LCS 16 change of command

SAN DIEGO - The Alabama-built Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16) held a change of command here on April 29. Cmdr. Audry Oxley, a native of Lamar, Colo., assumed command from Cmdr. Drew Borovies, who completed a successful 24-month commissioning command tour that included numerous certification events, tactics development, training and preparing to join the fleet. His next assignment is to command another Austal USA-built ship USS Omaha (LCS 12) also based in San Diego. Oxley had served as executive officer of USS Tulsa. The LCS serves as a mine countermeasure mission module platform along with USS Manchester (LCS 14) and USS Charleston (LCS 18), and is assigned to Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. (Source: USS Tulsa 04/30/19) All even-numbered LCS hulls are built at the Austal shipyard in Mobile, Ala.

VTHM: Back from the wilderness

After wondering in the wilderness, Gulf Coast shipyard VT Halter Marine (VTHM) of Pascagoula, Miss., is setting a new course in its government shipbuilding business. In mid-April, VTHM won a $745M contract for the detail design and construction of the first of up to three Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter icebreakers. The win, which has potential options up to $1.9Bl, allowed this subsidiary of Singapore Technologies to put Gulf Coast shipbuilding on notice – an oft overlooked naval shipyard is back from its checkered past and 2009-11 business implosion. But as Bob Dylan wrote in the 1960s: “The times they are a changin’.” The icebreaker contract showed that VTHM was tough enough to crowd out a pair of hungry competitors. Industry rumors suggest VT Halter Marine was relentless, attacking established business collaborations to reduce competition and increase its chances at securing the contract. With a steady trickle of private-sector work, VTHM has become one of the few U.S. shipyards set to exploit the growing demand for vessels ready to use liquefied natural gas as a fuel source. VT Halter Marine has demonstrated that it can successfully compete anew. Now, comes the difficult part: Demonstrate it can execute all their new varied contracts. (Source: Forbes 04/29/19)

Editorial: Dredge industry standing up

On April 30, 1798, President John Adams signed a congressional act establishing the Navy. On the Navy’s 221st anniversary of being established, the U.S-flag Jones Act and the dredging industry stands with the Navy as proud stewards of our nation’s strategic ports and remains committed to maintaining their channels and points of access at all times. Strategic U.S. ports are designated by the Defense Department (DoD) to support major force deployments. The Strategic Seaport Program (SSP) is designed to ensure America has seaport capacity necessary to effectively handle any contingency affecting national security. Maintaining SSP's reserve capacity requires coordination from nine federal agencies, including the U.S. Maritime Administration, Coast Guard, U.S. Northern Command, and the Army Corps of Engineers that makes up the National Port Readiness Network (NPRN). In the past year, the Jones Act dredging companies have maintained, deepened or widened strategic seaports around the nation. Among the dredging companies involved include Weeks Marine with which offices and facilities in south Louisiana. The American dredging industry is amidst a $1.5B dredging fleet expansion, including investments in four large cutter suction dredges, two large hopper dredges and about 50 barges built in U.S. shipyards, including Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City, Fla., Conrad Shipyard and Halimar Shipyard, both of Morgan City, La. Texas-based Callan Marine is constructing a 32-inch hydraulic cutter suction dredge at C&C Marine Shipyard in Belle Chasse, La. Separately, Weeks Marine is building a 30-inch cutter suction dredge at C&C Marine. The U.S.-flag dredging industry sustains about 650,000 jobs and generates more than $150B in annual economic output. (Source: Maritime Executive editorial by William P. Doyle, Dredging Contractors of America 04/29/19)

First Indy-class advanced tact training

SAN DIEGO - For the first time in the Independence-class of Littoral Combat Ship(s’) history, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) conducted Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) within the Navy’s 3rd Fleet area of operations. The training, concluded April 22, provided the crew of USS Montgomery (LCS 8) advanced training to increase tactical proficiency, lethality, and interoperability. “SWATT is the culmination of a phased training approach, which prepares our ships and our sailors to win the fight,” said Capt. Matthew McGonigle, commander of LCS Squadron 1. LCS 18 – one of nine Independence variants built at Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., that have been delivered to the Navy - conducted several training exercises during the multi-day training event, including anti-submarine, surface, and air warfare. Complex live-fire events included torpedo countermeasure exercises and gunnery exercises. “The Montgomery Blue team honed their skills during the complex exercise and without a doubt, their watch-stander proficiency was enhanced,” said Cmdr. Edward A. Rosso, Montgomery’s commanding officer. (Source: Naval Surface Force Pacific 04/29/19) Austal USA has six LCS currently under construction (LCS 20-30) and five are awaiting start of construction. Most all of the even-numbered hulls (Independence class) are homeported in San Diego.

GC represents at MATE ROV

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. - The Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s ‘Discovery Hall’ programs wrapped up its 7th annual Northern Gulf Coast Regional MATE ROV Competition with an awards ceremony on April 28. Twenty-seven teams competed with their custom-built remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and represented the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas, Georgia, and Louisiana. The competition is a part of the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) network of 37 regional competitions worldwide. The MATE ROV competition uses underwater robotics to inspire and challenge students to learn and creatively apply scientific, engineering, and technical skills to solving real-world problems. Students create an engineering company that designs, builds and uses underwater robots to carry out specified missions. The 2019 theme was ‘Innovations for Inshore: ROV Operations in Rivers, Lakes, and Dams.’ which highlights the role ROVs play in addressing problems. Aquatic Robotics of Design Vision from Lafayette, La., placed first in the Ranger category to earn a chance to compete in the International MATE ROV Competition in June at Kingsport, Tenn. In the Navigator class competition, Tiger Shark Robotics of the STEM Academy from Clanton, Ala., took top honors. Pius Salvage of St. Pius X in Mobile, Ala., placed first in the Scout class competition. David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy’s Hydrobotics Inc. from Lafayette, La., placed second and the Water Warriors from the Underwater ROV Club (SCHEF) in Slidell, La., was third. (Source: DISL 04/28/19)

GC-built ships to forward deploy

SASEBO, Japan – A pair of Navy ships built on the Gulf Coast - amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and landing platform dock USS New Orleans (LPD 18) - will become part of the U.S. 7th Fleet forward-deployed forces in Japan, according to the commander of Naval Forces Japan said in a media release. The guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) will shift its homeport to San Diego for its mid-life modernization, and the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) will shift its homeport to Norfolk, Va., to undergo scheduled maintenance. America is capable of supporting the Marine Corps’ F-35B vertical-lift variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, as part of an embarked Marine Corps Air Combat Element. Maintaining a forward-deployed force capability supports the U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. America will provide the Marines with a means of combat operations utilizing the F-35B. New Orleans is capable of ship-to-shore movement by tilt-rotor and helicopter. In addition to combat operations, both ships can conduct humanitarian-assistance operations. (Source: Seapower 04/28/19) The U.S. Navy awarded then-Northrop Grumman Corporation's Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., to build LHA-6. New Orleans was built by then-Northrop Grumman Ship Systems of New Orleans and commissioned in the ‘Big Easy’ in March 2007.

