Abstract:
A method and apparatus for a marine vessel landing site barrier is described. The apparatus includes a barrier adapted to at least partially surround a marine vessel and partition the water surrounding the marine vessel to prevent or minimize marine species from entering water intake systems located on the marine vessel. The barrier prevents ingress and egress of marine species from entering the water surrounding the marine vessel, which facilitates efficient operation of water intake and exchange systems on the vessel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/938,549, filed May 17, 2007, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention generally relates to water collection systems for ballast water, cooling water, and auxiliary service water on marine or naval vessels. More particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for filtering water before reaching the vessel ballast, cooling, and auxiliary systems. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Marine vessels, such as cargo ships and cruise ships, have been used for years to transport cargo and/or people from port to port all over the world. The ports are typically located onshore near a body of water, and the ships are typically moored nearby to facilitate loading and unloading of the cargo or people. To provide for the operation of the vessel, there are provisions for the vessel to bring aboard surrounding water for the purposes of ballast, cooling, and other miscellaneous auxiliary services. Generally, surrounding water brought aboard a vessel falls into one of two categories, one being ballast water and the other being cooling or auxiliary service water. 
         [0006]    Typically, marine vessels are configured to displace a specific amount of water in order to maintain stability and/or provide maneuverability in the water, among other factors, and ballast water may facilitate this displacement. Ballast water may be water which is gathered and retained aboard until discharged at, or enroute to, a different location or port. To facilitate displacement of the vessel, the vessel typically includes one or more integral ballast tanks configured to receive and store the water, and to expel the water when desired. The water used to fill the ballast tanks is typically gathered from the water around the vessel, and the ballast tanks may be filled or purged by an onboard system of pumps that are in communication with the ballast tanks on the vessel. 
         [0007]    To provide for the operation of machinery and equipment on board the marine vessel, water is needed to perform any variety of duties. Cooling or auxiliary service water may be water brought aboard for the purposes of cooling equipment or machinery, or performing some other required duty aboard the vessel, and the water is generally discharged back into the surrounding water on completion of the duty. Typically, vessels will be provided propulsive and/or electrical power through diesel, steam, or gas turbine prime movers. In some cases, excess heat required to be removed from this equipment in the course of its operation is done through the transfer of heat to water that is taken from the surrounding area, put into the required service aboard the vessel, and thereupon returned by discharging the water back into the surrounding environment. In other cases, the water may be needed aboard the vessel to perform duties unrelated to power development. These activities could include providing sealing water for rotating equipment or other equipment, providing water for firefighting, supply water for reverse osmosis filtration or other types of distillation plants, and providing for sanitary water requirements, among other uses. 
         [0008]    The water supplied for the purposes of use in ballast tanks, cooling water, and/or auxiliary services is typically gathered by inlet conduits or intakes, sometimes referred to as sea chest openings, that are integral to the vessel hull and in communication with the ballast tanks or other systems for which the water is required. While these inlet conduits may include a grating or mesh to filter large debris during operation, the gratings typically do not exclude smaller debris and/or marine life, such as aquatic species of plants and animals. The introduction of certain marine life into the vessel&#39;s water intake system, for example fish species inadvertently pulled into the inlet conduit, may injure or kill the fish irrespective of the duty the water will perform aboard the vessel. Moreover, in the case of water brought aboard for ballast service, any marine biota surviving transfer into a ballast tank will be locationally displaced. This injury, unintentional eradication, or locational displacement of the fish may negatively impact the ecological balance in the body of water in which the vessel is docked, and the possibility of negative environmental impact to fish may limit the docking or landing possibilities of the vessel. For example, estuaries, preserves, and other ecologically sensitive or protected marine areas may not be available as potential landing sites for the vessel. This limited docking potential may, in turn, prevent or minimize commercial ventures in certain areas, or may limit the availability of certain products in an area where the products may be used, thus requiring the products to be off-loaded at distant ports and transported to the area by alternate means. 
