MBNEP receives $488K MTCW grant

The EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program awarded the Mobile (Ala.) Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) $488,711 to improve water quality, protect, enhance, and restore habitat, and provide environmental education and outreach in the Three Mile Creek Watershed (TMCW). The grant is for the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to create trash-free waters in the TMCW. The TMCW drains a 29 square mile, mostly-urban, area stretching 14 miles from its headwaters near West Mobile’s Cody Road across the northern part of the city and southern part of Prichard, Ala., before spilling into the Mobile River near the Alabama state docks. The watershed is significant to the fabric of the region. It was the initial source of drinking water for Mobile. In the mid-20th century the city was forced to turn to Big Creek Lake as an alternative source of drinking water. (Source: MBNEP 12-07/17) Secondarily, the MBNEP is seeking qualified environmental or natural resource planning, engineering or similar firms/professionals to prepare an Invasive Species Control Plan for the TMCW (HUC 031602040504) in Mobile County. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process will be used to select a contractor based on available data. Statements of Qualification should be directed to the attention of Tom Herder (therder@mobilebaynep.com) and received no later than 3 p.m. CT on Feb. 2, 2018. View the full RFQ

National sea grant fellowships

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium is looking for applicants for the 2019 National Sea Grant College Program’s Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. The fellowship is funded through the National Sea Grant Office and administered by state Sea Grant programs. Knauss Fellows spend a year in marine policy-related positions in the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government in Washington D.C. Past fellows have worked in the offices of U.S. congress members, congressional subcommittees, and at the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Fellowships run from Feb. 1, 2019, to Jan. 31, 2020. Eligible students must be enrolled in a graduate program during the spring semester of 2018. Applications are due at the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium office Feb. 23. For information about the Knauss program, visit the National Sea Grant website. (Source: Mobile Bay National Estuary Program 12/17/17)

CG cutter crew rescues man in water

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard rescued an 89-year-old man from a vehicle that went into the water Dec. 30 at the St. Andrews Marina in Panama City, Fla. Crew from the Coast Guard Cutter Marlin observed the a car go into the water around 12:45 p.m. A CG boat crew from the cutter went to assist and had to break a car window to remove the man. The crew transferred the man to shore to an awaiting emergency medical services crew in stable condition. “This is a perfect example of the training we put into our job," said Master Chief Petty Officer Glenn Bucklin, officer in charge of the Marlin. (Source: Coast Guard 12/30/17)

GC workboat firms among ‘Best’

Marine News showcased its ‘Best of North America’ workboat deliveries for 2017. Among the top deliveries went to multiple Gulf Coast firms, including Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City, Fla.; Horizon Shipbuilding of Bayou La Batre, Ala.; Metal Shark of Jeanerette, La.; and Harvey Marine of Port Fourchon, La. (Source: Marine Link 12/30/17)

MSU’s coastal research legacy

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State University continued building its legacy as a world-class research institution throughout 2017. MSU made headlines for achievements in agriculture and forestry, computer science, engineering, and its designation as FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. MSU researchers are also leading projects with local and global impact, including creating more sustainable beaches and barrier islands on the Gulf Coast. The year wrapped up with an announcement that MSU had maintained its ranking among the nation’s top 100 research institutions by the National Science Foundation, as well as its position as the Magnolia State’s highest-ranked research university. MSU was also tapped by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Demonstration Range Facility, which consists of multiple sites primarily in southern and coastal Mississippi. MSU is the state’s largest university with a Fall 2017 enrollment of 21,883 students representing all 50 states and 80-plus foreign countries. (Source: Mississippi State University 12/28/17)

Addressing better sleep for crews

The Navy has established new guidelines for surface ship crews’ rest times, and exploring whether specially tinted safety eyewear can help sailors fall asleep faster during scheduled downtime, after a comprehensive review of surface force readiness showed crews were overworked and under-rested. During the summer, Navy leadership acknowledged that poorly rested deployed crews saw degraded performance due to insufficient sleep. The Comprehensive Review of Recent Surface Force Incidents noted the link between work performance and sleep. The Navy has sought to take measures to assist sailors with more and better rest periods. One tactic was to address sailors’ ability to fall asleep after working shifts at computer screens or artificial lighting. Blue light blocks the brain’s production of melatonin, a brain-created chemical to help people fall asleep, according to Navy Medicine researchers. Based on initial testing, wearing specially-tinted glasses for an hour before sleep can help one fall asleep faster. The Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity at Yorktown, Va., has crafted a tinted glasses that block about 70 percent of blue light, according to a Military Health System news release. Testing on the lenses has specifically focused on sleep and circadian rhythms. Following two 2017 fatal guided-missile destroyer collisions, Navy investigators found both incidents were caused in part by the prevalence of over-worked and under-rested sailors in the fleet. “Sleep deprivation has been a significant and well-documented issue for service members,” Cmdr. Marc Herwitz, chief ancillary informatics officer for the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine. The Navy has been seeking to address sleep deprivation through a new sailor rest and workday guideline that requires commanders to incorporate circadian rhythm principles into their watchbills and shipboard routines. (Source: USNI News 12/28/17)

Triumph Gulf Coast gears up for 2018

PANAMA CITY - With their senior level staff in place, Triumph Gulf Coast members will begin 2018 by taking a serious look at projects – from eight NW Florida counties - in front of them vying for the first $300M in funding as the result of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. During a Dec. 27 conference call, the board voted unanimously to offer the program administrator job to Cori Henderson, currently the director of business development for Enterprise Florida Inc. The new gig would pay $96,914 annually. Board member Don Gaetz, who takes the chairmanship Jan. 1, expects the administrator’s office to be in Destin. During the next weeks, Triumph Executive Director Susan Skelton, and her team, will begin separating pre- and ready-to-move applications into projects. The list will be presented at the board’s Jan. 29 meeting in Apalachicola. (Source: News Herald 12/27/16) TGC is a non-profit corporation organized to oversee the expenditure of 75 percent of all funds recovered by Florida for economic damages from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. TGC is required to administer the distribution of the funds to be used for the recovery, diversification, and enhancement of the eight affected NW Florida counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla.

Sailors make icy-accident rescue

Sailors assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 at the Seabee base in Gulfport, Miss., helped rescue a civilian involved in a Dec. 8 car accident on an icy patch of Highway 49 in Hattiesburg. Equipment Operator 3rd Class Cristian Benton and Equipment Operator Constructionman Daniel Sellmeyer had gotten orders to deliver a fuel truck to Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, to refuel a convoy scheduled return to the Gulfport base. Road conditions were worsening due to freeze warnings and snow. While driving north on Highway 49, the sailors maneuvered into the median during the icy conditions to avoid a potential accident. When returning the truck back into traffic, they heard screeching tires and the sounds of a crash. A vehicle swerved into an embankment and ended up in a creek. It began to fill up with water. Benton ran into the chest-deep waters to check on driver who could not get out of the car. Benton searched for something to break a window. “I heard Sellmeyer yelling ‘Hey! Use the battery!’ It had been ejected from the car. He smashed a window and got to the driver. Sellmeyer examined the driver for any injuries. Prior to service, he was an emergency medical technician. “We got lucky. I hate to think what would have happened to this man had we not been there,” said Sellmeyer. “We were just in the right place at the right time, with the right set of skills.” (Source: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 12/15/17) The duo was each awarded with a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Oceanography commands top staff

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command announced its selections for 2017 Sailors and Civilians of the Year during an all hands session Dec. 19 at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Aerographer's Mate (AG) 1st Class Adam Smith was named Sea Sailor of the Year (SOY). AG1 Pedro Henry was named Shore SOY. AG1s Joseph Skebeck and Brandon Cruz, both recently promoted, were named Junior Sea and Shore SOY. Megan Natter was named Senior Civilian of the Year and Jacqueline Bussell was the Junior COY. (Source: Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command 12/17/17)

Tall Ships coming to Gulf Coast

PENSACOLA, Fla. - "Visit Pensacola" announced earlier this year that the city is slated as an official host port for the Tall Ships Challenge Gulf Coast 2018. It's the first time in history Tall Ships America will brings its TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series of Tall Ships® races and port festivals to the Gulf of Mexico. Tickets are slated to go on sale in early January. To purchase tickets, visit www.tallshipspensacola.com

Military turns to low-tech oyster reefs

MIDDLETOWN, N.J. — Earle (N.J.) Naval Weapons Station, a base the Navy loads some of America's most sophisticated weapons onto warships, suffered $50M in damages during Hurricane Sand. Today, ENWS’ pier is fortifying itself with some decidedly low-tech protection: Oyster shells. The base has allowed an environmental group to plant nearly a mile of oyster reefs about a quarter-mile off its shoreline to serve as a buffer against storms’ wave damage. Other military bases are enlisting the help of oysters, too. In June, environmental groups and airmen established a reef off the coast of Eglin Air Force Base’s reservation in Florida, and more are planned. Three oyster reefs protect the USS Laffey museum in South Carolina; and installations in Alabama and North Carolina have dispatched personnel to help build oyster reefs at off-base coastal sites. A bill introduced in Congress would give coastal communities $100M across five years to create these “living shorelines" that include oyster reefs. (Source: The AP 12/26/17)

