for Antarctic Treaty consultative parties to extend their national chemical monitoring programs to their Antarctic research stations and Territories.
Published in The Lancet Planetary Health, the ‘Personal View’ paper led by Griffith University’s Professor Susan Bengtson Nash from the Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, highlights that chemical pollution monitoring frameworks were lacking in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region, which acts as barometers for planetary health.
In 2021, the UN announced global chemical pollution as one part of a ‘triplet planetary crisis’ (alongside climate change and biodiversity loss). The horizon scan was performed by the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) Action Group - Input Pathways of Persistent Organic Pollutants to Antarctica (ImPACT).
Four priority research and research facilitation gaps were outlined, with recommendations for Antarctica Treaty parties for strategic action against these priorities. They include:
Priority 1: Utilisation of Antarctica as a natural laboratory for the identification of persistent and mobile chemicals
Priority 2: Investigation of chemical behaviour, fate, and effects in changing Antarctic ecosystems
Priority 3: Assessment of the toxicological sensitivity of endemic Antarctic biota
Priority 4: Sustained circumpolar chemical surveillance
“The advanced stage of this global threat calls for a step-change in the way in which chemicals are regulated globally,” Professor Bengtson Nash said.
“In response, in 2022 the UN Environment Assembly (UN-EA) committed to establishing a UN Intergovernmental Science-policy Panel for the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste and Pollution Prevention by 2024.
“This body is envisaged to serve in the same role as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; that is, to provide policymakers with scientific assessments.”
As with climate change, chemical pollution at the poles of the Earth serves as a barometer of Planetary Health, and robust data arising from these regions has a critical role to play in the support of global chemical policy, assessments, and decision-making.
Professor Bengtson Nash said pollution monitoring frameworks currently were lacking from the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region, with global efforts often neutralised by the lack of legal recognition of the international commitments of individual Antarctic Treaty parties in the region.
“Timely progress in the field of Antarctic chemical research calls for Antarctic Treaty consultative parties to transcend what is legally required of them, and to extend their national chemical monitoring programs to their Antarctic research stations and Territories,” Professor Bengtson Nash said.
“Holistically designed chemical research and monitoring programmes, that encompass ecological drivers of change, will facilitate the construction of novel longitudinal datasets that can be used to answer vital research questions for the protection of Planetary Health.”
The research ‘Monitoring Persistent Organic Chemicals in Antarctica in Support of Global Chemical Policy; A Horizon Scan of Priority Actions and Challenges’ has been published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Last summer, we travelled to the remote Arctic Hausgarten observatory area in the eastern Fram Strait (west of Svalbard, Norway) on a research ship. The samples we collected there included ice cores, sea water and ice algae from large packs of floating ice called ice floes. These form 1–2 meter thick “plates” of sea ice across the Arctic Ocean, some of which melt over the summer period.
Algae grow on the underside of these ice floes. Melosira arctica – nicknamed “snot” due to its sticky, slimy and green nature – is one of the major algae species in the Arctic Ocean. It is an essential organism both in the Arctic food web and for marine life overall.
These ice algae provide nutrition for plankton and various other marine organisms in the Arctic. The algae also act as a conveyor belt of food for the organisms that live on the sea floor. As the ice melts, the algae detach and sink to the bottom where they are eaten by animals such as sea cucumbers and brittlestars.
Ice algae are also a carbon sink, using CO2 from the atmosphere and light energy from the sun to produce organic matter through photosynthesis – a process known in ecology as “primary production”. In 2012, these algae accounted for 45% of the Arctic’s primary production.
But now we’ve found that Arctic ice algae contain microplastics. This in itself may not be surprising: plastic has been found in every environment so far investigated on Earth. But the quantities we found were startling.
We discovered an average of 31,000 microplastic particles per cubic meter of Melosira arctica – a magnitude ten times higher than recorded in the surrounding water. Most of these particles were very small (less than 10 micrometers) and included many different types of plastic. The contamination of the ice algae could have major consequences for ecosystems and the climate.