         [0009]    As interest in ecologically sensitive areas grows, companies and other commercial interests desiring to create landing sites have become more cognizant of the fragile ecological balances in these areas. Some of these companies have made commitments to operating in these areas in a manner that not only maintains the ecological balance, but monitors and reacts to ecological shifts in these areas in an effort to enhance the ecosystem. Challenges exist for these companies as the typical vessel to be moored at the landing site may be an older vessel and/or is not equipped to limit impact to the area due to the age of the vessel, or the vessel is mechanically deficient of some apparatus that may limit environmental impact. For example, the companies that operate the landing sites often do not have a say in the age or manufacture of the vessel that is used to transport the cargo to the landing site. Thus, these companies have been challenged to make these vessels more ecologically friendly without major redesigns in the vessel itself. 
         [0010]    Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a water intake filtering system that minimizes or eliminates intake of, and injury to, marine life while maintaining an acceptable flow of water to support vessel requirements. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The embodiments described herein generally provide a method and apparatus for a marine vessel landing site barrier. The apparatus includes a barrier adapted to at least partially surround a marine vessel and partition the water surrounding the marine vessel from a greater body of water. The barrier prevents marine species from entering the water surrounding the marine vessel and facilitates efficient operation of water intake and exchange systems on the vessel. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, a docking facility is described. The docking facility includes a bulkhead defining a slip having at least one opening through which a marine vessel may pass, a dock coupled to at least a portion of the bulkhead, and a water permeable barrier positioned to selectively occupy the opening, the barrier adapted to prevent ingress and egress of marine species through the opening. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment, an apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a flexible barrier coupled to a support member, wherein the flexible barrier comprises a covering sized to prevent ingress of marine species while allowing water to flow therethrough, and a plurality of inflatable bladder devices coupled to one of the support member or an upper surface of the covering. 
         [0014]    In another embodiment, a method for controlling the intake of marine species into water intake systems located on a marine vessel is described. The method includes securing the marine vessel to a docking facility, positioning a barrier around a perimeter of the vessel or adjacent the vessel as the marine vessel is secured, and removing the barrier prior to the marine vessel being unsecured from the docking facility. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0015]    So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a port adjacent a body of water. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a portion of a terminal adjacent a body of water. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an isometric cutaway view of a barrier positioned across the opening of a slip. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the barrier of  FIG. 3  in a lowered position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a bladder device. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6A  is a schematic end view of one embodiment of a barrier system. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6B  is a schematic end view of the barrier shown in  FIG. 6A  in a raised position. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6C  is a top view of the barrier of  FIG. 6B  raised about the perimeter of a vessel. 
           [0024]      FIG. 7A  is a schematic side view of another embodiment of a barrier system. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7B  is a schematic end view of the barrier system shown in  FIG. 7A . 
           [0026]      FIG. 7C  is a top view of the barrier shown in  FIG. 7B  positioned about a portion of the perimeter of a vessel. 
           [0027]      FIG. 8A  is a schematic top view of another embodiment of a barrier. 
           [0028]      FIG. 8B  is an isometric view of the gate structures of  FIG. 8A . 
           [0029]      FIG. 8C  is a schematic top view of another embodiment of a barrier. 
           [0030]      FIG. 8D  is a schematic side view of another embodiment of a barrier. 
           [0031]      FIG. 8E  is a front view of the barrier shown in  FIG. 8D . 
       
    
    
       [0032]    To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is also contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated on other embodiments without further recitation. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0033]    The present invention generally relates to a water filtration system for providing filtered intake water to marine vessels and may be exemplarily described for use on cargo ships, but embodiments described herein may be used on any vessel that requires intake water to perform required service or fulfill a need upon the vessel. Examples include cruise ships, submarines, personal watercraft, and any other marine vessel configured to gather, store, and expel ballast water, and/or gather, use, and discharge cooling and/or auxiliary service water. Although the invention is exemplarily described with respect to ballast, cooling, and auxiliary water systems aboard these vessels, embodiments described herein may also be adapted to provide filtered water used in other water intake systems aboard the vessels as well. 
