Across the Oceans : Development of Overseas Business Information Transmission, 1815-1875

Earlier studies have shown that the speed of information transmission developed radically during the 19th century. The fast development was mainly due to the change from sailing ships and horse-driven coaches to steamers and railways, as well as the telegraph. Speed of information transmission has normally been measured by calculating the duration between writing and receiving a letter, or between an important event and the time when the news was published elsewhere. As overseas mail was generally carried by ships, the history of communications and maritime history are closely related. This study also brings a postal historical aspect to the academic discussion. Additionally, there is another new aspect included. In business enterprises, information flows generally consisted of multiple transactions. Although fast one-way information was often crucial, e.g. news of a changing market situation, at least equally important was that there was a possibility to react rapidly. To examine the development of business information transmission, the duration of mail transport has been measured by a systematic and commensurable method, using consecutive information circles per year as the principal tool for measurement. The study covers a period of six decades, several of the world's most important trade routes and different mail-carrying systems operated by merchant ships, sailing packets and several nations' steamship services. The main sources have been the sailing data of mail-carrying ships and correspondence of several merchant houses in England. As the world's main trade routes had their specific historical backgrounds with different businesses, interests and needs, the systems for information transmission did not develop similarly or simultaneously. It was a process lasting several decades, initiated by the idea of organizing sailings in a regular line system. The evolution proceeded generally as follows: originally there was a more or less irregular system, then a regular system and finally a more frequent regular system of mail services. The trend was from sail to steam, but both these means of communication improved following the same scheme. Faster sailings alone did not radically improve the number of consecutive information circles per year, if the communication was not frequent enough. Neither did improved frequency advance the information circulation if the trip was very long or if the sailings were overlapping instead of complementing each other. The speed of information transmission could be improved by speeding up the voyage itself (technological improvements, minimizing the waiting time at ports of call, etc.) but especially by organizing sailings so that the recipients had the possibility to reply to arriving mails without unnecessary delay. It took two to three decades before the mail-carrying shipping companies were able to organize their sailings in an optimal way. Strategic shortcuts over isthmuses (e.g. Panama, Suez) together with the cooperation between steamships and railways enabled the most effective improvements in global communications before the introduction of the telegraph.

Analysis and prevention of extreme vibration in high speed craft - A research framework

Extreme vibration has been reported for small, high speed craft in the maritime sector, with performance and health threatening effects on boat operators and crew. Musculoskeletal injuries are an enduring problem for high speed craft passengers. Spinal or joint injuries and neurological disorders may occur from repetitive pounding over rough water, continued vibration and single impact events. The risk from whole body vibration (WBV) induced through the small vessels mainly depends on time spent on the craft, which can’t be changed in a military scenario; as well as the number of shocks and jolts, and their magnitude and frequency. In the European Union for example, physical agents directives require all employers to control exposure to a number of physical agents including noise and vibration. The EC Vibration Directive 2002/44/EC then sets out regulations for the control of health and safety risks from the exposure of workers to hand arm vibration (HAV) and WBV in the workplace. Australia has exposure standards relating to WBV, AS 2670.1-2001 – Evaluation of human exposure to whole body vibration. This standard is identical to the ISO 2631-1:1997, Mechanical vibration and shock – Evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration. Currently, none of the jurisdictions in Australia have specific regulations for vibration exposures in workplaces. However vibration is mentioned to varying degrees in their general regulations, codes of practice and guidance material. WBV on high speed craft is normally caused by “continuous 'hammering' from short steep seas or wind against tide conditions. Shock on High Speed Craft is usually caused by random impacts. Military organisations need the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding their marine operations, compliance with legislation and potentially harmful health effects, and develop and implement appropriate counter-measures. Marine case studies in the UK such as published MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Branch) reports show injuries that have occurred in operation, and subsequent MCA (Maritime Coastguard Agency) guidance is provided (MGN 436 (M+F), WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION: Guidance on Mitigating Against the Effects of Shocks and Impacts on Small Vessels. MCA, 2011). This paper proposes a research framework to study the origin, impact and pathways for prevention of WBV in small, high speed craft in a maritime environment.

