Offshore Screening System
Believe it or not when a cargo ship comes into port the variouscontainers are only scanned for security and safety risks after theyhave been unloaded. When you consider thereâs about 11 millioncontainers coming into the US every year thereâs a lot of potential forsomething dangerous to enter the country. So a new company out ofFlorida called SeaAway is proposing a cargo screening system that sits14 miles offshore of all the major ports around the world.
The system is comprised of two 100 foot wide platforms called SeaSentinels that are anchored to the sea floor and manned by a staff wholive on the premises. The platforms are far enough apart to allow acargo freighter to pass through and while they do the ships are scannedwith sensors and unmanned underwater vehicles for radiation, explosiveresidues and signs of human cargo. If something suspicious is detectedthe ship can be stopped with the assistance of the Coast Guard and aspecial SeaAway boat called the Sea Handler can be used to offload thecontainers in question while still at sea.
Source: popsci.comAdded: 16 July 2007
