Press

Locals work to restore Gulf waters



By HEATHER WYSOCKI
hwysocki@capecodonline.com
August 16, 2010

The once-gushing Gulf of Mexico oil well may be capped, but there are months of work ahead, say Cape Codders who are part of the cleanup effort.

"I suspect that scientists from the Cape ... will be involved for some time to come," said Shelley Dawicki, spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole.

The Henry B. Bigelow, a 209-foot NOAA research vessel, is cruising near the coast hit hardest by the oil spill, she said.

Researchers onboard the vessel — including chief scientist Jon Hare, who writes a blog about the ship's activity (nefsc.wordpress.com), are studying the effects of the oil spill on the marine ecosystem. Other NOAA scientists are in the Gulf conducting aerial surveys of marine life there, including whales and threatened sea turtles.

"You could definitely see the direct impact the oil was having," said Heath Cook, a NOAA biological technician based in Woods Hole, who spent a month working in the Gulf collecting seafood specimens to be tested for oil contamination.

Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are studying the behavior and potential effects of the spill, often collaborating with scientists from federal agencies and other scientific institutions, said Joel Greenberg of WHOI's media relations office.

Researchers are measuring the oil flow rate, taking water and sediment samples, mapping the oil plume and estimating the impact of the spill on deep-water habitats, Greenberg said.

Gary Lombardi of Forestdale is chief mate on the drilling vessel Development Driller 2, which is working on drilling relief wells into the piping of the well damaged by the April 20 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that killed 11 workers.

Lombardi left Aug. 11 for a three-week stint on the vessel.

"We're within a half-mile of all the activity there," Lombardi said. His vessel is one of at least 33 ships working nearby, he said.

Days are long — 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. — and if he doesn't sleep well or get to bed early "it's actually just too bad," he said.

The emotions stirred by memories of the 11 who died in the April 20 explosion are everywhere, he said, as is the possibility that an oil-drilling moratorium could mean he and his fellow workers could lose their jobs.

The Development Driller 2 is scheduled to stay in the area for another several months, working mainly as a watch dog, Lombardi said.

Despite its obvious negative side, the oil spill has provided graduates of Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay with a valuable learning opportunity, said academy professor Francis J. Veale Jr.

"It's a rather sad occurrence ... but it's important that they get out into the real world and practice," he said.

Veale knows of at least 10 recent graduates who are working in the Gulf. And Lombardi, a 1987 graduate of the academy, said there are quite a few MMA graduates on the crew of Development Driller 2.

Meghan Clifford, a 2009 graduate, who took some of Veale's courses, works out of the BP command center in Houma, La. She is a small vessels coordinator for Chad Smith's company Darkwater Marine Services. Smith graduated from MMA in 2002.

Clifford flew to Louisiana on July 9, she said. "It's been a whole cultural change ... to see where the oil is and what it's affecting."

Veale, who teaches several environmental science and law classes at MMA, heard from another 2009 graduate who said her workdays can last up to 23 hours.

Clifford said she usually works nine- to 10-hour days, a schedule that could go on for months. Smith's company was hired with the expectation that the work would continue until December, she said.

The long days aren't likely to end soon. "This spill hopefully has stopped, but the impact, cleanup and restoration is going to go on for a long time," said NOAA's Dawicki.

Darkwater Marine has been enlisted in the Response efforts to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Darkwater will provide marine operations management and coordination to both the Natural Resources Damage Assessment program (NRDA) and as a part of the newly established Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU) which provides a central source of information and is a critical link between assets at sea and the upper command structure.
Darkwater provides airborne Logistical Overwatch for an at sea resupply.

Under the command of Captain Mark Pickett, NOAA, the SMU has established a secure wiki website to keep all levels of government informed as to the research findings as well as the status of all government marine operations. Information is included in reports to Agency heads, University Science Departments and White House Briefings.

