The Laje Viva Institute was born from the indignation of a group of divers towards illegal fishing that, unfortunately, is a reality in the Laje de Santos Marine State Park. Divers spotted fishing vessels at the park and became indignant and irate with this practice, leading them to take action. From this point on, a few divers decided to meet and start to take action having a clear objective: "Protect Laje de Santos from fishing and hunting". On July 1st, 1993, these divers founded the Laje Viva Institute, a non-profit organization with the objective of implementing actions to guarantee the preservation and protection of the Laje de Santos Marine State Park (PEMLS).

Objectives

The Institute, while being an environmentalist organization, has as its main purpose and objective of implementing its own actions and to develop third party actions in association with government institutions to guarantee the preservation and protection of the Laje de Santos Marine State Park. Including stopping fishing, in any way or form, within the boundaries of the park, being it pole fishing, net fishing, sea hunting or any other form of fishing; Promoting and Encouraging monitoring against any and all illegal activities within the boundaries of the park, documenting such activities and identifying responsible parties and submitting these facts to the knowledge of the proper authorities responsible for taking action in order to punish such activities; Promoting environmental education with the objective of preventing any illegal activity that might occur within the boundaries of the park; Developing projects and field studies in scientific form, mainly through: * Studying the endemic biodiversity, both bentonic and pelagic, identifying and cataloging species and its populations; * Periodical assessment of individual populations and groups of each species, identifying declining species and recuperating their populations; * Studying the pelagic fauna, identifying its origins, destinies and their relations with Laje de Santos; * Studies regarding the behavior of humans visiting the park, with the purpose of providing them with information and clarification on how to minimize the impact that they might have on the park; * Participation in projects and initiatives, both public and private that target contact with the public, marketing the institute, and other activities with social objectives.

Claudio Paschoa

Scientists at Monterey Bay Research Institute have spent the last year using AUV technology to map the ocean floor. There work has taken them into a number of environments on the west coast including the northern coast of California where they have been studying three-kilometer wide scour marks on the seafloor. They have been documenting lava flow from a volcanic eruption off the coast of Oregon, and are developing new theories regarding one of the largest offshore faults in central California. The AUV has been flying 165 feet above the ocean floor using sonar to map the bathymetry, bathymetry so detailed it is programmed to chart features as small as 5 inches in height. The AUV used by MBARI, the D. Allan B. is gathering data using three different sonar systems, collecting information on depth, sub-bottom features and bottom texture. During the summer MBARI teamed up with Oregon State University and began to collect data on a volcanic eruption off the Oregon coast.

The university was using ROV technology to study the Axial Seamount located 170 miles offshore. During their studies the team from the university noticed a number of instruments that had been placed on the seafloor were missing. During this time MBARI had also been conducting studies in the same area and noticed the bathymetry had changed. By collaborating with Oregon State and comparing data, both teams realized the recent volcanic eruption had covered a large area with up to nearly 10 feet of fresh lava. By comparing the mapping done prior to the eruption, and following the eruption, scientists are able to understand the amount of lava released during the recent volcanic activity. They also discovered that the new eruption reoccupied many of the same fissures and followed a flow pattern that basically mimicked the existing flows—information that would have been impossible to gather through ROV dives or sonar surveys using surface ships.