Boatload of regs ahead for floating biz

The owners and operators of floating business structures within Okaloosa County and Destin, Fla., may be facing a boatload of regulations for 2018. Okaloosa County is working on a draft ordinance to regulate floating structures moored in waterways within its jurisdiction. The Destin City Council, working with the county, plans to host a public workshop Jan. 8 to discuss possible ways of regulating Crab Island, a major summertime tourist party spot, which isn’t in Destin’s city limits. However, in June, a new state law that “authorizes local government to enact and enforce certain regulations” on waters falling within its jurisdiction. The law gives local authorities a first-ever ability to regulate commercial activities such as Crab Island. Destin already has an ordinance that prohibits floating structures from most parts of Destin Harbor and city waterways, but allowing for floating structures in commercial marinas. The biggest concern is for those structures breaking loose during a storm and becoming a hazard to boaters and commercial barges. (Source: NW Florida Daily News 12/26/17)

Report: Backtrack drilling regs

The Trump Administration is considering backtracking on regulations for offshore drilling and some risk-reduction measures put in place after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, according to The Wall Street Journal. The rollbacks were proposed in a report to the White House by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), which regulates offshore oil and gas drilling. The rollbacks would reduce government regulation in favor of private companies, WSJ reported. BSEE also proposed slashing $900M in cost over the next 10 years, according to the report. BSEE sent the proposal to the White House on Dec. 8. (Source: NOLA.com 12/25/17)

Prez backs 2.4% & 1.9% mil/fed raises

President Donald Trump issued executive orders for a 2.4 percent pay raise for the military and a 1.9 percent pay raise for federal workers effective Jan. 1. The military raise would be the largest since 3.4 percent in 2010. In a Dec. 22 notice to lawmakers, the President announced intentions to go with the 2.4 percent military raise that was part of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed Dec. 12. Office of Management and Budget initially proposed a 2.1 percent military raise. The proposals of NDAA have yet to be funded by either appropriation committees in Congress. To avoid a government shutdown, the House and Senate passed another Continuing Resolution last week to keep spending at 2017 levels until Jan. 22, when they’ll try again to reach an overall budget agreement. Federal employee unions have argued for pay parity with the military. (Source: Military.com 12/25/17)

GA to design propulsion for LDUUVs

SAN DIEGO – General Atomics’ Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced Dec. 17 it had been awarded an Office of Naval Research (ONR) contract to design and deliver an advanced permanent-magnet propulsion motor intended for use in large displacement unmanned undersea vehicles (LDUUVs). Over the next 20 months, GA-EMS will design, build, and test the advanced permanent-magnet propulsion motor and deliver a complete motor system to ONR. Testing will be conducted by the Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory (PSU-ARL). The ARL is a center of excellence, which supports the Navy for undersea propulsion modeling and testing. GA-EMS is a leader in the research, design, and manufacture of first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. (General Atomics 12/17/17) Central Mississippi Note: GA has an Electromagnetic Systems Division production and test facility in Tupelo, Miss., which supports production of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) programs for the next‐generation aircraft carrier.

USM research military protective wear

Polymer science labs at the University of Southern Mississippi are doing research that could lead to enhanced protective wear for U.S. military troops. A $4.9M grant from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has enabled the School of Polymer Science and Engineering to acquire a state-of-the-art Xeuss 2.0 Small-Angle/Wide-Angle scattering system, which enables high-performance measurements. The grant is part of a $20M, two-year collaboration between USM, Temple University, University of North Texas, and University of Southern California to develop ballistic protection applications. The funding will allow rapid design, development, measurement, testing, modeling and prototyping for strategic areas of interest determined by ARL researchers. USM is the only university in the Southeast that has a Xeuss 2.0 system, which fortifies USM’s reputation as a global leader in polymer science. Olivia D. McNair, manager of pneumatic aterials science and engineering programs, said researchers can begin to target or predict materials that will demonstrate the best performance for ballistic applications. (Source: Clarion Ledger 112/23/17)

Threats don’t take a holiday

On this Christmas morning, there are U.S. service members protecting the nation around the world. Many are traveling home for the holidays, but let’s remember there are hundreds of thousands still on duty because threats don’t take a holiday. Over all, there are about 1.3 million personnel on active duty, and 810,800 in the selected reserves – serving on all seven continents and in more than 170 countries. From its birth, the Navy has been an expeditionary force. Sailors will man their ships from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico. About 33 percent of the Navy is deployed at anytime – measuring more than 100,000 sailors and Marines afloat on Christmas - performing missions that can’t stop for holidays. Although serving around the globe, service members can take time to remember the holidays. It is the way it has been since Valley Forge in 1778. The bottom line is that the American military stands guard so the world can know - or hope for - peace. (Source: Defense Media 12/19/17)

CG medevacs woman from cruise ship

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard medically evacuated a 23-year-old woman Dec. 24 who was suffering from suspected internal bleeding from a prior incident aboard the Vision of the Seas cruise ship some 100 miles south of Southwest Pass, La. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was launched from CG Air Station New Orleans and a Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., HC-144 Ocean Sentry. The helicopter aircrew arrived on scene and hoisted the woman aboard and transferred her to Jefferson Medical Center in New Orleans. The survivor was reported in stable condition. (Source: Coast Guard 12/24/17)

TIG draft plan for La. projects

Some $86 million of the $5 billion earmarked for Louisiana from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill fund is going for restoration projects in the state. The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (TIG) released a draft plan on how to spend $22 million on four projects along the state’s Gulf Coast. TIG is accepting public comment on its plan and will discuss it January 17 at 9:30 a.m. prior to the Coastal Protection Restoration Authority board meeting in Baton Rouge. (Source: NOLA.com 12/21/17)

Exiting Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. - For three consecutive years, the U.S. Census Bureau is estimating that Mississippi’s population continues to fall - losing nearly 8,000 people to out-migration (more moving away than moving in). Overall, the Magnolia State lost about 1,300 people between July 1, 2016 and July 1, 2017. The population is estimated to be 2.98 million. Mississippi is the only southern state, besides West Virginia, seeing out-migration. John Green, University of Mississippi professor who heads the school’s Center for Population Studies, says people are leaving in “search for socio-economic opportunities and well-being.” The state’s recovery from the 2008 recession has been one of the nation’s weakest. Those leaving appear to be the young and more educated, he continued. Only half of the graduates of state’s eight public universities are working in the state five years after graduation. Mississippi is one of eight states estimated to lose population. Louisiana is another. (Source: Clarion Ledger 12/21/17)

Bay to get first RESTORE grants

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Seven years following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Bay County, Fla., will receive its first federal grants from the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE) damages program. The U.S. Treasury agreed to award two grants to the county. One is for $279,697 for a new dock for AMIkids Panama City Marine Institute, and the second a total of $392,997 for an extensive storm-water runoff study to determine what future treatment systems are developed to clean or divert runoff from going into the St. Andrew Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The projects are the county’s first two under the first round of RESTORE funding. RESTORE is an acronym for the federal law passed in 2012 to direct the allocation of civil penalties paid after July 6, 2012, under the Clean Water Act. (Source: News Herald 12/21/17)

Q-LNG selects ABS for new ATB class

Quality Liquefied Natural Gas Transport LLC (Q-LNG) has selected the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) of Houston to class a new articulated tug barge (ATB) that will be used to carry out liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering activities in North America and the Caribbean. Q-LNG is a spinoff of Harvey Gulf International Marine of New Orleans. The new company was established in early November 2017. Construction on the ATB is expected to begin at VT Halter Marine’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., in early 2018. The barge will be handled by Harvey Gulf International Marine upon completion, and will be chartered by Shell Trading Co. to supply necessary LNG fuel to cruise vessels across the Gulf Coast. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2018. Q-LNG has a long-term contract with Shell to deliver LNG to various ports in Florida and the Caribbean. (Source: Ship Technology 12/21/17) ABS provides guidance in LNG floating structures and systems via its Global Gas Solutions team. It also provides gas fuel systems and equipment, gas carriers, and regulatory and statutory requirements.

