Simon Gravenall’s Post

Are your check pilot systems effective? There are a number of interesting findings and learnings for Marine Pilots in this report, but it is particularly interesting to read the sections on Check Pilot systems, with particular reference by the ATSB to the Australasian Marine Pilots Institute (AMPI) , Code of Good Practice – Marine Pilot Competence and Performance, 2nd Ed. 2020. “Overall, the results of analysis of the large amount of check pilot data showed that the check pilot system had not resulted in any significant benefit to coastal pilot competency by way of formalised corrective action and continual improvement. As AMSA has never conducted any trend analysis of the check voyage assessments, stating that this was primarily due to the low number of deficiencies identified overall, it did not identify the inconsistent application of assessment standards by individual check pilots. In the absence of sufficient monitoring of check pilot practices, factors which may have limited the system’s effectiveness such as assessor bias, unclear assessment standards and insufficient training and guidance for assessors, had not been identified and corrected.” “The check pilot system was ineffective in providing the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) assurance of the competency of coastal pilots, mainly due to the inconsistent and unreliable application of assessment standards between different check pilots. Further, AMSA had not implemented a system to identify the inconsistent application of standards or the trends in assessment outcomes readily apparent in the data that it had held for many years.”

The errors associated with this pilotage task likely began to emerge well before the task itself began. Traditional seafaring skills are gradually being eroded from modern Australian pilotage. There is an increasing overreliance on GPS and Portable Pilot Units (PPUs), with practitioners focusing on following predefined routes and processes. Fundamental skills are being overshadowed by technical indicators and rigid criteria, which undermines the core principles of the discipline (though there are appropriate contexts for these criteria). Adaptability is essential because fixed, rigid responses in a dynamic environment often do not produce optimal results and do not necessarily ensure efficient port operations (not withstanding this is a coastal pilotage example). I frequently use the phrase “baked in the cake” to describe how the consequences of these changes take time to manifest. This near-miss serves as a forewarning of potential future issues if certain changes and attitudes are not addressed. For instance, if we are revising our industry hiring practices crucial to our organizational safety fundamentals and seeking to lower entry requirements to enhance competitiveness, then our industry training methods must also advance beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Safe sailing.

#Colregs #Rule5 #Lookout #DirtyWindscreens #Seamanship #Technology So so many learnings here, and a number of colleagues have detailed various potential underlying causes and gaps to be plugged, as does the report itself. One thing that struck me though; why weren’t they looking out the window? It was the sector light that finally alerted the pilot to the vessel’s danger, but shouldn’t this have been noticed earlier? Did no one on the bridge keep a lookout? Was the windscreen clean? One of my biggest bug bears as a pilot is a dirty wheelhouse windscreen, and I’d say at least half the vessels I walk on board have one dirty enough that I ask for it to be cleaned (and I’m talking about ships arriving into port, not just departing post loading/doscharge). As a cadet if I’d not cleaned the windscreen I’d have had strips torn off me after having scrubbed it clean with my uniform shirt and been made to stand watch with it still dirty and sopping… The fact that no one even seems to see this only proves to me a loss of one of the most fundamental elements of a seafarer’s trade, and I often wonder these days how well young officers are tested on that rule that says, Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision. Technology’s great, but it ain’t always better.

Highlighting FOCCUS: Collaborative Innovation for Enhanced #CoastalData at the #CopernicusMarine General Assembly 2024 The valuable contribution of the FOCCUS project is recognized during the Copernicus Marine General Assembly 2024. This project focuses on improving our understanding of coastal dynamics through innovative data collection and collaboration methodologies. FOCCUS brings together a consortium of expertise to enhance coastal data and improve flow understanding. By analyzing coastal data, FOCCUS aims to better understand complex flow dynamics within coastal zones. This knowledge is critical for addressing coastal management challenges, such as erosion and pollution. #CopernicusMarineGA #FOCCUS #MarineData #CoastalZones JERICO-RI European Infrastructure Copernicus Marine Service Mercator Ocean International EuroGOOS, European Global Ocean Observing System

