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This paper proposes a decision support system (DSS) for optimizing cargo composition, and resulting stowage plan, in a containership of a shipping company in collaboration with en-route ports in the service. Due to considerable growth in transportation over years, an increasing number of containers are being handled by containerships, and ports consequently. Trade imbalances between regions and recent disruptions, such as LA/LB/Shanghai port congestion, blocking of Suez canal, drought in Panama canal, typhoons at ports, COVID-19 restrictions and the lack- and then over-supply of empty containers, have resulted in an accumulation of containers in exporting ports around the world. These factors have underscored the urgency of sustainability and circular economy within the shipping industry. The demand for container transportation is higher than the ship capacities in the recent times. In this regard, it is essential for shipping companies to generate a cargo composition plan for each service by selecting and transporting containers with relatively high financial returns, while offering a realistic stowage plan considering ship stability, capacity limitations and port operations. Ultimately, the selected containers should enable a ship stowage plan which keeps the ship seaworthy obeying complex stability considerations and minimizes the vessel stay at the ports, and port carbon emissions consequently, through efficient collaboration with en-route ports. This study provides a bi-level programming based DSS that selects the set of containers to be loaded at each port of service and generates a detailed stowage plan considering revenue, stowage efficiency and quay crane operational considerations. Numerical experiments indicate that the proposed DSS is capable of returning high-quality solutions within reasonable solution times for all ship sizes, cargo contents and shipping routes, supporting the principles of the circular economy in the maritime domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cost–benefit analysis of air pollution reduction measures in maritime transport systems can support the sustainability commitments of the industry and validate the related economic incentives. However, a systematic cost–benefit analysis approach has not yet been framed, as data availability and resources are limited. This study explores an alternative cost–benefit estimate approach to reduce air pollution in shipping based on a broad review and applies it to a case study regarding the domestic emission controls of Xiamen shipping. The results show that switching to a fuel with a maximum allowable fuel sulphur content of 1.5% to 0.5% for cargo ships and other vessels leads to more than nine times the external benefits to costs, while switching to a fuel with less than 0.5% sulphur content may lead to below-cost external benefits; the benefits/cost ratio based on shore power is 3.14. The proposed approach contributes to estimating not only the input costs but also their external benefits to fit the externality of sustainability actions. In the future, more site-specific factors and parameters and more case studies are recommended to improve the research reliability and accuracy as well as enrich the knowledge base for shipping sustainability development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article delves into the correlation between maritime traffic and economic growth in Guangdong Province, China's coastal area. By utilizing GIS technology and mathematical models, the study examines the advantages of maritime traffic, such as network density and port proximity, and quantitatively evaluates the economic development of each region. The research categorizes the regions into four zones based on a coupling-coordination model, offering practical recommendations for enhancing maritime traffic and economic progress in the area. The study underscores the significance of spatial analysis in understanding the interplay between maritime traffic and economic advancement, particularly in regions like the Pearl River Delta, where cities like Zhuhai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou exhibit high levels of economic development. [Extracted from the article]

Global shipping alliances have become an important institution in international seaborne trade. Their raison d'être is higher efficiency and lower costs, to the benefit of the consumer. However, experiences from GSA operations during the COVID-19 supply chain crisis show that GSAs may have considerable market power, not quite aligned with the spirit of the lawmaker who has exempted them from antitrust laws. This raises many questions this paper attempts to answer: What drives the formation, stability and dissolution of GSAs? And have external and internal factors, such as government policies, ship sizes and freight rates, had always the same effect on GSAs over time? We decompose industry concentration (HHI) into seven components. This is done based on the Variational Mode Decomposition model. The components are subsequently reconstructed through gray correlation. Next, a Generalized Additive Model is specified, to analyze the relationships between influencing factors and the evolution of GSAs. We look both at the development (trend) of industry concentration, as well as its fluctuations (cyclicality) over time. We show that effects vary over time, with the same factors having different impacts on GSAs at different times. The paper can assist policymakers in their efforts to regulate and supervise container shipping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport of cargo by short-sea shipping is at the forefront of the European Union's transportation policy. It has the promise to alleviate congested land transport and decrease pollution [European Commission. 