An elevator to the seabed
These particles may come from the surrounding sea water, the supporting sea ice (either trapped when the sea ice forms, or from the movement of liquid and particles through the ice as it melts), or from atmospheric microplastics that have been deposited on the ice and sea surface. While the process by which sea ice algae take in these microplastics is not yet well understood, it is clear they are highly effective at “collecting” these small plastic particles.
In our earlier research, we were puzzled that the largest amount of microplastic on the Arctic seabed was always found underneath the sea ice melting zone along the ice edge, even in deep-sea sediment. The movement of Melosira clumps from the sea and ice surface to the seabed helps to explain why.
The speed at which the algal clumps descend means they fall rapidly almost in a straight line below the edge of the ice. Other algae, which become “marine snow” (a term used for organic material that slowly drifts to the seafloor), fall much slower. These are often eaten as they descend and are also pushed sideways by currents, so sink to the seabed much further away from the ice edge.
How microplastics could become trapped in Arctic sea ice algae and sink to the seabed. Bergmann et al. (2023), CC BY-NC-ND
Why is it a problem?
Melosira feeds essential Arctic seafloor and marine ecosystems. Its position at the bottom of the food chain means there is a risk of microplastics being passed upwards through the marine food web.
This threat is particularly acute in the area we studied, as the Melosira sampled had collected even very small microplastics. Smaller microplastic particles are more likely to be transferred across cell membranes.
Research finds that microplastics and their associated chemicals can alter the growth, function and breeding of marine species such as plankton and fish. It is extremely difficult to perform experiments on Arctic or deep-sea species because of the challenges associated with replicating their environmental conditions. However, one laboratory study found that microplastic exposure caused egg production rates to increase by up to eight times in Arctic zooplankton – a response that is probably the result of stress.
The impact of microplastic contamination on Melosira itself is not yet known. But it’s possible that microplastics change Melosira’s abundance, lifespan and health.
Microplastics that are stuck to the outside of algae could lower photosynthetic rates by blocking out sunlight. And if particles enter the algal cells, then they could damage the parts of the cell where photosynthesis takes place (called chloroplasts) and therefore also impede this process. This could affect the export of carbon by Melosira from the air or sea to the seabed, and thus alter the processes underlying this important Arctic carbon sink.
Arctic ice algae are collecting high quantities of microplastics – a previously unknown hotspot. But our findings are likely just the “tip of the iceberg”. They should accelerate conversations about the importance, and potential impact, of microplastics in Arctic sea ice algae on the ecosystems that these vital algae support.
Deonie Allen is a Research Fellow at University of Birmingham.
Melanie Bergmann is a Senior Scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research.
Steve Allen is Ocean Frontier Institute researcher at Dalhousie University.
This article appears courtesy of The Conversation and may be found in its original form here.
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.
How old is that microplastic? A new way to estimate the age of microplastics in the upper ocean
Researchers develop a method to estimate the age of microplastics in the ocean, and find that offshore microplastics can range from 1 to 3 years old while nearshore microplastics can range from 0 to 5 years old
IMAGE: MICROPLASTIC SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM THE OCEANS. PLASTIC FRAGMENTS LESS THAN 5 MM IN LENGTH ARE CATEGORIZED AS MICROPLASTICS. THE SCALE BAR SHOWS A LENGTH OF 2000 ÎœM OR 2 MM.view more
CREDIT: KYUSHU UNIVERSITY/ASAHI KASEI CORPORATION
Fukuoka, Japan—Researchers from Kyushu University and Asahi Kasei Corporation have developed a new way to estimate the age of microplastics found in the upper oceans. The method involves a combination of analyzing plastic oxidation levels with environmental factors such as UV exposure and ambient temperature.
The team applied their new method to estimate the age of microplastics found in nearshore and offshore sites in the North Pacific Ocean. They found that the age of microplastics in nearshore regions ranged from 0 to 5 years old, whereas microplastics from offshore regions ranged from 1 to 3 years old. Their findings were published in the journal, Marine Pollution Bulletin.
In marine environments from lakes to oceans, plastics are the most abundant type of pollutant. As plastic waste is exposed to the elements they eventually break down and fragment. Plastic waste that has broken down to less than 5 mm in length are called 'microplastics.'
To find out how old microplastics found in the ocean can be, Isobe and his team began by investigating what metrics could be used to measure microplastic age in the first place.
