EOMAP Contracted for Shallow Water Bathymetry
Coastal zones, at the interface of land and ocean, are of tremendous social, economic, and ecological value: About 40% of the world population is currently living within 100 km of the coast, with three quarters of all large cities being situated along coastlines. Together with its partners Deltares and GGS Geo Consultancy (GGSgc), team lead EOMAP will now provide global coastal bathymetric data to fill this knowledge gap. Bathymetry, the underwater topography, is a key environmental parameter for a wide range of coastal applications, such as modelling and hazard assessment, seafloor
DOE Launches $1.7 Million Marine Energy Prize
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the Powering the Blue Economy™: Power at Sea Prize, which will award up to $1.7 million to competitors to advance technologies that use marine energy to power ocean-based activities.Next-generation maritime or “blue” technologies are moving farther offshore to capture data across the ocean. Applications may include ocean-observing devices, aquaculture installations, and much more, and all require access to consistent, locally available power. The prize challenges competitors to meet this need by identifying new, innovative, and feasible
Kongsberg Sensors and Equipment for Germany's New Ocean Research Vessel
Norwegian marine equipment and technology firm Kongsberg will provide scientific sensors and scientific handling equipment for Germany’s new ocean research vessel, the 135-metre Meteor IV. The new 10,000GT vessel will be able to house 35 scientists plus 36 crew. Meteor IV will be built by MeyerFassmer Spezialschiffbau (MFSB) for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The vessel, due for delivery in 2026, replaces existing research vessels Meteor and Poseidon.“We need to build a better understanding of our changing climate and the effect it has on the marine environment
New Thermal Buoyancy Engine Design Proposed for Underwater Gliders
Researchers from University of Strathclyde, Tianjin University, and the Jiangsu University of Science and Technology have proposed a new thermal buoyancy engine design for underwater gliders used in oceanographic research.These gliders have engines that work by changing the buoyancy of the glider. The engine uses a phase change material to harvest thermal energy as the temperature of seawater drops from surface temperatures of around 20 to 30 °C to around 4 °C below 650 feet.The aim of the researchers' work was to achieve a higher energy yield than existing thermal buoyancy engines and
ASL Hires Chawarski as Biological Oceanographer
ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. announced the appointment of Julek Chawarski to the position of Biological Oceanographer. Chawarski contributes nearly a decade of experience in fisheries science, with expertise in forage fisheries and biological oceanography in coastal and deep ocean ecosystems. He will be responsible for developing consulting services for ASL's ocean monitoring clients and will develop new tools for hydroacoustic studies of aquatic ecosystems.Previous to his appointment at ASL, Chawarski completed a Masters in Marine Biology at the University of Maine. During his studies he
Freire Launches Oceanographic Research Vessel
At the end of February 2022 a new oceanographic research vessel was launched in Vigo, built by the shipyard Construcciones Navales P Freire, SA (Freire Shipyard) for the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD). Several company representatives were present at the event led by Jesús, Guillermo and Marcos Freire, who were accompanied by a delegation from the shipowner and supervision teams."We are very pleased to proceed with a milestone in the construction of such an innovative ship," said the company's commercial director, Santiago Sío. Within the world of oceanographic
Lander Lab #2: Small Autonomous Landers for Studying the Community Ecology of Nearshore Submarine Canyons
Lander Lab will routinely feature field work by researchers from around the world using ocean landers. We begin with the 2021 Scripps Institution of Oceanography/UCSD work of Ashley Nicoll, currently a PhD student at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, Long Island, New York. Click here to see Ashley’s full Master’s Thesis paper, “Nicoll Thesis 2021.pdf”.Nearshore submarine canyons are unique features that bring the deep sea close to shore, potentially functioning as highways connecting shallow and deep-sea ecosystems. To study their ecology, we adapted two
MTS Names Ostrander Executive Director
member of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Advisory Committee. Chris received his undergraduate and graduate education from the United States Military Academy at West Point (geography), the Johns Hopkins University (political theory), and the University of Hawaii (physical oceanography).“MTS and its members are recognized as global leaders in the development and use of marine technology to support applied research, public policy development, and the blue economy. I look forward to joining our members and partners to support the growth of the Society, the success of our
Opinion: A Call for the USNS Walter Munk to Honor America’s Greatest Oceanographer
. One of these is the Naval oceanographic ship USNS Maury (T-AGS 66), named after oceanographer Matthew Fontaine Maury, who resigned his commission in the U.S. Navy to join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the American Civil War. The USNS Maury is an asset of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC), which I led from 2014-2017. I attended the ship’s commissioning in 2017, where I praised Maury’s recognition as the father of modern oceanography. I did the same on other occasions when I served as the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory, which Maury founded
February 2024
