Canadian Research Vessel Headed Home
2022 following 59 years of dedicated service.Key features include:Modular working deck allowing mission-specific science modules to be swapped in and out;Marine mammal observation station for real-time environmental monitoring;Ocean sampling room and multiple specialized laboratories (general-purpose, chemical, acoustics, salinity, computer, and seawater);Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) and Hydro Wire Launch and Recovery System (LARS);Main and secondary cranes, stern A-frame, towing booms, and seismic compressors for deep-water deployments;Drop keel and advanced sonar/sensor arrays for detailed ocean-data
Automatic docking as an enabling technology for the operational autonomy of underwater systems
project, funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, is focused on the development and demonstration of innovative technologies for the measurement of Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), with the aim of addressing existing gaps in the observation of physical, chemical, biological and deep-ocean variables. The project seeks to strengthen and complement existing European observation infrastructures through the use of low-cost sensors and samplers, integrated on a range of autonomous platforms and validated through large-scale demonstrations in European seas.Within
Bright Prospect: Blue Lasers for the Deep Sea
underwater significantly reduces wear on tools and components, lowers energy consumption, and minimizes the release of potentially harmful particles or substances. In terms of environmental protection and resource conservation, the diode-laser-based process clearly outperforms conventional mechanical or chemical methods—which often cause environmental damage and material degradation. This is especially relevant for removing marine fouling, which until now has often been treated with such methods, posing risks to both the environment and the components.The system also offers new logistical advantages
More to Consider than CO2 in CCS Leakage Risks
Researchers from the Technical University of Denmark have highlighted that taking a comprehensive view of the chemical composition of potential fluids leaking from geological CO2 storage reservoirs raises new questions about the potential risks.The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, says, albeit small, the risk of failures during operations and storage does exist.Different environmental modelling studies have suggested that different annual leakage rates (0.001%–0.01% of stored CO2) are acceptable for the climate mitigation benefits of carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Robotics Essential to Coral Reef Preservation Efforts
two distinct modes that determine the pace of climate recovery.“Reefs didn’t just respond to climate change – they helped set the tempo of recovery,” said Salles. In one mode, when tropical shelves are extensive and reefs thrive, carbonate accumulates in shallow seas, reducing chemical exchange with the deep ocean. This weakens the biological pump – the process by which marine organisms draw down carbon – and slows the planet’s recovery from carbon shocks.In the other mode, when reef space collapses due to tectonic or sea-level change, calcium and alkalinity
CSignum Launches Through-Ice Wireless Monitoring System
CSignum has launched its through-ice wireless monitoring technology with the patented EM-2Q electromagnetic field signalling (EMFS) system.Critical monitoring is often suspended for several months annually, leaving a blind spot during a period of significant biological and chemical change in lakes, reservoirs, and inland water bodies, as ice formation typically forces monitoring equipment to be removed or disabled for several months each year.Surface cables are prone to damage and failure as ice forms and shifts, creating safety risks, equipment loss, and significant gaps in environmental data.CSignum&r
Deep Ocean Landers Help Scientists Explore Dark Oxygen Mystery
, has designed two highly specialised landers that resemble equipment more often associated with space exploration. Named Alisa and Kaia after Professor Sweetman’s daughters, they will determine if the nodules spontaneously interact with salt water to create electricity, whether there’s a biochemical process at work, or another, as yet unknown factor is at play.The Nippon Foundation’s funding includes construction of the world-first landers. The landers will be submerged in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the central Pacific Ocean in the spring, with initial results expected later
Golden Software Makes Upgrades Grapher Scientific Package with Enhanced Templates
users at every level.Grapher enables users to make better decisions by visualizing and communicating complex data sets in ways that simply can’t be accomplished with spreadsheets. Enhancements in the latest release of Grapher gives users faster and deeper insights into diverse data sets, including chemical, physical, geologic, and geospatial data, through 80 different 2D and 3D plotting types. The package is used extensively by scientists and engineers in environmental services and consulting, climate research, exploration, and academic pursuits.The newest release of Grapher, which is downloadable
Battery Power Management and Control
thermocouples, photovoltaic, and piezoelectric. Passive transducers produce a change in resistance (potentiometer, strain gauge, thermistors, reed switch), capacitance (gauges), or inductance (differential transformer) as the response to a change in a parameter.A sensor detects a specific physical, chemical or biological quantity and converts the value it receives into an electrical signal. Sensors require an amplifier as they are limited to signal level power, often less than 1W. They cannot pass a great deal of power themselves. For power management, use a sensor to control an amplifier circuit:
February 2026