"The most common material in plastic is called polyethylene. We know that as polyethylene interacts with the environment it, oxidizes and degrades," explains Rie Okubo, a researcher at Asahi Kasei Corporation and first author of the study. "This degradation level can be measured using the change in the material's molecular weight and something called the carbonyl index. Simply, when polyethylene degrades its carbonyl index increases and molecular weight decreases."
Of course, that's not enough. Since microplastics are being exposed to the elements the team also needed to standardize how temperature and UV radiation affects plastic degradation. The team first conducted a series of exposure experiments to polyethylene material and collected data on how various combinations of UV and temperature affected the material's molecular weight and carbonyl index.
The team found that UVER—ultraviolet erythemal radiation, a measurement of UV radiation at ground level—and seawater temperature were the two biggest contributors of plastic degradation.
"Once we had this data, we began to apply it to our microplastic samples. All our samples came from the upper ocean, up to one meter from the water surface," continues Okubo. "We also collected microplastics from a range of areas. Some samples were collected nearshore to Japan, ranging from 10 to 80 km off the coast. Other samples were collected offshore, in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea."
By analyzing the collected microplastics, the team was able to estimate the age of each induvial sample. They found that nearshore microplastics ranged from 0 to 5 years old, whereas offshore samples ranged from 1 to 3 years old.
"We hypothesize the reason why nearshore microplastics range from 0 to 5 years is because they are being frequently washed ashore and 'surviving' for a longer time. Offshore microplastics on the other hand take longer to reach that part of the ocean, hence why we didn't find microplastics over 3 years old," Okubo explains. "These offshore microplastics are also likely removed from the upper oceans by settling deeper into the waters."
The researchers hope that the new method will give them better insights into how microplastics are generated and spread in the environment. The data will also help in developing more accurate simulations to track microplastics across the ocean.
Isobe concludes, "Our research and understanding of microplastics is still very new, and thanks to this data we've gained a little more understanding on the fundamental science of microplastics. Our next step will be to investigate how mechanical stimuli like ocean waves and currents can degrade plastics, so we can collect even more accurate data.
Dr Okubo looking through a microscope studying microplastic samples. Plastic fragments less than 5 mm in length are categorized as microplastics.
Prof Atsuhiko Isobe and crew collecting microplastic samples from the upper oceans. The upper ocean is measured down to one meter from the water surface.
Prof Atsuhiko Isobe and gathering the microplastic samples collected from the upper ocean.
CREDIT
Kyushu University/Isobe Lab
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For more information about this research, see "Estimation of the age of polyethylene microplastics collected from oceans: Application to the western North Pacific Ocean," Rie Okubo, Aguru Yamamoto, Akihiro Kurima, Terumi Sakabe, Youichiroh Ide, Atsuhiko Isobe Marine Pollution Bulletin, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114951
About Kyushu University Kyushu University is one of Japan's leading research-oriented institutes of higher education since its founding in 1911. Home to around 19,000 students and 8,000 faculty and staff, Kyushu U's world-class research centers cover a wide range of study areas and research fields, from the humanities and arts to engineering and medical sciences. Its multiple campuses—including one of the largest in Japan—are located around Fukuoka City, a coastal metropolis on the southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu that is frequently ranked among the world's most livable cities and historically known as Japan's gateway to Asia. Through its Vision 2030, Kyushu U will 'Drive Social Change with Integrative Knowledge.' Its synergistic application of knowledge will encompass all of academia and solve issues in society while innovating new systems for a better future.
About Asahi Kasei The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 46,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to sustainable society by providing solutions to the world’s challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.com.
Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/sustainability/
For the first time ever, researchers have been able to track eight fin whales in near real time as they swam along a stretch of fiber-optic cable line in the Arctic. The breakthrough suggests that fiber-optic cable networks could be harnessed to help prevent whale deaths by ship strikes.
Fiber-optic cables line the coasts of the continents and criss-cross the oceans, carrying signals that are the backbone of communication in the modern world. While their main job is telecommunications, researchers have been exploring ways to use this giant network to eavesdrop on everything from storms to earthquakes to whales.