Public CoE hurricane levee meetings

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) will hold two public meetings April 30 in Algiers and Uptown New Orleans to discuss what to include in congressional-approved studies aimed at determining how to keep hurricane levees high enough to reduce risk of flooding from storm-water surges created by 100-year storms, which have a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year. The studies are aimed at determining needed improvements to the hurricane levee systems to assure continued surge-protection in 2023. Initial CoE research indicated the levees may be lower than the 100-year levels of 2023 because of sinking soils beneath levee segments, and the potential of sea levels rising caused, in part, by global warming. Also, the availability of National Flood Insurance within these levees is in part based on the ability of them to provide protection from potential 100-year surges. The levees must be certified as meeting the flood insurance program standards in 2023. If the studies conclude the improvements are feasible and justified, the U.S. government would pay 75 percent. The other 25 percent would be paid by the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and may even fall to East Bank and West Bank levee authorities, which already pay the cost of interim levee lifts through taxes. The meetings are aimed at gathering information from stakeholders and the public early in the study process, with more public meetings and open houses to be held later. The Algiers meeting about proposed improvements to West Bank and vicinity levee projects is from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Cut-Off Recreational Center. The meeting about changes to the east bank of Lake Pontchartrain and vicinity levee projects is from 6-7:30 p.m. at the corps’ New Orleans District headquarters. (Source: NOLA.com 04/28/19)

You can buy your own spec ops craft

The General Services Administration (GSA) is currently auctioning a former Navy high-speed water-jet propelled MkV Special Operations Craft (SOC), which was used by SEALs and their special boat teams. So, if you want to make a “splash” at the local yacht club or launch a strike on a small island, this may be an opportunity. The MkV is presently sitting at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla. The current bid is $52,100 for the 82-foot long aluminum-hulled boat, which originally cost the Navy millions of dollars to buy, though this offer does not yet meet an unspecified reserve price for a final sale. VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., built the SOCs in the late 1990s. The Navy has since replaced these SOCs with Combatant Craft Mediums, one of Naval Special Warfare Command’s family of specialized stealthy boats. (Source: The Drive 04/26/19)

IWUB to meet May 23 in NOLA

The Inland Waterways Users Board, an industry federal advisory committee that makes recommendations to Congress and the Secretary of the Army on priorities and spending from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund for construction and rehabilitation projects, will meet May 23 in New Orleans. The board is to receive multiple briefings and presentations on projects, including an update of the Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway Navigation and Environmental Sustainability Project (NESP); and the Calcasieu Lock Study that addresses navigation improvement planning for the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) at and in the vicinity of the Calcasieu (La.) Lock in Cameron Parish, La., and the results of simulations. The Army Corps of Engineers’ IWU board meeting is from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the Westin New Orleans Canal Place hotel. For more information contact Mark R. Pointon, the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) for the committee via e-mail at Mark.Pointon@usace.army.mil. (Source: Army COE 04/24/19)

MDA to lead biz mission to Europe

The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) will lead a multi-sector business development mission to Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands from June 18–25. Mississippi companies interested in expanding or initiating trade in these markets are invited to participate although space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registration is recommended. The deadline to register is May 15. “By participating in MDA’s business development mission to Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, Mississippi businesses will have ample opportunities to forge mutually beneficial relationships in some of the largest economies in Europe. We encourage those interested in exporting to these key markets to join the state’s delegation to pursue new export opportunities,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough Jr. (Source: MDA 04/26/19) Ireland boasts of having the fastest growing economy in Europe.

DoI to disperse $215M to Gulf states

The U.S, Department of the Interior announced April 25 that four Gulf Coast states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas – and their costal subdivision will be getting nearly $215M in FY 2018 energy-producing revenues under a revenue-sharing formula in the federal Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA). The funds will be used to support coastal conservation and restoration projects, hurricane protection programs, and activities to implement marine, coastal, or conservation management plans, DoI announced. Louisiana will get $94.7M - about $13M more than the previous year. Louisiana receives by far the greatest share of the Gulf revenues shared with the other three Gulf states. Alabama will get $30.6M, Mississippi $31.7M, and Texas $57.9M. GOMESA funds are derived from qualified O&G leasing revenues on the Outer Continental Shelf, and disbursed in accordance with the revenue-sharing provisions of the legislation. (Source: Dept. of Interior 04/25/19)

La. shrimp task force meeting May 1

The Louisiana Shrimp Task Force is holding a public meeting May 1 in Houma, La. Among business is the STF’s federal shrimp permit report; updates from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries on its Nearshore Reef Planning Proposal and Shrimp Bycatch Study. Additional presentations will be on the 2019 Spring Shrimp Season; Vermillion Bay Shrimp Landings; Shrimp industry drone purchase and enforcement; and from Dr. Robert Twilley on Louisiana’s Seafood Future Initiative. Dr. Twilley is a professor with the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Science at LSU, and executive director of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the Terrebonne (Parish) Council Meeting Room in Houma. The meeting is held in compliance with Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law. (Source: LDWF 04/25/19) Those interested can listed to the meeting via webinar. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5137569634219683329

Report: Offshore drilling precarious

The international environmental group Oceana, which also has a North American office in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recently released a report that says it finds offshore oil drilling to be a precarious operation, which runs 180 degrees from the narrative of the American Petroleum Institute, which hopes to open new offshore lease sites and contends drilling is safer since the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The “Dirty Drilling: Trump Administration Proposals Weaken Key Safety Protections and Radically Expand Offshore Drilling” report comes while the U.S. government is putting the final touches of a 5-year drilling plan for offshore leases, which one day may include Eglin AFB’s military training range in the GoM. Less safety and more drilling are a recipe for disaster,” Oceana Campaign Director Diane Hoskins said in a statement. The report contends the offshore drilling industry is poorly regulated, risky and not equipped to handle another major oil spill. Also in the report, Oceana wrote that there have been at least 6,500 oil spills in U.S. waters from 2007-17; sizes are generally low-balled; and fines average $44,675 per violation per day. The industry, according to the reports, is accustomed to $1M-per-day operating costs. (Source: Inweekly.net columnist 04/25/19) API is a national trade association representing the oil and natural gas industry. The full report is at usa.oceana.org/dirtydrilling.

MDA conference, trade fair May 15

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi businesses interested in learning about subcontracting and procurement opportunities are invited to participate in the Mississippi Development Authority’s (MDA) 2019 Government Procurement Opportunities Conference and Trade Fair on May 15 here at the Jackson Convention Complex. “MDA’s Government Procurement Conference and Trade Fair is a valuable opportunity for Mississippi companies seeking to grow their business through partnerships with government agencies and corporations,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough Jr. The event also will ensure participants return home equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully compete for contracts. Invited government agencies and defense contractors include: Army, Air Force and Navy installations, Army Corps of Engineers, Small Business Administration, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Huntington Ingalls, Northrop Grumman and NASA. (Source: Mississippi.org 04/23/19) A welcome reception featuring live music by blues musician Jesse Robinson will be held May 14 at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson.

LNG ship 6,000th thru expanded canal

The Japanese-flagged LNG vessel Energy Liberty became the 6,000th Neo-Panamax vessel through the expanded Panama Canal since the waterway’s opening to accommodate LNG ships three years ago. Energy Liberty completed the milestone transit April 24 while traveling southbound from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. (Source: Marine Link 04/24/19)

Basinkeeper challenges pipeline ops

The now-operational, but apparently still controversial, Bayou Bridge Pipeline’s Louisiana section is again facing a challenge by the environmental group Atchafalaya Basinkeeper. The group is questioning how the pipeline was allowed to begin operating April 1 without having an approved emergency response plan. The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) indicated they would investigate, but the pipeline’s operations fall under the federal government. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said the pipeline is complying with federal regulations. The 163-mile Louisiana segment of the pipeline is transporting oil from Lake Charles to St. James Parish, and has been the subject of several legal challenges over such things as the effects on swamps in the Atchafalaya Delta. The pipeline’s majority owner is the Houston-based Energy Transfer Partners. Phillips 66 Partners owns 40 percent. The Basinkeeper’s “citizen complaint” is asking DNR to enforce a condition, in the pipeline’s state coastal use permit, that the group says requires a “facility response plan” to be in place before it transports oil. that it was looking into the complaint. The fed pipeline agency had informed the environmental group April 11 that Bayou Bridge had not yet submitted the response plan. But in an April 16 letter, submitted as part of motions on behalf of DNR to the state Supreme Court case, a PHMSA official said Energy Transfer Partners had submitted a similar “Integrated Contingency Plan” that includes the Bayou Bridge segment, but had not yet been approved by PHMSA. (Source: NOLA.com 04/22/19)

La. ports get $3M grants

The Maritime Administration awarded the ports of Baton Rouge and New Orleans a $3.2M Marine Highway Program grant to support a program to put shipping containers on barges rather than congested highways. The ports’ container on barge (COB) service between the Louisiana ports was awarded the largest of the grants announced last week by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sponsored by the Port of New Orleans, the grant funds will support the both ports’ container on barge service, allowing them to purchase vessels that will increase the viability of the service. (Source: Work Boat 04/22/19)

Sunshine Bridge public hearing

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is scheduled to conduct a public hearing to consider evidence related to the Kristin Alexis formal marine investigation May 6-11 at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, La. The hearing will focus on the overhead strike of the Sunshine Bridge in Donaldsonville, La., which severely impacted the community for weeks while the bridge was impassible and out of service. Members of the public who wish to attend the hearing must present valid government-issued photo identification. (Source: Coast Guard media advisory 04/23/19) The CG convened a formal investigation into the Oct. 12, 2018, incident in which the towboat Kristin Alexis, pushing a barge-mounted crane, struck the bridge and damaged a load-bearing beam.

