Acoustic Approach to Determining Seabed Substrates Distribution at Mandi Darah Island, Sabah

Marine ecosystems and natural habitat play the important role of the Earth’s life support system. They significantly contribute to economies and food safety and help preserve ecological processes. However, the devastation of the marine ecosystem in Malaysia due to the human factor and climate change is quite alarming. Therefore, spatial marine information, especially on the distribution of seabed substrates and habitat mapping, are of utmost importance for marine ecosystem management and conservation. Traditionally, seabed substrate and habitat mapping were classified based on direct observation techniques such as photography, video, sampling, coring and scuba diving. These techniques are often limited due to water clarity and weather conditions and only suitable for smaller scale surveys. In this study, we employed an acoustic approach using the RoxAnn Acoustic Ground Discrimination System (AGDS) with a high-frequency single-beam echo sounder to examine the distribution of seabed substrate at the Mandi Darah Island, Sabah. The acoustic signals recorded by AGDS are translated into hardness and roughness indices which are then used to identify the unique characteristics of the recorded seabed types. The analysis has shown that fifteen types of substrates, ranging from silt to rough/some seagrass, have been identified and classified. The findings demonstrated that the acoustic method was a better alternative for seabed substrate determination than the conventional direct observation techniques in terms of cost and time spent, especially in large scale surveys. The seabed substrate dataset from this study could be used as baseline information for the better management and conservation of the marine ecosystem.

Sustainable Development of Port Cities from the Perspective of Transition Management

The strong and close relationship between the port and the city, which is often a consequence of historical circumstances, has become disrupted due to the negative impact of the port on the urban environment. The disruption of this relationship is forcing port city authorities worldwide to find effective methods to renew the port – city relationship. As an additional element to this complex relationship, the concept of sustainability is taken into consideration. Therefore, the relationship between the port and the city needs to be studied in compliance with economic, social and environmental criteria. This paper studies port and urban systems interdependently, as well as their integration into a sustainable whole. The dynamics of change in the port – city interface zone require careful planning and assessment before intervention and development. Accordingly, transition management is presented as a mechanism for renewing, coupling, and monitoring the relationship between the port and the city concerning their complex and dynamic nature. The paper’s key findings are based on the contribution of relevant economic, social, and environmental criteria through which the possibility of developing a systematic framework for a coordinated transition to a cooperative relationship between the port and the city from the perspective of sustainability is realized.

Optimum Welding Parameters for Friction Stir Welded AA6063 Pipe Butt Joint Using the Taguchi Method

Welding parameters for pipe joint friction stir welding (FSW) have been identified based on L-9 orthogonal arrays used in the Taguchi Method. Different welding parameters, such as rotation speed, travel speed and axial force, have been used to produce several quality friction stir welded AA6063 pipe butt joints. The reliability of products obtained in the FSW process can be improved through the identification of the optimum combination of welding parameters. Weld quality was evaluated based on its tensile strength and residual stress profiles. The S/N analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) have been used to determine significant welding parameters that affect weld quality. Maximum tensile strength with acceptable residual stress was obtained at the optimum welding parameters of 1300 rpm, 5 mm/s and axial force between 5 and 6 kN. The goal of this study was to optimize welding parameters for high tensile strength and low residual stress.

Information on Resource Utilisation for Operational Planning in Port Hinterland Transport

To meet increased freight flows through maritime ports, a high level of resource utilisation in hinterland transport is of crucial importance. However, various perspectives on resource utilisation create issues with use of information for operational decisions in port hinterland. The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of information related to resource utilisation for operational planning in port hinterland freight transport to facilitate its improvement. The study is case-based, and the data is collected through semi-structured interviews, visual observations, and company documents. The findings are analysed with a framework built from literature emphasising different resource utilisation perspectives and the use of information in road freight transport chain decisions. The findings show that the use of information on resource utilisation in operational freight transport decisions in the port hinterland transport system is limited and lacks a complete system overview. Instead of the information on measured parameters, different types of estimates of efficiency parameters (including resource utilisation) are commonly used for operational planning decisions. The information about the measured indicators has to be combined with other information to obtain an efficient level of resource utilisation; otherwise, it could generate incorrect assumptions regarding utilisation. The paper contributes to the topic of operational freight transport planning by describing the use of information on resource utilisation.

Weight of Evidence Approach to Maritime Accident Risk Assessment Based on Bayesian Network Classifier

Probabilistic maritime accident models based on Bayesian Networks are typically built upon the data available in accident records and the data obtained from human experts knowledge on accident. The drawback of such models is that they do not take explicitly into the account the knowledge on non-accidents as would be required in the probabilistic modelling of rare events. Consequently, these models have difficulties with delivering interpretation of influence of risk factors and providing sufficient confidence in the risk assessment scores. In this work, modelling and risk score interpretation, as two aspects of the probabilistic approach to complex maritime system risk assessment, are addressed. First, the maritime accident modelling is posed as a classification problem and the Bayesian network classifier that discriminates between accident and non-accident is developed which assesses state spaces of influence factors as the input features of the classifier. Maritime accident risk are identified as adversely influencing factors that contribute to the accident. Next, the weight of evidence approach to reasoning with Bayesian network classifier is developed for an objective quantitative estimation of the strength of factor influence, and a weighted strength of evidence is introduced. Qualitative interpretation of strength of evidence for individual accident influencing factor, inspired by Bayes factor, is defined. The efficiency of the developed approach is demonstrated within the context of collision of small passenger vessels and the results of collision risk assessments are given for the environmental settings typical in Croatian nautical tourism. According to the results obtained, recommendations for navigation safety during high density traffic have been distilled.

Content Analysis of International Standards for Human Factors in Ship Design and Operation

Human-related factors account for more than 80% of accidents at sea, based on studies. According to Global Claims Review 2017 released by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, an estimated 75-96% of shipping accidents have a high probability of involving human error (AGCS, 2017). Designs that do not meet human factors' needs play a significant role in contributing to human error. Documents in terms of design standards and guidelines, rules, and laws are analyzed. As a result, several documents related to human factors have been identified. These documents are based on whether to implement it, even if some are prescriptive, and others are mandatory, being published at different enforcement levels. In ensuring the consistent implementation of human factors, regulators and authorities need to take stricter measures in all the processes involved in designing and building such ships.

Risk Assessment of Wave Energy Converter At Kuantan Port, Pahang

Harvesting energy from ocean waves remains an untapped resource, and it is considered a new methodology in renewable energy, especially in Malaysia. This research is based on a project at Kuantan Port that used Wave Energy Converter (WEC) as a platform to generate energy from waves and convert it into electricity. The purpose of this research is to conduct a risk assessment before the execution of the project by referring to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 31000 and Risk Management Guidelines: Companion to AS/NZS 4360:2004. It started from risk identification and planned a mitigation way to reduce the grade of risk. These mitigations will be monitored throughout the project to avoid any accidents or harm during construction and installation in the future. The assessment will be using a qualitative analysis method that will gather all the possible risks that impact the project and propose the actions to mitigate the risk. The assessment will also consider the likelihood, seriousness, and weightage to determine the risk level. The risk assessment is divided into six clusters: project management, hydrography, mechanical, electrical, civil, and safety and security. After analysis, each cluster has given their feedback on the risk assessment and their cluster-s risk grade. This research has found that the risk grade is at grade C, which needs the risk assessment of this project to reduce the likelihood, seriousness, and required mitigation actions. Eventually, after the mitigation plan is applied to each risk, the grade of risk is reduced to N.