         [0034]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a port  100  adjacent a body of water  105 A. The body of water  105 A shown in this Figure is a channel  106 , but the body of water  105 A may be a bay, a lake, a river, and/or any body of water having a depth and width suitable for marine vessel traffic. The port  100  may include one or more terminals, depicted as terminals  110 A- 110 C. The terminals  110 A- 110 C may be a loading/unloading facility for larger marine vessels, such as cruise ships and/or cargo ships, and each terminal may include a landing site  115  that provides a berth for marine vessels  120 A and  120 B, which are exemplarily shown as cargo ships. 
         [0035]    The terminals  110 A- 110 C may be adjacent the body of water  105 A as shown in reference to terminals  110 A and  110 C, or may include an inlet or slip  125  as shown adjacent terminal  110 B. The terminals  110 A- 110 C typically include a bulkhead  130  bounding the body of water  105 A,  105 B and the landing sites  115  may include a dock  118  that may be coupled thereto to facilitate mooring and loading or unloading of the vessels  120 A,  120 B. While the dock  118  is shown in close proximity to the terminals  110 A- 110 C, the dock  118  may extend tens, hundreds, or thousands of feet into the water  105 A and  105 B from the respective terminal  110 A- 110 C. One or more dockside cranes  135  may be adjacent the terminals, such as adjacent terminal  110 A, to facilitate loading/unloading of the vessels, and perform other lifting and/or tensioning duties. 
         [0036]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a portion of terminal  110 B. One embodiment of a barrier  200  is shown positioned across an opening  220  of the slip  125 . The barrier  200  is coupled to the bulkhead  130  on opposing sides of the opening  220  to partition the body of water  105 B in the slip  125  from the water  105 A in the channel  106 . The barrier  200  may include a covering  225  adapted as a filter, such as a net, screen, mesh, or sieve coupled to a support member  205  that may be a wire, a rope, a chain, cable, a hose, or other tubular member. The covering  225  is adapted to span the width of the opening  220  and be in contact with the bottom of the slip  125  and/or channel  106 , and have a depth or height equal to or greater than the depth of the water  105 B in the slip  125  and/or water  105 A in the channel  106 . The covering  225  is configured to have openings formed therein to allow water to flow therethrough while excluding the passage of aquatic life or marine species, such as fish. In this manner, any marine species not present in the water contained in the slip  125  will be barred entry into the slip  125 . 
         [0037]    When the barrier  200  is positioned across the opening  220 , the vessel  120 B may operate any water intake systems to provide water to the vessel for cooling, ballast, or auxiliary water systems while minimizing environmental impact to the marine species population. Also, any debris present in the channel  106  may be excluded from the slip  125 , which may provide a greater efficiency in the water intake systems of the vessel  120 B. 
         [0038]    While the barrier  200  excludes marine life and debris from entering the slip  125 , the barrier  200  may also serve to trap any marine species present in the water  105 B in the slip  125  prior to partitioning the slip  125  from the channel  106 . To the extent any marine species, such as fish, are trapped by the barrier  200  after deployment, any possible injury to, or decimation of, fish may be limited to the number of fish present in the slip  125 . Methods to remove any marine species and/or debris present in the slip  125  are also contemplated. As an example, prior to positioning of the barrier  200  across the opening, a net, mesh, seine, or other removal device may be transported through the water  105 B in an effort to remove any marine species that may be present in the water  105 B. In another example, the barrier  200  may be adapted to sweep the water  105 B in the slip  125  prior to coupling to the bulkhead  130 . To facilitate moving the barrier  200  through the water  105 B, a crane (not shown) coupled to the landing site  115  or the vessel may be used. For example, the barrier  200  may be coupled at one end to the bulkhead  130  and the opposite end of the barrier  200  may be attached to a crane. The end of the barrier  200  attached to the crane is then swept across the slip  125  in a direction toward the channel  106  in a pivotal or radial fashion. 
