Visual cues to reduce marine life mortality during a dredging operation

A system for dredging a seabed, comprising:

• a rail configured to be coupled to a hull of a dredging vessel;
• a dredge arm coupled to the rail, the dredge arm comprising;
• an upper suction pipe coupled to the rail;
• a lower suction pipe coupled to the upper suction pipe;
• a drag head coupled to the lower suction pipe, the drag head in fluid communication with the lower suction pipe and configured to contact a seabed;
• a visual marine life deterrent coupled to an intermediate location along the dredge arm, the visual marine life deterrent coupled to the intermediate location via a connector, the connector including a flexible portion extending from the dredge arm, such that the visual marine life deterrent is movably suspended within the water between a sea floor and a surface of the water, the visual marine life deterrent comprising a silhouette of a marine life predator, the marine life predator configured to be observable by marine life, thereby influencing the marine life to move away from the dredge arm;
• and
• a pump coupled to the upper suction pipe, the pump in fluid communication with the upper suction pipe and configured to draw material toward the upper suction pipe from the seabed.

A system for dredging a seabed, comprising:

• a trailing suction hopper dredger, the trailing suction hopper dredger comprising;
• a hull in contact with a body of water;
• a dredge arm operatively coupled to the hull, the dredge arm comprising;
• an upper suction pipe operatively coupled to the hull;
• a lower suction pipe coupled to the upper suction pipe;
• a drag head coupled to the lower suction pipe, the drag head in fluid communication with the lower suction pipe and configured to contact the seabed;
• a marine life deterrent coupled to the dredge arm, the marine life deterrent comprising:
• a physical marine life deterrent including a first end coupled to the dredge arm and a second end configured to hang freely from the first end;
• and
• a visual marine life deterrent coupled to the physical marine life deterrent and an intermediate location along the dredge arm via a connector, the connector including a flexible portion extending from the dredge arm, such that the visual marine life deterrent is movably suspended in the water between a sea floor and a surface of the water, the visual marine life deterrent configured to direct light based on an orientation of the physical marine life deterrent;
• and
• a pump coupled to the upper suction pipe, the pump in fluid communication with the upper suction pipe and configured to draw material toward the upper suction pipe from the seabed.

A system for dredging a seabed, comprising:

• a trailing suction hopper dredger, the trailing suction hopper dredger comprising;
• a hull in contact with a body of water;
• a dredge arm operatively coupled to the hull, the dredge arm comprising;
• an upper suction pipe operatively coupled to the hull;
• a lower suction pipe coupled to the upper suction pipe;
• a drag head coupled to the lower suction pipe, the drag head in fluid communication with the lower suction pipe and configured to contact the seabed;
• a marine life deterrent coupled to the dredge arm, the marine life deterrent comprising:
• a physical marine life deterrent including a first end coupled to the dredge arm and a second end configured to hang freely from the first end, wherein the physical marine life deterrent further comprises:
• a retaining ring rotatably coupled to the dredge arm;
• an arm coupled to and extending from the retaining ring;
• and
• a flexible element coupled to the arm;
• a visual marine life deterrent coupled to the physical marine life deterrent, the visual marine life deterrent configured to direct light based on an orientation of the physical marine life deterrent;
• and
• a pump coupled to the upper suction pipe, the pump in fluid communication with the upper suction pipe and configured to draw material toward the upper suction pipe from the seabed.