2021. Putting European transport on track for the future]. However, the shortage of qualified personnel might impede this solution. Autonomous sailing of ships could help, especially if the whole trip is automated. In this study a control system is designed that is capable of sailing a round-trip with a model-scale feeder vessel in Marin's Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin. The Guidance-Navigation-Control framework is used to sail this journey with attention given to smooth switching between the operational modes. A set of experiments is conducted to validate the controller and identify crucial parts in the operation. The experiments showed that the controlled vessel can sail a round-trip with different levels of waves and wind disturbances coming from different directions. Furthermore, the round-trip can be modified such that the approach angle to the quay changes and the ship still successfully docks at the quay. It was found that the approach to the quay is most difficult during transition from high to low speed, when the bow thrusters have yet to become effective, and a large change in course is needed. This can be circumvented by changing the trajectory to the quay to have a longer straight approach, or it can be corrected when the bow thrusters become active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point cloud-based 3D small object detection is crucial for autonomous driving and smart ships. The current 3D object detection mainly relies on object global features derived from 3D and 2D convolutional networks, inevitably leading to the loss of substantial object detail information. As large objects contain enough points to obtain sufficient global features, they are easy to identify. In contrast, small objects contain fewer points and their global features are weak, resulting in false classifications and inaccurate location estimates. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the local geometric relation features of the object to develop adequate discriminative features. Moreover, the current two-stage 3D object detection speed is relatively slow due to the complex refinement structure, which is adverse to real-time detection. In this paper, an efficient 3D small object detection network with two novel modules is proposed. Firstly, the Geometric relation-based Feature Aggregation (GFA) module is designed to improve small object detection performance. This module flexibly aggregates the features of voxels and original points near the key points, for key points to aggregate more local discriminate features of objects, which is conducive to small object detection. Subsequently, the Key point Feature Abstraction (KFA) module is designed to improve the speed of small object detection, through which object global features can be rapidly obtained and the detection performance can be enhanced. Experimental results show that this method achieves state-of-the-art small object detection performance on both the KITTI dataset and the River Cargo Ship dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maritime industry is exploring ammonia as an alternative fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the high toxicity of ammonia poses significant safety challenges for onboard handling and storage. This study investigates ammonia dispersion and toxicity levels from vent mast releases on ships, aiming to enhance safety measures for future ammonia-fueled vessels. Using CFD analysis on a 31,000-dwt general cargo ship model, the research examines various release scenarios, considering regulatory requirements, vent mast design, and environmental conditions. Results show that direct ammonia release from the vent mast poses fatal risks to the crew in the accommodation area and on adjacent ships, regardless of current regulatory stipulations. The study recommends installing an ammonia-catching system to reduce concentrations to safe levels of 30 ppm before release. These findings offer crucial insights for improving the safety of using ammonia as marine fuel through risk assessment and management. [Display omitted] • Provides key safety recommendations for the toxic release of ammonia from the ships. • Critically examines existing regulatory gaps related to ammonia release via vent mast. • Investigates dispersion scenarios considering different environmental conditions, vent mast designs, and release rates. • Regardless of vent mast location and height, direct ammonia release poses a fatal threat to humans onboard the ship. • Recommends the installation of an ammonia catch system before releasing ammonia into the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prediction of unloading times is crucial for reducing demurrage costs and ensuring the smooth scheduling of downstream processes in a steel plant. The duration of unloading a cargo ship is primarily determined by the unloading schedule established at the raw materials terminal and the storage operation schedule implemented in the stockyard. This study aims to provide an accurate forecast of unloading times for incoming ships at the raw materials terminal of a steel plant. We propose three neural network-based methods: the Backpropagation Neural Network (BP), the Random Vector Functional Link (RVFL), and the Stochastic Configurations Network (SCN) for this prediction. This issue has not been previously researched using similar methods, particularly in the context of large-scale steel plants. The performance of these three methods is evaluated based on several indices: the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), the quality of the best solution, convergence, and stability, which are employed for predicting unloading times. The prediction accuracies achieved by the BP, RVFL, and SCN were 76%, 85%, and 87%, respectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and potential applications of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime propulsion is recognized as a hard-to-abate sector and its decarbonization will therefore require transversal efforts, including the introduction of alternative fuels to reduce CO 2 emissions. Both ammonia and hydrogen could provide clean power; however, forecasts hint that ammonia will be especially useful for longer routes, while hydrogen suffers from low volumetric energy density. This paper evaluates the feasibility of a cargo ship with a SOFC powertrain equipped with LOHC-based hydrogen storage and compares the sizing and heat management requirements of four LOHC systems, namely N-ethylcarbazole (NEC), dibenzyltoluene (DBT), methylcyclohexane (MCH), decaline (DEC), with an ammonia-based one. The size of the 8.4 MW SOFC system is similar for the five carriers as expected. The dynamic performance of the LOHC system shows that the hydrogen flow rate can be effectively controlled by acting on the LOHC flow rate, reactor temperature, and pressure. However, LOHC systems are heavier (by a factor of 1.6 to 2.1) and larger (by 1.6 to 2.3 times) than ammonia systems. The decalin system results in the lowest mass and volume, while