Eurasian large mammal dynamics in response to changing environments during the Late Neogene

Nisäkkäiden levinneisyyteen, niiden morfologisiin ja ekologisiin piirteisiin vaikuttavat ympäristön sekä lyhyet että pitkäkestoiset muutokset, etenkin ilmaston ja kasvillisuuden vaihtelut. Työssä tutkittiin nisäkkäiden sopeutumista ilmastonmuutoksiin Euraasiassa viimeisen 24 miljoonan vuoden aikana. Tutkimuksessa keskityttiin varsinkin viimeiseen kahteen miljoonaan vuoteen, jonka aikana ilmasto muuttui voimakkaasti ja ihmisen toiminta alkoi tulla merkittäväksi. Tämän takia on usein vaikea erottaa, kummasta em. seikasta jonkin nisäkäslajin sukupuutto tai häviäminen alueelta johtui. Aineistona käytettiin laajaa venäjänkielistä kirjallisuutta, josta löytyvät tiedot ovat kääntämättöminä jääneet aiemmin länsimaisen tutkimuksen ulkopuolelle. Työssä käytettiin myös NOW-tietokantaa, jossa on fossiilisten nisäkkäiden löytöpaikat sekä niiden iät.

Diffusive and ship-mediated spread of dinoflagellates in the Baltic Sea with Prorocentrum minimum as a special case

In this thesis the role played by expansive and introduced species in the phytoplankton ecology of the Baltic Sea was investigated. The aims were threefold. First, the studies investigated the resting stages of dinoflagellates, which were transported into the Baltic Sea via shipping and were able to germinate under the ambient, nutrient-rich, brackish water conditions. The studies also estimated which factors favoured the occurrence and spread of P. minimum in the Baltic Sea and discussed the identification of this morphologically variable species. In addition, the classification of phytoplankton species recently observed in the Baltic Sea was discussed. Incubation of sediments from four Finnish ports and 10 ships ballast tanks revealed that the sediments act as sources of living dinoflagellates and other phytoplankton. Dinoflagellates germinated from all ports detected and from 90% of ballast tanks. The concentrations of cells germinating from ballast tank sediments were mostly low compared with the acceptable cell concentrations set by the International Maritime Organization s (IMO s) International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water and Sediments. However, the IMO allows such high concentrations of small cells in the discharged ballast water that the total number of cells in large ballast water tanks can be very high. Prorocentrum minimum occurred in the Baltic Sea annually but with no obvious trend in the 10-year timespan from 1993 to 2002. The species occurred under wide ranges of temperatures and salinities and the abundance of the species was positively related especially to the presence of organic nitrogen and phosphorus. This indicated that the species was favoured by increased organic nutrient loading and runoff from land and rivers. The cell shape of P. minimum varied from triangular to oval-round, but morphological fine details indicated that only one morphospecies was present. P. minimum also is, according to present knowledge, the only potentially harmful phytoplankton species that has recently expanded widely into new areas of the Baltic Sea.

Boarding control system for improved accessibility to offshore wind turbines: Full-scale testing

This paper considers the dynamic modelling and motion control of a Surface Effect Ship (SES) for safer transfer of personnel and equipment from vessel to-and-from an offshore wind-turbine. The control system designed is referred to as Boarding Control System (BCS). The performance of this system is investigated for a specific wind-farm service vessel—The Wave Craft. On a SES, the pressurized air cushion supports the majority of the weight of the vessel. The control problem considered relates to the actuation of the pressure such that wave-induced vessel motions are minimized. Results are given through simulation, model- and full-scale experimental testing.

