New Robot Can Sense Plankton Optically and Acoustically
A team of biological and physical oceanographers and engineers have modified a common physical oceanography instrument to be able to image zooplankton as it glides through the ocean.The robot, a first-of-its-kind sensing instrument dubbed Zooglider by Mark Ohman, a biological oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, uses as its platform a Scripps-developed glider known as Spray. Ohman and Scripps instrument developers outfitted the torpedo-shaped Spray gliders with a camera (called Zoocam) and a device researchers call Zonar that gathers acoustic
New Research on Gulf of Mexico Loop Current
Carolina State University in cooperation with Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada), Chevron, Florida State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and University of California – Santa CruzPassive Gulf of Mexico Loop Current Observations from HF Radar Across the Yucatan StraitThis project will procure, install, and operate high frequency radar systems to measure surface currents at two locations in the Yucatan Channel region of the
Full-Depth Current Profiling Around the Global Ocean
choices about deep motions. When added to an inverse model, the LADCP data constrain possible solutions for the missing deep currents.Fig. 5: LADCP data show the deep extent of the Great Whirl, a large intense gyre off Somalia.Units: Depth(m), Distance(deg). Credit: T. Chereskin (Scripps Inst. Oceanography) https://goo.gl/WsmhuVLong-Term SectionsFor two decades, German researchers have monitored boundary currents off Canada at 53°N. Across their persistent section defined by 3–5 moorings, the scientists repeated 12–15 LADCP stations during 13 cruises. As a result, data from 150 LADCP
Exploring Deep-seafloor Mineral Deposits
A new project funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), and led by Professor Bramley Murton at the National Oceanography Center (NOC), will aim to reduce the potential environmental impact of future subsea mining by making exploration for deep-seafloor mineral deposits much more effective.Many deep-seafloor mineral deposits, which can provide vital new metals for emerging technologies, including those that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, were formed by hot springs on the seafloor. The big question facing geologists is whether these deposits – the vast majority of which
Lost @ Sea: Missing Equipment Washes Up Five Years Later
After going missing on Christmas Day five years ago, deep ocean measuring equipment belonging to the UK’s National Oceanography Center (NOC) has just been found on a beach in Tasmania by a local resident after making a 14,000 km journey across the ocean.In 2011, this deep-ocean lander instrument was deployed by NOC scientists in the northern Drake Passage, which is a narrow section of the ocean between South America and Antarctica. Measuring ocean bottom pressure here helps provide information on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which is the largest ocean current in the world. The instrument
Subsea Robotics: SOI Mission Discovers New Hydrothermal Vent and Species
Institute of Technology, and David Caress from MBARI, along with scientists from Oregon State University, the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, demonstrated the multi-disciplinary use of submarine robotics while investigating an area of unique geologic activity where submarine volcanism in heavily sedimented basins results in high temperature venting with unusual chemistry and geology.The nested-scale mapping approach allowed the team
NATO Uses IoT to Study the Oceans
buoys and setting them afloat in the Mediterranean and in Arctic waters to monitor surface drift behaviour. SPOT Trace tracks the movement of these ‘drifters’ and transmits their position data over Globalstar’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network. The CMRE carries out oceanography and ocean acoustics studies as part of innovative and field-tested Science & Technology (S&T) solutions to address defense and security needs of the NATO Alliance. The data is helping CMRE to measure and understand sea currents with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of the changing
India Plans Deep Dive for Seabed Minerals
of organisms and creatures have evolved over millions of years, free of wild currents, sunlight, vibrations and noise which mining would bring, said Mahapatra, managing editor of the New Delhi-based science and environment magazine Down To Earth.According to a 2017 study by Britain's National Oceanography Center, mining experiments at seven sites in the Pacific Ocean showed the amount and diversity of marine life was reduced "often severely and for a long time".Sediment plumes and disturbance caused by mining could wipe out habitats for slow-growing corals and fish, Mahapatra said.It
MATE At-Sea Internship Opportunity
Africa; and Montevideo, Uruguay (cruise plans are still in development.)Internship projects will vary from one cruise to another and correspond to the cruise objectives set by the lead scientists for each cruise. Previous interns have worked on cruises to support science projects ranging from chemical oceanography, marine biology, GIS/bathymetric surveys (seafloor mapping), geological studies, work with ROVs and much more! The position will last approximately six months and the intern will receive a stipend of $500 per week, plus reimbursement for travel expenses and housing - mostly aboard one of the research