NEC is the heavier, and MCH is the least dense of the evaluated LOHCs. Similarly, the utilization of SOFC waste heat to cover dehydrogenation heat ranges from 45.6 % (NEC) to 27.9 % (ammonia). Overall, even considering the lower reaction temperature, LOHCs do not appear to be competitive with ammonia as hydrogen storage systems in the maritime sector. • Liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) systems discussed for maritime applications. • Different LOHC systems are sized, and the heat demand is evaluated. • Control strategies are devised to meet instantaneous hydrogen demand. • The dynamic response of LOHC-based systems is more than satisfactory. • Comparison with ammonia is unfavorable in terms of mass, volume and heat demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shipping is a vital component of global trade. However, shipping activities have negative environmental impacts, including emissions to air and water. The Baltic Sea is severely affected by eutrophication, mainly due to nutrient inputs, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. Understanding the contributions of various nutrient sources is essential for informed environmental regulation. The aim of this research is to quantify the nutrient content of black and grey water discharged from cargo ships in the Baltic Sea in order to assess their contribution to the total nutrient load. Specifically, this research examines the nitrogen and phosphorus loadings from ships calling the port of HaminaKotka and addresses key questions regarding nutrient generation, discharge proportions, emission shares by ship type, and their importance compared to other sources. Using a methodology based on ship data and nutrient production estimates, this study found that 2545 cargo ships generated a total of 781 kg of nitrogen and 134 kg of phosphorus in their effluents during their voyages to the port in 2021. However, only a small fraction (0.5%) of the cargo ships discharged their wastewater at port reception facilities. This study concludes that nutrient discharges from cargo ships' wastewaters are relatively small, contributing less than 0.06% phosphorus and 0.01% nitrogen to the total load in the area. This result indicates that the impact of cargo ships' wastewater on the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea is smaller than previously thought. The methodology used in this study can be applied in other ports and regions to assess nutrient discharges from cargo ships' wastewaters on a wider scale. Further research is recommended to assess the effectiveness of on-board treatment systems, the impact of other contaminants in wastewater, and the development of port reception facilities to facilitate proper wastewater management in the maritime trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid sloshing within partially filled tanks of large liquid cargo ships has been a major concern in marine engineering. An arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) finite element (FE) method is proposed to simulate three-dimension large-amplitude liquid sloshing in ellipsoidal tanks, and its effectiveness is verified by experiments. Firstly, a scheme of the fractional step algorithm for solving the Navier–Stokes (NS) equations, combining with the characteristic-based split (CBS), in the ALE framework is constructed. Then a deft and effective mesh moving and update strategy is designed for large-amplitude liquid sloshing in ellipsoidal tanks. Subsequently, computer programming and numerical simulation are carried out and the obtained results show excellent agreements with the experiments. Finally, the nonlinear phenomena for large amplitude liquid sloshing in ellipsoidal tanks under the external excitations are investigated and the multi-modal characteristics of liquid nonlinear sloshing is revealed through a combination of numerical simulations and the ground physical experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of ship manoeuvring properties is a crucial part of the process of ship design and is usually first carried out during the model test phase of the project. According to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the manoeuvrability of the ship can be assessed on the basis of the standard trial manoeuvres. In order to do this, free running model tests or captive model tests are used, in conjunction with a mathematical model of ship motion; this is considered to be a reliable prediction method. In recent years, numerical-based methods have also been widely used in ship hydrodynamics and constantly improving computing power and more accurate fluid dynamics models have made the simulation of more complex cases possible. The study presented in this paper focuses on the determination of propeller-rudder-hull interaction coefficients based on the Mathematical Modelling Group (MMG) standard method in ship manoeuvring prediction. The identification of the parameters uses both captive model tests and a simplified numerical method, as well as regression formulas. The results of 35° turning and 10°/10° zig-zag manoeuvres, obtained with the use of each prediction method, are then compared. The test case used in the study is the container type cargo ship equipped with a single propeller and rudder. The model scale, for which the referenced model tests were carried out, is equal to 1:25 and a NACA 0020 rudder profile was used. This research highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each presented prediction method and their potential for future improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work applies a bootstrap multivariate panel Granger causality test to examine the causal relationship between the coronavirus disease 2019, Delta and Omicron pandemic eras and the maritime shipping freight industry across 15 Chinese marine transportation freight stocks through the data from Jannuary 23, 2020 to December 6, 2022. After accounting for both dependency and heterogeneity across these industries, we find support for six of the 15 maritime shipping freight enterprises which display a unidirectional Granger relationship between stock returns and pandemic-related shocks and five of them which demonstrate a bidirectional association. On the other hand, the stock values of three firms in this cohort Granger "lead" the epidemic, suggesting that the adjustment of expectations to external shocks and the efficient market hypothesis could elucidate