CG, Samaritans rescue 4

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard and two good Samaritan mariners assist in and rescued four people Dec. 20 from the “keeled over” commercial fishing vessel Eunice Lemay some three nautical miles south of Bayou La Batre, Ala. CG Sector Mobile issued an urgent marine information broadcast and received a report from two good Samaritans, the fishing vessel Erica Lynn and sailing vessel J&B that the distressed vessel was keeled over on its side with four people hanging on. CG Station Dauphin Island launched a response boat to the scene. The Erica Lynn recovered three of the people. The CG boat crew recovered the fourth. All four were reported in good condition. (Source: Coast Guard 12/20/17)

Phase 3 expansion of Mobile port

MOBILE, Ala. - The Alabama State Port Authority has approved a $49.5 million dollar expansion of the container facility at the Port of Mobile. It’s Phase 3 of 5. In the summer, two huge cranes were brought in to move larger containers on and off ships. Phase 3 will include dock extension and an 20 more acres of yard space for new shipper and carrier business. APM Terminals’ officials at the port indicated that the expansion will allows support for larger vessels, and to prepare for the future. The dock extension will take about two years to complete. The yard work will take about 18 months. (Source: WALA 12/21/17)

Viking's MS river cruises on hold

Viking River Cruises’ plans to enter the American cruise market may be on hold. Two Mississippi River communities – Fort Madison, Iowa; and Hannibal, Mo. - received statements from the firm saying talks have broken off. “Viking has terminated current discussions to build vessels in a U.S. shipyard for Mississippi River and U.S. coastal cruising, Vikings’ communiqué to the cities read. “It became apparent the economics did not meet Viking’s goals,” according to the statement. But the company still plans to “continue to work on the Mississippi project.” Viking is based in Switzerland. It first hinted at its U.S. plans in 2013. In early 2015, Viking said it would launch six Mississippi River vessels over three years starting in late 2017 from the Port of New Orleans. A NOLA port spokesman said that it “has been in contact with Viking River Cruises and the company continues to work on creating its first North American homeport in New Orleans. Port NOLA stands ready to welcome Viking as one of our river cruise partners and offer Viking passengers the unique experience of cruising from the Crescent City.” (Source: Work Boat 12/20/17)

O&G wells still seeping after 13 years

In a court filing Dec. 15, federal regulators cited recent scientific surveys that reveal two plumes of oil and gas are still flowing from a 13-year-old toppled offshore platform buried among a cluster of wells owned by New Orleans-based Taylor Energy Corp. Hurricane Ivan, in 2004, caused an underwater mudslide that toppled the platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The federal government waited until the summer of 2016 to begin its investigation. (Source: NOLA.com 12/20/17)

Red snapper bill opposed

Louisiana Republican Congressman Garret Graves wants to shift management of red snapper sport fishing from the federal government and into the hands of Gulf Coast states. The proposal has drawn opposition from the seafood industry and conservation groups. The National Fisheries Institute has joined with Ocean Conservancy and the Natural Resources Defense Council in speaking against Graves’ bill. Those groups believe handing management to the five states – Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas - would reverse recent progress to rebuild the Gulf of Mexico's red snapper population. (Source: NOLA.com 12/20/17)

Patriot Shipping: $7M contract

Patriot Shipping LLC of New Orleans is being awarded a $7,079,750 firm-fixed-price contract to support the Pacific Pathways 18-1 mission utilizing the MV Ocean Jazz. Work will be performed in the waters along the U.S. West coast and in the Far East. Work is expected to be completed June 22, 2018. Working capital funds (transportation) in the amount of $7,079,750 are being obligated at the time of award. No contract funds will expire at the end of FY 2018. U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command of Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 12/19/17)

La. shipyard contracts for ice-tug

HOUSTON - Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Gulf Island Shipyards of Houma, La., has been awarded a contract for the construction of an ice class CPP Z-drive tug from the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC). The multi-purpose tug will be designed to provide icebreaking/ice-management services on the St. Lawrence Seaway, handle aids to navigation, and push SLSDC's two buoy and gate-lifter barges. The tug will also be capable of secondary roles in ship assist, fire-fighting, and pollution response. Gulf Island Shipyards has also contracted with Technology Associates Inc. of New Orleans for completion of Functional and Production Design for the vessel. Delivery is expected in the spring/summer of 2019. (Source: NASDAQ 12/20/17)

Metal Shark eyeing pilot boat market

JEANERETTE, La. - Metal Shark Boats has its eyes on the pilot boat market with a range of custom-configurable offerings. Two new pilot boats are currently under construction at its Jeanette and Franklin, La., ship facilities. MS is building a 45-foot Defiant Pilot Boat for the Virgin Islands Port Authority in Jeanerette; and a 64-foot Defiant Pilot Boat for the Brazos Pilots Association of Freeport, Texas, in Franklin. The Next-Gen pilot boats were designed by Metal Shark’s in-house design team, and combines flush decks, pilot boarding platforms, and multiple-fender options. In addition to those two models, Metal Shark has a 55-foot Defiant Pilot Boat available. (Source: Metal Shark 12.20/17) Established in 1986, Gravois Aluminum Boats LLC, and its government/commercial boat entity Metal Shark Boats, are leading suppliers of custom boats for defense, law enforcement, and commercial entities.

RFP for DDG-51 scheduled for release

The Navy is preparing to release the request for proposals (RFP) for at least 10 Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers (DDG-51). A pre-solicitation notice went out Dec. 14. The RFP is scheduled for release within the next month, according to DDG-51 program manager Capt. Casey Moton. The FY 2018-22 proposal would be written in a flexible way to account for uncertainty in destroyer acquisition rates of the coming years. The five-year contract is planned to be awarded to Ingalls-Pascagoula, Miss., and Bath (Maine) Iron Works by no later than Sept. 30, 2018. This FY18-22 contract would begin with DDG-128. In early 2017, the Navy finalized a deal with HII-Ingalls and BIW to insert the Flight III design upgrade into the end of the current contract, with hull numbers 125 at Ingalls and 126 at BIW being Flight III ships. DDG-127, which Congress added and incrementally paid for in 2016-17 budgets, will be built by Bath in the Flight IIA configuration. “The fact that both builders are on contract for Flight III, we think it positions us well for the next multi-year” contract, Moton said. (Source: USNI News 12/19/17)

Navy accepts EPF 9 from Austal

MOBILE, Ala. - The Navy accepted delivery of its ninth Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel, USNS City of Bismarck (EPF 9), on Dec 19, from the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. EPFs are shallow draft, all-aluminum, commercial-based catamarans capable of intra-theater personnel and cargo transport, which provide high-speed sealift mobility. The non-combatant vessels provide increased operational flexibility that includes maneuver and sustainment, relief operations, and logistics support. EPFs include a flight deck to support aircraft launch and recovery operations. The vessel was constructed by Austal USA, which is currently under contract for building three more EPFs. Burlington (EPF 10) held its keel laying ceremony in September; Puerto Rico (EPF 11) and EPF 12 (no name) were awarded in September 2016 and are in the early stages of production. (Source: Seapower Magazine 12/19/17)

Senate Confirms ‘Spec Ops’ nominee

WASHINGTON - The Senate confirmed Owen West as the assistant secretary of defense for special operations in a 74-23 vote [3 senators did not votes] on Dec. 18. West, a retired Marine and Goldman Sachs executive, had been stuck in limbo since July despite being seen in the defense community as a qualified candidate. In his role, West will serve as a key adviser to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on special operations issues. (Source: Defense News 12/19/17) Gulf Coast Note: The Air Forces Special Operations Command is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

UI 2018 coming to NOLA

Underwater Intervention 2018 (UI 2018) is the premier event for the underwater industry. Industry professionals from across the world will be in New Orleans from Feb. 6-8 for compelling programs, networking and thought-sharing. Underwater Intervention is a not-for-profit industry conference and exhibition, jointly owned by the Association of Diving Contractors International and the ROV Committee of the Marine Technology Society. (Source: UI 2018)

Nelson, SRC at impasse over pass

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and the Santa Rosa County (Fla.) Commission appear to have reached an impasse over a proposal to reopen Navarre Pass by building a connector from Santa Rosa Sound to the Gulf of Mexico. Commissioners say they won’t vote to reopen the pass – closed by Hurricane Betsy two months after a pass was first opened in 1965 - without support of Eglin Air Force Base, which claims it would threaten its military mission. Nelson has taken a stand against the pass, and is using it to block passage of a federal bill that would allow private ownership Navarre Beach land. Homeowners pay lease fees. (Source: NW Florida Daily News 12/19/17)

CNO: Need bigger, upgraded ships

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan - A bigger, more networked Navy, equipped with the latest weapons systems is needed to deal with security threats like North Korea, CNO Adm. John Richardson told sailors Dec. 19 aboard the USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base. CNO was wrapping up a tour that included visits to Hawaii, South Korea and other U.S. military facilities in Japan. CNO said the Navy is taking steps to increase naval power, including building more ships. The Navy has a long-term goal of expanding to about 350,000 sailors to meet a 355-ship goal set by President Trump. The Navy currently has some 322,000 sailors and 277 vessels. “There is a near unanimous consensus that we need more naval power than we have now.” He also said the service is exploring newer weapons systems to make ships more lethal. (Source: Stars and Stripes 12/19/17) Gulf Coast Note: Along the Gulf Coast there are several major shipbuilders for the Navy. Austal USA is the prime contractor for two major Navy shipbuilding programs: Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF). Both are currently under production at Austal USA’s Mobile, Ala., shipyard. Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., is the builder-of-record for 35 Aegis DDG 51 class guided missile destroyers, LHA 6 class large deck amphibious ships, National Security Cutters for the Coast Guard, and sole builder of the Navy’s fleet of San Antonio (LPD 17) class amphibious assault ships. The Jeanerette, La.-based shipbuilder Metal Shark was awarded a contract in October to produce the Navy’s next-generation patrol boat, the PB(X). The Navy placed an initial order for 11. It’s the second major Navy contract for MS in 2017. In June, MS was selected to build up to 13 Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs). Those patrol boats are being produced at Metal Shark’s Franklin, La., shipyard.

