Air bubble curtains made with Bubble Tubing® have an enormous potential that warrants further research, toward the protection of marine mammals, maritime environments, and those who work or find recreation in the ocean.

Air Bubble Curtains are also known under several other names: Air barrier, air curtain, bubble barrier, bubble curtain, pneumatic barrier, pneumatic boom, barrier of air bubbles, curtain of air bubbles, air bubble curtains, bubble wall, bubble screen.

Hotel chains and other tourism businesses living along coastal regions are faced with a growing problem of seaweed called Sargassum. The seaweed is pushed by waves on the beaches and accumulates sometimes up to 9 feet thick! The daily costs associated to the machinery and the employees required for to the collection of these seaweeds is staggering. The growing presence of Sargassum (and indeed many other species of aquatic plants or algae) in the sea is due to the increase of nutrients in the water, increase in temperature and sea currents and winds. The tourism industry is affected by this problem in areas such as the island of Saint-Martin, Guadeloupe, Mexico and Martinique. Other debris may be found floating on the water surface such as bottles, plastic bags and micro plastics. Installing bubble curtains can be a solution to contain these floating debris and algae for easier retrieval before they arrive on the coasts. Bubble curtains can prevent floating debris from entering channels or create a current that can repel algae and debris to a less sensitive area.

Bubble curtains also meet the requirement for containing silt and turbidity for in-situ work where sediment containment barriers are mandatory. When working in a stream, river or lake, marine construction and dredging companies are required to install a physical curtain called a floating turbidity barrier.

These barriers do not allow free passage for boats and work equipment. Whereas a bubble curtain does both: it allows movement of boats and equipment over the barrier while retaining sediment and other suspended matter. In this case, a bubble curtain installed from the stream, river or lake bed will mitigate the migration of silt and other suspended sediments through the water column.

Our Bubble Tubing® has proven to be very effective as a silt barrier and turbidity curtain during these applications. Also, in this article, research is currently underway to validate the effectiveness of bubble curtains in altering stream dynamics. Water currents in the outer curves of riverbeds are slower allowing for sediment deposition and accumulation. Over time, a sand bank can be created, making shipping impossible without dredging under certain circumstances. By installing a bubble curtain in this outer curve, this creates a sufficient current to prevent sediment buildup.

These are a few of the applications for Bubble Curtains. We look forward to working closely with engineers, scientists and water managers to find bubble curtain applications to protect wildlife and the environment so projects can move forward in an environmentally responsible manner.