VTHM pact to construct ice breaker

VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the detail design and construction of the Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter (formerly Heavy Polar Ice Breaker). The PSC program is a multiple year Department of Homeland Security investment and a CG major system acquisition to acquire up to three multi-mission PSCs to recapitalize the CG fleet of heavy icebreakers, which have exhausted their design service life. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $1,942,812,266. Work will be performed in Pascagoula (61%); Metairie, La. (12%); New Orleans (12%); San Diego (4%); Mossville, Ill. (4%); Mobile, Ala. (2%); Boca Raton, Fla. (2%); and various other locations (3%), and is expected to be completed by June 2024. If all options are exercised, work will continue through November 2027. FY 2019 Coast Guard procurement, construction, and improvement funds; and FY-18/17 Nvy shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $839,224,287 will be obligated at time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 04/23/19)

ULL earns EPA RainWorks Challenge

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced April 23 the winners of its 7th annual Campus RainWorks Challenge, a national competition that engages college students in the design of on-campus green infrastructure solutions to address stormwater pollution. Winners included a team from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for their project of cultivating community resilience through flood control and green infrastructure. Stormwater runoff is a significant source of water pollution in America. EPA’s challenge asks students and faculty across the country to apply green infrastructure design principles, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and increase the use of green infrastructure on the nation’s college campuses. This year’s challenge invited student teams to compete in two design categories: Master Plan and Demonstration Project categories. ULL’s “Ripple Effect” project’s ambition reached beyond campus. The ULL team redesigned the campus to incorporate realistic, replicable green infrastructure practices that engage with the broader community to cultivate regional resiliency. Other winners were the University of Oregon (1st), University of Arizona (2nd), and Florida International University (2nd). First place teams will receive a $2,000 student prize to be split among team members and a $3,000 faculty prize to support green infrastructure research and education. Second place teams will receive a $1,000 student prize and a $2,000 faculty prize. (Source: EPA 04/23/19)

MSU leads FIL research projects

STARKVILLE, Miss. - The international Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish (FIL) made its first round of ‘Quick Starts’ awards for research by granting $100,000 each to five projects in four countries – Kenya, Bangladesh, Zambia and Nigeria. The innovation lab project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and led by Mississippi State University. The project supports sustainable and resilient aquaculture and fisheries systems by initiating and supporting research to enhance food safety and nutrition, improve fish production systems to improve nutrition and livelihoods of small-scale producers in developing countries. The lab will fund approximately $7.5M in research grants through 2023 to researchers working with small-scale producers in Feed the Future focused countries. The Quick Starts span one year and will provide valuable information to guide lab efforts over the next five years. Leveraging existing knowledge and expertise at Mississippi State, all Quick Starts include at least one MSU researcher. Results of the studies are expected later this year. (Source: MSU 04/22/19) The FIL is one of 24 labs leveraging the expertise of U.S. universities and developing country research institutions to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges in agriculture and food security.

Partial opening of La. shrimp season

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that the portion of state outside waters between Calliou Boca and the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island will reopen to shrimping April 25 at 12 noon. The portion of state outside waters that are west of the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island to the western shoreline of Freshwater Bayou Canal will remain closed. (Source: LDWF 04/22/19)

WETshop 2019 for La. teachers

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ (LDWF) WETshop 2019, a coastal awareness workshop for science, history and social studies teachers across the state, is scheduled for July 7–12 at the LDWF’s Grand Isle (La.) Research Lab. The dic-day workshop is focused on providing teachers with an in-depth look at issues related to wetland ecology and coastal land loss in Louisiana. Teachers will accrue 55 hours of instruction covering a wide variety of topics, including fisheries management, and coastal restoration. Workshop experiences provide ideas to incorporate Louisiana phenomena-based science in classrooms at all grade levels. At the completion of the workshop, participants will each receive a $250 stipend. WETshop is sponsored by LDWF in partnership with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program and the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program. (Source: LDWF 04/22/19)

Ala.-built LCS 18 arrives in San Diego

SAN DIEGO - The Alabama-built USS Charleston, the newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, arrived at its San Diego homeport April 19 after completing its maiden voyage that took it from the Austal USA Shipyard in Mobile to its commissioning March 2 in Charleston, S.C. During the sail-around, LCS 18 made port calls to Mayport, Fla.; Little Creek, Va.; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Mazatlan, Mexico, and completed a successful transit through the Panama Canal. “(W)e’ve been away from our families for nine months, but during that time the crew maintained an infectious positivity throughout every aspect of bringing this ship to the fleet,” said Cmdr. Christopher K. Brusca, commanding officer. The ship is assigned to Commander Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1 (COMLCSRON ONE) until the future LCS Mine Countermeasures Division is established on the West Coast. (Source: LCS Squadron One 04/19/19) Charleston was christened last August at Austal USA. It is the nation’s 18th LCS, and the seventh of 12 LCS that Austal has under contract with the Navy.

CG ends PC search for missing man

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard and partner agencies suspended the search April 21 for a 20-year-old white male that was seen struggling to return to shore near Panama City Beach, Fla., Friday (April 19) night. The CG, Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Panama City police searched 1,281 square-nautical miles over 27 hours, but were unable to locate the missing man. The man was described as a 20-year-old white male with long black hair wearing black shorts. (Source: Coast Guard 04/21/19)

CG rescues La. trio from disabled boat

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard rescued three people from a disabled 18-foot recreational boat in Seven Dollar Bay, south of Hopedale, La., in the early evening of April 19. The Coast Guard directed the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from CG Air Station New Orleans. The aircrew arrived and hoisted the trio into helicopter, and transferred them to University Medical Center New Orleans in stable condition. “The three people were able to call for help because they had a working VHF radio aboard their vessel,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brian Ward, an aircraft commander from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans. “If you’re going out on the water, be prepared. Boating safety equipment, including a VHF-radio, could potentially save your life.” (Source: Coast Guard 04/20/19)

NHC report: Michael reached Cat 5

At noon Central Time on Oct. 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael was already among the stronger Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes in history. Yet, it was to intensify until it came ashore around 12:30 CT between Panama City and Mexico Beach, Fla. A National Hurricane Center report released April 19 now indicates that the storm reached Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale prior to landfall. The NHC report says Michael reached maximum sustained winds at an estimated 140 knots (160 mph). It is five knots higher than the strength estimated at landfall on Oct. 10, but sufficient to bump it to “Cat 5” intensity. The corrective upgrade now puts Michael in the record books as the fourth-strongest U.S. storm ever recorded. The Top 3 include the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane in the Middle Keys (160 knots), 1969’s Hurricane Camille on coastal Mississippi (150 knots), and 1992’s Hurricane Andrew in South Florida (145 knots). Correcting hurricane records is a routine function of the NHC. After every hurricane season ends, NHC scientists and forecasters gather all available data for each storm from satellite, reconnaissance aircraft, radar, weather stations, and including information unavailable in real time. (National Hurricane Center report 04/19/19)