Contract: HII, $63M

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $63,000,000 cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification for the execution of USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) emergent repair and restoration. This effort shall provide for the initial collision rip-out phase of an availability which will include a combination of maintenance, modernization, and collision repair of DDG 62. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, and is expected to be completed by September 2018. FY 2018 Navy operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $31,500,000 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $63M will expire at the end of FY-18. This contract was not competitively procured. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/15/17)

Contract: HII, $50.6M

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard is being awarded a $50,594,681 cost-plus-fixed fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N0024-16-C-2415) to exercise option year two for life cycle engineering and support services for the LPD-17 class Amphibious Transport Dock Ship program. The services include post-delivery planning and engineering, homeport technical support, class Integrated Product Data Environment, data maintenance and equipment management, systems integration and engineering support, LPD-17 class design services, research engineering, obsolescence management, class material readiness, emergent repair provision, training and logistics support, ship alteration development and installation, material management, operating cycle integration, availability planning, and configuration data management. Work will be performed in Pascagoula (96%); Norfolk, Va. (1%); San Diego (1%); Mayport, Fla. (1%); and Sasebo, Japan (1%), and is expected to be completed by December 2018. FY 2012 and 2017 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; FY-18 Navy operations and maintenance; and FY-18 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $17,267,150 will be obligated at time of award; and $3,807,943 will expire at the end of FY-18. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/15/17)

Contract: Leidos, $35.5M

Leidos Inc. of Reston, Va., is being awarded a $35,493,358 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for the Sea Hunter II-Autonomous Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel Hull No. 2. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the contract value to $43,559,069. Work will be performed in Gulfport, Miss. (44.70%); Long Beach, Miss. (24.27%); Arlington, Va. (16.40%); Pasadena, Calif. (6.53%); Bowie, Md. (2.33%; Newport, R.I. (1.56%); Melbourne, Fla. (1.38%); Kalama, Wash. (1.25%); and various places below one percent (1.58%). The base and option periods will run concurrently, therefore, work is expected to be completed Dec. 13, 2020. FY 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $36,493,358 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of FY-18. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-17-S-B001 long range broad agency announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science & Technology. Since proposals will be received throughout the year under the long-range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research of Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/15/17)

Contract: Raytheon, $22M

Raytheon Co.'s Integrated Defense Systems of San Diego is being awarded a $22,093,095 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-15-C-2414) to exercise option year three for life cycle engineering and support (LCE&S) services for LPD-17 class Integrated Shipboard Electronic systems. The services to be provided will include LCE&S services including post-delivery planning, logistics and engineering, homeport technical support, integrated product fata environment, data maintenance, equipment management, systems integration and design engineering, software support, research engineering, obsolescence management (both technical and logistics), material readiness support, emergent repair planning, training and logistics support; planning yard support of integrated electronic systems including Fleet Modernization program planning, ship alteration development and installation, material management, configuration data management, research engineering, logistics documentation, and other logistics and executing activity coordination, management; sustaining engineering and obsolescence management support for unique LPD-17 class Integrated Shipboard Electronic systems. Work will be performed in San Diego (88%); Norfolk (7%); Sasebo, Japan (3%); Mayport, Fla. (1%); and Pascagoula, Miss. (1%), and is expected to be completed by December 2018. FY 2012, 2017, 2015, and 2016 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; FY-17 and FY-18 other Navy procurement funding in the amount of $7,764,355 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of FY-18r. FY-18 Navy operations and maintenance; and FY-16 other Navy procurement funds in the amount of $2,144,837 will be obligated at time of award and will expire by the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/15/17)

2nd of 5 shipments to Trinidad

A second of five heavy-lift cargo oil platform components, manufactured in Harvey, La., by Chet Morrison Contractors - a land and marine construction firm - was recently exported through the Port of New Orleans to Trinidad. The exports will continue through the NOLA port through 2019. Intermarine, a NOLA-based shipping firm, has teamed with Chet Morrison to handle the five shipments. (Source: NOLA.com 12/14/17)

What the Carp?

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), the state’s powerful business lobby, is asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) to consider the toll on the shipping industry when evaluating measures aimed at stopping the spread of Asian carp from expanding their range within the Mississippi and Ohio River basins. LABI fears that the invasive species – 3 of the 4 species were intentionally brought to the U.S. to control nuisance varieties of aquatic plants - could make their way into the Great Lakes, and also wreck havoc on commercial fishing. The fourth carp was introduced to keep a parasite-hosting snail in check. Commercial navigation trade is the “crux of our economy, and a main artery that allows the continued free-flow of commodities … from the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes," LABI's Courtney Baker wrote in the public comment. Four species of Asian Carp are Bighead, Silver, Black, and Grass. All four can grow up to 100-plus pounds. Asian Carp are now competing with native fish for food. The Mississippi River basin connects to Lake Michigan through a man-made waterway called the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The CoE operates three electric barriers in the channel aimed at deterring carp from entering the Great Lakes. LABI asked the CoE to avoid measures that would impede ship traffic that “may or may not solve the problem" without supporting evidence of effectiveness and cost. The CoE is expected to reach a decision on which projects to implement by June 2018. (Source: NOLA.com 12/14/17)

Plan: $561M for coastal restoration

The state of Louisiana expects to spend $561.8M on coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects in FY 2019, which begins in July. The majority is to go to restoration projects funded by 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlements, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority was told Dec. 13. The total is less than the state budgeted for this year. Louisiana expects to have 23 projects under construction during FY-19, according to the proposed annual plan given initial approval by the CPRA. A copy of the plan is available on the CPRA web site. A public hearing will be held in Belle Chasse on Jan. 8; Houma on Jan. 9; and Lake Charles on Jan. 10. Public comments will be accepted through Feb. 12. A final version of the plan will be considered by CPRA at a Feb. 21 meeting. The CPRA-approved version will be presented to the Legislature for an up-or-down vote March 14. (Source: NOLA.com 12/14/17)

NASP earns environmental award

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Naval Air Station Pensacola’s Public Works Department (PWD) has been awarded the ‘Environmental Stewardship Award for Northwest Florida’ by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) during a Dec. 7 ceremony. The FDEP award recognizes businesses, professional, community organizations, and local governments within each district for proactive, innovative and exceptional achievements to prevent or reduce impacts on the environment beyond requirements. NASP’s environmental accomplishments included continued recovery from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Spill, implementing a solar-powered facility at nearby Saufley Field, and removing 1.2M gallons of oily waste from the Bilgewater Treatment Plant. "Protecting the environment is critical to the Navy mission," said base Executive Officer Cmdr. Shawn Dominguez. (Source: NASP 12/14/17)

New national policy: 355-ship Navy

The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, recently signed by President Trump, includes a provision, sponsored by U.S. Senate Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and his U.S. House counterpart, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), that calls for the country to build up to a 355-ship Navy “as soon as practicable.” The provision is contingent upon appropriated funds. “We are asking too few ships to do too many things,” Wicker said, “and today the President took a major step toward rectifying that problem.” The SHIPS Act doesn’t lock in any money or set a timeline. It is a signal of congressional intent to work toward that goal. A larger Navy is something Trump promised during the campaign. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testified this year that it would take 3-to-5 percent budget growth over inflation to support a 355-ship Navy. (Source: Navy Times 12/13/17) Gulf Coast Note: Pascagoula, Miss., is home to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding. Ingalls is the largest supplier of Navy surface combatants, and has built nearly 70 percent of the Navy’s fleet of warships. Ingalls employs some 11,500 workers. It is the largest manufacturer in Mississippi; and a major contributor to the economic growth of Mississippi and Alabama. HII headquarters, and its sub-and-carrier building shipyard, is located in Virginia.

