Renato Ivče

The importance of antifouling application monitoring on leisure boats

Underwater part of ships and boats hull is affected by marine biofouling which are adhering on it. Fouling of underwater part of hull is huge problem in shipping causing speed reduction and higher maintenance cost. Adhering of marine biofouling organisms can be reduced or eliminated applying antifouling coatings, but the release of hazardous substances also causes serious problems to the environment. This paper gives a brief overview of the international law and conventions relating application of anti-fouling paints. One of the most effective antifouling paints, developed in the 1960s, contains the organotin tributyltin (TBT) was banned 2001. by IMO International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships. Alternative antifouling coatings also may contain toxic elements causing problems to the environment. The paper indicates on possible environmental effects of using biocide antifouling at leisure boats on Croatian coast. Also authors suggest that anti-fouling paints application at marinas and also other small local ports should be adequately supervised and also boaters should be provided by anti-fouling educational materials.

Assesment and prediction model of ballast water management

The ballast water onboard ships is of great importance for safe and economical navigation regarding the ships stability, stress, trim, list, draft, etc. However, loading and discharging the ballast water from one environment to another may result in the transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens (HAOP). The overview of the regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other international and regional organizations related to the harmful impact of the ballast water management and exchange is outlined in this paper. In addition, the statistics of the ballast water discharges in the Port of Rijeka is presented, as well as the model for the exposure assessment of discharged chemicals.

Submarine optical cables: Impact on the marine environment

The submarine optical cables are one of the main parts of national and international telecommunication networks. Nowadays, the growing demand for bandwidth and transmission of vast amount of data on high bit rates causes expansion of terrestrial and submarine telecommunication network. The submarine cable network is an infrastructure which is vital to the global society. Therefore, coordinated efforts between cable industry, telecom operators and governments are required to ensure maximum protection and reliability of the networks. This paper presents submarine optical cables deployment, different types of cable configuration, installation, and protection. Despite the small physical size of optical cable activities, such as surveying of cable routes, laying, protecting and repairing submarine cables may cause pollution or harmful changes to the marine environment. The paper describes environmental effects of cable laying and maintenance. Because these activities mostly take place in coastal and territorial sea areas, they are subject to the domestic law and regulations of coastal countries. This paper gives a brief overview of the international law and conventions relating submarine cables. Disturbance and impact caused by cable laying are viewed in the context of improving preservation of the coast and seabed. Presented topic highlight the need to use and protect marine environment sustainably.