Backtracking oil slicks by using an iterative algorithm with a forward trajectory model. Implementation and verification.

<p>Our goal was to investigate the performance of the in-house mathematical drift model using the oil spills according to the Marine Search and Rescue Service (MRCC) Riga data for the Eastern part of Baltic Sea </p><p>There have been 15 cases in the Latvian territorial waters in 2016 when satellite imagery has identified potential marine pollution on the sea surface. Two additional reports of potential marine pollution have been received from ships. Satellite imagery from CleanSeaNet has identified 16 possible cases in the Latvian territorial waters in 2017, and further 19 possible cases in 2018.</p><p>We consider the following three cases of possible oil (and other pollutants) spills:</p><p>1) Possible oil spill in 2016.01.26 north of the harbor of Ventspils in Irbe strait.</p><p>2) Possible oil spill from ballast waters in 2017.05.14.</p><p>3) Possible pollutant (vegetable oil) spill in 2018.07.25.</p><p>Investigation of MRCC Riga sea pollution cases has revealed the following constraints and requirements for the FiMar oil drift model. First, the detected pollutant slicks are of size above 5 km2 and already of complex structure. This follows from the CleanSeaNet service detection capabilities and spill occurrence pattern; for example, dumping of ballast waters happens during the night, with spill being detected with the sunrise. Second, the pollutant slicks have a short lifespan and unknown chemical composition. Therefore, future development should focus on backtracking from a large target to a single most probable location in time-space.</p><p>The condition of nearly divergence-free flow is usually met in large-scale flows, but nonlinear changes in the properties of the oil are impossible to handle simply by reversing the direction of the wind field and the current field.</p><p>Method inspired by (Breivik, Bekkvik, Wettre and Ommundsen, 2011, BAKTRAK: Backtracking drifting objects using an iterative algorithm with a forward trajectory model.) was introduced into FiMar software and verified. This amends traditional reverse-time backtracking where a trajectory model is initialized and run in the forward direction, whereupon the individual ensemble particles that come within an acceptable time-space distance of the observation are used to initialize a new forward run. Unsuccessful particle trajectories thereafter are discarded. This procedure is then iterated until an acceptable number of trajectories end up within the target area (defined as a time-space radius around the location of the observation) is reached and time-space distribution of possible initial locations for the drifting object/ pollutant slick has been established.</p><p>The study was funded by Latvian Academy of Sciences, project lzp-2018/1-0162 DRIMO – Drift Modelling for pollution reduction and safety in the Baltic Sea, 2018-2021. </p>

About the Results of Monitoring Researches of Ballast Waters and Data of Identification of the Vibrioes Strains Selected During the Ships Researches in Russian Seaports in 2018

Relevance. In September, 2017 the International Convention on Control of Ships’ Ballast Waters and sediments, in which the Russian Federation takes part, came into effect.Aim of article is to cover the results of implementation of the Convention in Russia, regarding selection and analysis of ballast waters tests for compliance with the international standard.Material and methods. The materials for work were data on ship arrivals at the international seaports of the Russian Federation, provided by sanitary and quarantine departments of the Russian ports, and monitoring researches of ballast waters in seaports of some regions of the Russian Federation. Analytical, bacteriological, molecular methods were applied.Results. The studies of ballast waters in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions have been conducted for the first time in 2018, and in the Rostov region the study lasts since 2010. The laboratory researches of ships’ ballast showed that E. coli, Enterococcus spp. were in norm, V. cholerae O1 and O139 in ballast were absent. 12 of 21 ballast water tests investigated by specialists of the Rostov region laboratories contained V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139, ballast was taken on the ships which arrived from Romania and Turkey.Сonclusion. The results of the molecular and genetic researches suggest that there is a probability of V. сholeraе introduction brougth with ship ballast. Management decisions are demanded to ensure biological safety of shipping and to decrease intestinal infections incidence in residents of the seaside cities.

About the Results of Monitoring Researches of Ballast Waters and Data of Identification of the Vibrioes Strains Selected During the Ships Researches in Russian Seaports in 2018

Relevance. In September, 2017 the International Convention on Control of Ships’ Ballast Waters and sediments, in which the Russian Federation takes part, came into effect.Aim of article is to cover the results of implementation of the Convention in Russia, regarding selection and analysis of ballast waters tests for compliance with the international standard.Material and methods. The materials for work were data on ship arrivals at the international seaports of the Russian Federation, provided by sanitary and quarantine departments of the Russian ports, and monitoring researches of ballast waters in seaports of some regions of the Russian Federation. Analytical, bacteriological, molecular methods were applied.Results. The studies of ballast waters in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions have been conducted for the first time in 2018, and in the Rostov region the study lasts since 2010. The laboratory researches of ships’ ballast showed that E. coli, Enterococcus spp. were in norm, V. cholerae O1 and O139 in ballast were absent. 12 of 21 ballast water tests investigated by specialists of the Rostov region laboratories contained V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139, ballast was taken on the ships which arrived from Romania and Turkey.Сonclusion. The results of the molecular and genetic researches suggest that there is a probability of V. сholeraе introduction brougth with ship ballast. Management decisions are demanded to ensure biological safety of shipping and to decrease intestinal infections incidence in residents of the seaside cities.

Introduction of a new Indo-Pacific marine cladoceran to the Mediterranean Sea

Pleopis schmackeri, a podonid cladoceran not previously recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, was found in the İskenderun Bay for the first time. The samples were collected seasonally during 2012–2015 in the coastal area of İskenderun Bay using a WP-2 zooplankton net (200 µm). Six cladoceran species were found in total, and Penilia avirostris, Pseudevadne tergestina and Evadne spinifera constituted the bulk of the population, while the contribution of P. schmackeri was very low. Although only a single individual was observed in July 2012, the abundance and frequency of P. schmackeri increased in the following years, attaining the abundance of 25.10 ind.m-3 in 2015. Thus, P. schmackeri could be considered as established in İskenderun Bay; however, it seems that it did not affect the distribution of other cladoceran species in the area up to now. P. schmackeri could have entered in İskenderun Bay either as Lessepsian migrant or by ballast waters of commercial ships.