The Great Red Snapper Count

The Great Red Snapper Count, a two-year research project by the state of Mississippi’s Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, Miss., will undertake the chore of estimating the abundance of Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. The study will include recreational and commercial fishers as a critical component while researchers use a dart tag on Red Snapper. About 4,000 legal-sized Red Snapper will be tagged. Tagging will begin in the spring of this year, prior to the federal GoM Red Snapper recreational fishing season. Red snapper will be tagged and released across the Gulf of Mexico. (Source: Coastal Research & Extension Center 04/2019)

Weeks Marine beach-fill pact: $37M

Weeks Marine of Covington, La., was awarded a $37,039,250 firm-fixed-price contract for beach fill and crossovers, from Ocean Bay Park to Davis Park, in Suffolk County, N.Y., to provide protection to the mainland and barrier island by reducing the potential for breaching and overwash of the barrier island. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Babylon, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of May 25, 2020. FY 2019 civil works construction funds in the amount of $37,039,250 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of NYC is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 04/19/19)

Spillwater flush damaging marine life

GULFPORT, Miss. – The freshwater intrusion from the Bonnet Carre spillway north of New Orleans is damaging aquatic life in the Mississippi Sound, according to veterinarians at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS). Thirteen dolphins and 23 sea turtles found washed up on the Mississippi Coast in the last two weeks. Mississippi State University vets are examining the carcasses, says IMMS director Moby Solangi. Twenty-two of the dead turtles are endangered Kemp’s ridleys. Carcasses are being found in all three Mississippi coastal counties. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources also confirms the fresh water is damaging oyster reefs in the western Mississippi Sound. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the spillway in February – the 13th time in its history - to protect New Orleans and other communities from Mississippi River flooding. Up to 210,000 cubic feet per second of fresh water poured through the spillway gates for 43 days. The spillway is located at Norco, La., in St. Charles Parish. Joe Jewell, DMR’s director of marine fisheries, says the fresh water impact didn’t end with closing of the gates April 9, and it’s not over. “It takes two to three weeks, sometimes more, for all that freshwater to flush out,” he said. “We are seeing some significant mortality — upwards of 50 percent — with the smaller oysters. The larger oysters appear to do a lot better.” (Source: Sun Herald 04/19/19)

DISL’s Dorgan receives marine grant

Dr. Kelly Dorgan, an assistant professor of Marine Sciences at the University of South Alabama and the senior marine scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL), has received a prestigious CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation. The Faculty Early Career Development Program created by NSF gives early career faculty the support to advance their research and educational programs. Dr. Dorgan’s focus is in marine sediments and the diverse community of marine organisms, mostly worms, which live within those sediments. Marine worms play a vital role in the health of the world’s oceans. “Marine sediments are important because that’s where nutrients get regenerated,” she explained, and these marine worms are “important recyclers of the organic matter.” Dr. Dorgan plans to use the grant in the environments of Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and laboratory to better understand how these worms change the physical structure of sediments, a process called ecosystem engineering, and in the classroom to expand the implementation of technology and tech skills into marine science lessons for middle and high school students to college graduate students. (Source: DISL 04/15/19)

Soldier’s body recovered from GoM

An Eglin AFB, Fla.-based Army Special Forces soldier died of injuries April 14 following a boating accident in the Gulf of Mexico, according to an April 17 media release from his command, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Robinett was injured off the coast of Destin, according to the release. On April 14, the Coast Guard received an assistance request from Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in the search for a man who entered the water after he and another man were ejected from a 20-foot center console vessel, after a reported malfunction. The vessel reportedly continued running in circles and struck the missing individual, according to a CG media release. The CG ended its search April 16 of 569 square miles over 41 hours. “He was one of our best,” Col. Patrick Colloton, 7th SFG commander, said in the media release. He is survived by his wife and three children. The boating incident is under investigation. (Source: Army Times 04/18/19)

Census estimates for GC counties

A 2018 Census Bureau population estimate across the country, released April 18, indicate that for New Orleans and area parishes have slowed or declined since a post-Katrina when NOLA’s population increased an average 7,000 people from 2010-16. The next census will be in 2020. Orleans Parish estimated numbers dipped about 1,000 from about 391,000. However, it’s more than 47,000 more compared to the 2010 census. More telling are the estimated numbers for area parishes. (Jefferson Parish: Down 2,700; St. Tammany: Up 2,300; Plaquemines (NAS/JRB Belle Chasse): Up <300); Lafourche: Up 2000+; Terrebonne: Down <800). Michael Hecht, president/CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., acknowledged that Louisiana overall have seen job losses in the energy sector in past years; but, gains in the technology, health care, advanced manufacturing and software industries. (Source: NOLA.com 04/18/19) For the remainder of the Gulf Coast, the largest estimated population growth was in Baldwin County, Ala.: <36,000; Santa Rosa County, Fla. (home to NAS Whiting Field) at about 28,000; Okaloosa, Fla. (Eglin-Hurlburt) 27,000; Harrison County, Miss. (Seabees base) >19,000; and Escambia, Fla. (home to multiple Navy bases) at 18,000. Mississippi’s Golden Triangle: Clay County: Down 1,000+; Lowndes: Up <1,000; Oktibbeha: Up <2,000. Jackson County, Miss., was up 4,000 and Hancock was > 3,000. Mobile, Ala., County was up <1,000.

La. oyster reef protects tribal mounds

An artificial reef, made of about 200 tons of oyster shells, has been erected near Montegut, La., to protect historical Native American burial mounds threatened by erosion and rising sea levels. More than 100 volunteers – from the Pointe-au-Chien tribe and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana - completed the partially-submerged wall this month. The wall will act as an artificial reef that fosters the growth of oysters and other marine life while protecting the tribe’s collection of valued mounds. The reefs act as “speed bumps” in slowing down storms before they strike coastal communities and damage fragile marshlands, CRCL Executive Director Kimberly Reyher told NOLA.com. The oyster shell recycling program prevents tons of shells from being dumped into landfills. Shells returned to the Gulf of Mexico foster more growth of oysters because young ones prefer to latch onto old shells to begin their final stages of development. The Montegut reef is the second built by CRCL. In 2016, the coalition completed a half-mile reef in St. Bernard Parish using more than 4,000 tons of New Orleans-area restaurants’ recycled shells. (Source: NOLA.com 04/18/19)

Gulfport Seabees Det having a blast

ANDERSEN AFB, Guam – Deployed sailors assigned to the Gulfport, Miss., Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 Det. Guam, and airmen assigned to the 554th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE), conducted a controlled quarry demolition here April 9. It was a first time NMCB had conducted a blasting operation since the Mineral Products Rock Quarry on Naval Base Guam closed in 2012. “These types of operations are important because it allows Seabees deployed to Guam to keep up their proficiency,” said Chief Equipment Operator Roy Summerville, NMCB 133’s blast operation quality control manager. "Developing quarry blasting skill-sets will increase the Seabees expeditionary construction ability (and) enabling us to create material to conduct construction projects from schools and medical clinics, to runway repair," said Master Chief Equipmentman Tim Taylor, 30th Naval Construction Regiment logistics department leading chief petty officer. Seabees from NMCB 133 and airmen from the 554th RED HORSE will continue processing blasted rock into more manageable pieces for future projects. “This evolution benefits both entities,” said Summerville. “For NMCB 133 it keeps our proficiency, we are stationed in Gulfport, Mississippi, and don’t have the opportunity to do blasting operations.” NMCB 133, on a rotational deployment to Guam, provides expeditionary construction and engineering capabilities that includes maintenance and operation of expeditionary bases and facilities, tactical sustainment bridging, humanitarian assistance through construction civic action details and civic action teams and theater disaster response capabilities in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (Source: CTF 75 04/18/19)