The Rio Grande rise is located around 1,000 km from the Brazilian coast off the southern state of Rio Grande. This submerged mountain chain has its highest point located 580 meters below the surface of the ocean in a region where the mean depth is around 4,000 meters. The Rio Grande rise is the size of the Brazilian state of Bahia and is packed with a wide variety of marine life, many of which are unknown to scientists. During the expedition researchers noticed that there was a greater number of whales and seabirds close to the rise than in other offshore areas. The project´s official name is Mar-eco Atlântico Sul, and can be considered as a sea life census. The last expedition was undertaken between November 7th and 15th of 2011, launching from the port of Itajai in the state of Santa Catarina and returning to Rio de Janeiro. Its main goal was to study the biodiversity in deep waters, looking at potential gain in biotechnology and a deeper understanding of climatic processes related to global warming, such as CO² absorption. The project is led by the Itajai Valley University (Univali) in a partnership with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and with the Brazilian Navy, which pitched in by allowing the use of their oceanographic ship Antares. Another expedition is slated to take place sometime in 2012. The researchers believe that the rise exerts and wide influence in the whole water column from 4,000 meters to the surface. Many new forms of life such as deep water fish and invertebrates were found in different depth levels. The Rio Grande rise in the west and the Walvis rise in the east are both perpendicular South Atlantic mountain chains which link the Atlantic ridge to the margins of South America and Africa. Researchers believe that both mountain chains influence the deep ocean water circulation in the South Atlantic, possibly influencing the dispersion of sea life in the deep ocean. Although these are generally areas with little amounts of nutrients, it is believed that the presence of the mountains actually help to increase the availability of nutrients, which may help sustain food chains in the region. The expeditions have been ongoing since 2006 and up to now have already uncovered a highly significant, 6,000 potentially new species in the water column. It is quite possible that future expeditions may come to use more modern equipment such as AUVs and ROVs to help examine and search the deep ocean mountains, but up to know the expedition has been using more traditional research equipment such as deep water nets and dredges in order to collect specimens. 

Claudio Paschoa

Special thanks to Univali and Claudio Motta from O Globo

In light of the recent grounding of the cruise liner Costa Concordia, many people are pondering that next cruise ship vacation. It seems the problem may not only be with the Captain, but also with ill prepared crew. According to the CLIA, “U.S. Coast Guard inspections include conducting plan reviews of each cruise ship before construction is even started, inspecting the ship at the ship yard during construction, conducting a comprehensive initial Control Verification Examination upon delivery, and annually conducting a Certificate of Compliance examination (with quarterly re-inspections) for compliance with both federal and international regulations. This oversight system means, for example, if the U.S. Coast Guard finds a cruise ship to be in violation of any required regulation or considers it unsafe in any way, the local Coast Guard Captain of the Port has the authority and responsibility to prevent passenger boarding or departure from a U.S. port with passengers onboard until those deficiencies are corrected”.

In light of the recent disaster, numerous current and former merchant mariners who have worked in the cruise line industry are not surprised by the chaos that unfolded on board the Concordia. Many have described safety drills where crewmembers have no idea what their responsibilities are, language barriers that add to the chaos, and exhausted workers who pay little attention during safety-training sessions. In the coming months all aspects of training will need to be scrutinized and individual cruise lines will need to conduct their own reviews. Changes due to the Concordia disaster will initiate immediate changes in the industry. With 24 presumed missing and 11 dead the staging of lifeboat drills will need to be a priority. Changes in international maritime legislation can take years, but the cruise industry has a loyal following and there is doubt that this will put much of a dent in the customer base.

We have all heard the debate that rages on in the race to look at alternative fuels.  Proponents of natural gas have weighed in on the discussion. Natural gas, which is largely methane burns more cleanly than other fossil fuels and is easily transported via pipelines and tankers. It can be used in homes in a variety of ways including heating and running appliances. It runs cleaner than gasoline and therefore can also be used in vehicles. It is relatively abundant and easy to distribute.

Those concerned with the use of natural gas as a viable alternative point out that LNG is created by treating natural gas, (giving it a greater concentration of methane), and then cooling it into liquid form. Because of the higher concentration of methane it is 21 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide for greenhouse warming. In a house hold using natural gas the house must be insulated properly or it becomes expensive to use. Electrical appliances must be high voltage, which can be dangerous and expensive. Transport of LNG is significantly more polluting than using pipelines, because of the energy needed to liquefy and transport it. Public concerns of terrorism are a major factor in siting LNG terminals and the LNG industry has not had a standard security assessment or methodology to assess the risks. In this post 9/11 world all transportation systems are seen as vulnerable and credible targets. Most will agree on several things, expectations for security have changed and there are significant challenges ahead for HAZMAT. New risks require continual analysis of vulnerabilities, risk management and an overall strategy for security as a function of doing business in a post 9/11 world.

