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Palm Beach Post
April 17, 2008 By Kelly Wolfe, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
The Navy intends to use explosives in the waters off Jacksonville during a ship shock test and has applied for authorization from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to do so.
The tests would happen sometime between May and September and, according to the Navy's application, the "effects to marine mammal species and stocks would be negligible." The Navy did not return calls for comment.
Ken Hollingshead, a fishing biologist at NOAA, said he agreed with the Navy's findings. He said the Navy would be about 100 miles out in the Atlantic and that the ocean there is not "chock a block with marine mammals."
Hollingshead said the Navy conducts these tests every five or 10 years. He said the Navy does "marine mammal abundance runs" before the tests to make sure there are no pods or schools nearby that could be harmed during the explosions.
He said the last test happened in 2001, when the Navy tested its then-new ship, the USS Winston S. Churchill. Hollingshead said no animals were harmed during those tests.
NOAA said it will rule on the application sometime in July.
The Navy will be "battle-testing" a new transport dock ship, the USS Mesa Verde. The Navy uses the information gathered during shock trials to find out how the ship and crew would hold up during battle.
If Jacksonville is not found to be a good place, the Navy is looking at conducting the test off the coast of Pensacola or Norfolk, Va.
April 17, 2008 By Kelly Wolfe, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
The Navy intends to use explosives in the waters off Jacksonville during a ship shock test and has applied for authorization from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to do so.
The tests would happen sometime between May and September and, according to the Navy's application, the "effects to marine mammal species and stocks would be negligible." The Navy did not return calls for comment.
Ken Hollingshead, a fishing biologist at NOAA, said he agreed with the Navy's findings. He said the Navy would be about 100 miles out in the Atlantic and that the ocean there is not "chock a block with marine mammals."
Hollingshead said the Navy conducts these tests every five or 10 years. He said the Navy does "marine mammal abundance runs" before the tests to make sure there are no pods or schools nearby that could be harmed during the explosions.
He said the last test happened in 2001, when the Navy tested its then-new ship, the USS Winston S. Churchill. Hollingshead said no animals were harmed during those tests.
NOAA said it will rule on the application sometime in July.
The Navy will be "battle-testing" a new transport dock ship, the USS Mesa Verde. The Navy uses the information gathered during shock trials to find out how the ship and crew would hold up during battle.
If Jacksonville is not found to be a good place, the Navy is looking at conducting the test off the coast of Pensacola or Norfolk, Va.