Ship collision avoidance and COLREGS compliance using simulation-based control behavior selection with predictive hazard assessment

This paper describes a concept for a collision avoidance system for ships, which is based on model predictive control. A finite set of alternative control behaviors are generated by varying two parameters: offsets to the guidance course angle commanded to the autopilot and changes to the propulsion command ranging from nominal speed to full reverse. Using simulated predictions of the trajectories of the obstacles and ship, compliance with the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and collision hazards associated with each of the alternative control behaviors are evaluated on a finite prediction horizon, and the optimal control behavior is selected. Robustness to sensing error, predicted obstacle behavior, and environmental conditions can be ensured by evaluating multiple scenarios for each control behavior. The method is conceptually and computationally simple and yet quite versatile as it can account for the dynamics of the ship, the dynamics of the steering and propulsion system, forces due to wind and ocean current, and any number of obstacles. Simulations show that the method is effective and can manage complex scenarios with multiple dynamic obstacles and uncertainty associated with sensors and predictions.

Uloimmalla rannalla : Luotsi- ja majakkamiesperheet asemayhdyskunnissaan

The subject of the present research is historical lighthouse and maritime pilot stations in Finland. If one thinks of these now-abandoned sites as an empty stage, the dissertation aims to recreate the drama that once played out there. The research comprises three main themes. The first, the family problematic, focuses on the relationship between the family members concerned and the public service positions held, as well as the islands on which these people were stationed. The role of the male actors becomes apparent through an examination of the job descriptions of pilots and lighthouse keepers, but the role of the wives appears more problematic: running a household and the insularity of the community came with their own challenges, and the husbands were away for much of the time. In this context the children emerge as crucial. What was their role in the family of a public official? What were the effects of having to move to the mainland for school? The second theme is the station community. A socioecological examination is undertaken which defines the islands as plots allowing the researcher to study the social behaviours of the isolated communities in question. The development of this theme is based on interpretations of interviews revealing starkly opposed views on the existing neighbourly relations. The premise is that social friction is inevitable among people living within close proximity of each other, and the study proceeds to become an analysis that seeks to uncover the sociocultural strategies designed to control the risks of communal living either by creating distance between neighbours or by enhancing their mutual ties. In connection with this, the question of why some neighbourhoods were open and cooperative while others were restrained and quarrelsome is addressed. Finally, the third main theme discusses the changes in piloting and lighthouse keeping that took place increasingly numerous towards the end of the 20th century. How did individuals react to the central management s technocratic strivings and rationalisations, such as the automation of lighthouses and the intense downsizing of the network of pilot stations? How was piloting, previously very comprehensive work, splintered into specialisations, and how did the entire occupation of lighthouse keeping lose its status before completely disappearing, as the new technology took over?

Indian Ocean Dipole: Processes and impacts

Equatorial Indian Ocean is warmer in the east, has a deeper thermocline and mixed layer, and supports a more convective atmosphere than in the west. During certain years, the eastern Indian Ocean becomes unusually cold, anomalous winds blow from east to west along the equator and southeastward off the coast of Sumatra, thermocline and mixed layer lift up and the atmospheric convection gets suppressed. At the same time, western Indian Ocean becomes warmer and enhances atmospheric convection. This coupled ocean-atmospheric phenomenon in which convection, winds, sea surface temperature (SST) and thermocline take part actively is known as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). Propagation of baroclinic Kelvin and Rossby waves excited by anomalous winds, play an important role in the development of SST anomalies associated with the IOD. Since mean thermocline in the Indian Ocean is deep compared to the Pacific, it was believed for a long time that the Indian Ocean is passive and merely responds to the atmospheric forcing. Discovery of the IOD and studies that followed demonstrate that the Indian Ocean can sustain its own intrinsic coupled ocean-atmosphere processes. About 50% percent of the IOD events in the past 100 years have co-occurred with El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the other half independently. Coupled models have been able to reproduce IOD events and process experiments by such models – switching ENSO on and off – support the hypothesis based on observations that IOD events develop either in the presence or absence of ENSO. There is a general consensus among different coupled models as well as analysis of data that IOD events co-occurring during the ENSO are forced by a zonal shift in the descending branch of Walker cell over to the eastern Indian Ocean. Processes that initiate the IOD in the absence of ENSO are not clear, although several studies suggest that anomalies of Hadley circulation are the most probable forcing function. Impact of the IOD is felt in the vicinity of Indian Ocean as well as in remote regions. During IOD events, biological productivity of the eastern Indian Ocean increases and this in turn leads to death of corals over a large area.Moreover, the IOD affects rainfall over the maritime continent, Indian subcontinent, Australia and eastern Africa. The maritime continent and Australia suffer from deficit rainfall whereas India and east Africa receive excess. Despite the successful hindcast of the 2006 IOD by a coupled model, forecasting IOD events and their implications to rainfall variability remains a major challenge as understanding reasons behind an increase in frequency of IOD events in recent decades.