Miami fire rescue chooses Metal Shark

JEANERETTE, La. - The Miami-Dade (Fla.) Fire Rescue Department has selected Metal Shark shipbuilding’s “50 Defiant X” to build the next generation of fire boats. The new fire boats are being built at Metal Shark’s Jeanerette, La., production facility and are intended to replace older fire boats currently in operation in South Florida. The 50-foot x 15-foot vessels will be powered by twin inboard diesel engines mated to water jet propulsion units with a projected top speed of 45+ knots - for the fastest emergency response time – and to deliver a nominal operating range of about 250 nautical miles. The distinctive new vessels were designed by Metal Shark’s in-house engineering team. The fire boat features a reverse-raked windshield arrangement with large overhead skylights to provide upward visibility while approaching and operating alongside moving ships, elevated structures or keeping overhead aircraft in view. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue – one of the largest fire departments in Florida - conducted in-depth research and followed that up by a lengthy procurement process to acquire the most modern, efficient, and proven fire boat on the market, says Metal Shark CEP Chris Allard, “and our 50 Defiant checked all the boxes.” (Source: Metal Shark 04/16/19)

Metal Shark's transformation

Naval architect Chris Allard, co-owner & CEO of the Louisiana-based Metal Shark Boats and shipyards, introduced the engineering-centric approach that has fueled the company’s growth, drives innovation and transformed the Louisiana-Alabama company from a regional builder to a global leader within the industry. (Source: Marine Link ‘Insight’ 04/17/19) Metal Shark, with shipyards in Franklin and Jeanerette, La., and Mobile, Ala., fields a workforce of more than 500 employees spread across the three facilities, producing 200+ vessels annually. Each Metal Shark component is digitally designed, router cut, and assembled to precise tolerances utilizing industry-leading technologies and construction methods. The company recently opened an engineering facility in Croatia.

Fitz milestone at HII-Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) achieved a milestone in its complex repair and restoration when it successfully launched and moored pier-side at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls shipyard on April 16. The launch reflects more than a year's effort in restoring and modernizing one of the Navy's most capable warships. Since the ship's arrival here in January 2018, work has focused on restoring the integrity of the hull and topside structures that were damaged during a collision in 2017 that claimed the lives of seven sailors. Due to the extent and complexity of the restoration, both repair and new construction procedures are being used to accomplish the restoration and modernization efforts. "This undocking is a step forward and brings us that much closer to getting Fitzgerald back out to sea - where the ship belongs," said Cmdr. Garrett Miller, the ship’s commanding officer. "I'm proud of this crew's hard work over the past year and look forward returning to the fleet with enhanced war-fighting capability and lethality." (Source: NAVSEA 04/16/19)

HII's DDG-51 services pact: $28M

Huntington Ingalls Inc. of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $28,375,637 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-18-C-2312) to exercise options for accomplishment of Follow Yard Class services for the DDG 51-class destroyer program. The contract provides liaison and technical support; engineering, design, and configuration management; systems engineering team; turnkey; special studies; baseline management; and crew indoctrination and orientation. Work will be performed in Pascagoula (98%); Washington, D.C. (1%); and Bath, Maine (1%), and is expected to be complete by April 2020. FY 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $26,802,436 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 04/16/19)

Silver Ships target contract: $11M

Silver Ships Inc. of Theodore, Ala., is awarded an $11,000,149 firm-fixed-price General Services Administration (GSA) delivery order for the construction and delivery of up to 160 high speed maneuvering surface targets, accessories, and deployment spare parts. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $19,667,147. Work will be performed in Theodore and is expected to be completed by July 2020. FY 2018 and FY-19 other Navy procurement funding in the amount of $11,000,149 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a competitive small business set-aside via the GSA eBuy website, with three offers received. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: 04/15/19)

La. firm’s fuel pact: $11M

Freeman Holdings, doing business as Million Air Alexandria of Alexandria, La., has been awarded a minimum $11,164,086 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with 148 responses received. This is a 46-month contract with one six-month option period. Location of performance is Louisiana, with a March 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is FY 2019-23 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va. (Source: 04/15/19)

Acrosa to reopen idled La. barge ops

The governor of Louisiana, Arcosa Marine Products Inc. President Thomas Faherty, and the St. Tammany Corp. announced April 10 that Dallas-based firm will make a $7.5M capital investment and create 149 direct jobs to reopen an idled barge manufacturing operations on the Tchefuncte River in Madisonville, La., located northeast of Slidell. Arcosa will install new equipment and complete facility upgrades to begin producing barges for customer delivery later in 2019. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in another 236 indirect jobs across the southeast region of Louisiana. Arcosa Marine is a leading manufacturer of barges for inland waterways, and will produce multiple barge types at the Madisonville site. (Source: Louisiana.gov 04/10/19)

UPDATE2: Missing boater found

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard and NW Florida agencies were searching for a person in the water May 14 near Destin. CG Sector Mobile, Ala., received an assistance request at 12:41 p.m. from Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) in the search for one of two men who had been ejected from a 20-foot center console vessel after a reported malfunction. The vessel reportedly continued running in circles and struck the missing man, described as a 40-year-old with red hair and wearing a red shirt and grey shorts. OCSO response crews rescued the other man who was reportedly in stable condition. CG assets included a New Orleans-based MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew and response boat. Anyone with more information is requested to call Sector Mobile at (251) 441-6211. (Coast Guard 04/14/19) UPDATE: The Coast Guard ended its search for the person in the water near Destin on April 16. The CG used eight assets in conjunction with local agencies to search some 569 square miles over 41 hours. UPDATE 2: Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say the body of missing boater, Thomas Robinett, was recovered in the morning of April 17. Robinett's body has been transported to the Medical Examiner's office. FWC officials say the investigation into the boating accident continues, WHJG-Panama City reported.

Cubans rescued, headed to Mobile

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard and crew of the cruise ship Carnival Fantasy rescued 22 Cuban nationals, and the captain of a sport fishing boat, in the waters some 130 nautical miles off the Yucatan Peninsula on the morning of April 14. The CG received a call at 1:15 a.m. from a Cuban national stating his brother (Cuban-Mexican) and 22 others were adrift aboard a disabled sports fisher boat after losing power and adrift for three days. The 22 Cubans were adrift from their own wooden boat. The Cuban-Mexican national’s picked the 22 up, but his boat’s engines reportedly malfunctioned and all 23 were adrift. The CG alerted the cruise ship Carnival Fantasy and directed the launch of a CG Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew that located the vessel at 8:40 a.m. Carnival Fantasy arrived and took the individuals on board. There were two minor medical issues among the 23. They were treated by the cruise ship’s medical staff. The 23 will be transferred to Customs and Border Protection and Coast Guard Investigative Services in Mobile, Ala., on April 16. (Source: Coast Guard 04/14/19)

CG medevacs woman from cruise ship

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard medically evacuated an 81-year-old woman from a Gulf of Mexico-bound cruise ship near mile marker 50 on the Mississippi River around Pointe a la Hache, La., April 13. CG Sector New Orleans directed the launch of a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew to the Carnival Glory cruise ship. The woman, who was experiencing heart attack-like symptoms, was transported to West Jefferson Hospital in Marrero around 9 p.m. She was reported in stable condition. (Source: Coast Guard 04/13/19)

Successful ASQUID flight test

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Engineers at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWCPC), Fla., recently completed a flight test using an ASQUID that will prevent Navy personnel from having to enter a minefield during mine-hunting and clearing missions. The Airborne Surface Quad Thruster Interface Device (ASQUID) attaches to the side of a MH-60 helicopter. The helo gets into position and ASQUID lowers an MK-18 underwater drone into the water to search for mines, according to Tim Currie, NSWCPC technical program manager. After the mission is completed the helicopter flies over the cleared area and ASQUID retrieves the MK-18. The MK-18 underwater drone searches for mines, but is currently delivered to mine fields using a rigid-hulled inflatable boat. RHIBs are slow, can’t be used in rough water, and puts sailors at risk in dangerous minefields. NSWCPC engineers partnered with Naval Underwater Warfare Center Keyport engineers to perfect the technology and Air Test and Evaluation (HX) 21 MH-60 helicopter test squadron to complete the flight test for certifying the design. ASQUID was a Naval Innovative Science and Engineering-funded project deemed a successful experiment. It will be on display April 25 at the Department of Defense Lab Day in Washington D.C. (Source: NSWCPC 04/11/19)