Testing of the Model of Creating a Specialized Tourist Product for Post-COVID Time

Specialized tourists offer in the post covid time is an important reason in choosing the destination to travel to. A new perception of this offer puts new challenges to those who design such offers. Most specialized offers are the result of entrepreneurial initiative and intuition. Authors have dealt with the creation of such offers as an important destination concurrent factor in their own cross-border cooperation. Based on their findings, they have developed a model of creating specialized tourism products for post covid time by linking core, additional, and expanded contents with brand creation and the marketing strategy. In this paper authors continue their research by testing that model through two platforms: desk research of the latest cognitions related to the repercussions of Covid-19 on tourist mind, and on a convenient sample of connoisseurs. The testing of the model is connected with one case study in which authors cooperate in practice. The findings have been tested through a survey on a sample of experts (representatives of travel agencies) related to their experiences in sales for 2020 and 2021.They have also found important changes in tourist perception of specialized tourist product. The findings offer the answers as to why the basic contents of the specialized tourist offer is no longer sufficient, as well as a way for developing additional and expanded contents, on which the brand and brand management activities in the post corona period should be primarily based, i.e. on what to base the marketing strategies in the post covid time.

Accessible Learning Sources: A Need Analysis on Maritime English Learning Apps

Maritime English is defined as the English language used by seafarers both at sea and in port and by individuals working in the shipping and shipbuilding industry. The teachers are required to make the students skillful and ready to work in maritime sectors once they graduate. The existing and relevant maritime English learning materials following STCW 2010 curriculum in Indonesia are still rare and limited. This study aims to conduct a need analysis of android and web-based Maritime English apps based on the students' perspectives. This study uses questionnaires shared and completed randomly by 318 students from different majors and at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Pelayaran (Maritime Higher Education Institute) Jakarta. The data is gathered and analyzed accordingly to create the essential concept of the MarEng apps design. The questionnaire result indicates that most of the participants need an ME learning platform in order for them to have better access to and to practice the required knowledge and skills. Explicit bilingual instructions and features like video, audio, and text are also preferred to be incorporated. It is suggested to start from the elementary level and cover the four skills, especially listening, speaking, and pronunciation. It is so suggested that the platform can be constructed in easy and fun UI/UX covering the required content.

Heavy Metal Content Analysis and Toxicity Assessment of Oil-Based Drilling Mud using Zebrafish Embryos

Aim: Used oil-based drilling muds (OBDMs) are toxic to marine organisms due to the fluid’s complex chemical nature. The illegal dumping of used OBDMs is still rampant in many parts of the world despite of the stringent laws and regulations pertaining to its disposal. To date, study of the assessment of heavy metal content in used OBDMs from the Malaysian oil and gas industry has been limited. Furthermore, the study of the toxic effect of OBDMs using a zebrafish embryo model has never been reported before. Therefore, in this research, the used oil-based drilling muds (OBDMs) were analyzed for their heavy metal content and toxicity against Zebrafish embryos. Methods: Used OBDMs were collected from an Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessel mud tank from Kemaman, Terengganu. The heavy metal content in the mud was analyzed using ICP-AES. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to OBDMs of varying concentrations (i.e., 0.25 mg/ml, 0.125 mg/ml, 0.06 mg/ml, 0.03 mg/ml, 0.015 mg/ml, 0.0076 mg/ml, 0.0034 mg/ml and 0.0019 mg/ml). The toxicity and teratogenicity of the mud on zebrafish embryos were assessed every 24 hours, for 96 hours, using endpoints like embryo mortality, heart rate and hatching rate. Results: The heavy metal content of used OBDMs had the highest concentration of barium (Ba) 2360 ppm, followed by lead (Pb) 120 ppm, zinc (Zn) 104 ppm, arsenic (As) 9 ppm, and chromium (Cr) 16 ppm, with cadmium (Cd) concentration of less than 1 ppm being the lowest. The Ba (2360 mg/L) concentration in the OBDM sample exceeded the concentration of Ba in normal marine sediment reported to be around 2000 mg/L. The 96 h LC50 of the OBDM in zebrafish embryos was reported to be 0.005 mg/mL (5 ppm). Zebrafish embryos that were exposed to high concentrations of OBDMs exhibited a lower hatching rate and reduced heart rate than the control group. Conclusion: The findings of this study are indicative of the highly toxic nature of used OBDMs and its dosage-dependent teratogenicity effects on zebrafish embryo. Knowledge of the potential environmental impacts of OBDMs released into the marine environment can be the basis for prudent decision-making that will help minimize environmental damage.