Sea-level changes and its impact on coastal archaeological monuments: seven pagodas of Mahabalipuram, a case study

The name `Seven Pagodas' has served as a nickname for the south Indian port of Mahabalipuram since the early European explorers used it as landmark for navigation as they could see summits of seven temples from the sea. There are many theories concerning the name Seven Pagodas. The present study has compared coastline and adjacent seven monuments illustrated in a 17th century Portolan Chart (maritime map) with recent remote sensing data. This analysis throws new light on the name ``Seven Pagodas'' for the city. This study has used DEM of the site to simulate the coastline which is similar to the one depicted in the old portolan chart. Through this, the then sea level and corresponding flooding extent according to topography of the area and their effect on monuments could be analyzed. Most importantly this work has in the process identified possibly the seven monuments that constituted the name Seven Pagodas and this provides an alternative explanation to one of the mysteries of history. This work has demonstrated unique method of studying coastal archaeological sites. As large numbers of heritage sites around the world are on coastlines, this methodology has potential to be very useful for coastal heritage preservation and management.

PICES Press, Vol. 5, No. 2, July 1997

WG 10 Fukuoka Workshop Pacific salmon:climate-linked long-term stock fluctuations The state of the eastern North Pacific in the second half of 1996 The state of the western North Pacific in the second half of 1996 The status of the Bering Sea in the second half of 1996 Yutaka Nagata Eulogy A brief look at mechanisms for support of oceanographic research in the United States Research interests and the funding system for the new Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea PICES and electronic communication Japan Meteorological Agency: oceanographic activities

Proceedings of the Second PICES Workshop on the Okhotsk Sea and Adjacent Areas [Nemuro, Japan, November 9-12, 1998]