William Doyle to head DCA

The Dredging Contactors of America (DCA) has selected William P. Doyle Sr. as its new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (ED/CEO). Doyle currently serves as a commissioner with the Federal Maritime Commission. DCA is a non-profit trade association representing the interests of the U.S. dredging and marine construction industry and its members for more than 30 years. In the role of ED/CEO, Doyle will direct DCA’s team to represent, advocate, and promote common interests of the dredging industry. Doyle is a “proven leader in the maritime industry,” said Ashley Kerns, president of the DCA Board of Directors and senior VP of Mike Hooks Inc. of Westlake, La. Doyle will begin as ED/CEO during the first week of January. (Source: Marine Link 12/13/17)

Loose barges on La. Intercoastal

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report Tuesday night (Dec. 12) that the uninspected towing vessel Native Dancer’s lead starboard barge collided with a concrete barrier on the Intracoastal Waterway (mile marker 57.5) near Houma, La. Six barges broke loose. Three have been secured. The waterway is closed in the vicinity. CG Marine Safety Unit Houma is investigating. The CG launched a 29-foot response boat out of Morgan City, La., to assist with IW traffic. There have been no reports of pollution or injuries. (Source: Coast Guard 12/12/17)

Freedom LCS behind schedule

Lockheed Martin Corp. will deliver its eight remaining Littoral Combat Ships - being built at Marinette (Wis.) Marine - on an average of 11 months late, more than two-times the delay of its rival shipbuilder, Austal USA shipyards of Mobile, Ala., according to Navy estimates. The two contractors build different variants of LCS - Freedom and Independence (Austal). Austal’s performance may give the U.S.-based shipyard of Australia’s Austal Ltd. an advantage in competition for a future guided-missile frigate design. Delays have kept LCS from the Navy, which has readiness and ship shortfalls. Navy attributed the delays to recently resolved old production issues and maintaining Marinette’s skilled workforce. Marinette’s most recent Freedom variant ship, USS Little Rock, was delivered 13 months past the contracted delivery date. The next three Marinette LCS, Sioux City, Wichita and Billings, will be delivered in January, June and December 2018. They were contracted for delivery for February and July 2017, and February of 2018. The Navy plans to spend $21B on the LCS program. At least $17.4B has been approved. Michelle Bowden, an Austal spokesperson, said the production line in Mobile is “mature and stable”; and the firm is “on schedule to deliver four” of its next ships in 24 months. The Navy frigate program has two phases: Recently released Request For Proposals for conceptual design contracts to be awarded in FY 2018; and the construction contract to be awarded in 2020. RFPs are due Dec. 18. Past performance is one of five evaluation factors. However, Shelby Oakley, director of shipbuilding for the Government Accountability Office, said that it is “not clear that LCS delays are significant to the frigate program.” (Source: Bloomberg News 12/12/17)

Righting the LCS program

ABOARD USS CORONADO – The Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) sailed back to its homeport of San Diego last week after its maiden deployment to the Far East. The LCS program, which has been maligned for a decade, has been mired in dysfunction before departing for Singapore in June 2016. The Coronado broke down five weeks later and spent a month in Hawaii undergoing repairs. Five of eight LCS delivered to the Navy already had suffered “engineering casualties” or expensive mechanical breakdowns at sea that had often been tied to its design and poorly-trained crews. But with the return of LCS 4 following a “boring” tour may have proved critics – like Sen. John McCain - wrong, according to Capt. Jordy M. Harrison, once a bitter critic and now champion as commander of San Diego’s Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. Naval Surface Forces reforms to LCS last year have improved the program. Between April and December, the LCS conducted training drills with the navies of 16 nations. In August, during the Pacific Griffin war-games with Singapore’s navy, LCS 4 launched an MQ-8B Fire Scout to find a target over the horizon using a Harpoon anti-ship missile to kill it. Coronado has a light-weight aluminum hull, and water jets instead of propellers. Once armed, the Navy hopes it will become the world’s most lethal jet ski. I'm actually beginning to think that there might be value in continuing to build LCS even as the (frigate) acquisition is underway,” said Bryan McGrath, a retired destroyer commander who directs the Ferry Bridge Group of consultants in Maryland. (Source: San Diego Union-Tribune 12/11/17) Gulf Coast Note: The even-numbered LCS hulls or Independence variant are being homeported in San Diego. They are built by Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala.

T-EPF 9 readies to join fleet

NORFOLK, Va. – By year’s end, USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF 9) will join the Navy’s fleet as part of a class of ships recognized as adaptable and innovative. The adaptability and innovation will be meeting the Navy's future requirements and missions. USNS City of Bismarck will be the ninth of 12 Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPF). As one of the Navy's newest ship classes, the non-combatant EPFs provide war-fighters with a ship that can be configured to take on any number of missions from transportation, delivery of Marines and equipment to battlefields while providing a low-cost intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. Once delivered to the Military Sealift Command, USNS City of Bismarck is scheduled to head for Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va., for additional certifications prior to being deployed to the Pacific theater. EPFs in the pipeline for future delivery to the Navy are USS Burlington (T-EPF 10), which is under construction at Austal USA of Mobile, Ala. It is expected to be delivered in July 2018; USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF 11) is programmed and expected to be delivered in March 2019; T-EPF 12, which has yet to be named, is programmed. It is expected to be delivered in September 2019. (Source: Military Sealift Command 12/11/17) Gulf Coast Note: The Navy christened USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF 9) in May 2017 at the Austal USA shipyard.

Small DDG 51 work for HII

Bath (Maine) Iron Works was awarded a $23,902,104 cost-plus-award-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-12-C-2313) for DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer lead yard services. This work will provide engineering and technical assistance for new construction DDG 51 class ships. Lead yard services include liaison for follow ship construction, general class services, class logistic services, class design agent services, continuation of the DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class Flight III upgrade design efforts and class change design services for follow ships. Work will be performed in Brunswick (50%) and Bath, Maine (48.5%); Washington, D.C. (1%); and Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss. (0.5%). The work is expected to be completed by June 2018. FY 2014 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $17,890,750; FY-12 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding of $4,168,977; FY-13 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding of $269,026; and FY 2016 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding of $263,366 will be obligated at time of award, and will not expire at the end of FY-18. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 12/11/17)

NOLA-based barge firm sold

The New Orleans-based M/G Transport Services (MG) was recently sold to Grand Rapids, Mich.-based private equity firm Auxo Investment Partners. MG is a dry barge transportation and logistics company with a fleet of 250 barges. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. (Source: Work Boat 12/07/17)

Metal Shark to produce new FCS

JEANERETTE, La. – In an extension of an on-going relationship with Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards, the Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark announced Dec. 11 the availability of the new Fast Crew Supplier, Damen FCS 7011, for the American market. With an all-aluminum mono-hull, the FCS is a fast and comfortable crew supply solution for offshore production facilities. The vessel has speed (40 knots) and the passenger capacity for 150. It allows operators to efficiently service multiple platforms on a single trip for maximum cost and energy savings. FCS 7011 has steerable “skegs” (part of the keel of a ship, near the stern, that connects the keel with the rudder post) that allows for accurate course corrections. Its gyroscope maintains stability during crew transfer. FCS 7011 will be produced at Metal Shark’s Franklin, La., shipyard. Metal Shark’s shipyard is also producing a fleet Damen-designed patrol boats under the Navy’s Near Coastal Patrol Vessel contract awarded in June. (Source: Metal Shark 12/11/17)

East, GC ports’ negotiations end early

East and Gulf Coast labor negotiations between employers and unionized dockworkers got off to a shaky start this past week after union leaders walked out of contract-extension talks. The main point of disagreement was how ports define automation, according to the International Longshoremen’s Association. Earlier this year, ILA President Harold Daggett said the issue of job losses due to technology would be central to these negotiations to extend the current contract, which ends next September. He pledged to prevent container terminals from automating to the same degree as European ports. ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance Ltd., which represents terminal operators and container shipping lines at ports from Maine to Texas, had agreed to meet Dec. 5-6 in south Florida, but talks ended early on Day 2. USMX issued a statement that it expects the talks to continue “at some point in the future.” It is not clear when the next formal meeting will take place. (Source: Wall Street Journal 12/07/17)

CBD plans suit over GoM dumping

The environmental group Center for Biological Diversity filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the federal government for allowing oil and gas companies to dump unlimited amounts of waste fluid, including chemicals used in fracking, into the Gulf of Mexico. The group, in a document filed in federal court Dec. 7, says a permit approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows companies operating offshore oil and gas platforms to dump waste fluid into the Gulf. The CBD claims fracking is on the rise in federal waters off Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Billions of gallons of wastewater and other oil extraction processes was released into the GoM in 2014, according to public records obtained by the group. The Gulf was designated a critical habitat for loggerhead sea turtles and dolphins following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. The center's 60-day notice of intent to sue is required before a lawsuit can be filed. (Source: NOLA.com 12/08/17)

HII christens new CG cutter

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the Legend-class Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) Dec. 9. “Midgett is the eighth ship we have built in this class,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. Ingalls is the sole builder of Legend-class NSCs; and has delivered six to the CG. Midgett was successfully launched in November. Kimball (WMSL 756) is scheduled to be delivered to the Coast Guard in 2018. (Source: HII 12/09/17)

Flip-flop of MDA, DMR execs

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources’ Executive Director Jamie Miller, who was hand-picked to rebuild trust in the agency, is leaving to join the Mississippi Development Authority, according to a media release from Gov. Phil Bryant. Miller will become deputy director for governmental affairs and chief innovation officer at MDA. Brig. Gen. Joe Spraggins, who has served as DMR’s COO since 2013, will take Miller’s place at the DMR. Miller and Spraggins will both assume their new official duties on Dec. 20. (Source: Sun Herald 12/06/17)

