Day of the Seafarer highlights role in ocean protection
26 Jun

Day of the Seafarer highlights role in ocean protection

Rich MillerMaritime News, ,
(LONDON) — The urgent need to protect the world's oceans and the habitats within them is, nowadays, well understood. So, too, is the need for a sustainable shipping industry to ensure the essential transportation of goods and commodities across the globe, and of passengers. Hundreds of thousands of seafarers bear witness every day to changes in the marine environment due…
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IMO moves ahead on Polar Code, autonomous ships
15 Jun

IMO moves ahead on Polar Code, autonomous ships

Rich MillerMaritime News, ,
(LONDON) — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced on Tuesday that new requirements concerning safety of navigation and voyage planning for non-SOLAS ships operating in polar waters are expected to enter into force on Jan. 1, 2026. The announcement follows the adoption of a first set of amendments to the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code)…
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IMO panel weighs new proposals on ship systems, gear
30 Mar

IMO panel weighs new proposals on ship systems, gear

Rich MillerMaritime News,
(WASHINGTON) — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Subcommittee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) held its ninth session Feb. 27- March 3 in London. Brandi Baldwin, chief of the Coast Guard’s Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division in the Office of Design and Engineering Standards, led the U.S. delegation, comprised of members from the Coast Guard and technical advisers from government…
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NASA: IMO sulfur rule reducing ship pollution
20 Oct

NASA: IMO sulfur rule reducing ship pollution

Rich MillerMaritime News, ,
(WASHINGTON) — Ship tracks, the polluted marine clouds that trail ocean-crossing vessels, are a signature of modern trade. Like ghostly fingerprints, they trace shipping lanes around the globe, from the North Pacific to the Mediterranean Sea. But in 2020, satellite observations showed fewer of those pollution fingerprints. Drawing on nearly two decades of satellite imagery, researchers found that the number…
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Coast Guard to address ‘gaps’ in new MARPOL climate provisions
22 Feb

Coast Guard to address ‘gaps’ in new MARPOL climate provisions

Rich MillerMaritime News,
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard recently announced that it plans to develop and propose regulations to implement the provisions of MARPOL Annex VI, Chapter 4, including various shipboard energy efficiency measures aimed at reducing carbon emissions linked to climate change. The Coast Guard states it is doing so in support of the Biden administration’s goals outlined in Executive Order…
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Researchers link hull coatings to microplastic pollution at sea
01 Jun

Researchers link hull coatings to microplastic pollution at sea

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, , , , ,
Given the painted area of all of the hulls at sea, it stands to reason that in the harsh ocean environment, some of that coating material might come off. According to German researchers, the material is indeed coming off, and it could represent a significant source of microplastic pollution. A recent study by the University of Oldenburg’s Institute of Chemistry…
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Taking on climate change: Carbon capture for marine applications
01 Jun

Taking on climate change: Carbon capture for marine applications

Professional Mariner StaffClimate Change, Correspondence, , , ,
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015 with the intent to peak and then sharply reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in order to keep the average global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius and preferably limited to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. In response to the U.N. initiative, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)…
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Low sulfur fuel supply meeting demand, but quality issues remain
02 May

Low sulfur fuel supply meeting demand, but quality issues remain

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, , ,
While bunker supplies to meet the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 sulfur cap have been adequate so far, there are still concerns in the industry about fuel quality that could lead to compliance and operational issues. The IMO reported only 55 cases of 0.5 percent fuel being unavailable worldwide in the 12 months after the low sulfur mandate went into effect…
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Ship autonomy points toward savings, but be wary of higher cost
02 May

Ship autonomy points toward savings, but be wary of higher cost

Professional Mariner StaffCorrespondence, , , , , , , ,
The order is given and it’s full speed ahead for robot vessels called maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS).  The technologies being researched and developed are showing no signs of stopping. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has defined four categories of MASS with differing degrees of autonomy: • Degree one: Seafarers are on board to operate and control shipboard systems and…
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