Seldovia Bay Ferry Dock Refurbishment

Nuka Research was contracted by the Seldovia Village Tribe to complete the environmental analysis in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act for the Seldovia Bay Ferry Dock Refurbishment project, funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) through the Tribal Transit Program. This project included close coordination with federal, state, and local government agencies. Nuka … Read more

Council of the Haida Nation – Places of Refuge Exercise

Nuka Research facilitated the development and execution of a virtual Places of Refuge exercise which was sited near Haida Gwaii. The exercise was developed at the request of the Council of the Haida Nation and Transport Canada. It involved over 60 participants from 14 organizations receiving training on the Places of Refuge Contingency Plan, Haida … Read more

Vessel Traffic Services: Review of Technology, Training, and Protocols

Nuka Research compared the Prince William Sound Vessel Traffic Service to others in the United States, Norway, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Canada to search for opportunities for improvement to the Prince William Sound system. Nuka Research found that the Prince William Sound system was comparable to the systems in other locations, although with a … Read more

Arctic Alaska Spill Prevention and Response Primer

Nuka Research developed a primer on marine oil spill prevention and response regulations for Ocean Conservancy. Depending on a whole host of factors, marine operations in Arctic Alaska are subject to laws and regulations from different federal and state agencies. If a spill occurs to marine waters, then the Coast Guard and Alaska Department of … Read more

Shipping Traffic Analysis and Risk Mitigation Measures for the West Coast of Haida Gwaii

On contract to the Council of the Haida Nation, Nuka Research analyzed AIS data and summarized policy options related to offshore vessel routing for the outer coast of Haida Gwaii. Research questions were driven by a multi-stakeholder process led by the Council and Transport Canada under Canada’s Proactive Vessel Management pilot program, with information briefed … Read more

Vessel Traffic in Canada’s Pacific Region

Nuka Research conducted the base analysis for a detailed characterization of commercial vessel movements in western Canadian marine waters.  Using satellite AIS data from 2014-2016, the study portrays vessel movements and corresponding oil movements (both cargo and fuel) across nine passage lines and 10 ports.  Research was conducted to include barge movements, not otherwise tracked … Read more

New Haven Geographic Response Strategy Development

Nuka Research was contracted by USCG Sector Long Island Sound to complete 5 Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) for New Haven Harbor in Connecticut. To develop these GRS, Nuka Research as well as personnel from Sector Long Island Sound, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, and other members of the Area Committee identified 5 key … Read more

Availability of Tugs of Opportunity in Canada’s Pacific Region

Providing an emergency tow rescue for disabled ships is a vital emergency service. To fulfill this service, the Pacific Region of Canada relies on a combination of dedicated Emergency Tug Vessels (ETVs) and “tugs of opportunity,” which are commercial tugs hired for rescue operations when the need arises. The Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine … Read more

Grays Harbor Oil Spill Response Capacity Analysis

In order to consider how to improve preparedness in the event that an oil spill occurs, communities must first understand the current response system. The Washington Department of Ecology contracted Nuka Research to conduct a Response Capacity Analysis for Grays Harbor, Washington, which analyzes the maximum potential recovery capacity of the systems positioned to respond … Read more

Overview of Tanker Lightering in Arctic Alaska

Nuka Research was contracted by Ocean Conservancy to develop a report, Overview of Tanker Lightering in Arctic Alaska, to provide a general description on the process of tanker lightering operations in the region. Tanker lightering is the process of transferring petroleum cargo from one vessel to another and is essential for delivering fuel to Western … Read more