         [0039]    Other devices may also be used to drive any marine species from the water  105 B prior to erection of the barrier  200 . The other devices may include strobe lights, high frequency sound emitters, or other devices that may repel marine species from the water  105 B. Regardless of any marine species and/or debris that may be trapped by the barrier  200 , the barrier  200  provides an exclusionary function to minimize marine species and/or debris from entering the slip  125 , and only the marine species that may be trapped are at risk of injury. This barrier system and method greatly minimizes any significant reduction in the number of marine species that are present in the water  105 A as the vessel&#39;s water intake systems are operating, which preserves the ecological balance in the area the vessel  120 B is operating. 
         [0040]    In operation, the ends of the support member  205  may be coupled to opposing sides of the opening  220  after the vessel  120 B has been moored to the dock  118  and may be removed prior to the vessel  120 B leaving the dock  118 . In one embodiment, one end of the barrier  200  and/or support member  205  may be coupled to the one side of the opening  220  in a permanent or semi-permanent manner. In one example, the vessel  120 B may enter the slip  125  and be moored to the dock  118 . After the vessel  120 B is secured, the loose end of the barrier  200  and/or support member  205  may be transferred to the opposing side of the opening  220 . Transfer of the loose end may be accomplished by personnel either in the water  105 A,  105 B or along the bulkhead  130 , by using ropes, winches, remotely operated vehicles (ROV&#39;s), smaller vessels, personal watercraft, or other devices that are adapted to manipulate and transport at least a portion of the barrier  200  and/or support member  205  across the opening  220 . 
         [0041]    Another example of a transport device is a crane (not shown) onboard the vessel  120 B or adjacent the bulkhead  130  or dock  115 . For example, the support member  205  may be towed, pulled, or otherwise carried from one side of the opening  220  to the opposing side of the opening  220 , and coupled on opposing sides to the bulkhead  130 . The support member  205  may further be tensioned using a tensioning device  210 , which may be a come-along, a hoist, a load binder, a jack, a winch, among other tensioning devices. 
         [0042]    In one embodiment, the barrier  200  is coupled across the opening  220  as described above, and removed from the opening  220  inversely by decoupling one end of the support member  205  and transporting the loose end to one side of the opening  220  to a position where the vessel  120 B may move out of the slip  125  unobstructed. In another embodiment at least partially dependent on the depth of the water in the slip  125  and/or channel  106 , the support member  205  may be de-tensioned in a manner that allows the support member  205  and the covering  225  to sink and rest on the bottom of the slip  125  and/or channel  106 . As an example, one or both of the tensioning devices  210  may be operated to de-tension the support member  205 , which may allow the support member  205  and the covering  225  to sink and rest on the bottom of the slip  125  and/or channel  106 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 3  is an isometric cutaway view of one embodiment of a barrier  200  positioned across the opening  220  of the slip  125 . The barrier  200  may have a length equal to or greater than the width of the opening  220  of the slip  125 , and a height from a bottom  310  of the channel  106  and/or slip  125  to a distance equal to or above a waterline  305 . In one embodiment, the barrier  200  includes two opposing major sides corresponding generally with a length measurement and two opposing minor sides corresponding generally with a height measurement. In one embodiment, the covering  225  includes a height that extends from the bottom  310  to a position above the waterline  305  to account for wave action, tidal fluctuations, and other situations where marine species may breach the covering  225 . Also, additional covering material may be added to the barrier  200  in order to ensure a sufficient height or depth of the barrier in order to counter any fluctuations in the topography of the bottom  310 . One or both of the covering  225  and support member  205  are adapted to be exposed sufficiently to alert vessel operators of the barrier  200  in a raised/closed position. Flags, lighting devices, among other devices, may be attached to the barrier and/or the bulkhead  130 . Other measures configured to alert vessel operators of the use of the barrier  200  may also be used. 