Table of Contents [pdf, 0.01 Mb] Preface [pdf, 0.01 Mb] Masaaki Aota Long-term tendencies of sea ice concentration and air temperature in the Okhotsk Sea coast of Hokkaido [pdf, 0.05 Mb] Hajime Ito & Miki Yoshioka Geography of the seasonally ice covered seas [pdf, 0.5 Mb] George V. Shevchenko & Victor F. Putov On wind and tide induced sea-ice drift on the northeastern shelf of Sakhalin Island (analysis of radar data) [pdf, 0.96 Mb] Boris S. Dyakov, A.A. Nikitin, L. S. Muktepavel & T.A. Shatilina Variability of the Japan and Okhotsk Seas ice cover depending on geopotential field H500 over the Far-Eastern region [pdf, 0.10 Mb] Aleksandr G. Petrov & Nikolay A. Rykov Intermediate cold layer and ice cover in the Sea of Okhotsk [pdf, 0.37 Mb] Vladimir Ponomarev, Olga Trusenkova, Elena Ustinova & Dmitry Kaplunenko Interannual variations of oceanographic and meteorological characteristics in the Sea of Okhotsk [pdf, 0.16 Mb] George V. Shevchenko & Akie Kato Seasonal and interannual changes of atmospheric pressure, air and water temperature in the area of the Kuril Ridge [pdf, 0.13 Mb] George V. Shevchenko & Vladimir Yu. Saveliev Spatial variability of the wind field in the area of the Kuril Islands [pdf, 0.15 Mb] Alexander L. Figurkin & Igor A. Zhigalov Seasonal variability and specifity of the oceanological conditions in the northern Okhotsk Sea in 1997 [pdf, 1.04 Mb] Igor A. Zhabin Ventilation of the upper portion of the intermediate water in the Okhotsk Sea [pdf, 0.80 Mb] Vladimir A. Luchin & Alexander L. Figurkin Oceanographic conditions over the Kashevarov Bank [pdf, 0.61 Mb] Toshiyuki Awaji, Tomohiro Nakamura, Takaki Hatayama, Kazunori Akimoto & Takatoshi Takizawa Tidal exchange through the Kuril Straits [pdf, 2.01 Mb] Tomohiro Nakamura, Toshiyuki Awaji, Takaki Hatayama, Kazunori Akimoto, Takatoshi Takizawa & Masao Fukasawa Vertical mixing induced by tidally generated internal waves in the Kuril Straits [pdf, 0.83 Mb] Katsuro Katsumata & Ichiro Yasuda Water exchange between the Okhotsk Sea and the North Pacific Ocean estimated by simple models [pdf, 0.97 Mb] Konstantin A. Rogachev Oyashio west path culmination as the consequence of a rapid thermohaline transition in the Pacific Subarctic [pdf, 0.22 Mb] Yasuhiro Kawasaki On the year-to-year change in subarctic water characteristics around the Kuril Islands [pdf, 0.39 Mb] Alexander L. Figurkin & Evgeniy E. Ovsyannikov Influence of oceanological conditions of the West Kamchatka shelf waters on spawning grounds and on pollock egg distribution [pdf, 0.97 Mb] Igor E. Kochergin & Alexander A. Bogdanovsky Transport and turbulence characteristics for the northeastern Sakhalin shelf conditions [pdf, 0.08 Mb] Igor E. Kochergin, Alexander A. Bogdanovsky, Valentina D. Budaeva, Vyacheslav G. Makarov, Vasily F. Mishukov, S.N. Ovsienko, Victor F. Putov, L.A. Reitsema, J.W. Sciallabba, O.O. Sergucheva & P.V. Yarosh Modeling of oil spills for the shelf conditions of northeastern Sakhalin [pdf, 0.32 Mb] Valentina D. Budaeva & Vyacheslav G. Makarov A peculiar water regime of currents in the area of eastern Sakhalin shelf [pdf, 0.66 Mb] Nikolay A. Rykov The oceanographic databases on the Sakhalin shelf [pdf, 0.27 Mb] Akifumi Nakata, Iori Tanaka, Hiroki Yagi, Tomomi Watanabe, Gennady A. Kantakov & Andrew D. Samatov Formation of high-density water (over 26.8 sigma-t) near the La Perouse Strait (the Soya Strait) [pdf, 0.09 Mb] Minoru Odamaki & Kouji Iwamoto Currents and tidal observations by Hydrographic Department of Maritime Safety Agency, off the Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido [pdf, 0.16 Mb] Yasushi Fukamachi, Genta Mizuta, Kay I. Ohshima, Motoyo Itoh, Masaaki Wakatsuchi & Masaaki Aota Mooring measurements off Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido in 1997-1998 [pdf, 0.19 Mb] Mikhail A. Danchenkov, David Aubrey & Stephen C. Riser Oceanographic features of the La Perouse Strait [pdf, 0.91 Mb] Iori Tanaka & Akifumi Nakata Results of direct current measurements in the La Perouse Strait (the Soya Strait), 1995-1998 [pdf, 0.06 Mb] Gennady A. Kantakov & George V. Shevchenko In situ observations of Tsushima and West-Sakhalin currents near La Perouse (Soya) Strait [pdf, 0.79 Mb] Irina Y. Bragina Geographical and biological characteristics of the net zooplankton in the southwestern part of the Sea of Okhotsk during 1987-1996 [pdf, 0.27 Mb] List of corresponding authors [pdf, 0.01 Mb] (Document pdf contains 193 pages)

