Study: ChatGPT Poses Fake News Threat but not Existential Threat to Humanity
ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) cannot learn independently or acquire new skills, meaning they pose no existential threat to humanity, according to new research from the University of Bath in the UK and the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany.The study, published as part of the proceedings of the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics, reveals that LLMs have a superficial ability to follow instructions and excel at proficiency in language…
Panama Lures NCL and RCI into Home Port Visits
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has chosen the port terminals of the province of Colón and the province of Panama (Panama Cruise Terminal) as home ports.Between December 2024 and December 2025, there will be four NCL embarking/disembarking operations there for the Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Gem. There will also be two operations for the six-star ship Sirena, belonging to the exclusive fleet of the luxury cruise company Oceania Cruises…
US Retailers Rush Holiday Imports Amid Fears of Strikes and Supply Chaos
Retailers are fueling a summer rush of imports to the United States this year as companies guard against a potential strike by port workers and ongoing shipping disruptions from attacks in the Red Sea ahead of a shortened holiday shopping season.Container imports and freight rates surged in July, signaling an earlier than usual peak season for an ocean shipping industry that handles about 80% of global trade.July is expected to be the peak for U.S.
Philippine Fishermen Fear Floating Solar Farm Could Sink Their Livelihoods
Fishing has been a lifeline for Alejandro Alcones for the past four decades, but he now fears his small boat may be replaced by a floating solar farm on the Philippines' largest lake.Alcones is part of a group of fishermen opposed to the government's plan to place solar panels atop Laguna de Bay, one of the country's biggest sources of freshwater fish, as it looks for renewable energy sources to meet…
ioCurrents Taps MER Equipment as Official Reseller
Seattle-based maritime data analytics company ioCurrents announced it has inked a partnership deal that makes marine power solutions provider MER Equipment an official reseller of its MarineInsight platform.MER Equipment, also based in Seattle, designs, builds, and supports propulsion systems, marine and industrial generators, power distribution systems, and hydraulic power units for commercial fishermen…
Vineyard Wind Cleared to Resume Limited Offshore Turbine Installs
Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova on Tuesday said U.S. safety officials have allowed them to resume limited construction on an offshore wind farm off the Massachusetts coast where a turbine blade shattered last month.Vineyard Wind, owned by Avangrid AGR.N and Denmark's Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, was ordered to stop power production and construction after a blade broke apart on July 13 and sent pieces of fiberglass into the water that washed up on nearby beaches.In a joint statement…
US Navy Launches Attack Submarine USS Idaho
One of the U.S. Navy’s newest attack submarines, the future USS Idaho (SSN 799), launched from General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Groton, Ct. shipyard into the Thames River, August 6.The "float off," or launch, is a milestone in a submarine's construction, marking the moment it leaves the shipbuilder's facilities and enters the water for the first time, signaling the start of final outfitting, testing…
Towboat Sank Due to Watertight Integrity Issues
The sinking last year of a towing vessel in the Atlantic Ocean was due to a lack of watertight integrity, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.Jackson Creek Marine's Jacqueline A was transiting the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia to a shipyard in Harvey, La., where the 1981-built vessel was to be brought into compliance with the U.S. Coast Guard's Subchapter M regulations. It began taking on water on August 8, 2023, while off the coast of South Carolina.
New Fireboat Delivered to Cape Coral Fire Department
Theodore, Ala. boatbuilder Silver Ships said it has recently delivered a newly built fireboat to first responders in Cape Coral, Fla.The Freedom 30 aluminum fireboat is the second vessel delivered by Silver Ships to the Cape Coral Fire Department in the past two years.Powered by twin Suzuki DF350 outboards, the 30-foot-long newbuild includes a walkaround cabin and special features enabling fast, fire response missions.
Great Lakes Limestone Trade Down in July
Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in July, a decrease of 14.3% compared to a year ago, according to latst figures from industry trade group the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). The trade was also below the month’s five-year average by 9.3%.Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, a decrease of 14% compared to 2023, while shipments from Canadian quarries decreased by 15.5% to 651…
Diana Charters Kamsarmax Bulker to Paralos
Greek dry bulk shipowner Diana Shipping on Tuesday announced it has entered into a time charter contract with operator Paralos Shipping for one of its 2013-built Kamsarmax bulk carriers.The charter of the 81,513 dwt Astarte is expected to commence on August 18 and run through a minimum of July 15, 2025 up to maximum of September 15, 2025.