apparent causal connections. The empirical findings of this work provide important policy implications for the maritime shipping freight industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The freight forwarding industry is undergoing digital transformation through the implementation of online platforms designed to enhance operational efficiency and transparency. Despite these benefits, the adoption of these platforms has been slower than anticipated due to customer concerns and industry-specific challenges. Methods: This study investigates the factors influencing the intention to adopt and the actual use of online platforms for freight forwarding services among business customers in Thailand. A modified Unified Theory for Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, incorporating perceived risk, serves as the theoretical framework. Survey data were collected from 400 respondents in managerial or higher-level positions involved in freight shipping within Thai firms and analyzed using a structural equation model (SEM). Results: The analysis reveals that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions positively influence adoption intention, while perceived risk negatively impacts it. Firm size moderates the effect of social influence, with a stronger impact observed in larger enterprises. Conclusions: The findings offer practical insights for Thai freight forwarders, suggesting strategies to improve customer acceptance and encourage the adoption of online platforms. Addressing the identified factors could lead to improved efficiency and greater integration of digital technologies in the logistics industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the arrival of the globally invading bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata (d'Orbigny, 1852) on remote oceanic Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Several colonies of this bryozoan were found in 2023 on artificial settlement plates in Caleta Hanga Piko, located next to the island's anchorage site for cruise and cargo ships. The species was most likely introduced via hull fouling on internationally travelling vessels, including yachts and sailing boats. It is unknown if or how far it has spread along the island. We present an updated global distribution map for the species and discuss possible vectors of secondary dispersal, such as local boats and floating plastic litter. Moreover, we suggest prevention measures and highlight the need for monitoring and screening for this species, which may have a high potential for spreading and impacting coastal communities along Rapa Nui's shores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the archaeological interest in shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea during the Modern Period (16th to 18th centuries). It highlights the challenges of looting and lack of protection for cultural heritage sites. The study analyzes historical documents to identify 692 shipwrecks, categorizing them based on archaeological interest and causes of shipwrecks. The research aims to improve knowledge of the maritime history of the Caribbean through underwater archaeology, emphasizing the importance of archival data and modern prospecting techniques. [Extracted from the article]

Many ships from Thonis-Heracleion, a submerged city on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, show numerous parallels with the construction of the Nilotic freighter baris as described by Herodotus (Hist. 2.96). During the spring mission of 2022 four massive constructional pieces of the bow from these ships were excavated and studied. Bow pieces played an important role in the structure of a baris. Obtained information complements the documentation of a baris as described by Herodotus and serves as a new architectural signature for this type of construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandatory use of low-sulfur fuel according to the global sulfur limit regulation has reduced the emissions of SO2 and particulate matter (PM) significantly on ships, and it also leads to a very large uncertainty in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Therefore, an on-board test of VOCs from nine typical cargo ships with low-sulfur fuels in China was carried out in this study. Results showed that the emission factor of VOCs (EFVOCs) varied largely from 0.09 to 3.01 gkg-1 of fuel, with domestic coastal cargo ships (CCSs) having the highest level, followed by inland cargo ships (ICSs) and ocean-going vessels (OGVs). The switch of fuels from heavy fuel oil (HFO) to diesel increased EFVOCs by 48 % on average, which enhanced both O3 and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potential, especially for OGVs. Besides, the use of low-sulfur fuels for OGVs also led to a significant increase in naphthalene emission. These indicated that the implementation of a global ultra-low-sulfur oil policy in the near future needs to be optimized. Moreover, aromatics were the most important common contributors to O3 and SOA in ship exhausts, which need to be controlled as a matter of priority. It was also found that the benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene ratio of 0.5:0.3:0.2 on average could be considered a diagnostic characteristic to distinguish ship emissions from other emission sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tinna Rubber and Infrastructure Limited (TRIL) is India's largest integrated material recycler of end-of-life tyres (ELT). It imported 70% scrap to feedstock in its manufacturing plants. The nationwide lockdown declared on 24 March 2020 posed severe initial restrictions on the movement of non-essential cargo. It affected TRIL's 265 containers lodged at different ports in the country, thus escalating their demurrage/detention charges and storage costs. This case concerns supply chain problems faced by Shanti Swarup, TRIL Head–Procurement, owing to COVID-19 disruption. The situation was severe enough to wipe out TRIL's annual cash profit and put its factories at risk of running out of feedstock. Scrap importers, like TRIL, were in a deadlock with shipping lines and freight stations to waive any imposed charges or avail of any monetary relief despite regular guidelines issued by the Indian government. However, Swarup's existing and effective 'supply chain resilience' strategies had already made TRIL win half the battle by adopting a different approach to the deadlock problem, which relieved the situation. The case study also highlights typical risks and challenges faced by the Indian ELT recycling industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides information on various shipwrecks in the Moreton Bay area, with approximately 122 recorded shipwrecks in total. The wrecks are located in different areas such as Bribie Island, Peel Island, North Stradbroke Island, Cape Moreton, and Moreton Island. Specific wrecks mentioned include the PS Avon, PS Kate, No 6 Hopper/Mount Elliot, SD Platypus 1, SS Lady Loch, and Rufus King Liberty Ship EC2-S-C1. The article also includes information about the history and characteristics of these wrecks. Additionally, it mentions several ships that have been sunk at the Curtin Artificial Reef off Moreton Island, including the AHS Centaur, which was a hospital ship sunk by a Japanese submarine during World War II. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: The casuarina moth, Lymantria xylina Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), may become a major invasive pest similar to Lymantria dispar Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), and the risk of its spread has attracted worldwide attention. Male L. xylina moths have strong flight ability, while female moths have weaker flight ability. Female moths frequently rest on branches and can sometimes fly short distances. Additionally, females may be attracted by the lights of ships and land on the hull or cargo to lay eggs. Prior to this study, little was known about the flight ability of L. xylina, due to the absence of related research. Consequently, our investigation focused on assessing the potential flight ability of L. xylina adults using a flight mill. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the flight ability of L. xylina moths in terms of age, sex, flight duration, mating, oviposition, wing morphology, and under different temperatures. The goal was to provide a theoretical framework for understanding the flight characteristics and dispersal potential of L. xylina, as well as to assess the risk of dispersal through ocean-going freighters. Lymantria xylina Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is a potentially invasive pest, similar to Lymantria dispar asiatica Vnukovskij and Lymantria dispar japonica Motschulsky (Lepidoptera: Erebidae). To evaluate its potential for spread and flight distance related to egg deposition on vessels at ports, we employed a flight mill to assess the flight capabilities of its adults under varying conditions. Our findings revealed that females primarily flew short distances and ceased flying after 3:00 AM, whereas males covered much longer distances throughout the day. Sex, age, and flight duration significantly influenced flight ability. Females exhibited weaker flight capability than males, and their ability declined with increasing age or flight duration. Notably, 1-day-old moths displayed the strongest flight ability, with average flight distances of up to 3.975 km for females and 8.441 km for males. By the fifth day, females no longer flew, and males experienced reduced flight ability. After continuous hanging for 16 h, females lost most of their flight capacity, while males remained capable of flight even after 32 h. Additionally, female flight ability decreased significantly after mating, possibly due to factors such as egg-carrying capacity, weight, and load ratio. This study provides a foundation for assessing the risk of long-distance dispersal of L. xylina via ocean-going freighters, considering female moths' phototactic flight and oviposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forward Freight Agreements (FFAs) are exchange-traded futures and the main means of risk management for shipping spot freight. The relationship between the FFA market and the shipping spot market has attracted much attention, but few studies focus on the dynamic FFA term structure and its correlation with the spot price. In this study, we establish the dynamic term structure of the FFA market by quantifying the level factor, the slope factor and the curvature factor of the FFA term structure to reveal the underlying information in the shipping derivatives market, and further scrutinize the impact of the FFA term-structure factors on the shipping spot market. The empirical results indicate that the term-structure factors have significant time-varying effects on the BDI and BPI: The effect of the term-structure factors on BDI and BPI changes with shipping market conditions and economic environment. The level factor has a positive effect, while the slope factor and the curvature factor both have negative effects, with the impacts on the BPI being about twice as large as the impacts on the BDI. The three factors all have their strongest effect in the short term and the weakest effect in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, cryogenic fluids are widely transported via cargo ships as energy sources. The generation of boil-off gas (BOG) is inevitable in a cryogenic container due to the large temperature difference. Therefore, accurately analyzing the boil-off gas over time is essential to increase delivery efficiency and ensure tank safety. However, predicting the boil-off rate (BOR) is not a simple task, as both experiment and calculation require a significant amount of time. In this study, a simple predictive method is developed for simulating a 1/50 scaled model tank. The method consists of steady and quasi-unsteady calculations. Steady calculations are performed to establish a correlation between LN2 level and inner-wall temperature. Quasi-unsteady calculations simulate BOG over time by changing the inner-wall boundary conditions. This method can help engineers effectively evaluate the insulation performance of a cryogenic container in a short time and provide guidelines for simulating a real scale tank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Everywhere carriers incur a measure of liability for the safety of the goods. Carriers are liable for any damage or for the loss of the goods that are in their possession as carriers unless they prove that the damage or loss is attributable to certain excepted causes. Damaged and lost items can unfortunately be a common problem when shipping freight. Legal responsibilities arise due to loss or damage during transit while cargo is in their care. This study intends to investigate the nature of the liability of the maritime