CG cutter’s NOLA commissioning

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard will hold a commissioning ceremony for the Coast Guard Cutter Jacob Poroo at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 8. The Sentinel-class fast response cutter is homeported in Pascagoula, Miss., but will operate throughout the Coast Guard’s Eighth District. The FRC was built by Louisiana’s Bollinger Shipyards. It is the second FRC to be stationed in Pascagoula. (Source: Coast Guard 12/07/17) Fast response cutter fact sheet here

GC toxic military sites

According to a new report from ProPublica, a non-profit news gathering group, multiple Gulf Coast current and former military bases contain toxic hazards from chemical spills, unexploded ordnance and other issues that date back as far as 100 years. The report, based on data from the Defense Department's Defense Environmental Restoration Program, documents toxic hazards at military sites across the U.S. Researchers found 215 hazardous locations in Florida with ties to military operations. In Northwest Florida, there were 68 hazardous sites at Naval Air Station Pensacola; additional sites (and numbers) were found at Saufley Field (8); Naval Technical Training Center Corry Station (5); and Fort Pickens all in the Pensacola area; and NAS Whiting Field (49). Eglin AFB, the largest military installation, has 185 hazardous sites; and Hurlburt Field (42). Some of the report's findings date back more than a century, according to Mike Spaits, spokesman for Eglin AFB. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 12/05/17) Other “high risk” areas along the Gulf Coast, included in DOD’s environment restoration program, are Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss.; Van Dorn Army Training Camp in Centerville, Miss.; and Tyndall AFB, Fla.

U.S. productivity up 3%

American workers’ productivity went up 3 percent in the third quarter (July-September). It was the best showing in three years, while labor costs fell a second straight quarter. The increase in productivity was double that of the second quarter; and both quarters were significantly higher than the scant 0.1 percent rise in the first three months. Labor costs fell 0.2 percent. The second quarter had a 1.2 percent decline. Last week, the government reported GDP (gross domestic product) grew at an annual rate of 3.3 percent in the third period following a 3.1 percent rise in the second. It was the first back-to-back GDP gains of 3 percent or more since 2014. Economists are hopeful that the upturn in productivity may be a sign that living standards are improving after a prolonged period of weakness. (Source: The AP 12/06/17)

Navy to air new brand for game

“Forged by the Sea” – the Navy’s new recruiting tagline – is being unveiled Nov. 9 in a commercial scheduled to air during the second quarter of the annual Army-Navy football game on CBS-TV. The idea behind the new tagline is part of a larger branding effort – called “Sea to Stars”, which showcases a variety of Navy platforms, such as a submarine, aircraft carrier, Littoral Combat Ship, an unmanned aerial vehicle and special operations sailors. The annual Army-Navy game will be the only college football game on television Saturday, a tradition started by CBS in 2009. The first two commercials seek to change how potential recruits view Navy careers. The full ad campaign rollout is slated to start in early 2018, with the addition of print and online advertising. Two more television commercials are planned for release in March, according to the Navy. (Source: USNI News 12/05/17) You can see the commercials at http://navylive.dodlive.mil/forged/. 

Cheniere LNG tanker boost

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Cheniere Energy has expanded its shipping fleet with a flurry of spot vessel charters to keep up with Asian winter demand growth as spot prices hit three-year highs, according to market sources. Cheniere's Sabine Pass, La., terminal pumped out 22 cargoes last month. It is ramping up a fourth production unit with more than half of all November volumes sold to China, Japan or South Korea. Cheniere, which continues to bring new production to market, has chartered seven additional LNG carriers on spot markets as firm demand stretches its existing fleet. A company spokesman confirmed Cheniere currently has 22 ships on the water. (Source: Marine Professional 12/05/17)

SECNAV signals vision for industry

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer described the way he envisions establishing a long-term spending process to acquire new technologies and expand the fleet size: “Fast and frugal.” Speaking here at Defense Forum 2017, SECNAV described that future partnership with the defense industrial base. With congressional support authorizing block and multi-year buys, Spencer said the Navy is sending the message to industry now is the time to invest in the future. Navy acquisitions in new technologies, weapons, and systems place much of the risk on taxpayers for research and development, while the industrial base is rewarded with contracts. Spencer wants to create a partnership where the Navy provides industry with what he called, “a clear line of sight” to the service’s needs and resources so industry can invest in the necessary R&D to provide solutions. Spencer comes to the Pentagon from the private sector, where creating better value for the people funding operations has been a hallmark of his career. As CFO with Intercontinental Exchange, Spencer embraced technology to provide investors with a better return. (Source: USNI News 12/04/17)

Ala. builder delivers Daisy Mae to NY

The newest and largest addition to NY’s Coeymans Marine Towing’s fleet is the 3,350-hp Daisy Mae, delivered by Rodriguez Shipbuilding Inc., of Bayou La Batre, Ala. “The Daisy Mae is the closest you can get to Z-drive maneuverability, without the cost of Z-drive,” said Joseph Rodriguez, who built the tug to handle towing work from the Port of Coeymans on the Hudson River north of New York City. The CMT fleet typically works around the New York metro region, but soon after delivery of Daisy Mae, it headed to Jacksonville, Fla., to assist in the sealift of aid to hurricane-stricken Puerto Rico. The triple-screw Daisy Mae is powered by a port and starboard Tier 3 compliant Cummins QSK38 engines. (Source: Work Boat 12/04/17)

Feds join discussion on coast, energy

THIBOBEAUX, La. - The relationship between Louisiana coastal restoration and American energy dominance was the focus of federal, state, and industry representatives Dec. 2 in Thibodaux. U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke joined U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center. The trio met with such groups as the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Greater Lafourche Port Commission, and Water Institute of the Gulf. Louisiana’s three-year oil bust has cost the Houma-Thibodaux region an estimated 16,000 jobs. Zinke noted the importance of oil and gas production, but wants to make sure it’s done right. “We’re here to make sure we take everything into consideration, and be a partner rather than an adversary,” he said. Sen. Cassidy is working on an amendment to increase offshore money by $100M that would go to the state’s coastal restoration and protection. It is supposed to make up for a shortfall under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. The $100M would be used to rebuild the coastline and create associated jobs, he claimed. The Trump administration wants to expedite the permitting process for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities. In August, Energy World USA announced it has started a review to begin construction on an $888M LNG export terminal at Port Fourchon, La. The terminal would produce and export 5M tons of LNG. (Source: Daily Comet 12/02/17)

MS shipyards to build ATBs

Bouchard Transportation Co. of New York state announced Dec. 1 that the new construction of its Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) Unit M/V Evening Breeze and Barge B. No. 252, which adds to its fleet expansion plan that began in 2012. M/V Evening Breeze is being constructed by VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula, Miss. The B. No. 252 is being constructed at Bollinger Shipyards in Gulfport, Miss. The two Jones Act vessels include the newest modifications to the Intercon and pin system, as well as the most technologically advanced equipment in various spaces designed to reduce total emissions, and ensuring a more eco-friendly fleet. (Source: Bouchard Transportation 12/01/17)

Austal, Navy lays keel of LCS 22

MOBILE, Ala. - The Navy held a keel-laying and authentication ceremony for the future Littoral Combat Ship USS Kansas City (LCS 22) at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile on Nov. 15, according to a Nov. 30 media release from Naval Sea Systems Command. The ship’s sponsor, Tracy Davidson, wife of Adm. Philip Davidson, commander of Fleet Forces Command, authenticated the keel for the 11th Independence-variant during the ceremony. Keel-laying symbolically recognizes the joining of the ship’s components and ceremonial start of the ship. The Navy’s LCS program consists of two variants. The Independence variant ships is built at Austal USA; the second at built at Marinette(Wis.) Marine. The two variants are purchased under a block-buy acquisition strategy. There are currently 13 LCSs under construction overall at the two shipyards. The Freedom Class USS Little Rock (LCS 9) is scheduled to be commissioned Dec. 16 in Wisconsin. (Source: Sea Power magazine 11/30/17)

CG to follow-up on spill Dec. 5

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard, federal and state agencies are continuing to respond to a Nov. 30 oil discharge from a hole in a pipeline, owned by XTO Energy, in a marshy area near Pointe à la Hache, La. CG Sector New Orleans Incident Management Division reports about 1,260 gallons have been recovered. The source of the discharge has been secured. A controlled burn will be conducted to remove the bulk of the remaining oil. It is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. on Dec. 1. Air monitoring will be conducted during the burn. (Coast Guard 11/30/17)
UPDATE 12/02/17: The CG Sector New Orleans’ Incident Management Division (IMD) reports the in-situ burn was conducted Dec. 1. Air monitoring was conducted and the results showed no level of concern. The IMD is scheduled to return to the site Dec. 5 to evaluate the effectiveness of the burn and determine future response efforts.