GoM whale now endangered species

A rare baleen whale found in the Gulf of Mexico has gained protection under the Endangered Species Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced April 12. The rule will go into effect May 15. The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) Bryde’s whale is a subspecies of the Bryde’s whale and among the most endangered in the world, according to NOAA. There are less than 100 left in the northeastern GoM near the De Soto canyon, where the population resides. Genetic testing indicates GoM Bryde’s whales represent a unique evolutionary lineage distinct from two other populations of Bryde’s whales, and should be considered a subspecies, according to Laura Engleby, a marine mammal biologist with NOAA Fisheries. Threats to the species include energy exploration and development, oil spills and clean up efforts, vessel strikes, human noise and entanglement in fishing gear. The whales typically travel in pairs. Recent sightings have been limited to the northeastern GoM, but historic whaling records indicate that the whales’ range included waters in the north-central and southern Gulf, Engleby said. (Source: NOLA.com 04/12/19)

HII authenticates LPD 29’s keel

PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula authenticated the keel of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) on April 12. Ship's co-sponsors Shana McCool and Kate Oja, granddaughters of Richard M. McCool Jr., declared the keel to be "truly and fairly laid." McCool, who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry beyond the call of duty, commanded an infantry landing support craft during the Battle of Okinawa in WWII. HII-Pascagoula has delivered 11 San Antonio-class ships to the Navy, and has two, including McCool, under construction. Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) will launch in 2020 and is scheduled for delivery in 2021. The San Antonio class is the latest addition to the Navy’s 21st century amphibious assault force. (Source: HII-Pascagoula 04/12/19)

SENAV censures in DDG-62 case

The Navy plans to drop all criminal charges against two officers for their roles in the June 2017 fatal collision of USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) with the ACX Crystal off the coast of Japan that resulted in the deaths of seven U.S. sailors, USNI News reported. Former Fitzgerald boss Cmdr. Bryce Benson and tactical action officer Lt. Natalie Combs will no longer face criminal negligence charges, but will be issued career-ending letters of censure from Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer, according to an April 10 letter sent to families of the deceased sailors. The April 11 letter indicated that SECNAV will issue Secretarial Letters of Censure to both Cmdr. Benson and Lt. Combs, according to a copy obtained by USNI News. The censure letters “will publicly reprimand each officer for their actions commensurate with their respective levels of responsibility.” Public letters of censure are used to publicly shame service members but carry no legal weight. (Source: USNI News 04/10/19) Gulf Coast Note: USS Fitzgerald remains under repair at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard at Pascagoula, Miss.

SECNAV 'confident' of FFG(X) cost

Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer told the House Armed Services Committee on April 10 that he was "pretty confident" the new future frigate (FFG(X)) will stay at its current estimated cost; and after an industrial learning curve build would diminish. The frigate competition has five platforms, “which makes this probably one of the most competitive platform acquisition programs,” said SECNAV. “We look at the learning curves on those hulls that are already out there and they’re already impressive.” The Navy expects the initial vessel to cost up to $950M, but follow-on ships to cost about $800M apiece without decreased capability or capacity, he said. SECNAV anticipates the Navy will award the detail design and construction (DD&C) contract that will covered the first 10 of a total of 20 frigates by the end of FY 2020. When adding the 11 planned vessels outside the FYDP, the Navy plans to spend $20.5B for all 20 frigates. (Source: Defense Daily 04/10/19) Gulf Coast Note: The five ship conceptual design platforms were contracted to shipbuilders Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Fincantieri Marine, and Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss.

Moran nominated for next CNO

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan announced April 11 that the president has nominated Navy Adm. Bill Moran for reappointment to the rank of admiral and assignment as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). Moran currently serves as vice CNO at the Pentagon. (Source: DoD 04/11/19) Navy Adm. John Richardson has served as the 31st CNO since Sept. 18, 2015.

Judge: No US port calls for Carnval

MIAMI - U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz has threatened to temporarily block Carnival Corp. from docking cruise ships at ports in the United States as punishment for a possible probation violation. Carnival was placed on five-year probation in 2017 as part of a $40M settlement for illegally dumping oil at sea from its Princess Cruises’ ships and lying about the scheme, according to court filings. The Miami Herald reported that Judge Seitz will make a decision in June. Carnival Corporation has nine cruise brands and 102 ships. (Source: The AP 04/11/19) Carnival’s Gulf Coast ports include Mobile, Ala., New Orleans, and four south and east coast ports in Florida.

HII $7.8M mod pact for LHA-7

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $7,889,490 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-2473) to exercise an option for the accomplishment of emergent work as required, including management and labor efforts for the post-delivery planning yard services in support of the LHA-7 amphibious assault ship. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, and is expected to be completed in December 2019. FY 2019 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $7,889,490 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 04/09/19)

GC states’ dredging contract

The Dutra Group of San Rafael, Calif., was awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for rental of hopper dredge with attendant plant and operators for maintenance dredging in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 9, 2020. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 04/09/19)

Fla. reps: Ban O&G from GTR

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of 10 Florida congressional representatives authored a proposal to permanently extend a ban on oil and gas leasing of the military’s Gulf Test Range (GTR) in the Gulf of Mexico. The existing ban is slated to end June 30, 2022. On April 9, the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act was the subject of the House Committee on Natural Resources’ subcommittee hearing. The subcommittee received testimony from James R. Heald, a retired Air Force colonel, VP for strategic programs at InDyne, a contractor that maintains the GTR for Eglin AFB, Fla. Prior to joining InDyne, Heald was responsible for all developmental testing and evaluation at Eglin. The range covers 120,000 square miles, south from near Fort Walton Beach to deep into the GoM, from encroachment that could diminish its usefulness. The range is used for air combat, air-to-air missile and hypersonic testing, and drone targeting by military units such as Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.’s 33rd Fighter Wing and 96th Test Wing, and the Air Force Special Operations Command HQ at Hurlburt Field. The lawmakers’ seven-line proposal would amend a 2006 act that established an end timeline for oil and gas exploration. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Francis Rooney, a south Florida Republican. Among co-sponsors is Panhandle congressman Matt Gaetz, and eight other lawmakers. (Source: Destin Log 04/08/19) In 2017, crude oil production in the federal waters of the GoM was 1.65M barrels per day, according to the Energy Information Administration, and projected to continue at record highs through 2019. Natural gas production has been declining, but new fields could reverse that trend, according to an EIA report.