         [0044]    In one embodiment, the barrier  200  includes a plurality of anchoring devices adapted to facilitate conformity and/or stabilization of the barrier  200  to the bottom  310  of the channel and/or slip  125  to prevent marine species from entering the slip  125 . The anchoring devices in this embodiment are shown as weights  320 , but other anchoring devices may be used, such as stakes, hooks, or other temporary or semi-permanent anchoring device. Guide devices  322  may also be added to the upper portion of the barrier  200  and/or support member  205 . In one embodiment, the guide devices  322  may be weighted to facilitate lowering of the barrier  200 . The guide devices  322  may also function as coupling devices to provide attachment between the covering  225  and support member  205  and/or facilitate movement of the covering  225  and/or support member  205 . When the barrier  200  is to be towed, pulled, or otherwise carried from one side of the bulkhead  130  to the other and coupled on both sides of the opening  220  to the bulkhead  130  to close the opening  220 , an operator may use a line  330  coupled to a lower portion of the barrier  200  to ensure stretching of the length of the lower portion of the barrier  200 . When the lower portion of the barrier  200  is sufficiently across the opening  220 , one or both of the lines  330  may be fastened to the bulkhead  130 . 
         [0045]    The covering  225  includes a plurality of openings  335  adapted to prevent marine species from entering the slip. The openings  335  may be any shape, such as circular, oval, rectangular, other polygonal shapes, and combinations thereof. The openings  335  may also be parallel slots disposed vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or other directional pattern on the barrier  200 . In one embodiment, each of the openings  335  are substantially equal in size and include a dimension, which may be a diameter, width, or diagonal measurement, of about 0.1 inches or less. In another embodiment, each of the openings  335  includes a dimension, which may be a diameter, width, or diagonal measurement, of about 0.05 inches or less. In another embodiment, the plurality of openings  335  in the covering  225  provide an open area of about  25 %. 
         [0046]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the barrier  200  of  FIG. 3  in a lowered position. In this view, the opening  220  of  FIG. 3  is in an open or clear position to facilitate passage of the vessel  120 B into and out of the slip  125 . In this embodiment, the barrier  200  has been de-tensioned and has dropped to the bottom  310 . Depending on the depth of the water at the opening  220 , contours of the bottom  310  at the opening  220 , and/or draft requirements of the vessel  120 B, the barrier  200  may be attached to both sides of the opening  220  and raised or lowered, as needed, to close the opening  220 . In this embodiment, the barrier  200  is adapted to rest on the bottom  310  when not in use, and raised from the bottom  310  when needed. For example, the covering  225  may comprise a flexible material to facilitate bending and/or folding of the covering  225 . The barrier  200  and/or covering  225  may rest on the bottom  310  in a folded or an accordion-like fashion, and at least partially unfolds upon lifting or tensioning of the support member  205  when raised. When lowering the barrier  200 , the support member  205  may be de-tensioned and the barrier  200  may again fall to the bottom  310  assisted by gravity. Weighted guide devices  322  may be added to the upper portion of the barrier  200  and/or support member  205  to facilitate lowering of the barrier  200 . Guide bars  325  positioned along the ends of the barrier  200  may facilitate alignment and coupling of the ends of the barrier when placed across the opening  220 , and may also facilitate folding and unfolding of the barrier  200  when the barrier  200  is raised and lowered. 
         [0047]    In another embodiment, the barrier  200  includes a plurality of inflatable bladder devices  500  coupled to an upper portion of the covering  225  and/or support member  205 . The inflatable bladder devices  500  may be floats or buoyancy devices that may also facilitate selective accumulation of sufficient mass to defeat buoyancy and/or assist gravitational forces to lower the barrier  200 . Additionally, the bladder devices  500  may be coupled to a fluid source  530 , such as air, that enhances buoyancy of the bladder devices  500 . In this embodiment, fluid from the fluid source  530  may be flowed to one or more of the bladder devices to provide selective buoyancy and facilitate lifting of the barrier  200 . For example, the fluid source  530  may be compressed air, helium, or other gas selected to facilitate buoyancy. The bladder devices  500  may also be adapted to take on water and/or other substances configured to minimize or eliminate buoyancy and facilitate lowering of the barrier  200 . In this manner, the barrier  200  may be raised and lowered using buoyant and gravitational forces selectively. 