Space technology and off shore operations may not be as far apart as one would think. Both environments do have some common factors such as remote locations and extreme environments. Companies are always increasing technological advances in order to make these environments safer and easier to work in. There have been a number of advancements in space age technology that could be making their way to the off shore industry. Through research and development space-based materials and technologies could benefit offshore operations making them more efficient and safer.

Space age materials and techniques that withstand the extreme environment in space could be used to with stand deep-sea ocean pressures and provide corrosion resistant metals. Sensors used by planetary tools and robotic technology could increase the accuracy and speed of underwater construction and maintenance.

The oil and gas company Schlumberger, in cooperation with SCYSIS and ESA have already tested satellite-based software during a live trial. The software developed by SciSys’ APEX (automated procedure execution) is a tool that allows for automation of spacecraft testing and operations. Many tasks on oilrigs could benefit from the same type of automation.

So far the software has been successfully tested with drill operators in both UK and US research centers as well as one trial on a live oilrig. The potential of space technology and its applications for the offshore industry in improving operations and safety has been gaining momentum. In 2009 the first Space and Energy conference was held in Norway at Statoil’s headquarters. More than 70 companies took part and there are now plans to make the conference an annual event in order to discuss technology transfer between the two sectors

A recent study published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, comprising a collection of data from the Deepwater Horizon Spill in the Gulf of Mexico tells a compelling story. The lead author on the study “Chemical data quantify Deepwater Horizon hydrocarbon flow rate and environmental distribution,” Thomas Ryerson, a NOAA research chemist, brought together 14 scientists from varying backgrounds and organizations. The new study provides scientists with an overview of oil and gas distribution from the spill. The study shows where the oil and gas were released and how those compounds were broken down and released into the environment.

Christopher Reddy, one of four scientists who participated in the study from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute commented on the study, “This paper is exciting for several reasons.”  “This is a study based on data from the Gulf and not on models, and it tells the big picture of this spill just 18 months after the leak was capped – a remarkably short amount of time.” On Ryerson’s approach to the team, Reddy commented “He brought together key players to analyze relatively new data that came from an impressive array of sampling techniques.”

Ryerson collected data from over flights on NOAA P-3 planes and other air samples from research vessels, the paper also incorporates data collected by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The ROV used a newly developed device called a Seewald to sample fluid leaking from the well. Scientists also used the WHOI AUV “Sentry”  to take water samples from various depths.  With approximately 4.2 million barrels of oil released from the well, the study estimated that the oil slick that was visible on the surface represented about 15 percent of the total gas and oil leaked from the spill. Scientists are hopeful that this study will help shed light on how to clean and address any future spills.

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Mapping the ocean floor is important to scientists understanding of bottom topography. With a good understanding of the bathymetry in a given area researchers can focus their time and energy on the myriad of tasks at hand during ocean exploration. GPS or Global Positioning Systems collect data that are then combined with the latest bathymetric information collected using various technologies. Those technologies include ROV and submersible data, shipboard swath mapping, side scan sonar, and seismic reflection. Multibeam sonar is also currently used featuring hundreds of narrow adjacent beams arranged in a fanlike pattern that provides high angular resolution and accuracy.

By mapping the seafloor scientists are also getting a better understanding of plate tectonics and sea-floor spreading, a process in which the ocean floor is extended when two plates move apart causing what is known as a divergent boundary. Earthquakes occur along both divergent and convergent boundaries. But aside from geological and bathymetric mapping data scientists can also get a better understanding of ecological maps that provide an ecosystem-level assessment of biological, ecological and the social effects in fishing areas that have been closed to commercial fishing. This increases the understanding of the ecosystem and provides guidance for resource management. High-resolution seafloor mapping and associated products will aid coastal and ocean management areas such as: modeling tsunamis, flood inundation and sea-level rise; characterizing and identifying marine habitats; selecting appropriate sites for renewable ocean energy projects; identifying geological hazards and sediment transport pathways; improving circulation models; enhancing safe and efficient marine transportation; and monitoring environmental changes such as habitat restorations.