French firms to visit South MS

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development will host a delegation of French companies on Dec. 6. The tour of the Mississippi Gulf Coast will include a visit to Stennis Space Center, including Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin. . The goal of the event is to connect local companies with decision-makers of various French companies, including aerospace, maritime, micro-systems, defense, energy, and transportation. For more information or to RSVP, email Tiffany Aultman of the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission (taultman@hcphc.ms) by Dec. 1. (Source: Magnolia Business Alliance/EIGS, 11/29/17)

AMB follow-on order for LCS program

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Defense and security firm Saab has received an additional order from General Dynamics for delivery of its Sea Giraffe (Agile Multi-Beam) AMB naval radar for the Navy’s Independence Class of Littoral Combat Ships’ yet-to-be-built LCS 28 and LCS 30, according to a Nov. 27 company release. Work will take place at Saab here in Syracuse and Sweden. Sea Giraffe AMB is being delivered to five classes of Navy surface ships as a part of three separate USN programs. Currently, Sea Giraffe has been installed on the Independence class USS Independence, USS Coronado, USS Jackson, USS Montgomery, USS Gabrielle Giffords, and USS Omaha. Additional systems are in various stages of manufacturing and testing to meet LCS construction schedules. Sea Giraffe AMB is a multirole, medium-range, 3D surveillance radar system for naval applications. It provides simultaneous air and surface surveillance, and is suitable for demanding naval environments from the littorals to blue-water operations. Giraffe AMB is a passive electronically-scanned array radar. Saab's naval variant of Giraffe is a version of its AMB aviation technology. It can detect air and surface targets from the horizon up to a height of 66,000 feet; and simultaneously handle multiple threats approaching from different directions and altitudes, including diving anti-ship missiles. Also, it is specialized for rapidly detecting small, fast moving targets at all , and small surface targets in clusters. Sea Giraffe AMB is installed on the Navy's Independence class of Littoral Combat Ships. v(Source: Sea Power Magazine 11/28/17) Gulf Coast Note: The Independence LCS variant ships are built at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.

HII, unions OK contract extensions

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Nov. 28 that five unions at its Ingalls Shipbuilding Division here in Pascagoula have approved an extension of their collective bargaining agreements. The contract affects employees represented by the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council, local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Association of Machinists, United Federation of Special Police and Security Officers, and the Office and Professional Employees International Union. As part of a four-year extension, a $2,500 lump sum payment will be awarded in March 2018 to all eligible employees; a 65-cent raise on the journeyman rate will come March 11, 2019, a 67-cent raise on March 9, 2020, and an 82-cent raise on March 8, 2021. All eligible represented employees will also receive a $2,500 ratification bonus that is to be payable Dec. 14, 2017. (Source: HII 11/28/17)

Gaetz fights for SR island cut-through

Florida’s 1^st District Congressman Matt Gaetz reassured Navarre residents Nov. 27 at a town hall meeting that he would continue to fight for a cut-through of Santa Rosa Island that would allow faster boat access to the Gulf of Mexico from Navarre. The pass could infuse $1B into the regional economy, according to Gaetz (R-Fort Walton Beach). "The new investment would make Santa Rosa one of the wealthiest counties in Florida," Gaetz said. Eglin Air Force Base leaders have opposed the idea for a pass, which they claim would increase boat traffic and interfere with training along a 20-mile stretch of military-owned beach between Navarre and Destin. Gatez indicated that he was going to look at other options in the area for the military training, including Gulf Islands National Seashore. Gaetz also suggested restitution money paid by BP from the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill could potentially be used to fund the pass. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 11/28/17)

FMC’s Doyle stepping down

U.S. Federal Maritime Commission leader William P. Doyle announced Nov. 27 that he had notified President Trump last week of his intention to leave the FMC’s top post effective Jan. 3, 2018. (Source: Maritime Link 11/27/17)

Fitz suffers loading damage

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan - The collision-crippled USS Fitzgerald was forced to return to its homeport of NB Yokosuka on Nov. 26 after suffering further damage while being loaded onto a heavy lift vessel for its global ride to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard for repairs. The destroyer was sent back from a Yokosuka ship repair facility to fix a pair of additional punctures to its hull caused by the heavy lift vessel MV Transshelf while DDG 62 was being loaded for transfer. The Navy estimates repairs will take multiple days before it begins its journal to Ingalls. Some 50 sailors from the crew of 300 will remain aboard as it travels back to the U.S. The Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine-flagged merchant ship on June 17. The accident killed seven sailors and injured three. The ship’s two senior officers and a senior enlisted were relieved of duty. (Source: Stars and Stripes 11/26/17)

Corals reveal slow-motion damage

In the years since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spit the Gulf of Mexico, the largest in U.S. history, scientists have been monitoring the annual effects from the seafloor in a remotely operated underwater vehicle. Oil particles and chemical dispersants released hijacked phytoplankton and flecks’ ride on biological debris that would naturally fall to the bottom. Today, as the President and Congress are pushing expansion of offshore drilling, scientists are still coming to grips with the effects on deep-sea corals within the GoM’s ecosystem. Scientists are saying the story of slow-growing corals could take as long as “hundreds of years” to get back to what was lost, according to Erik Cordes, a deep-sea ecologist from Temple University who has been studying the GoM since 2010. Scientists estimate 15-to-30 percent of the spill settled on the bottom. Cordes is part of the Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs group, a research consortium that has been monitoring multiple coral sites annually. Research funding has offered a rare chance to study the same corals year after year, allowing for new insights into the effects of oil contamination and the role of deep-sea corals in the GoM ecosystem. (Source: News Deeply 11/27/17)

Whitehead elected IPC president

The International Propeller Club of the United States elected and installed its leaders for the coming year at its 91st annual convention. Representatives of the IPC’s more than 75 chapters around the globe elected retired Coast Guard Rear Adm. Joel Whitehead to a two-year term as president. Whitehead is a member of the Club’s Port of New Orleans chapter. He is president of J. Whitehead & Associates Inc., a maritime and homeland security consulting firm in the Washington, D.C. area. (Source: Maritime Logistics Professional 11/24/17) Gulf Coast Note: At the close of his 34-year career, Whitehead served for three as Commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans. He was responsible for CG operations and oversight of the maritime and offshore oil industry in 26 states and the entire Gulf of Mexico; and 10,300 miles of inland waterways including the entire navigable lengths of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee River systems.

GC sailors killed in C-2A crash

The Navy has identified three sailors – two from Florida and one from Louisiana – who were killed in a C-2A Greyhound crash the day before Thanksgiving on Nov. 23 in the Philippine Sea while returning to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. The three were identified as Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Matthew Chialastri of Baton Rouge, La.; Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso of Pensacola, Fla.; and Lt. Steven Combs of Jacksonville, Fla. Chialastri was assigned to the USS Ronald Reagan. Chialastri was valedictorian of Woodlawn High School's 2013 graduating class. Grosso was assigned to Ronald Reagan; graduated from West Florida High School; and had served a training stint at Naval Air Technical Training Center in Pensacola. Combs was assigned to the "Providers" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 and served aboard Ronald Reagan as part of Carrier Air Wing Five, according to the Navy. (Source: Military.com, WBRZ and Pensacola News Journal 11/25/17)

DDG 62 preps for voyage to HII

The damaged guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) left the U.S. naval base at Yokosuka, Japan, on Nov. 24 to Ship Repair Facility Yokosuka where it will be loaded aboard the heavy lift transport Transshelf within a few days. The transport will deliver DDG 62 to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard for more than a year of repairs. (Source: Maritime Herald 11/24/17)

Maritime commission to host hearings

The Federal Maritime Commission announced that it would host public hearings on Jan. 16-17, 2018, to receive testimony from maritime industry witnesses regarding a petition filed by the Coalition for Fair Port Practices (Petition P4-16) that raised issues associated with detention, demurrage, and per diem charges. Those interested in presenting testimony must send a request to the FMC not later than Dec. 8, 2017. Acting Chairman Michael A. Khouri stated that one question was whether the FMC could craft a general rule of universal nationwide applicability on the issues given the wide variety of commercial terms and conditions incorporated into Vessel Operating Common Carrier (VOCC) service contracts and in Marine Terminal Operators (MTO) tariffs nationwide to address various events and circumstances. The hearings will be held in Washington, D.C. The FMC decided to hold hearings after receiving analysis of 115 public comments. (Source: Federal Maritime Commission 11/16/17)

Island restoration's web of pipelines

An $11.2M East Timbalier Island, La., coastal restoration project is going to get another $2.2M to deal with an unexpected tangled web of oil and gas (O&G) pipelines. The state project plans to rebuild the island, which is part of a chain of barrier islands protecting marshlands in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, but it ran into a vast network of badly mapped active and abandoned oil wells and pipelines. The shallow island, located 35 miles southeast of Houma, has been eroding at a rate of some 70 feet per year over the last few decades. Its loss would expose fragile wetlands and hundreds of oil wells in Terrebonne and Timbalier bays to storm surges. The state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) is planning to spend some $160M to rebuild and re-create some 460 acres of marsh and dune. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental non-profit, has contributed $5.6M to jump-start the project. The non-profit has agreed a CPRA request for $2.2M more to cover the engineering and design work-around of those poorly mapped O&G infrastructures. (Source: NOLA.com 11/24/17)