I'm really stoked to have been invited to join the technical expert panel for the Third World Ocean Assessment (WOA III) by the United Nations. This report stands as a cornerstone through which the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) evaluates everything ocean-related — environment, economy, society — both present and future. It's all about giving policymakers the best scientific scoop possible. I'm looking forward to diving into the chapter on marine reptiles. We're talking about everything from chill sea turtles and sea snakes to the cool marine iguanas and the mighty saltwater crocodile. https://lnkd.in/g7tJJhT3 #WOA United Nations #UNGA #ocean #globalassessment #StantecProud #reptiles #impact #policy #environment

The Irish Sea Network is calling for more joined-up marine planning, as the Irish Sea’s wildlife and habitats face an uncertain future. With ambitious targets for net zero and 30 by 30 set by all six nations surrounding the Irish Sea, the extra demand for space in an already busy sea means there will be conflict between industries and uncertainty for sea users. The Irish Sea Network is calling for strategic effective and aligned Marine Spatial Prioritisation*. While it may be a difficult and sensitive task to prioritise activities in the Irish Sea it must be done urgently, with tackling the climate and nature crises at the heart of the decision-making process. Read the report published by the Irish Sea Network “Ecological Considerations for Marine Spatial Planning in the Irish Sea”. Find it here: https://lnkd.in/ewAuX2cc *Marine Spatial Prioritisation is a mechanism for deciding which activities should happen in what location, giving greater certainty for industries and sea users. #IrishSeaNetwork #30x30 #netzero #marine #OneIrishSea

For this Monday meet up no. 18 let me introduce you to 'my' beloved #Aruba, where once upon a time #coralreefs were lush, gorgeous, healthy and full of life. Like all over the #Caribbean over the past years/decades the health of these #reefs has detoriated disastrously. #Globalwarming caused severe coral bleaching and big parts of this once lush coral didn't survive, with harmful consequences for #sealife and for the health of the protective #mangroves, essential for adaptation to climate change for small developing island states. But in came the heroes of ReefSystems, together with the heroes of Aruba National Park Foundation (FPNA), Arikok. Last month they installed artificial reefs in four locations along the coast of the island to restore the coral reefs along the coast. https://lnkd.in/esft7mJy Let's hope all goes well and more reefs will be installed along the coastlines of all other islands in the region soon! See how it was done in this short video: https://lnkd.in/eidgM9Xi Universiteit van Aruba, Wageningen University & Research, RESEMBID, Jesse de Bont, Max Dijkstra, Natasha J. Silva🌱, Gian Nunes, Sietske van der Wal 🐙, Hellen Van Der Wal,Edeline Berg, Tyson O. López ☕ Patty Portier Leopoldo Henriquez Patrick Brown Lincoln D. Gomez, LL.M. Bryan Coffie #sids #coralrestoration #adaptation #climatechange #globalwarming #takeaction #biodiversity #biodiversiteit #naturebasedsolutions #natureconservation #natuur #oceans #oceanconservation #Nature #Earth #IamEarth #weareEarth

Did you know that the waters around Isle of Arran, Scotland, have a range of protected measures which might impact how carbon is stored in our seafloor? 🤔 Our team have been surveying the seafloor across areas with different levels of marine protection, to quantify if more carbon is stored in areas with where there is more protection from human activities such as bottom-towed fishing gears. There are few studies which look at the effects of marine protection on seabed carbon, our team of scientists spent a month on Arran working to uncover how the ocean and climate are connected. 🌎 The field work carried out by our team is the first ever study on Arran’s seafloor carbon! Get a flavour of what it’s like to be working to unlock the secrets of the sea in our new film 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6nnPijy 🎥 - Matt Jarvis #ConvexSeascapeSurvey ExeterMarine, Blue Marine Foundation, Convex Insurance, Community of Arran Seabed Trust - COAST #marineprotection #trawling #bluecarbon #climatechange #climatescience #marinescience #stem #newfilm #film

Curious about the OCEAN3R project's achievements? Aiming to contribute to the Mission area “Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters” at a regional and global level, the project made substantial contributions by addressing ocean pollution, advancing ocean decarbonization, and promoting habitat restoration and regeneration. ▶️ Discover more in the video: https://lnkd.in/d6WVQyga #Ocean3R

The combination of multiple specialties is key to delivering meaningful solutions. Sahaj helped Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef (CGBR) expand the reconnaissance of this threatened ecosystem by integrating machine learning, data engineering and platform engineering into an intuitive and scaleable solution. #machinelearning, #dataengineering, #platformengineering, #dataplatforms, #GreatBarrierReef