Now, working with two nearly parallel fiber-optic telecommunications cables off the Norwegian arctic archipelago of Svalbard, researchers have been able to estimate the positions and tracks of eight fin whales along a section of the cable — for five hours.
This map shows the location of the fiber optic cables, which extend from Longyearbyen, the main settlement on Svalbard, which is in the lower right of the map, to Ny-Ålesund, a small research outpost to the northwest of Longyearbyen. Graphic: Rørstadbotnen et al. 2023.2023. Front. Mar. Sci. 10:1130898.
“This work demonstrates how we were able to simultaneously locate and follow these whales over an 1800 km2 area — with relatively low infrastructure investment,” said Martin Landrø, head of NTNU’s Centre for Geophysical Forecasting and one of the members of the team that did the work.
Transforming fiber cables into hydrophones
The system the researchers used for this work is called Distributed Acoustic Sensing, or DAS. DAS uses an instrument called an interrogator to send laser pulses into a fiber-optic system and records the returning light pulses, essentially turning the cables into a series of hydrophones.
Landrø and his colleagues first began to explore the ability of DAS to record underwater vibrations and sounds in the waters off Svalbard in June 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, they collected 40 days of recordings and roughly 250 terabytes of data. From these data, researchers were able to identify more than 800 whale songs and calls.
The researchers have built on this early work to expand their ability to identify different whale species and to conduct real time recording from the fiber optic cables in Svalbard.
For this latest effort, published in Frontiers of Marine Science, the researchers had access to two, nearly parallel 250 km long fiber-optic cables that extend from Longyearbyen, the main settlement in Svalbard, to Ny-Ã…lesund, a research outpost to the northwest. The paired cables allowed the researchers to localize the whales with an accuracy of roughly 100 meters, within an area of roughly 1800 km2.
This graphic is a closeup from the map above, showing how researchers were able to simultaneously tracking multiple whales using fiber-optic cables in the Arctic. The maps shows an overview of a 60 km long section of the cables, showing the positions and tracks of up to eight acoustically-detected whales, color-coded from dark to light over a 5.1-hour period. Graphic: Røstadbothnen et al. 2023. Front. Mar. Sci. 10:1130898.
“This shows that the two fiber cables are a very effective means of monitoring whales in the Arctic,” Landrø said.
A melting Arctic
As a Norwegian territory in the high arctic, Svalbard offers Landrø and other researchers an important base from which to study this changing ecosystem.
Recent research predicts that the Arctic could be ice free in the summer as early as 2035, which could increase shipping and cruise ship traffic across the top of the globe.
As one small example, as many as 35 cruise ships and additional smaller expedition ships are expected to transport up to 75,000 people to Longyearbyen and surroundings in 2023, according to Visit Svalbard.
Could reduce ship strike risk
Whales are already changing the way they use the Arctic and Antarctic as feeding grounds, with some research showing that fin whales have begun spending time year-round in Arctic regions. That means increased ship traffic in these areas can also increase the likelihood of ship strikes. The use of the existing fiber-optic cable network and DAS could help reduce this possibility, the researchers said.
“The capabilities demonstrated here establish the potential for a near-real-time whale tracking capability that could be applied anywhere in the world where there are whales and fiber-optic cables,” the researchers wrote. “Coupled with ship detection, using a similar approach . . . a real-time collision avoidance system could be developed to reduce ship strikes.”
This development comes at a time when NORDUnet, the Nordic Gateway for Research and Innovation and the Nordic NRENs have begun a number of initiatives to investigate and plan the first submarine fiber-optic cable system between Europe, Asia, and North America to secure a shorter route through the Arctic Ocean. The effort is called Polar Connect.
If such an initiative is realized, “it would open far greater areas for us to follow whale movements in the Arctic,” Landrø said.
This article appears courtesy of NTNU / Gemini News and may be found in its original form here.
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.
This graphic is a closeup from the map above, showing how researchers were able to simultaneously tracking multiple whales using fiber-optic cables in the Arctic. The maps shows an overview of a 60 km long section of the cables, showing the positions and tracks of up to eight acoustically-detected whales, color-coded from dark to light over a 5.1-hour period. Graphic: Røstadbothnen et al. 2023. Front. Mar. Sci. 10:1130898.