         [0048]      FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a inflatable bladder device  500 . The inflatable bladder device  500  includes a body  505  adapted to statically or movably couple to a portion of the barrier  200  (not shown in this view). In one embodiment, coupling to the barrier comprises coupling to the support member  205  by a through-hole  510  formed in the body  505 . The body  505  also includes an interior volume  515  configured to receive and store fluids, such as gases or liquids. In one application, the body  505  includes an opening  520  that is in fluid communication with a fluid channel  522  integral to the support member  205 . In this embodiment, a conduit  525  may be coupled to the support member  205  to facilitate transfer of fluids to the interior volume  515 . The conduit  525  may be rigid or flexible and may also facilitate coupling of the bladder device  500  to the barrier  200 . The bladder device  500  may also include a tracking device (not shown), such as a radio frequency (RF) tag, a global positioning system (GPS) device, and other types of devices to provide a positional metric of the bladder device  500 . The tracking device may be used to determine depth of the bladder device  500  to ensure over-passage of a vessel, and may also provide positional information to indicate a drift of the barrier  200  from the intended placement. 
         [0049]    A first valve  535  may also be integral to the bladder device  500  to facilitate fluid transfer to and from the interior volume  515 . The first valve  535  may be coupled to an actuator (not shown) and a power source (not shown), such as a battery or remote power supply, to provide selective switching of the first valve between an open and closed position. The first valve  535  may also be configured as a relief valve to facilitate removal of any fluids within the interior volume  515  and/or relieve excess fluids provided by the fluid source  530 , which is in communication with the fluid channel  522 . For example, the first valve  535  may be adapted to open and close for filling of the interior volume  515 , and may also be adapted to open to remove fluids stored in the interior volume  515 . Additionally, a second valve  540  may be coupled to another portion of the body  505  to facilitate removal of fluids from the interior volume  515 . The second valve  540  may also be configured to provide water to the interior volume  515  to facilitate filling of the interior volume  515  with water in order to minimize or eliminate buoyant forces. In the case where the bladder device  500  may not contact the water, the second valve  540  may be attached to a conduit  543 , such as a hose, that is of a length to be at or below the waterline  305  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and provide water to the interior volume  515 . 
         [0050]    The fluid source  530  may be a gas cylinder, a pump, a compressor, and combinations thereof. The fluid source  530  may be positioned adjacent the barrier onshore or on the bulkhead  130  (not shown in this view) and coupled to each bladder device  500  disposed on the barrier. In one application, the fluid source  530  is an air compressor adapted to provide compressed air to the bladder devices  500 . In another embodiment, the fluid source  530  is adapted to provide liquids or compressed gas, such as air, helium, and other gases that are lighter than air. In another embodiment, the fluid source  530  is adapted to provide fluids that may be heavier than air. In one embodiment, a pump  545  may be coupled to the bladder device  500 , such as through fluid channel  522  and conduit  525 , to provide negative pressure to the bladder devices  500  in order to facilitate removal of previously provided fluids and/or suction to facilitate water delivery to the interior volume  515  of the bladder devices  500 . 
         [0051]      FIG. 6A  is a schematic end view of one embodiment of a barrier system  600  adapted to raise and lower about a perimeter of vessel  120 A, or a portion of a perimeter of vessel  120 A. The barrier system  600  includes a barrier  200  which includes a plurality of inflatable bladder devices  500  as described above, and is shown folded along the bottom  310 . The barrier  200  also includes a support member  205  that may be coupled to a fluid source  530  and/or pump  545  to facilitate operation of the bladder devices  500  disposed on the barrier  200 . 
         [0052]      FIG. 6B  is a schematic end view of the barrier  200  shown in  FIG. 6A  in a raised position. When the bladder devices  500  are filled with gas from the fluid source  530 , the barrier  200  is raised about the perimeter of the vessel  120 A as shown in  FIG. 6C . To account for variations in the waterline  305 , such as wave action and/or tidal fluctuations, the barrier  200  may be configured having extra yardage  620 . As the bladder devices  500  provide buoyancy to the barrier  200 , the barrier  200  is lifted from the bottom  310  and the covering  225  may serve to filter marine life and debris from the vessel  120 A. When the barrier  200  is no longer needed, the bladder devices  500  may be filled with water  105 A and/or a heavier fluid causing the barrier  200  to fall to the bottom  310 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 7A  is a schematic side view of another embodiment of a barrier system  700  that employs dockside cranes, such as cranes  135  that may be used to transport a barrier to the port side of vessel  120 A. In this embodiment, the cranes  135  may include or be coupled to drives  710  that are coupled to a shaft  702  having the barrier  200  wound thereon. When the barrier system  700  is not needed, the shaft  702  and barrier  200  wound thereon may be stored on the bulkhead  130 . When the barrier system  700  is needed, the drives  710  and/or the shaft  702  may be attached to the cranes  135 , and the barrier  200  may be transferred over the top of the vessel  120 B as shown in  FIG. 7B . 
         [0054]      FIG. 7B  is a schematic end view of the barrier system  700  shown in  FIG. 7A . When the shaft  702  and barrier  200  wound thereon has cleared the vessel  120 A (port side in this view), the barrier may be lowered to a depth touching the bottom  310 . The barrier may include a cable  705  that is configured to wind and unwind about the shaft  702  to lower or raise the barrier  200  as needed. Extra yardage  720  may be provided to account for variations in the waterline  305 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 7C  is a top view of the barrier  200  shown in  FIG. 7B  positioned about a portion of the perimeter of the vessel  120 A. The barrier  200  may also include additional yardage  730  at each end that may be attached between the bulkhead  130  and fastened thereto in order to provide a covering  225  in the area adjacent the bow and stern of the vessel  120 A. In this manner, the vessel  120 A may be partitioned from the channel  106  and the vessel&#39;s water intake systems may operate without significantly affecting marine life. 
         [0056]      FIG. 8A  is a schematic top view of another embodiment of a barrier  200  that may be used to partition the slip  125 . In this embodiment, one or more gate structures  805 A,  805 B may be coupled to the bulkhead  130  in a hinged fashion. Each of the gate structures  805 A,  805 B may include a hinge portion  810  adapted to swing across the opening  220  of the slip  125 . Actuators (not shown) powered hydraulically, electrically, pneumatically, mechanically, and combinations thereof, may be coupled to the respective gate structure  805 A,  805 B and the bulkhead  130  to facilitate opening and closing of the opening  220 . 
         [0057]      FIG. 8B  is an isometric view of the gate structures  805 A,  805 B of  FIG. 8A . Each of the gate structures  805 A,  805 B may include a covering  225  coupled between a rectangular frame. An additional covering  825  having a plurality of weights  320  may be coupled to the lower portion of the gate structures  805 A,  805 B to cover the area between the frames and the bottom  310 . The gate structures  805 A,  805 B having the coverings  225 ,  825  thereon are adapted to swing across the opening  220  of the slip  125  to separate the slip  125  from the channel  106 . The gate structures  805 A,  805 B may be locked in position across the opening  220  and/or fastened together when in use. When not in use, the gate structures  805 A,  805 B may be swung open and adapted to rest along the side of the bulkhead  130 . 
         [0058]      FIG. 8C  is a schematic top view of another embodiment of a barrier  200 . In this embodiment, one or more gate structures  805 A,  805 B are adapted to open and close the opening  220  of the slip  125 . Each gate structure  805 A,  805 B may include one or more panels  806  having coverings coupled thereto, that are hingedly coupled to each other at a plurality of pivot points  815 . In this example, the panels are adapted to fold against one another when not in use as shown in reference to gate structure  805 B, and fold away from each other when extended as shown in reference to gate structure  805 A. The gate structures  805 A,  805 B may be locked in position across the opening  220  and/or fastened together when in use. When not in use, the gate structures  805 A,  805 B may be folded to an open position and adapted to rest along the side of the bulkhead  130 . 
         [0059]      FIG. 8D  is a schematic side view of another embodiment of a barrier  200 . In this embodiment, one or more gate structures  850 A may be hingedly coupled to the bottom  310  by an anchoring structure  855 . The anchoring structure  855  may be a steel structure, an aluminum structure, a concrete structure, and combinations thereof that may be at least partially disposed in and coupled to the bottom  310 . The gate structure(s)  850 A may be anchored to the bottom of the channel  106  and/or the bottom of the slip  125  and are coupled to the anchoring structure  855  by a pivoting member  865 . The pivoting member  865  allows the gate structure(s)  850 A to move from a raised position shown in phantom as gate structure  850   R , and a lowered position shown in phantom as gate structure  850   L . 
         [0060]      FIG. 8E  is a front view of the barrier  200  shown in  FIG. 8D  showing the gate structures  850 A in a raised position. Each of the gate structures  850 A may be raised and lowered together or separately by use of a crane, actuators, gears, and other devices adapted to lift or lower one or more of the gate structures  850 A. In one embodiment, the gate structures  850 A are adapted to be raised and lowered using a tubular member  870  that is configured similar to the inflatable bladder device  500  described above. In one embodiment, the tubular member  870  may function as a structural member as well as a bladder device. In another embodiment, the tubular member  870  may include an inflatable bladder device either coupled on or inside the tubular member  870 . In this embodiment, the tubular member  870  is adapted to couple to a fluid source  530  that may supply gases, such as compressed air, helium, and combinations thereof, and may also be coupled to a pump  545  adapted to provide negative pressure. In this manner, the tubular member  870  provides lift or buoyancy when filled at least partially with gas, and facilitates lowering of the gate structures  850 A when emptied and/or filled with water or a heavy fluid. In another embodiment, at least a portion of a frame  860  of each gate structure  850 A may be made of a tubular material that is adapted to contain a fluid. In this embodiment, the fluid source  530  may supply a gas to the frame for lift or buoyancy, and the gas may be removed from the frame and/or filled with water or a heavy fluid for lowering. While a plurality of gate structures  850 A are shown, the barrier  200  may comprise only one gate structure adapted to raise or lower to cover the opening  220 . 
         [0061]    The apparatus and method described herein are adapted to protect certain fish species and other marine life in areas that may be protected, and also maintains the status quo in areas that are not currently protected by minimizing or preventing accidental injury, eradication, and dislocation of these species. This provides less of an environmental impact in an area that may be protected and may open up the possibilities for landing sites for commercial ventures. Also, the apparatus and method provides a smaller ecological footprint in areas where the vessel is docked or moored as the marine population will not be significantly reduced or affected in the area around the docking facility. 
         [0062]    The barrier  200 , as described herein, is adapted to be placed at the opening of an inlet or slip  125  or placed around at least a portion of a vessel as described above. In the embodiments where the barrier at least partially surrounds the vessel, the barrier may be spaced away from the vessel up to about 10-12 feet, and/or the barrier may include portions that are in contact with the vessel. In all embodiments, the barrier  200  is adapted to facilitate suitable flow of water to the water intake systems of a vessel while decreasing the velocity of the water flow across the barrier to minimize injury to marine life. For example, the barrier is configured to increase the flow surface area by at least about 5 times, and decrease the velocity of the flow by about 5 times at the point of filtration. In one embodiment, the barrier  200  facilitates an approach velocity, which may be defined as the incoming water velocity perpendicular to and approximately three inches in front of the outer surface of the barrier that is between about 0.1 feet per second (fps) and about 1 fps. In one specific application, the barrier  200  may be configured to have an approach velocity of about 0.2 fps, or less. The increased surface area of the barrier allows a suitable and sufficient volume of water to the water intake systems of the vessel while minimizing the flow velocity and/or equalizing the velocity gradient across the face of the barrier. 
         [0063]    While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.