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Area to be Avoided (ATBA) Education and Monitoring Program

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431, as amended) gives the Secretary of Commerce the authority to designate discrete areas of the marine environment as National Marine Sanctuaries and provides the authority to promulgate regulations to provide for the conservation and management of these marine areas. The waters of the Outer Washington Coast were recognized for their high natural resource and human use values and placed on the National Marine Sanctuary Program Site Evaluation List in 1983. In 1988, Congress directed NOAA to designate the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (Pub. L. 100-627). The Sanctuary, designated in May 1994, worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to request the International Maritime Organization designate an Area to be Avoided (ATBA) on the Olympic Coast. The IMO defines an ATBA as "a routeing measure comprising an area within defined limits in which either navigation is particularly hazardous or it is exceptionally important to avoid casualties and which should be avoided by all ships, or certain classes of ships" (IMO, 1991). This ATBA was adopted in December 1994 by the Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO, “in order to reduce the risk of marine casualty and resulting pollution and damage to the environment of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary”, (IMO, 1994). The ATBA went into effect in June 1995 and advises operators of vessels carrying petroleum and/or hazardous materials to maintain a 25-mile buffer from the coast. Since that time, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) has created an education and monitoring program with the goal of ensuring the successful implementation of the ATBA. The Sanctuary enlisted the aid of the U.S. and Canadian coast guards, and the marine industry to educate mariners about the ATBA and to use existing radar data to monitor compliance. Sanctuary monitoring efforts have targeted education on tank vessels observed transiting the ATBA. OCNMS's monitoring efforts allow quantitative evaluation of this voluntary measure. Finally, the tools developed to monitor the ATBA are also used for the more general purpose of monitoring vessel traffic within the Sanctuary. While the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary does not currently regulate vessel traffic, such regulations are within the scope of the Sanctuary’s Final Environmental Impact Statement/Management Plan. Sanctuary staff participate in ongoing maritime and environmental safety initiatives and continually seek opportunities to mitigate risks from marine shipping.(PDF contains 44 pages.)

“El Niño” study based on analysis of ocean surface temperatures 1935-57

ENGLISH: The following report describes the findings of an "El Niño" project carried out at the Department of Meteorology of the University of California, Los Angeles, at the request of, and with funds provided from, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. The project was, in its early stages, supervised by Professor M. Neiburger, but was in June 1959 transferred to Professor J. Bjerknes, who thereby became the sole author of this final report. Readers who may be interested in the general background of knowledge of the maritime meteorology of the Eastern Pacific are herewith referred to Professor Neiburger's final report of the "Subtropical Pacific Meteorology Project." That report, submitted in September 1958 to the Office of Naval Research, summarizes the results of all the meteorological soundings released at sea since 1949 from California in the north to Peru in the south. The soundings off Ecuador and Peru were all taken by the "Shellback" expedition during July 1952. Important as this first exploration of the atmosphere over the Eastern Equatorial Pacific was, it did not even begin to explore " El Niño " itself, which is confined to the southern summer season and, moreover, only reaches catastrophic proportions in a few exceptional years. SPANISH: Este estudio da a conocer los resultados de una investigación que, bajo el nombre de Proyecto "El Niño", ha sido efectuada en el Departamento de Meteorología de la Universidad de California, Los Angeles, a solicitud de la Comisión Interamericana del Atún Tropical y con fondos provistos por ésta. En sus primeras etapas, el proyecto fué supervisado por el Profesor M. Neiburger, pero en junio de 1959 fué transferido al Profesor J. Bjerknes, quien de este modo vino a ser el solo autor de este informe final. A los lectores interesados en los conocimientos de fondo de la meteorología marítima del Pacífico Oriental se les recomienda consultar el informe final del Profesor Neiburger intitulado "Subtropical Pacific Meteorology Project". Este informe, sometido a la "Office of Naval Research" en septiembre de 1958 sumariza los resultados de todos los sondeos meteorológicos efectuados en el mar desde 1949 en el área entre California en el norte y Perú en el sur. Todos los sondeos frente al Ecuador y el Perú fueron hechos por la Expedición "Shellback" durante el mes de julio de 1952. Importante como fué esta primera exploración de la atmósfera sobre el Pacífico Ecuatorial del Este, ni siquiera comenzó a explorar "El Niño" en sí, que se confina a la estación de verano en el sur y, más aún, sólo alcanza proporciones catastróficas en unos pocos años excepcionales.