carrier when this liability is realized, and the extent to which it can be paid or disposed of given the risks realized from the transportation process, which may result in damage or loss of the goods, and the damage that may cause to the consignee because of this damage or loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommendations are given for choosing the optimal schemes for the process of inerting cargo tanks of ships carrying liquefied gases. It was determined that one of the tasks that arise during the transportation of hydrocarbon cargoes (crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied gases) is to ensure fire safety and prevent accidental explosions of cargo vapors in cargo tanks. Processes that occur during cargo operations on ships transporting oil products and liquefied gases are considered. The critical composition of the mixture of oxygen (entering the cargo tanks with air) and cargo vapors (remaining in the tanks after the cargo is unloaded) is indicated, at which a flash and explosion may occur. It was determined that the main technological operation that prevents spontaneous ignition of cargo vapors in cargo tanks is their inerting using nitrogen. The main advantages and disadvantages of the schemes for inerting cargo tanks are considered and determined: cascade, semi-cascade and parallel. The effective use of these schemes is based on the consumption of nitrogen, the amount of which is necessary for inerting, as well as the duration of the inerting process. The results of determining these indicators for a group of gas carriers with a cargo capacity of 38,646–62,233 m³ are given. At the same time, it is stated that the lowest consumption of nitrogen is necessary to ensure the process of inerting according to the cascade scheme. It was established that semi-cascade and parallel inerting schemes require an increase in the amount of nitrogen by 1.74–2.42 times and by 1.28–1.83 times, respectively. It was also established that the cascade scheme of inerting requires more time for its implementation. The duration of inerting according to the semi-cascade and parallel scheme is reduced and is 0.43–0.64 and 0.58–0.75 times in comparison with the cascade scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the unobserved spatial heterogeneity, this study aims to build a Bayesian spatial multinomial logistic (BSMNL) model by utilizing the geographic information from historical maritime accidents. The proposed BSMNL model can be applied to investigate the determinants of human errors involved in maritime accidents. Compared to the traditional multinomial logistic (MNL) model, the proposed BSMNL model produces a more accurate estimate of the effects of environmental and accident factors on the occurrence likelihood of human errors in maritime accidents. Results show that accidents involving cargo and container ships; tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or oil; and fishing vessels are more likely to be associated with human errors. Further, one important finding is that the involvement of fishing vessels significantly increases the occurrence probability of both negligence errors and judgment or operational errors. In addition, the occurrence likelihood of human errors is generally higher in springtime, conditions of poor visibility, the absence of strong winds or waves, and the moored or docked status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of deep ocean expeditions conducted using the MIR-1 and MIR-2 deep manned submersibles. The main objectives of these expeditions were to search for and observe the deepest wooden wreck and the deepest military submarine wreck. The article discusses the techniques and methods employed during these operations. The expeditions were driven by the need to financially sustain the submersibles and the group of professional submariners. Additionally, the article mentions the discovery of a Spanish galleon at a depth of 4,700 meters and the search for a Japanese submarine from World War II. The text also describes two expeditions to locate and explore the wreckage of the I-52 submarine, which sank in 1944. The first expedition in 1995 was unsuccessful due to incorrect coordinates provided by British historians. However, a second expedition in 1998 led by U.S. historian Paul Tidwell successfully located the submarine using archival materials and sonar technology. The exploration of the wreckage revealed significant damage from torpedoes and the absence of gold ingots. Overall, these expeditions were primarily focused on scientific research and the utilization of the MIR submersibles. [Extracted from the article]

Maritime transportation is crucial for global trade and responsible for the majority of goods movement worldwide. The optimization of maritime operations is challenged by the complexity and heterogeneity of maritime nodes. This paper presents the emerging deployment of federated learning (FL) in maritime environments to address these challenges. FL enables decentralized machine learning model training, ensuring data privacy and security while overcoming issues associated with non-i.i.d. data. This paper explores various maritime use cases, including fuel consumption reduction, predictive maintenance, and just-in-time arrival. Experimental results using real datasets demonstrate the superiority of FL in predicting the fuel consumption of large cargo ships in terms of accuracy and spatiotemporal complexity over traditional collaborative machine learning approaches. The findings indicate that FL can significantly improve the performance of fuel consumption models in a collaborative way, while ensuring data privacy preservation and no data transmission during the learning process. Finally, this paper discusses open issues and future research directions necessary for the widespread adoption of FL in maritime transportation and settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, carbon emission reduction in the shipping sector has increasingly garnered scholarly attention. This study delves into the pathways for carbon emission reduction in shipping across the Yangtze River, emphasizing fuel alternatives. It initiates by introducing a novel ship carbon emission calculation methodology predicated on voyage data, followed by the development of a predictive model for ship carbon emissions tailored to specific voyages. Then, emission reduction scenarios for various voyage categories are