scholarly journals Analysis of heavy fuel oil use by ships operating in Canadian Arctic waters from 2010 to 2018

FACETS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 304-327
Author(s):  
Nicolien van Luijk ◽  
Jackie Dawson ◽  
Alison Cook
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
International Maritime Organization ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Bulk Carriers ◽  
General Cargo

In 2018, The International Maritime Organization, officially proposed consideration of a ban on heavy fuel oil (HFO) use by ships in the Arctic, because of the widely accepted understanding that HFO presents a threat to the marine environment. There is currently a lack of understanding of the scale and scope of HFO use by ships operating in Canadian Arctic waters, thus it is difficult to comprehensively evaluate the effect that such a ban may have in mitigating risk from HFO use. In this study, we conducted a spatial analysis of HFO use among ships operating in Canadian Arctic waters between 2010 and 2018. Our findings show that approximately 37% of the total number of ships that have travelled through the Canadian Arctic between 2010 and 2018 use HFO, and nearly all of these ships fall within three vessel categories: general cargo, bulk carriers, and tanker ships. In addition, HFO-fueled ships made up approximately 45% of the total distance (kilometres) travelled by all vessels between 2010 and 2018. The data also show that the majority of HFO use occurs in certain geographic areas, such as Baffin Bay near Pond Inlet and the Hudson Strait.

International Regulation of Heavy Fuel Oil Use by Vessels in Arctic Waters

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 513-536
Author(s):  
Zhen Sun
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
International Maritime Organization ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
International Regulation ◽  
Potential Effectiveness ◽  
Polar Code ◽  
Arctic Communities

AbstractThe use and carriage of heavy fuel oil (HFO) as fuel by vessels in Arctic waters present unique challenges to the fragile marine environment and vulnerable Arctic communities. Discussions on the regulation of HFO use in Arctic waters have undergone several transformations, from strong resistance by several states before and during the negotiations of the Polar Code, to stalemate, to reluctant evaluation of options, before the emergence of a potential mandatory ban. An HFO ban is expected to be adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 2021 at the earliest. This article examines the formation, development and application of the ban on HFO use by vessels in Arctic waters, and discusses the potential effectiveness of the ban.

scholarly journals Analysis of the grounding of the MV Rena in New Zealand, 5 October, 2011

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian McLean
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Environmental Disaster ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
General Cargo ◽  
Volunteer Time

The grounding of the general cargo vessel MV Rena near Tauranga Harbor in October 2011 was New Zealand’s worst environmental disaster. The ship hit an offshore reef, creating hazardous salvage conditions,and the consequent spill of 350 tonnes of fuel oil affected 50 km of coastline and many islands. Many containers fell overboard, creating hazards for other shipping, requiring additional salvage resources, and introducing toxins to the marine environment that are still washing up six years later. The community responded to the disaster by flocking to the beaches and cleaning up the oil by hand, giving well over 20,000 hours of volunteer time. Short- and long-term environmental consequences for wildlife and the inshore marine environment are reviewed, along with the effects on the local economy, the political context and the management response. There were significant economic effects during the summer immediately following the event, but the clean-up appears to have been remarkably successful. While the above-water superstructure of the ship was removed, much of the (broken-up) hull remains on or close to the reef today. The final (legal) decision on the removal of the wreck has enabled abandonment of the wreck. There appear to be few, if any, long-term wider environmental effects although elevated levels of some contaminants are still measurable close to the wreck in 2017.