LCS & its Q-20C MCM sonar

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - After completing developmental testing in February, the Navy is one step closer to delivering the advanced acoustic and electro-optic sensing capabilities of the AN/AQS-20C (Q-20C) towed mine-hunting sonar to the fleet. Q-20C will detect, localize and classify bottom, close-tethered, moored, and volume-moored mines, according to Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City’s (NSWCPC) Lead Project Engineer Joe Thomas. It operates as part of the Littoral Combat Ship’s mine-counter measures (MCM) mission package. This sensor, when deployed by the MCM unmanned surface vehicle (USV), will help to clear minefields. The system is to be integrated with its intended tow platform, the MCM USV, in FY 2020. NSWCPC is considered the nation’s premier technical center for MCM. (Source: NSWCPC 04/08/19)

Crowley sub gets tug contract

Jensen Maritime Consultants, a Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corp. of New Orleans, has been awarded a contract to design ship-assist and escort tugboats for Moran Towing of Connecticut. Moran is a tug-and-barge operator on the Gulf and East coasts. The new boats will be the latest in a series of seven Jensen-designed tugboats for Moran over the 10 years. (Source: Handy Shipbuilding 04/09/19)

W&O-Mobile: Sub for OPC work

W&O, a Tennessee-based supplier to the marine and upstream oil and gas markets for pipe, valves, and fittings, valve automation, and engineered solutions, announced that it had been awarded a subcontract from Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Fla., for the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC) Argus (WMSM-915), and long lead time materials for the cutter Chase (WMSM-916). W&O was selected as the major supplier of valves on board this new ship class. The CG’s current contract calls for ESG to build up to nine OPCs. This subcontract will be handled by W&O’s Mobile, Ala., branch that has a state-of-the-art valve automation facility and has successfully been delivering thousands of motor operated valves to the shipbuilding industry over the last decade, according to Debbie Garner, W&O’s Gulf Coast regional manager. The OPCs will be built at ESG. Construction began in 2018. (Source: Maritime Executive 04/08/19)

NSWCPC engineer stepping up

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWCPC) engineer Danielle Kinkade is trading her hands-on mine warfare programs experiences for a one-year rotational assignment supporting command leadership as the Technical Assistant to the Division Technical Director. “I am excited for the experience to see the overall business of the warfare center and learn how our organization fits into the bigger picture” as being a part of the Naval Sea Systems Command, said Kinkade. She is a native of Panama City, and has earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Stetson University, and a Master of Science Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Florida. Kinkade launched her career at NSWCPC while at graduate school through a Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program and hired as a civil servant in 2008. “This type of rotational assignment is an opportunity to assess our strengths and identify areas where we may need to continue developing,” said Kinkade. She enters this new chapter of her career with knowledge in mine warfare and organic airborne mine countermeasures. (Source: NSWCPC 04/09/19)

First Americas PSV hybrid retrofit

A hybrid retrofit, featuring an energy storage solution from the Finnish technology group Wärtsilä, will be installed on the Harvey Energy platform supply vessel (PSV) owned by Harvey Gulf International Marine of New Orleans. It will be the first LNG fueled, and first hybrid retrofit, PSV in the Americas, according to the two firms. Wärtsilä announced the contract this earlier this month. The 1,450 kW battery hybrid solution will reduce ship’s exhaust emissions, fuel consumption, and noise level. Fuel cost savings are expected to be 10-to-20 percent. HGIM chose Wärtsilä as a partner years ago because of its experience in LNG and dual-fuel engine technology, which fit well with Harvey Gulf’s mission to “have the most fuel efficient environmentally friendly fleet of platform supply vessels in the Americas,” said Shane Guidry, Chairman/CEO of Harvey Gulf. Wärtsilä has completed several European PSV hybrid retrofits. (Source: Work Boat 04/09/19)

Chem company suing La. parish

Jefferson Parish, La., is facing a lawsuit after its Parish council pulled a permit last week for Cornerstone Chemical Co. to build a $100M hydrogen cyanide plant in Waggaman, located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. The council had backed the project, until strong opposition - especially via a public Facebook page was established to inform residents of potential negatives - came from both sides of the river. (Source: NOLA.com 04/08/19)

Building living shoreline teams

BILOXI, Miss. - Mississippi residents living near the waters’ edge often consider ways to protect shorelines from erosion. Construction of living shorelines is a popular technique, but can be hard to find qualified contractors to build the structures. The Mississippi State University Extension Service, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, and collaborators are working to build a contractor workforce that can respond to the demand and promote living shorelines. “Living shorelines” is a term used to describe techniques to stabilize shorelines while providing nature’s benefits, such as improving water quality, absorbing flood waters, and providing habitats for fish and shellfish. An alternative is hardened shorelines, such as bulkheads and seawalls – although negative environmental and economic consequences. But, they’re easier to plan and install – and may be the only logical solution. Alabama and Mississippi are full of hardened shorelines not installed out of necessity. These structures can be replaced with more environmentally friendly options, such as living shorelines. Education and outreach efforts have led property owners to inquire about living shorelines. (Source: Mississippi State University Extension Service 04/05/19)

NAS report: Dispersants effective

A new National Academies of Sciences (NAS) report, released April 5, has concluded that the chemicals used to clean up the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill remains as an effective response for large spills - a conclusion that runs counter to other studies. The report stressed that dispersants can reduce responders’ exposure to harmful compounds in oil and can minimize the spread of oil on water’s surfaces and shorelines. “The big takeaway is that dispersants are a tool that should remain in the toolbox,” said David Valentine, a University of California-Santa Barbara biologist and a member of the committee that produced the report. NAS is a non-profit that advises the government on science and technology issues. The report was sponsored by oil industry trade groups, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal regulators. (Source: NAS media release via NOLA.com 04/05/19)

VTHM knows ‘green’ is best color

Marine coatings are everything, and the Gulf Coast’s VT Halter Marine has those boxes checked when it comes to making all vessel component and exposed surfaces, which leave its Pascagoula, Miss., facility, ready for the harshest of conditions. Last April, VTHM unveiled its state-of-the-art blast and paint facility that allows ship sections to be prepared, blasted and painted in a controlled environment. The facility provides cutting-edge technologies into VTHM’s construction programs. It went into full operation last October, and the shipyard has already got contracts that are 100 percent booked to the end of July. The new facility can accommodate ship sections as large as 105x80x40-foot and weighing 500 tons each. It’s a 24/7 operation that can operation in all weather conditions, and utilizes 100 percent LED lighting to reduce energy consumption. The blast and paint facility may be the most technologically advanced in North America, and provides environmental protections for workers and nearby residents. It’s also become a high-level topic for environmentalists and regulators. VTHM designs, builds and repairs numerous ocean-going vessels such as patrol, oil recovery, oil cargo, logistic support and survey vessels. All projects require quality coatings as a finishing touch. VTHM knows, when it comes to marine coatings green is the best color. (Source: Maritime Professional 04/05/19)

Building merchant marine workforce

The U.S. Maritime Administration’s Military to Mariner program got a boost from the White House when President Trump signed an executive order to help seagoing military veterans transition to civilian life and work as a merchant marine. The March 4 order would waive government-issued licensing fees and allow military sea experience count toward merchant marine credentialing. Trump said the order boosts a sagging merchant marine workforce and provides high-paying job opportunities to veterans. The order gives the Defense and Homeland Security departments a year to identify all military training and experience that may qualify for merchant marine credentials. It also calls for the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center to waive all fees related to license evaluation, issuance and examination for active duty service members who qualify, as well as fees to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential card (TWIC). Licensing and credentialing fees could cost as much as $25,000. The inland industry has benefited from access to this broadened labor pool, according to Austin Golding, president of Golding Barge Line of Vicksburg, Miss, and veterans have “found our industry as a great second career option,” he said at a Senate hearing. (Source: Marine Link 04/03/19)

Chevron seeks case move to fed court

Chevron U.S.A. Inc., one of 11 oil, gas and/or energy companies sued by New Orleans in an attempt to get monies for repair to city-surrounded wetlands damage, filed a removal motion April 4 to have the suit heard in federal court by claiming the case involved federal (not state) law cited within the suit. “For decades the energy industry has carried out its operations under federal supervision and in accordance with federal laws and regulations,” Melissa Landry said in a statement on behalf of the legal team representing Chevron and other companies. In the removal motion, Chevron compares NOLA’s lawsuit to a 2013 suit filed by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East in Civil District Court against 97 O&G companies that was successfully removed to federal court on grounds that it involved federal laws. A spokesman for the mayor’s office did not have an immediate comment on the removal action. (Source: NOLA.com 04/04/19) Orleans is the seventh parish to sue O&G firms over environmental damage.

