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58 st / May 2016 www.sea-technology.com to one of the biggest threats facing coral reefs today. An estimated 30 to 60 percent of all the coral reefs have died since the Industrial Revolution as the oceans absorb more carbon dioxide and become increasingly acidic. Ocean acidifcation harms a variety of marine organisms, espe- cially those that use calcium carbon- ate to assemble their skeletons and shells, such as coral, mussels and oysters. Worldwide, coral reefs provide an estimated $30 billion net economic beneft each year. A healthy coral reef provides a home to thousands of organisms, which island subsistence communities rely on for the bulk of their diet. A reef's presence can quell the waves whipped up by a surging storm, thereby guarding low-lying coastal towns from fooding. The new study demonstrated that bubbling air through seawater for a few hours in the early morning can enhance the transfer rate of carbon dioxide from the ocean to the air to 30 times faster than natural process- es. The bubbles spur coral growth by reducing carbon dioxide levels in the CMFDA Testing Of PureBallast Following the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) decision not to accept the most probable number (MPN) meth- od in assessing ballast water treat- ment systems, tests of Alfa Laval PureBallast are underway using the USCG-approved 5 chloromethylfuo- rescein diacetate (CMFDA) staining method. With completion expected during the second quarter of 2016, the tests will enable a new USCG type approval application after re- ceiving the results. In mid-December 2015, the USCG issued its decision that the MPN method is not equivalent to the CMFDA staining method stipu- lated by the USCG Ballast Water Discharge Final Rule. This nullifes previous type approval applications of UV-based ballast water treatment systems submitted on the basis of the MPN method. The decision applies solely to the MPN method and does not disqual- ify UV-based systems from USCG type approval. Though U.S. ballast water regula- tions took effect in 2012, no systems of any technology have yet been type approved by the USCG. Meanwhile, the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention is edging closer to im- plementation. Following recent rati- fcations by Belgium and Fiji, which bring the combined gross tonnage of ratifying countries to 34.8 percent, only 0.2 percent more is required to make global ballast water treatment requirements a reality. Bubbles Could Protect Coastal Life Blowing tiny bubbles through sea- water could help protect coral reefs and oyster farms from increasingly acidic oceans by stripping carbon dioxide from coastal marine envi- ronments and transferring it to the atmosphere, according to Stanford scientists. The technique could pro- vide a relatively inexpensive solution environmental monitoring Sea Technology Buyers Guide/Directory Published since 1969, this comprehensive tool, including contact details, assists in the location of products and services of companies that have the answers. Available in both print and digital formats. INDUSTRIAL FIRMS, PRODUCTS BUYERS GUIDE, SERVICES BUYERS GUIDE, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY VESSELS, OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS For ordering information, please contact: Compass Publications, Inc. • 1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1010,