The Polar Code and the Arctic Marine Environment: Assessing the Regulation of the Environmental Risks of Shipping

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 533-569
Author(s):  
Aldo Chircop
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Environmental Risks ◽  
International Maritime Organization ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Environmental Standards ◽  
Polar Code ◽  
Mandatory Rules ◽  
Scope Of Application ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract The Polar Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established a new vessel-source pollution prevention standard for Arctic waters, as well as the Antarctic area. The Polar Code consists of mandatory rules and guidance provisions supplementing international rules to address a range of environmental risks posed by ships in polar operations. This article explores the scope of application of the Polar Code and its interface with other pertinent IMO instruments. The article comments on the limits of application of Polar Code standards in addressing pollution prevention and how they are further nourished, supplemented or facilitated by other IMO instruments, both with respect to pollution prevention as well as other environmental risks posed by shipping in the Arctic context. The article identifies shortcomings and gaps and concludes with possible options for Arctic coastal States that may wish to raise environmental standards to mitigate particular risks.

scholarly journals Frequent Ultrafine Particle Formation and Growth in the Canadian Arctic Marine Environment

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas B. Collins ◽  
Julia Burkart ◽  
Rachel Y.-W. Chang ◽  
Martine Lizotte ◽  
Aude Boivin-Rioux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Ultrafine Particle ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Lower Cloud ◽  
Marine Microbial Communities

Abstract. The source strength and capability of aerosol particles in the Arctic to act as cloud condensation nuclei have important implications for understanding the indirect aerosol-cloud effect within the polar climate system. It has been shown in several Arctic regions that ultrafine particle (UFP) formation and growth is a key contributor to aerosol number concentrations during the summer. This study uses aerosol number size distribution measurements from ship-board measurement expeditions aboard the research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen in the summers of 2014 and 2016 throughout the Canadian Arctic to gain a deeper understanding of the drivers of UFP formation and growth within this marine boundary layer. UFP number concentrations (diameter > 4 nm) in the range of 101–104 cm−3 were observed across the two seasons, with concentrations greater than 103 cm−3 occurring more frequently in 2016. Higher concentrations in 2016 were associated with UFP formation and growth, with events occurring on 41 % of days, while events were only observed on 6 % of days in 2014. Assessment of relevant parameters for aerosol nucleation showed that the median condensation sink in this region was approximately 1.2 h−1 in 2016 and 2.2 h−1 in 2014, which lie at the lower end of ranges observed at even the most remote stations reported in the literature. Apparent growth rates of all observed events in both expeditions averaged 4.3 ± 4.1 nm h−1, in general agreement with other recent studies at similar latitudes. Higher solar radiation, lower cloud fractions, and lower sea ice concentrations combined with differences in the developmental stage and activity of marine microbial communities within the Canadian Arctic were documented and help explain differences between the aerosol measurements made during the 2014 and 2016 expeditions. These findings help to motivate further studies of biosphere-atmosphere interactions within the Arctic marine environment to explain the production of UFP and their growth to sizes relevant for cloud droplet activation.

scholarly journals Dimethyl sulfide and its role in aerosol formation and growth in the Arctic summer – a modelling study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (23) ◽  
pp. 14455-14476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roghayeh Ghahremaninezhad ◽  
Wanmin Gong ◽  
Martí Galí ◽  
Ann-Lise Norman ◽  
Stephen R. Beagley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Dimethyl Sulfide ◽  
Size Range ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Forecast Model ◽  
Sulfate Aerosol ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Air Quality Forecast