Fishing guidelines

In accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI), FAO prepared the first draft of the technical guidelines in relation to Fishing Operations, which were submitted to the Technical Consultation on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing, Rome, 26 September to 5 October 1994. The draft was prepared taking into account the Declaration of Cancún, Agenda 21 of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and the Report of the Expert Consultation on Responsible Fishing Operations, Sidney, British Colombia, Canada, 6 -11 June 1994. Thereafter, the draft was revised taking into account, the negotiations at the UN Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, the elaboration of the Code as well as developments at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with regard to the Protocol to the Torremolinos International Convention on Fishing Vessel Safety and the new International Convention on Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel, 1995. Technical Guidelines are given in support of the implementation of the Code in relation to fishing operations. These are addressed to States, international organizations, fisheries management bodies, owners, managers and charterers of fishing vessels as well as fishers and their organizations. Guidance is also given with respect to the general public. (PDF contains 93 pages)

Wave Sensor Technologies, St Petersburg, Florida, March 7-9, 2007: workshop proceedings

The Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT) convened a workshop on "Wave Sensor Technologies" in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 7-9, 2007, hosted by the University of South Florida (USF) College of Marine Science, an ACT partner institution. The primary objectives of this workshop were to: 1) define the present state of wave measurement technologies, 2) identify the major impediments to their advancement, and 3) make strategic recommendations for future development and on the necessary steps to integrate wave measurement sensors into operational coastal ocean observing systems. The participants were from various sectors, including research scientists, technology developers and industry providers, and technology users, such as operational coastal managers and coastal decision makers. Waves consistently are ranked as a critical variable for numerous coastal issues, from maritime transportation to beach erosion to habitat restoration. For the purposes of this workshop, the participants focused on measuring "wind waves" (i.e., waves on the water surface, generated by the wind, restored by gravity and existing between approximately 3 and 30-second periods), although it was recognized that a wide range of both forced and free waves exist on and in the oceans. Also, whereas the workshop put emphasis on the nearshore coastal component of wave measurements, the participants also stressed the importance of open ocean surface waves measurement. Wave sensor technologies that are presently available for both environments include bottom-mounted pressure gauges, surface following buoys, wave staffs, acoustic Doppler current profilers, and shore-based remote sensing radar instruments. One of the recurring themes of workshop discussions was the dichotomous nature of wave data users. The two separate groups, open ocean wave data users and the nearshore/coastal wave data users, have different requirements. Generally, the user requirements increase both in spatial/temporal resolution and precision as one moves closer to shore. Most ocean going mariners are adequately satisfied with measurements of wave period and height and a wave general direction. However, most coastal and nearshore users require at least the first five Fourier parameters ("First 5"): wave energy and the first four directional Fourier coefficients. Furthermore, wave research scientists would like sensors capable of providing measurements beyond the first four Fourier coefficients. It was debated whether or not high precision wave observations in one location can take the place of a less precise measurement at a different location. This could be accomplished by advancing wave models and using wave models to extend data to nearby areas. However, the consensus was that models are no substitution for in situ wave data.[PDF contains 26 pages]