Gulf Island completes 2nd of 10 tugs

Gulf Coast manufacturer Gulf Island Shipyards has completed the second of 10 Z-Tech 30-80 tugs, five of which have been ordered by Suderman & Young Towing of Houston. The tugs are to operate out of ports on the Texas Gulf Coast by G&H Towing, according to a media release from Robert Allan Ltd. The Z-Tech 30-80 tug Ted C. Litton evolved from the previous Z-Tech 7500 design for Suderman & Young. Designed and built with a sponsoned hull form, escort capability of the tug is significantly enhanced. (Source: Marine Link 04/04/19) Gulf Island’s Louisiana shipyards are located at Dularge, Jennings and Lake Charles.

2019 red snapper season for La.

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission announced that the 2019 recreational red snapper season will begin May 24 in state and federal waters. The season will run weekends only (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday including the Monday of Memorial Day and the Thursday of 4th of July) with a daily bag limit of two fish per person and a 16-inch total length minimum size limit. (Source: LW&FC 04/03/19)

HII team completes NSC’s sea trials

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced April 3 that the National Security Cutter (NSC) Midgett (WMSL 757) successfully completed acceptance trials. Midgett, the eighth Coast Guard NSC built at HII-Pascagoula, spent two days in the Gulf of Mexico proving the ship’s systems. The Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) were on board, as Ingalls’ test and trials team led sea trials and conducted extensive testing of the propulsion, electrical, damage control, anchor-handling, small-boat operations and combat systems. The team completed the sea trials with a full-power propulsion run. The trials moves Midgett one step closer to becoming another vital asset to the Coast Guard, says Derek Murphy, Ingalls’ CG program manager. HII-Pascagoula has delivered seven Legend-class NSCs; and two are under construction, including Midgett (WMSL 757), set for delivery by the end of 2019; and Stone (WMSL 758), which is scheduled for delivery in 2020. In December of 2018, Ingalls received two fixed-price incentive contracts with a combined value of $931M to build NSCs 10 and 11. (Source: HII-Pascagoula 04/03/19)

NSWCPC strikes T2 gold mine

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - The LED Air Warning System (LAWS) team from Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWCPC) Fla., in collaboration with Florida State University-Panama City and an industry partner Interspiro AB, has been selected by the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) to receive one of its highest honors – the 2019 Excellence in Technology Transfer (T2) Award. First Responder Public Safety Divers (PSD) often conduct dive missions in environments characterized by zero visibility. Poor visibility makes it almost impossible to read air pressure gauges, even with auxiliary illumination, resulting in divers being unable to effectively monitor their air supply. LAWS changed the game by providing a clear, visual display of a diver’s air pressure, even in zero visibility conditions, over the duration of a dive. Dennis Gallagher, LAWS project manager and research and technology applications T2 manager, said the LAWS project struck the T2 gold mine. The LAWS project directly supports NSWCPC’s vision of “Ensuring War-fighting Dominance in the Littoral Battlespace” as the technology applies to military diving, public safety, first responder, police, and firefighters – all groups operating in the littoral battlespace. (Source: NSWCPC 04/01/19)

GPS-SPS users should check systems

Maritime users of the Global Positioning System Standard Positioning Service (GPS-SPS) are urged to check their systems ahead of the counter roll over on April 6. Some outdated GPS receiver systems may cease to function properly - with potential impacts on navigation. The roll over occurs because the GPS system transmits time to GPS receivers using a format of time and weeks and can only count 1,023 weeks. The previous roll over was in August 1999. When the GPS system reaches week 1024, the system will revert back to week zero. If a GPS receiver is outdated or not properly updated, it will revert to zero on April 6. Internal clocks in these GPS receivers will experience a lack of reference and may give wrong times and positions or even lock up permanently. The International Marine Organization (IMO) has issued a safety of navigation circular SN.1/Circ.182/Add.1 warning maritime users to take action for the roll over. (Source: IMO 04/02/19)

DoD eyes changes to fixed-price regs

The Defense Department is considering amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) acquisition regulations and establish a preference for fixed-price contracts, according to an April 1 Federal Register notice. The proposed changes would implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2017 that requires a preference in the use of fixed-price contracts to determine contract types. It would also require review and approval for certain cost-reimbursement contracts, from the office of the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, at specified thresholds and timelines. It would also require the use of firm fixed-price contracts for foreign military sales “unless an exception or waiver applies," the notice states. Risk levels associated with a program is a major factor and consideration point for choosing the contract type. "Since development efforts are inherently risky and do not lend themselves to a fixed‐price type of contract, a cost‐reimbursement contract is more appropriate and customary." (Source: Inside Defense 04/01/19)

ESG launches 4th Z-drive tug

Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Fla., launched the Escort/Rescue Z-Drive Tug Capt. Jim McAllister (ESG 223) for McAllister Towing on March 19. The tug is under construction at ESG’s Allanton, Fla., facility. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in late 2019. It is one of four in a series of vessels, which was delivered in the summer of 2017 and built by Horizon Shipbuilding of Bayou La Batre, Ala. The Rosemary McAllister (ESG 224) was delivered in June 2018, and in the final outfitting is the Ava M. McAllister (ESG 222) both of which were constructed at ESG’s Allanton ship facility. The lead vessel of the series is the Capt. Brian McAllister (ESG 221) was delivered in the summer of 2017 and built by Horizon Shipbuilding. The Rosemary McAllister was honored as one of the Significant Boats of 2018 by Workboat Magazine and the Great Workboat of 2018 by Marine News at the 2018 International Workboat Show in New Orleans. (Source: Eastern Shipbuilding 03/27/19)

Christenson takes helm of NSAPC

Cmdr. Kevin Christenson took command of Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., during a change of command on March 19. Christenson relieved Cmdr. Jay Sego. Christenson comes to NSAPC from duty as executive officer for Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. Prior assignments include NSA Bahrain and Navy Region Southeast at Jacksonville, Fla. Sego's next duty station is with Commander Navy Installations Command in Washington, DC. (Source: NSA Panama City Facebook 03/20/19)

Viet-era Kangaroos return to NCBC

GULFPORT, Miss. - It’s been 50 years since the Kangaroos of the 133rd Seabee Battalion deployed from Gulfport to Vietnam. This past week, a handful of those sailors gathered at their homeport for a reunion at Naval Construction Battalion Center. The 133rd built roads, airports and bridges in Vietnam. Tom McCormick of New Orleans, who organized the reunion, remembers his first impressions and all the activity going on upon arriving at Da Nang airport. Trucks, machinery and weapons were “everywhere, going everywhere,” he said. “I shook my head and said 'Holy (expletive), I’m in a war now.” The reunion group toured the Gulfport Seabee base and took in all of the improvements made over the years, and later gathered for an oral history recording session. Having the opportunity to reunite after 50 years has meant a lot to the Vietnam-era Kangaroos. “The guys you go to war with, you never forget … we were just that close,” McCormick said. More than 20 Naval Mobile Construction Battalions deployed to Vietnam. (Source: WLOX 03/28/19)

GA system completes arresting test

SAN DIEGO - General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced March 29 that its Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system was successful in executing the first aircraft barricade arrestment at the Jet Car Track Site in Lakehurst, N.J., which marks a milestone in qualifying the system for barricade use on board Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. It’s the first such test by Naval Air Systems Command in more than 20 years. The barricade test sent an E-2C Hawkeye, weighing some 46,500 pounds, accelerated to arresting speed into the barricade netting attached to the AAG via stanchions. The aircraft was brought to a safe stop, according to GA-EMS President Scott Forney. AAG is a turbo-electric system designed for controlled and reliable deceleration of aircraft. AAG is installed on USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) along with the GA-EMS Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which uses electromagnetic technology to launch aircraft from the deck of aircraft carriers. Both systems have been successfully tested during at-sea periods on CVN-78 and are in production for the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) and USS Enterprise (CVN-80). (Source: Seapower Magazine 03/29/19) Gulf Coast Note: GA’s EMS Division has a production and test facility at Shannon, Miss. – near Tupelo – to support production of EMALS and AAG programs for the next‐generation of aircraft carriers.