Creating the next generation power stations. In pressure-retarded osmosis, seawater and fresh water are separated by a semi-permeable membrane which allows the passage of water but prevents that of salt ions. (Photo: Morguefile) Osmotic power generation is a renewable energy source which results in no pollution of the atmosphere and only moderate emissions to the sea. Globally, the energy generating potential of osmotic generation is estimated at around 1,650 TWh, which corresponds to around 12 times Norway’s annual energy production. “The energy source is also predictable, compared with wind, wave, tidal and solar generation,” says Edvard Sivertsen, project manager in SINTEF Building and Infrastructure. He and his colleagues will now collaborate with Statkraft and a number of membrane manufacturers to test and optimise the membranes which form the basis of the technology. Fresh and salt water mixed The principle of osmotic power generation is the release of so-called “mixing energy” when fresh water is mixed with salt water.
Old idea. Turning down the dial: Ocean energy development with less sound. He rise of ocean infrastructure development to tap energy sources such as tides, offshore wind and natural gas will require more pile driving, the practice of pounding long, hollow steel pipes called piles into the ocean floor to support energy turbines and other structures. But pile driving creates loud, underwater booms that can harm fish and other marine animals. Many scientists and regulators have assumed that limiting the combined amount of sound created during the course of a pile driving project can minimize harm to animals.
But new research published in PLoS ONE indicates that if an individual blow to a pile rises above a particular sound level, fish can be irreparably harmed. The finding has led scientists to recommend the first-ever sound threshold for pile driving that is based on actual fish responses instead of estimates. Halvorsen conducts research at PNNL's Marine Sciences Laboratory in Sequim, Wash. Under pressure First laboratory tests for pile driving & fish. Marine energy doubled by predicting wave power. The energy generated from our oceans could be doubled using new methods for predicting wave power. Research led by the University of Exeter, published (27 June) in the journal Renewable Energy, could pave the way for significant advancements in marine renewable energy, making it a more viable source of power.
The study was carried out by a team of mathematicians and engineers from the University of Exeter and Tel Aviv University. They devised a means of accurately predicting the power of the next wave in order to make the technology far more efficient, extracting twice as much energy as is currently possible. Marine energy is believed to have the potential to provide the UK with electricity twice over. However, technologies to extract and convert energy from the sea are relatively immature, compared with solar or wind, and are not yet commercially competitive without subsidy. Scottish Salmon start seaweed trials - News. THE Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) is pioneering a new and innovative environmental initiative at its award winning Loch Roag site on Lewis – with seaweed. In conjunction with its salmon farming operation, the company is now introducing seaweed on to its mooring ropes to achieve a great natural balance in the management of the water area.
Seaweed reduced excessive nutrients in the water and SSC see such systems working alongside other environmental measures such as its strategy for ‘single generation, single loch, synchronised fallow’ and feed developments. Trials of the pilot scheme now underway will be assessed over the next three months for the growth rate of the seaweed. And is successful, the company will then consider the commercial potential for seaweed crops as part of the company’s wider business interests. Ivor McIvor, The Scottish Salmon Company’s site manager at Loch Raog is excited by the new initiative. EU Council agrees to end fish discards. 13 June 2012Last updated at 02:40 ET By Roger Harrabin BBC Environment analyst The UK government says it would have preferred firmer dates to have been set by the council Fisheries ministers say Europe should ban the controversial policy of discarding dead fish caught by accident under the EU quota system.
After 24 hours of negotiations, the EU Council agreed that the procedure should be stopped. Ministers are calling it a breakthrough but environmentalists accuse them of failing to protect the oceans. Provisional dates agreed by ministers would see a ban on discards of mackerel and herring before 2014. A phased ban on discards of cod, haddock, plaice and sole would be fully in operation before 2018.
It is more difficult for fishing crews to avoid by-catch with these species which swim together. The deal is a compromise and subject to more talks. The ministers also said that regions of the EU should be given more control over fisheries policy. Celebrity pressure. Gene-associated markers provide tools for tackling illegal fishing and false eco-certification : Nature Communications. Accession codes: How to cite this article: Nielsen, E.
E. et al. Gene-associated markers provide tools for tackling illegal fishing and false eco-certification. Nat. 21st century fisheries management: a spatio-temporally explicit tariff-based approach combining multiple drivers and incentivising responsible fishing. + Author Affiliations ↵*Corresponding author: tel: +353 91 387392; fax: +353 91 387201; e-mail: sarah.kraak@marine.ie. Received September 15, 2011. Accepted January 28, 2012. Kraak, S. B. M., Reid, D. . © 2012 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. DNA suggests marine reserves boost commercial fishing - environment - 24 May 2012. If you protect fish, there will be more of them to catch. That's the reasoning conservationists have long used to persuade commercial fisheries of the benefits of marine reserves. Now they may have DNA confirmation.
Earlier research had shown that marine reserves result in larger fish that spawn more offspring, but researchers were left speculating exactly where the baby fish ended up and whether they truly help replenish other areas. Now, with the use of new DNA profiling techniques, scientists have shown that by devoting less than a third of an area to a marine reserve network, you can double the number of juvenile fish that settle in the rest of the area.
(Current Biology, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.04.008) Garry Russ, one of the authors of the study, said he has spent the last 30 years contemplating how you can confirm exactly where fish born in marine reserves go. More From New Scientist Invisible hissing doughnut is Earth's radiation shield () The smart mouse with the half-human brain ()