Offshore Oil platforms at some point reach an end in their production lives and are generally decommissioned. This is a costly operation costing the operators between 4 and 10 million dollars. The Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) issued new decommissioning regulations in 2010. The regulation (NTL 2010-G05) requires wells that have not been used for the last five years to be to be permanently abandoned, temporarily abandoned, or zonally isolated within 3 years after Oct. 15, 2010. If wells are zonally isolated, operators have 2 additional years to permanently or temporarily abandon the wellhead. Plus, platforms and supporting infrastructure that has been idle for five or more years must be removed within 5 years as of the Oct. 15, 2010 effective date.

 There are proponents who believe there is another use for decommissioned rigs as reef systems. Like a shipwreck or other manmade structures, oilrigs develop ecosystems with many organisms taking haven and prospering within its structure. Partial removal of the rig by leaving the legs and removing the upper areas is a less costly operation and has the added benefit of keeping the ecosystem intact. Complete removal causes displacement of the organisms and kills many creatures that have adopted this as a habitat. When ocean currents encounter a vertical structure, plankton rich upwelling can be created providing feeding grounds for smaller fish, which then bring in larger fish as the ecosystem flourishes and continues up the food chain. The structure can also provide protection for reef dwelling fish. As time progresses sponges, tunicates and corals adhere to the structure and continue to grow. In California, mussels are one of the common creatures that grow on the legs of the rigs themselves. They are filter feeders and clean the water. They are also a food supply for humans. Some enterprising businesses have developed relationships with the oil companies to be permitted the opportunity to clean the rigs and keep the mussels for sale. This approach affords a unique alternative to an otherwise costly operation.

Ocean observation systems are platforms designed to study ocean processes in real time. They return continuous data to researchers back on shore. Similar to other undersea tools they can be equipped with various tools and systems including computer command and storage capability, power supplies, sensors, Internet connections and communication systems. There are currently a number of ocean observatory platforms carrying out varied studies around the world. The Santa Cruz Ocean Observatory Platform also known as SCOOP out of UC Santa Cruz was designed to detect and investigate harmful algal blooms (HABs) and red tides. It also serves as a platform where instrumentation can be tested. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has a number of platforms deployed including its OASIS moorings that produce data from mooring and cruise operations. MBARI also has MOOS, the Monterey Ocean Observing System, MARS their cabled observatory test bed and LOBO their Land/Ocean Biogeochemistry Observatory Moorings. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute has an array of observatory projects and programs.

Ocean observatory platforms afford scientists the opportunity to monitor ocean behavior to track seafloor changes over the course of weeks, months and years. Observatory systems can detect earthquake tremors and the beginnings of tsunami wave activity. In order to have a full comprehension of ocean activities scientists need to establish a presence and through ocean observatory platforms they are doing just that, creating outposts in the sea by which to monitor and collect data of dynamic ocean activity. With advances in technology scientists can now study small-localized events as well as changes taking place on a much larger scale. There are three categories of ocean observatories currently in use or in development. Through coastal observatories, a combination of cabled systems and underwater nodes, moorings, buoys, and other observing platforms, scientists are monitoring the coastal environment and exploring the fundamentals of ocean processes on the continental shelf. With regional cabled observatories fiber-optic communication systems along with electric power cables establish grids for sensors on the sea floor and in the water column. The third system is the global observatories and arrays system. This system uses drifters, floats, arrays of buoys and moorings along with acoustic modems and satellite relays. Scientist are now able to observe the ocean systems and through this understanding have a better idea of our earths global ocean phenomenon.