National Incident Commander Thad Allen, USCG with Darkwater Operations Director Chad Smith

Based at the Incident Command Center, located at the BP Facility in Houma, Louisiana, Darkwater will continue to provide scientific, maritime and Diving support in conjunction with prime contractor Industrial Economics INC of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sublease for ships approved
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
By APRIL M. HAVENS

PASCAGOULA A New England company will soon park two cargo ships at the former naval base on Singing River Island to be on call for the government in case of a national emergency, company representatives said this week.

Jackson County Port Authority commissioners in a special meeting Tuesday approved a sublease contract with Reading, Mass.-based Darkwater Marine Services to berth the ready reserve fleet vessels. The agreement will go before the Jackson County Board of Supervisors on Monday.

Darkwater recently won a contract with the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration to maintain the two 630-foot Cape V-class cargo ships Cape Victory and Cape Vincent on the Gulf Coast.
The ships will come from Beaumont, Texas.

Photos courtesy of MSC: Left: Cape Vincent Right: Cape Victory

"We'll dock them at Singing River Island and maintain them for emergencies," said Chad Smith, Darkwater's operations director.

The Maritime Administration maintains a ready reserve force to provide surge sealift during war and national emergencies. The MARAD contract required the vessels to be docked on the Gulf Coast, which led Darkwater to the Port of Pascagoula, Smith said.

"This naval base is just in exceptional condition, and it was the ideal scenario for us," he said.

The company is leasing the west side of the pier and about 250 feet of quay wall, which will be used for the roll-on/roll-off ships' ramps.

Under the agreement, Darkwater agreed to pay $219,000 annually for five years, with the option to renew for an additional five years. If renewed, Darkwater would pay $255,000 annually for the next five years. That could mean nearly $2.4 million for the port over 10 years.

"It's a significant source of revenue for Singing River Island," said Mark McAndrews, port director. "It's a different segment of the maritime business than we have traditionally have done over here, but it's a great opportunity for the utilization of pier facilities on Singing River Island."

McAndrews said the ships will have a reduced crew to maintain it during its "long-term parking" at Singing River Island. If an emergency occurs, it will be fully staffed and immediately available for action.

Darkwater Marine Services, incorporated in 2007, specializes in shipping and diving, Smith said, but also provides layberthing and consultation, among other services.

original article: Mississippi Press: Sub Lease for Ships Approved

Darkwater Marine Services Recovers Marine Mammal Acoustic Monitoring Buoy From the seafloor of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

In a joint operation, Darkwater Marine Services and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made an important deep water recovery this month. Divers from Darkwater Marine recovered an acoustic monitoring buoy from 230 feet of water in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, located offshore in Massachusetts Bay. The Buoy is part of a long term study on ocean noise levels being conducted by NOAA Sanctuaries, NOAA Fisheries and Cornell University. Data collected from an array of buoys deployed within Stellwagen will be used to evaluate the effect of man made noise on marine life. The buoys are deployed and timed to float to the surface at a certain time and date after the data has been recorded. Unfortunately one of the buoys did not surface at it's scheduled time, and efforts to hook and raise the buoy were unsuccessful, hampered by the soft muddy bottom.
Photo by Michael Thompson, SBNMS
Specialized deepwater Rebreather Divers from Darkwater Marine Services aboard the M/V Daybreaker rendezvoused with the NOAA Vessel R/V Auk on the site of the lost buoy. While the crew of the Auk established remote contact with the lost buoy, Darkwater Marine Divers descended to the sea bed and initiated a search pattern. 22 minutes into the dive, the divers had located the lost buoy and it floated to the surface where it was recovered, data and hardware intact.
Photo Credit: David S. Faye, Darkwater Marine

"The amber beacon was out, and the acoustic pings were very low, we located it towards the end of the search. Being able to work so closely with the Government on this was the key to success. The NOAA personnel knew their job, we knew ours and as a result that buoy is back topside." Chad Smith, Operations Director at Darkwater Marine Services commented.
Photo Credit: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Marine Salvage Team
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary