Whale entanglement

Whale entanglement is a growing problem in terms of conservation, welfare and human safety. The full extent is hard to assess as most entanglements are never observed, but research suggests that over 300,000 whales and dolphins die annually due to entanglement in fishing gear, and others are also trapped in marine debris. This can have a devastating, long-term conservation impact on those populations which are already threatened, in some cases critically.

Whale Entanglement

Man has been killing whales for millennia and with increasing effectiveness when being killed intentionally. The explosive harpoon has been a major factor in that advance. This efficient killing method has led to the near extinction of major large whale stocks in both hemispheres. Unintentional whale killings have also grown to be of substantial concern both in terms of marine mammal stock conservation and also through the way in which the animals die.

Whale Entanglement Issues

Whale entanglement is also a serious welfare issue. It can lead to drowning as trapped animals cannot reach the surface to breathe, to wound and infection as heavy ropes bite through skin, and to starvation as animals towing heavy fishing gear cannot feed effectively.

Human refuge is another very important concern. Handling any large, wild animal can be dangerous. Responding to one at sea, and that is likely to be injured and distressed, requires training and calm, careful implementation of safety protocols, minimizing risk to the response team and conducting the most effective disentanglement possible, whatever the scenario.

Unfortunately,whale entanglement is a problem around the globe, and we can only help a small percentage of entangled whales.

The effect that entanglements can have on cetaceans is a concern to the Australian Government. Most whales and dolphins are at risk from entanglements; as a result of rubbish, marine debris or marine industry activities.
Some large whale species (humpback whales and southern right whales) which make annual migrations to inshore Australian waters to breed and give birth are still making a gradual recovery from the impacts of whaling in the last century.

This recovery has coincided with a growth in coastal development, fishing activities, aquaculture and other off shore infrastructure. Much of this activity is within the migratory paths of these marine mammals. As a result there has been an increase in the reported incidence of whale entanglement in Australian waters in recent years. This issue is not confined to our region, with reports of whale entanglements on the increase throughout the world.
Whale entanglement can cause serious injury and distress to the animals and may result in the animal dying. Government agencies coordinate activities to disentangle whales whenever possible. Disentangling a whale is a very skillful exercise and can also be dangerous. For this reason disentanglement training is essential to ensure government staffs have the skills and expertise to perform this extremely important task. State governments run training courses and only trained government staff can assist in disentanglement operations.

Remotely Acclerated Release

 

For remotely acclerated release methods and devices are provided for selective release or exposure of reservoir contents, such as a drug formulation or diagnostic reagent, sealed in a reservoir, e.g., a micro reservoir. The devices comprise a substrate; one or more reservoirs located in and defined by the substrate; reservoir contents located inside the reservoirs; a reservoir cap or rupture prone layer sealing an outlet of the reservoir; and means for disintegrating the reservoir cap or rupturing the rupture prone layer; and means for accelerating the release of the reservoir contents from the reservoir through the outlet, or for enhancing diffusional mass transport of a material into or out of the reservoir. In remotely acclerated release, means for accelerating can, for example, include a shape memory material. In a preferred embodiment, the device is adapted for implantation into a human or animal body and comprises an array of several discrete reservoir, each one being individually operable at a desired time.

Just as technological innovation is fueling a rapid acceleration of development in the ocean, high-tech solutions may also hold the key to ensuring that a marine industrial revolution advances responsibly and intelligently. One such solution is remotely acclerated release. The advances, when put in the hands not just of governments but also of researchers, citizen-scientists and environmental groups, promise a new era in which we can actively observe and responsibly plan out what’s going on in the world’s seas.

Remotely acclerated release is done through high definition suction pumps and tube holders by which the level of sea water is balanced, cleaned to increase the oxygen balance.

Subsea Deployment

The Subsea Deployment System (SDS) is a method of installing large subsea structures without a heavy lift vessel (HLV). … It can also install larger structures in greater water depths in more environmentally hostile locations than is possible with current vessels.

The primary objective of protective subsea deployment systems is to safely deploy, position, and land subsea equipment while preserving personnel safety and protecting investments. There are several protective design concepts available to meet today’s deep-water operating needs. Future considerations are being examined to meet the demands of new challenges. This paper primarily addresses the deployment and recovery of work class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems and designs that can be applied to a wide variety of applications including the installation of subsea equipment.

As subsea field development and Subsea Deployment expands to include a wider range of applications in increasingly harsh environments, surface deployment systems continuously evolve to overcome the demanding design requirements. Subsea Deployment system configurations range from stationary to over boarding with installations being permanently built-in, modular with semi-permanent components, or entirely mobile. Protective deployment systems are used extensively in the launch and recovery of ROV’s. Other applications include tools, trees, connectors, pipeline jumpers, wire lines, manifolds, and umbilical termination assemblies, work over equipment, and other Subsea hardware. By incorporating protective methodology in current designs for deploying Subsea equipment, financial liability is reduced by minimizing the risk of equipment damage while increasing the window of environmental limits. The end results are protective deployment systems used for a wider range of applications with improved performance, less down time, and most importantly, fewer accidents.

There are several variables in the offshore environment that present challenges in Subsea deployment. These variables impose limitations on the system’s overall capabilities and performance. Variables with the largest impact are environmental conditions in which the installation will be operating. Mechanical designs and operational procedures provide the best solutions to the challenges of the ocean environment. These methods incorporate ways to safely control deployed loads due to varying sea states, high winds, high currents, and increasing water depths.

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Protecting marine life

Protecting marine life help those who live right on the coastline will have the most direct impact on the ocean but even if you live far inland, there are many things you can do. The ocean is downstream of everything, so all of our actions, no matter where we live, affect the ocean and the marine life it holds.

Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? That is a name coined to describe the huge amounts of plastic bits and other marine debris floating in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, one of five major ocean gyres in the world. Sadly, all the gyres seem to have their own garbage patch. When it comes to protect marine life, usage of plastic is a big hindrance.

What is the problem? Plastic stays around for hundreds of years can be a hazard to wildlife and leaches toxins into the environment.  What’s the solution?  Stop using so much plastic. Buy things with less packaging, don’t use disposable items and use reusable bags instead of plastic ones wherever possible. That will help protect marine life.

Our food choices have a huge impact on the environment — from the actual items we eat to the way they are harvested, processed and shipped. Going vegan is better for the environment but you can take small steps in the right direction by eating eco-friendly fish and eating local as much as possible in order to protect marine life. If you eat seafood, eat fish that is harvested in a sustainable way, which means eating species that have a healthy population and whose harvest minimizes by catch and impacts on the environment.

Along with the tip above, in order to protect marine life reduce your energy consumption and carbon output wherever possible. This includes simple things like turning off the lights or TV when you’re not in a room and driving in a way that increases your fuel efficiency. As Amy, one of our 11-year old readers said, “It might sound strange, but being energy efficient helps the Arctic marine mammals and fish because the less energy you use the less our climate heats up — then the ice won’t melt.”
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