Royal Navy Supports Successful Trial of New Micro-Robots
ecoSUB, has been successfully trialed in the North Sea off Orkney during a marine robot demonstrator mission coordinated by the National Oceanography Center (NOC).ecoSUB is a new type of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) developed by Planet Ocean in partnership with the NOC. The vehicles are around 0.5 meters in length and weigh only 4 kg, and are therefore classified as 'micro-AUVs'. Despite their small size, they are capable of diving to 500 m (2500m for ecoSUB-m25) and have sufficient battery power to stay underwater for several hours.Two of the new ecoSUB-µ5-SVP vehicles were
Sonardyne Leads AUV Collaboration Project
for Persistent AUVs (P3AUV) project is to enable AUVs to operate at high levels of navigation performance with less surface support and for longer periods.The provider of underwater acoustic, inertial, optical and sonar technology said in a release that with partners L3 ASV and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Sonardyne will focus on longer-term navigational accuracy for AUVs in deep water, while reducing power requirements and increasing autonomy in marine operations.The P3AUV project will involve trials using Sonardyne’s leading underwater positioning technology on the NOC&rsquo
Construction Starts on OSU's Research Ship
; authorized as much as $365 million for the project as part of the NSF’s Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction portfolio.“NSF is proud that the research vessel Taani will be the flagship for a new class of research vessels, and eagerly anticipates decades of productive oceanography from Taani to support the nation’s science, engineering and education needs,” says Terrence Quinn, director of the NSF’s Division of Ocean Sciences, which is funding the new vessel.During the summer of 2017, the NSF awarded OSU a grant of $121.88 million to launch the construction
New Research Vessel Ordered for Belgium
.The research vessel will cater for the requirements of the Belgian marine scientific community when performing advanced marine research and education at sea – today and in the coming years. This will include research within the fields of geology and sedimentology, fisheries, biology, chemistry, oceanography (including meteorology). In addition, the vessel will be part of hydrography campaigns.Rolls-Royce said it has been awarded a contract by the shipbuilder to deliver ship design and equipment systems for the vessel, which is to replace the current RV Belgica.The vessel will be a UT 844 WP design
Seabed 2030 Meeting Held in Stockholm
year.Organizations presenting details on their mapping efforts to the group included the Canadian Hydrographic Service; the Danish Geodata Agency; the Italian Ministry of Defense; the Norwegian Hydrographic Service; the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; Italy’s National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics; Fugro; Kongsberg Maritime; TE Subcom; the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain; and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, among others.Following updates on mapping activities, the meeting broke out into working groups to discuss how to overcome technical
RBR Opens Office in China
Qingdao. The wholly-owned foreign enterprise under the direction of RBR Ltd. (Canada) will support the growing customer base and collaborative business development activities in China, the company said.“The market in China is huge and the local innovation in ocean science research, operational oceanography, deep sea studies and autonomous vehicle development is tremendous. RBR’s continued investment in China will help enable more innovative projects in China and allow RBR to share these experiences and applications with the rest of our global oceanographic community,” said Eric Siegel
Voices: Professor Cui Weicheng
in their quest.”Cui imagines a hybrid-vehicle that can be operated as an ROV, an AUV, or a manned submersible. “The technology challenges are straightforward, with lots of room for new invention,” said Kevin Hardy, who built unmanned hadal landers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, for James Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGE Expedition, and other international hadal research projects. “Weicheng has the determination to get this done. His influence may ultimately be felt in the funding priorities of nations who once led in hadal exploration: France, Russia, Italy,
Interview: TMA's Michael Jones on BlueTech Week
;by invitation” BlueTech Cluster Convening will bring together 20+ existing and in-formation clusters – probably the largest BlueTech cluster gathering in the world – to discuss Best Practices and collaboration. The Marine Debris Solutions day co-hosted with Scripps Institution of Oceanography on November 6 will focus on innovative industry solutions to four big issues: Plastics in the Ocean; Sunken Vessels and Unexploded Ordinance; Oil Detection and Cleanup; and Fishing & Netting Gear Alternative Solutions. The BlueTech Summit & Tech Expo on November 7-8 will feature four Plenary