designed and exemplary alternative fuels selected to assess their potential for emission mitigation. Subsequently, scenario analysis is employed to scrutinize the CO2 emission trajectories under diverse conditions, pinpointing the most efficacious route for carbon emission abatement for inland vessels. Finally, the proposed method is applied to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The results indicate that accelerating the adoption of alternative fuels for long-distance cargo ships would greatly accelerate the development of environmentally friendly shipping. Under a scenario prioritizing zero-carbon growth, emissions from inland vessels are anticipated to reach their zenith by 2040. These findings can provide theoretical guidance for emission reductions in inland shipping and effectively promote the green and sustainable development of the shipping sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Advanced Analysis of Marine Structures—Edition II" Special Issue in the Journal of Marine Science & Engineering focuses on predicting the strength of ship and offshore structures under various load conditions. The issue includes 14 articles covering topics such as impact response, ultimate strength, fatigue strength, and hydrodynamic analysis of marine devices. Authors explore innovative approaches to render marine structures lightweight, safe, and economical throughout their lifetimes, providing valuable insights for researchers in the field of marine engineering. [Extracted from the article]

Forecasting container ship arrival times is challenging, requiring a thorough analysis for accuracy. This study investigates the effectiveness of machine learning (ML) techniques in maritime transportation. Using a dataset of 581 samples with 8 input variables and 1 output variable (arrival time), ML models are constructed. The Pearson correlation matrix reduces input variables to 7 key factors: freight forwarder, dispatch location, loading and discharge ports, post-discharge location, dispatch day of the week, and dispatch week. The ranking of ML performance for predicting the arrival time of container ships can be arranged in descending order as GB-PSO > XGB > RF > RF-PSO > GB > KNN > SVR. The best ML model, GB-PSO, demonstrates high accuracy in predicting the arrival time of container ships, with R2 = 0.7054, RMSE = 7.4081 days, MAE = 5.1891 days, and MAPE = 0.0993% for the testing dataset. This is a promising research outcome as it seems to be the first time that an approach involving the use of minimal and easily collectible input factors (such as freight forwarder, dispatch time and place, port of loading, post port of discharge, port of discharge) and the combination of a machine learning model has been introduced for predicting the arrival time of container ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore how the hub-and-spoke system in the international freight transportation network contributes to the global shrinkage of space. The friction in long-distance trade routes varies by the location of shippers and nodal characteristics of traversed ports, and is mitigated by the quality of scale economies driven by the hub-and-spoke distribution system along the trajectory of the logistic process. In order to confirm the shrinkage of space brought about by the hub-and-spoke shipping economies through transshipment routes via hub ports, we examine disaggregated cross-Atlantic cargo shipping trajectory data from Europe to the U.S. recorded both on landside and seaside with a discrete choice model. The results present that hub-and-spoke shipping economies arise with the scales of landside and maritime port operations and with shipping line diversity. Generally, they are found to offset distance friction that occurs along landside and maritime shipping voyages, but hub-and-spoke shipping economies arise differently depending on how hub-and-spoke configurations are set. They mainly stem from larger scale of ports' operation and more diverse shipping lines serving the final port of export. The hub-and-spoke system is confirmed as a main driver of global shrinkage of space in terms of long-distance commercial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standard structural assessments of ship hulls include the evaluation of the elastic structural response. Elastic analysis neglects extreme and unpredicted loadings, which can produce catastrophic outcomes, such as the loss of the ship's ultimate strength. Moreover, hull elements are considered unaffected by age-related degradation. Therefore, this study models and quantifies the effect of corrosion-induced structural degradation on the ultimate strength of a high-tensile-steel (HTS) cargo ship using progressive collapse and nonlinear finite element methods. Uniform and pitting corrosion are modeled through selected scenarios, which hull elements might encounter during exploitation, producing a total of 148 calculation models. The findings show that corrosion-induced degradation can significantly decrease the ultimate strength of the hull (up to 30% for the most severe scenarios assessed). Furthermore, ultimate strength decreases almost proportionally to the amount of wastage considered. It was found that stiffener corrosion has a significant effect on the total ultimate strength. This study's aim is to emphasize the vast importance of including ultimate strength along with ageing effects in industry-standard structural assessments of large HTS ship structures, designed to last for several decades whilst exposed to excessive and unpredicted bending moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global shipping network (GSN) has been suggested as a pathway for the establishment and reintroduction of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus primarily via the tire trade. We used historical maritime movement data in combination with an agent-based model to understand invasion risk in the United States Gulf Coast and how the risk of these invasions could be reduced. We found a strong correlation between the total number of cargo ship arrivals at each port and likelihood of arrival by both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Additionally, in 2012, 99.2% of the arrivals into target ports had most recently visited ports likely occupied by both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, increasing risk of Aedes invasion. Our model results indicated that detection and removal of