Abstract. Atmospheric dimethyl sulfide, DMS(g), is a climatically important sulfur compound and is the main source of biogenic sulfate aerosol in the Arctic atmosphere. DMS(g) production and emission to the atmosphere increase during the summer due to the greater ice-free sea surface and higher biological activity. We implemented DMS(g) in the Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) online air quality forecast model, GEM-MACH (Global Environmental Multiscale–Modelling Air quality and CHemistry), and compared model simulations with DMS(g) measurements made in Baffin Bay and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in July and August 2014. Two seawater DMS(aq) datasets were used as input for the simulations: (1) a DMS(aq) climatology dataset based on seawater concentration measurements (Lana et al., 2011) and (2) a DMS(aq) dataset based on satellite detection (Galí et al., 2018). In general, GEM-MACH simulations under-predict DMS(g) measurements, which is likely due to the negative biases in both DMS(aq) datasets. However, a higher correlation and smaller bias were obtained with the satellite dataset. Agreement with the observations improved when climatological values were replaced by DMS(aq) in situ values that were measured concurrently with atmospheric observations over Baffin Bay and the Lancaster Sound area in July 2014. The addition of DMS(g) to the GEM-MACH model resulted in a significant increase in atmospheric SO2 for some regions of the Canadian Arctic (up to 100 %). Analysis of the size-segregated sulfate aerosol in the model shows that a significant increase in sulfate mass occurs for particles with a diameter smaller than 200 nm due to the formation and growth of biogenic aerosol at high latitudes (>70∘ N). The enhancement in sulfate particles is most significant in the size range from 50 to 100 nm; however, this enhancement is stronger in the 200–1000 nm size range at lower latitudes (<70∘ N). These results emphasize the important role of DMS(g) in the formation and growth of fine and ultrafine sulfate-containing particles in the Arctic during the summertime.

scholarly journals Dimethyl sulfide and its role in aerosol formation and growth in the Arctic summer – a modelling study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roghayeh Ghahremaninezhad ◽  
Wanmin Gong ◽  
Martí Galí ◽  
Ann-Lise Norman ◽  
Stephen R. Beagley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dimethyl Sulfide ◽  
Size Range ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Forecast Model ◽  
Sulfate Aerosol ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Baffin Bay

Abstract. Atmospheric dimethyl sulfide, DMS(g), is a climatically important sulfur compound and is the main source of biogenic sulfate aerosol in the Arctic atmosphere. DMS(g) production and emission to the atmosphere increase during the summer due to greater ice-free sea surface and higher biological activity. We implemented DMS(g) in the GEM-MACH model (GEM: Global Environmental Multiscale – Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) numerical weather forecast model, MACH: ECCC's Modelling Air quality and CHemistry – chemistry and aerosol microphysics) for the Arctic region, and compared model simulations with DMS(g) measurements made in Baffin Bay and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in July and August 2014. Two sea water DMS(aq) datasets were used as input to the simulations: (1) DMS(aq) climatology dataset based on seawater concentration measurements (Lana et al., 2011) and (2) DMS(aq) dataset based on satellite detection (Galí et al., 2018). In general, GEM-MACH simulations underpredict DMS(g) measurements, likely due to negative biases in both DMS(aq) datasets. Yet, higher correlation and smaller bias were obtained with the satellite dataset. Agreement with the observations improved by replacing climatological values with in situ measured DMS(aq) concurrently with atmospheric observations over Baffin Bay and Lancaster Sound area in July 2014. The addition of DMS(g) to the GEM-MACH model resulted in a significant increase in atmospheric SO2 for some regions in the Canadian Arctic (up to 100 %). Analysis of the size-segregated sulfate aerosol in the model shows that a significant increase in sulfate mass occurs for particles with a diameter smaller than 200 nm due to formation and growth of biogenic aerosol at high latitudes (> 70° N). The enhancement in sulfate particles is most significant in the size range of 50 to 100 nm, however, this enhancement is stronger in the 200–1000 nm size range at lower latitudes (

Movements of Arctic Fox populations in the region of Baffin Bay and Smith Sound

Polar Record ◽  
1949 ◽  
Vol 5 (37-38) ◽  
pp. 296-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Elton
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Systematic Study ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Fox ◽  
Alopex Lagopus ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Ecological Problems ◽  
Wild Life

The Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopusand allied forms) is not only the chief furbearing animal in circumboreal regions, but also offers some fascinating ecological problems in its strong fluctuations in numbers, its extensive migrations, the diseases that appear periodically in its populations, and in the existence of two well-marked colour phases—the white and the “blue”—the relative abundance of which varies geographically in an extraordinary manner. Except in the U.S.S.R., comparatively little systematic study in the field has been made of this species by biologists, although it has been the object of several enquiries conducted through fur-trading and other organisations (of which the Canadian Arctic Wild Life Enquiry (Chitty and Chitty, 1941, 1945) is an example), and it has been observed in a scattered fashion by innumerable polarexpeditions.