Russian Diesel Ship-to-ship Transfers Increase in Northern Aegean
Traders are moving Russian diesel cargoes to a new ship-to-ship (STS) loadings site in the northern Aegean Sea, as Western sanctions hit vessels carrying fuel loaded in Russian ports, LSEG and market sources data show.Since a full European Union embargo on importing Russian oil products took effect in February 2023, traders have diverted diesel exports from Russian ports to Brazil, Turkey, countries in Africa, Asia and STS loadings.
Charity Group Rescues 54 Migrants in Central Mediterranean
Volunteer lifeguards from Spanish charity Open Arms assisted 54 migrants stranded on a rubber dinghy in the Mediterranean Sea off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Tuesday, according to a Reuters witness.The group said it gave the passengers, who were mainly Syrian nationals, life jackets and water after alerting the Italian Coast Guard, which later took them to Lampedusa.The central Mediterranean is one of the most dangerous routes for refugees seeking asylum in Europe.
Fire Breaks Out on Containership in Port of Colombo
A fire broke out on board a Madeira-registered containership moored at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka.The MSC Capetown III was berthed at Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) on Sunday when the fire erupted and eventually escalated to an explosion, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said. The incident occurred in the 41/43 hatch area, where a fire initiated in the vicinity of 100 under-deck containers and 60 on-deck containers.
Two Vessels Report Attacks in the Red Sea off Yemen
Two crude oil tanker ships reported coming under attack in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday, although neither reported damage, maritime security agencies said.The attempted assaults on those vessels, identified as the Liberia-flagged Delta Atlantica and the Panama-flagged On Phoenix, bear the hallmarks of Iran-aligned Houthi militant attacks on international cargo shipping in solidarity…
University of North Carolina Wilmington Orders Research Vessel from All American Marine
Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has been awarded a contract to build a 73-foot research vessel for the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). The vessel will operate as a multipurpose research platform capable of conducting a wide range of scientific missions, including oceanographic surveys, biological studies and educational outreach programs along the Mid-Atlantic, U.S.
Anglo-Eastern to Manage Windcat’s Hydrogen-Powered CSOV
Offshore personnel transfer company Windcat, part of CMB.TECH, has partnered with Anglo-Eastern for the technical and crewing management of the first out six ordered hydrogen-powered Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs).Windcat has ordered six Elevation Series CSOVs, to be built by Damen Shipyards, with the latest ordered placed in July 2024.Windcat already collaborated with Anglo-Eastern Technical Services (AETS)…
WinGD and CMA CGM to Trial Dual-Fuel Engine Tech at Sea
Swiss marine power company WinGD has teamed up with global shipping line CMA CGM to test its Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) technology for dual-fuel engines onboard one of CMA CGM’s vessels.The collaboration marks the first field test for the new dual-fuel engine technology and follows successful factory tests showing significant efficiency improvements with both diesel and LNG fuel.The CMA CGM project comprises a long-term…
First LNG Cargo Sets Sail from New Fortress Energy’s Mexico FLNG (Video)
One of the world’s leading LNG project developers New Fortress Energy (NFE) has completed the first cargo load and sail operation from its floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit offshore Altamira in Mexico.The first cargo has been loaded onto the Energos Princess LNG carrier and will be delivered to NFE’s La Paz terminal.“We’re excited to begin supplying our customers with our own LNG – a significant milestone for our company and the world of LNG,” NFE said on social media.The operation foll
ICS Wants “Feebate” Solution for 2050 Targets
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), working with the governments of Bahamas and Liberia, is proposing a “feebate” (rewards) mechanism to ensure delivery of the IMO’s target to achieve net zero GHG emissions from international shipping by or around 2050.At the heart of the proposal is a GHG Fee, charged to ships per tonne of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emitted, combined with a “feebate” mechanism to incentivize the accelerated production and uptake of zero/near-zero GHG marine fuels…