Iran Navy plans venture into GoM

The Iranian Navy is scheduled to leave the waters of the Persian Gulf and sail across the globe into another gulf - the one between America and Mexico - known as the Gulf of Mexico. Iran is looking to expand and modernize its military in the face of U.S. military efforts, according to its new navy commander, Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi. The Iranian Navy unveiled plans for dispatching military warships to Latin America, saying its Navy will soon sail into the Gulf of Mexico. Speaking at his first press conference on Nov. 22, Rear Adm. Khanzadi said Iran’s Navy will soon sail across the Atlantic Ocean, visit some South American nations, and wave the Iranian flag in the GoM. (Source: Newsweek 11/22/17)

DOD upholds conviction in Cole case

The senior Defense Department official in charge of the U.S. war court at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has upheld the USS Cole trial judge’s contempt conviction of Marine Brig. Gen. John Baker, who oversees the defense team, according to a DOD statement released Nov. 21. The statement also suggested that the three civilian defense attorneys who quit the case are still bound to litigate in the USS Cole case. The official, Harvey Rishikof, convening authority of military commissions, decided that Maj. Gen. Baker did not need to serve the remainder of 21-day confinement and fine of $1,000 placed on him by the Cole case judge Air Force Col. Vance Spath. The judge sentenced Baker to both on Nov. 2 for invoking a privilege and refusing to answer the judge's questions in court. Rishikof will forward the conviction to Baker's chain of command as an administrative and ethics matter, which keeps the issue from federal court. The general's civilian attorney said Nov. 22 that Baker and his attorneys were considering a military judicial challenge to the “erroneous contempt finding or whether to return to Judge Lamberth to ask him to overturn the contempt finding.” (Source: Miami Herald 11/22/17)

HII launches NSC Midgett

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division launched the National Security Cutter (NSC) Midgett (WMSL 757) on Nov. 22 from its Pascagoula shipyard. Midgett is the eighth NSC-Ingalls built ship for the Coast Guard. It will be christened Dec. 9. Legend-class NSC are the flagships of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet. It is designed to replace the 378-foot Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters. The Legend class is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the CG, with robust maritime homeland security capabilities, law enforcement, safety, environmental protection, and national defense missions. Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company. (Source: HII 11/22/17)

Cochran offers DOD cap buster

WASHINGTON - Ahead of a bipartisan budget deal expected before the end of 2017, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has recommended a $650.7B spending package for the military in FY 2018. The Nov. 21 proposal includes $581.3B in base Defense Department funding, $64.9B for Overseas Contingency Operations war-time funding, and $4.5B the president wanted in emergency funding for missile defense. Cochran’s draft proposal was not put to the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, which he also heads, for a vote. It never was subject to the amendment process. It likely reflects the work product of the appropriations committee, with minority input – and as a marker for the Senate GOP’s position in ongoing budget negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House. (Source: Military Times 11/21/17)

More LCS, EPF Asia engagements

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The U.S. Navy is planning to enhance naval engagement with nations across South Asia in 2018, according to Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson, commander of Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73. The command intends to build upon this year’s engagements, which were carried out by the Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) and the Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPF) USNS Millinocket (EPF-3), USNS Fall River (EPF-4) and USNS Brunswick (EPF-6) – all built at Austal USA’s shipyards in Mobile, Ala. The new engagements will be paired with a more flexible framework to allow the Navy to develop opportunities for training with regional nations’ navies. The engagements are intended to complement the long-standing exercises. “We benefit greatly from year-long planning engagements with our partners in exercises like CARAT (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training) and SEACAT (Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training),” Gabrielson said. The Navy has been using these exercises to build with partner-nation navies the past 20-to-30 years to train at sea. The mid-2018 plan has two LCS deployed, but a gap with LCS will be covered by three EPFs. The 14-month deployment of Coronado marked a milestone in validating the ability to operate the LCS in the region while paving the way to operate greater numbers of LCSs simultaneously,” the admiral said. (Source: USNI News 11/21/17)

La. researchers, oystermen at odds

In the last several years, the BP oil spill and diversions of water from the Mississippi River have compromised the balance of water and salt needed to sustain oysters off Louisiana’s southeast coast, according to a research study by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. Those scientists say they have identified areas where the water is just salty enough for oysters to flourish. The research study’s conclusions help oystermen shift harvesting production away from coastal areas that have been depleted; and could help the industry adapt elsewhere as the state tries to rebuild its coast with massive river diversions that would send freshwater and sediment into eroding wetlands, likely would kill more oysters. But, the state is “trying to create diversions, not to optimize oysters but to build land,” said John Lopez, director of the foundation’s coastal sustainability program. Oystermen aren’t buying it. Based on the locations of the state restoration projects, and this research, Lopez said oystermen should start harvesting in the Biloxi Marsh, closer to Bay St. Louis, Miss., than the Bird’s Foot Delta. The state’s plan to rebuild the coast calls for cutting holes in levees along the Mississippi River south of New Orleans, which will fill nearby bays with sediment-rich water from the river. Proponents of diversions say it’s a cost-effective way to rebuild land. Oystermen say the research should focus on controlling the amount of freshwater entering those bays. (Source: New Orleans Advocate 11/20/17)

GC scientists’ red snapper study

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - A team of university and government scientists, selected by an expert review panel convened by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, will conduct an independent study to estimate the number of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. The research team, made up of 21 scientists from 12 institutions of higher learning, a state agency and a federal agency, was awarded $9.5M in federal funds for the project through a competitive research grant process. With matching funds from the universities, the project will total $12M. Greg Stunz is the project leader and a professor at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Some of the other team members include Sean P. Powers, University of South Alabama’s Dauphin Island Sea Lab; James Cowan of LSU; Marcus Drymon of Mississippi State University; Brett Falterman, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; Robert Leaf and Eric Saillant of the University of Southern Mississippi. The team will determine abundance and distribution of red snapper on artificial, natural and unknown bottom habitat across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Recreational anglers and commercial fishers will be invited to play key roles in collecting data by tagging fish, reporting tags and working directly with scientists onboard their vessels. (Source: Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium 11/17/17)

COBRA mod pact for Panama City

Arête Associates of Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $7,455,192 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N61331-11-C-0007) to provide Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) program systems support for the AN/DVS-1 COBRA Block 1 system and support equipment. The primary mission of AN/DVS-1 COBRA program is to conduct unmanned aerial tactical reconnaissance in littoral battlespace for detection and localization of mine fields and obstacles in the surf zone and beach zone prior to amphibious assault for Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City , Fla. For the base contract, statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition used was 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(5) (authorized or required by statute (PL 106-554 SBIR)). Work will be performed in Tucson, and is expected to be completed by December 2018. FY 2016 Navy research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $2,625,005 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Bill threatens GC bases, maritime

WASHINGTON – Florida Congressman Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) is raising alarm about a House Natural Resources Committee’s go-ahead of a bill last week threatens Florida’s long-standing moratorium of drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Rooney, who represents the Naples-area district, and others in the state are worried the bill will pass a full congressional vote without extending the ban on drilling within 125 miles of Florida’s Gulf Coast when it expires mid-2022. Unable to convince the committee to extend the ban, Rooney is rallying support among members of the Florida delegation to back an amendment making the moratorium permanent. "We cannot have drilling in the eastern Gulf,” he said. “It will destroy our tourist economy." Florida lawmakers have fought against attempts to open up energy drilling off the Gulf Coast to protect the tourist-rich beaches, and the maritime industry, but lawmakers from other Gulf states, primarily Louisiana, have tried to help the industry expand in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and other parts of the country. (Source: Naples [Fla.] Daily News 11/20/17) The eastern Gulf is important to national security due to the flight training at NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field, and Eglin and Tyndall AFBs, and testing that takes place from multiple military bases in the Tampa area to NAS Key West. The eastern Gulf is the largest training ground for the U.S. military in the world, according to Rep. Rooney’s commentary in the Naples Daily News of Nov. 18.

Eastern-built hopper dredge, tug

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp., a provider of dredging services in the U.S. and environmental and infrastructure services has taken delivery of its Eastern Shipbuilding-built ATB hopper dredge Ellis Island and tug Douglas B. Mackie following completion of Coast Guard (CG) and American Bureau of Shipping regulatory sea trials. The Ellis Island will be the largest hopper dredge in the U.S. market. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock will next perform CG emergency crew drills and expects to receive the Certificates of Inspection. Afterwards, the hopper dredge and tug will depart Panama City, Fla., for the Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program project and commence operations on a long haul coastal restoration project. (Source: Marine Link 11/20/17) Eastern Shipbuilding Co. is located in Panama City.