mosquitoes from containers when they are unloaded effectively reduced the probability of mosquito populations establishment even when the connectivity of ports increased. To reduce the risk of invasion and reintroduction of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, surveillance and control efforts should be employed when containers leave high risk locations and when they arrive in ports at high risk of establishment. Author summary: Our study investigates how the global shipping network inadvertently serves as a highway for the spread of two mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, both of which are vectors for pathogens causing diseases like dengue and Zika. We analyzed maritime movement data in the United States Gulf Coast and found that the more cargo ships that dock at a port, the higher the chance these mosquitoes will be introduced; nearly all cargo ships arriving at these ports had last visited regions where these mosquitoes thrive, significantly raising the risk of spread of these mosquitoes. Our research also suggested that proactive detection and elimination of mosquitoes from shipping containers can dramatically lower the risk of these pests establishing new colonies, even as global shipping traffic grows. Our work suggests that by enhancing surveillance and control measures at strategic points in the shipping process, we can safeguard our communities from additional mosquito introductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the determination mechanism and dynamics of shipping freight rates has significant implications for practitioners, economists, and regulators of maritime transport. This paper systematically reviews the relevant papers on shipping freight rate published between 2000 and 2019. Specifically, it provides empirical insights including the major influencing factors of shipping freight rates and differences among the shipping sectors, and discusses the dominant methods and their applicability, strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities for new methods. Furthermore, the omissions and limitations in methods are explored to identify the research gaps and set a future research agenda. It is found that there is a strong focus on temporal dynamics with a wide range of modelling methods applied, while discussion on cross-sectional dynamics on how shipping freight rates are determined by vessel characteristics, contract terms, market competition, etc., is limited. Besides, the collaboration network analysis shows that more knowledge sharing and cross-discipline collaboration efforts can create potential for more inspired insights with advanced methods in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the shared history of Frankfurt Zoological Garden and Airport, developing an infrastructural perspective on the rise of behavioral thinking in postwar environmental sciences. It shows that technical and logistical environments, such as seaports, airports, train stations, and highways, shaped the way environmental scientists and a broader public conceptualized animal behavior. Similar to ergonomics and human factor engineering in the 1950s and '60s, human-made spaces and interiors became central reference points for developing and testing new ideas on the interaction between animals and "the environment." Further, airports were sites of knowledge transfer between practitioners, including animal traders, care attendants, veterinarians, logistics experts, and scientists. The first part of the article draws on the works of biologist and Frankfurt's Zoo director Bernhard Grzimek, who made excessive use of air cargo to ship wild animals to Frankfurt. The second part traces the emergence of new spaces for animals at Frankfurt Airport in the 1950s--such as the "animal room" in the cargo area. The third part of the article uncovers the hidden networks of animal traders and shipping companies that made Frankfurt Airport a major international hub in animal air cargo. Lastly, the article argues that hands-on experience of animal behavior, such as that conducted in airports like Frankfurt, is part of a broader pattern of environmental knowledge production in in the twentieth century--in close proximity to infrastructure projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seabird-vessel interactions are often studied through the lens of fisheries bycatch, but seabirds encounter many watercraft types. Western Gulls Larus occidentalis breeding on the Farallon Islands (California, USA) have a foraging domain that encompasses both shipping lanes and productive fishing grounds, resulting in ample opportunities for vessel encounters. Previous research showed that these Western Gulls can serve as ecosystem indicators because their foraging behavior is linked to ocean prey conditions, and because their foraging grounds overlap with that of Humpback Whales Megaptera novaeangliae, which can make prey accessible. Because ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are concerns for whales in this region, we investigated gull-vessel interactions as a proxy for identifying whale ship-strike risk by assessing the geographical overlap between GPS-tracked gulls and vessels using the Automatic Identification System. During 2014-2019, 40% of tracked gulls encountered a vessel, resulting in 85 encounters. Gulls mostly encountered cargo ships and tug/pilot boats, mainly within the shipping lanes (79%). Over 30% of these encounters co-occurred with gull foraging events, and most encounters were situated within shipping lanes (80%). Moreover, most gull foraging events began before the vessel encounters, which appeared to interrupt gull behavior. Interannual variability of encounters was mainly related to gull foraging locations: during years of high oceanic productivity, foraging more frequently occurred at sea rather than nearshore or on land, leading to more encounters with ships. This study builds on work that documented overlap between Humpback Whales and Western Gulls but did not test whether foraging gulls encountered vessels. We found that some vessel encounters coincided with gull foraging events; from that, we suggest that the real-time processing of seabird tracking data could provide additional information on whale distribution (which is more difficult to study) within regions of high ship-strike risk and could be included as another tool for dynamic ocean management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]