Faculty of Technology
RHYTHMS OF THE TIDE Dr Paul Wright, Senior Lecturer in BSc (Hons) Marine Environmental Science and Dr Rhu Nash, Course Leader, BSc (Hons) Marine Environmental Science have advised on the setting up of a number of River Clubs for Chichester Harbour Conservancy and their ‘Rhythms of the Tide’ project. The Heritage Lottery Fund has just awarded the Conservancy a £1.27 million grant for the wide-reaching, harbour-focused initiative, which covers conservation, archaeology, education and recreation.
Two Institute academics are helping to implement a new lottery-funded project to help conserve and enhance an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The River Clubs are just one of 40 practical projects that will be undertaken to conserve and enhance Chichester Harbour’s habitats, landscapes, heritage and environment. They will allow local schools to get involved with the environmental monitoring of the harbour, using some basic physical, chemical and biological techniques. The idea has been carried forward
as a small part of the bid, with Dr Wright and Dr Nash advising on methodologies, equipment, locations and costing. Dr Paul Wright comments: “The Conservancy contacted me asking for ideas of what to spend Lottery Funding on. I thought the idea of getting schools to engage with the study and monitoring of their local environment fitted the bill really well. The youngest will do simple species identification, whilst the older ones will investigate how environmental parameters like nitrate and phosphate levels vary throughout the year. All the data will be uploaded to a website for all participants to look at and download, thus widening the appeal of the project.” Above: A school group working in Fishbourne stream, one of the River Clubs to feature in the project
SAFETY AT SEA
Warsash Maritime Centre has won a major contract to supply crew resource management training to Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCO). An innovative new training course provided by Warsash Maritime Centre has been chosen by STASCO to ensure its fleet continues to be manned safely and efficiently. The initial enquiry about the training course came from STASCO after it heard about a paper presented by the
Southampton Institute Maritime Research Centre at the International Team Resource Management Conference, which was held in Florida.
“Maritime crew resource management is
STASCO is the principal trading and shipping business of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group, operating a large fleet of deep-sea tankers and gas carriers as well as chartering vessels.
officers and engineering officers are trained
The course is innovative in the way in which it integrates crew resource management theory with practical workshops, tactical decision simulations, and use of the centre’s bridge and engine room simulators. The course culminates in a simulator exercise in which the bridge and engine room simulators are linked together to give a ‘total ship simulation’, allowing the course participants to work together as a complete ships team.
officers from the STASCO fleet engaged in a
David Gatfield, Senior Lecturer at Warsash Maritime Centre comments:
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relevant to all personnel onboard a vessel and this training programme has been developed to ensure that both navigating together as a complete shipboard team.” The course lasts four and a half days with international navigating and engineering pioneering programme, aimed at facilitating increased levels of competence amongst employees. The course is also providing further support to Southampton Institute’s Maritime Research Centre to continue its research activities.
Above: Left to right, Mike Barnett, Claire Pekcan and David Gatfield whose paper prompted the initial enquiry about the training course