scholarly journals Polluting shipwrecks in Swedish waters: investigations, risk assessment methodology and oil removal operations

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Fredrik Lindgren ◽  
Frida Åberg ◽  
Josephine Rubia Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Oil Removal ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
To The Lighthouse ◽  
Ship Hulls ◽  
In Situ Data

ABSTRACT Large amounts of oil exists in old shipwrecks worldwide, both as cargo and bunker. This oil will eventually enter the marine environment as the ship hulls deteriorate or as other types of activities affect the wrecks. Oil being a complex mixture of hazardous substances will when released into the marine environment be a source of both lethal and sub-lethal effects to organisms. Costs of an oil spill in the marine environment, including clean-up actions, socioeconomic and environmental costs is often substantial. Sweden has a ten year nationally funded program where oil removal operations on shipwrecks are performed. From a list of 300 potentially polluting shipwrecks, 31 wrecks have initially been selected for oil removal operations. In a first stage extensive gathering of information was performed regarding each wreck, both archive data and in-situ data at the wreck site. Secondly, a risk analysis was carried out. Based on the probability of oil leakage, amount of oil in the wreck and sensitivity of recipients, a prioritization for oil removal operations was made of the 31 wrecks. Based on the prioritization, time of the year and cost of an operation wrecks are finally selected for oil removal operation. So far, since 2017, five operations have been performed. During 2019 and 2020, two successful oil removal operations were carried out. The ship Lindesnäs wrecked 1957 in a snow storm close to the lighthouse Norra Kränkan on the Swedish east coast with a cargo of kerosene and diesel as bunker fuel. The operation from mobilization to demobilization lasted for 22 days, and 299 m3 of oil and a large ghost net was removed from the wreck. Secondly, Finnbirch, which wrecked in 2006 east of the island of Öland and started to leak oil during the end of 2018, was salvaged in a two-part operation. In 2019, 60 m3 of diesel fuel and lubricant oil were salvaged, during a fourteen-day operation. In 2020, 114 m3 of heavy fuel oil (HFO) was salvaged from the wreck during a fifteen-day operation. The costs per ton of removed oil were far less than cost for oil clean-up operations in Swedish waters. In conclusion, using a risk-based approach for prioritization of potentially polluting shipwrecks and the subsequent proactive removal of oil from shipwrecks is a cost-effective approach to alleviate the problem.

scholarly journals Analysis of the grounding of the MV Rena in New Zealand, 5 October, 2011

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian McLean
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Environmental Disaster ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
General Cargo ◽  
Volunteer Time

The grounding of the general cargo vessel MV Rena near Tauranga Harbor in October 2011 was New Zealand’s worst environmental disaster. The ship hit an offshore reef, creating hazardous salvage conditions,and the consequent spill of 350 tonnes of fuel oil affected 50 km of coastline and many islands. Many containers fell overboard, creating hazards for other shipping, requiring additional salvage resources, and introducing toxins to the marine environment that are still washing up six years later. The community responded to the disaster by flocking to the beaches and cleaning up the oil by hand, giving well over 20,000 hours of volunteer time. Short- and long-term environmental consequences for wildlife and the inshore marine environment are reviewed, along with the effects on the local economy, the political context and the management response. There were significant economic effects during the summer immediately following the event, but the clean-up appears to have been remarkably successful. While the above-water superstructure of the ship was removed, much of the (broken-up) hull remains on or close to the reef today. The final (legal) decision on the removal of the wreck has enabled abandonment of the wreck. There appear to be few, if any, long-term wider environmental effects although elevated levels of some contaminants are still measurable close to the wreck in 2017.

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