Out of the wave: The meaning of suffering and relief from suffering as described in autobiographies by survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of suffering and relief from suffering as described in autobiographies by tourists who experienced the tsunami on 26 December 2004 and lost loved ones. A lifeworld approach, inspired by the French philosopher Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of perception, was chosen for the theoretical framework. This catastrophe totally changed the survivors' world within a moment. In this new world, there were three main phases: the power of remaining focused, a life of despair, and the unbearable becoming bearable. Life turns into a matter of making the unbearable bearable. Such challenging experiences are discussed in terms of the philosophy of Weil, Jaspers, and Merleau-Ponty. The survivors of the tsunami catastrophe were facing a boundary situation and “le malheur,” the unthinkable misfortune. Even at this lowest level of misfortune, joy is possible to experience. This is part of the survivors' ambivalent experiences of their lifeworld. In this world of the uttermost despair there are also rays of hope, joy, and new life possibilities

Reaction of sandeel to seismic shooting: a field experiment and fishery statistics study

The reaction to seismics of lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) was investigated in the North Sea using steel cages to enclose the fish while burried in the sand. Three cages were exposed to seismic shooting from SV "Falcon Explorer" during two days in May 2002. The sandeel behaviour was recorded on video from an ROV, and data analysed. The sandeel seemed to react slightly, but did not flee to the bottom. No injury or mortality caused by seismic shooting was observed. The fishing vessels tended to avoid the seismic area, and the days after the shooting the landings of sandeel declined temporarily. NORSK SAMMENDRAG: Atferden hos tobis (Ammodytes marinus) ble undersøkt ved å stenge fisken inne i stålbur og overvåke den under seismisk skyting fra et seismikkfartøy i Nordsjøen. Til dette ble det anvendt en ROV påmontert videokameraer, og opptakene ble senere analysert. Det ble påvist atferd som kan tolkes som fluktreaksjoner, men tobisen svømte ikke mot bunnen for å grave seg ned. Det ble heller ikke påvist skade eller død som skyldtes seismikk. Under eksperimentet syntes fiskeflåten i noen grad å søke vekk fra området og de leverte fangstene sank midlertidig et par dager