Schmidt Sciences Awards $33m for Global Freshwater Research
, Pamir, CanadianRockies and Andes. They will collect meteorological, snow and water data to understand how mountain water supplies are changing and what complex system interactions could impact society.Unlocking Local Knowledge Production for Global Water ReanalysisLed by Wouter Buytaert, Imperial College London; Seifu Tilahun, International Water Management Institute – GhanaThis project will develop new methods for incorporating community-collected data and local knowledge into global water models. In collaboration with local partners across data-scarce regions, including the Andes, Ghana
New Project to Assess Resilience of Mesophotic Coral Reefs
, the project will also seek to inform ways the reefs can be protected now and in the future.The project starts in February 2026, and is being led by experts in marine biology and oceanography from the University of Plymouth, with a core team also including experts in coral reef biodiversity from Imperial College London and specialists in numerical modelling at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML). They are being supported by a grant of £3.7million from the Natural Environment Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.Through their previous work in the Indian Ocean, researchers from the University
NOC-led Study Paves the Way for Future Climate Models
measurements of the biological pump, we were able to not only identify the most important biological pump processes currently missing from models, but also identify how observational data collected by existing technologies can help fill those gaps."Dr Emma Cavan, Research Fellow, from Imperial College London, stated: “Marine life has an important role in cycling carbon and nutrients globally. This study highlights how we could improve our estimates of the future ocean carbon sink if we work to understand the role of biology better and describe it well in climate simulations.”The
R&D: Robotics Advances Inside the ORCA Hub
mechanics of robotic systems are being developed as part of the Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets (ORCA) Hub in Edinburgh. It’s a publicly funded project led by the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics (Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh), in collaboration with Imperial College London and the Universities of Oxford and Liverpool. We spoke with some of their specialists.First of all, what is robotics? Does that include remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles, for example?David Lane, Professor of Autonomous Systems Engineering, and Founding Director
Schmidt Appoints Virmani as Executive Director
; said Eric Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Ocean Institute.Virmani previously worked as associate director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography and as a senior scientist at the Met Office, the United Kingdom’s national weather service.She has a bachelor’s degree in physics from Imperial College London, a master’s degree in atmospheric and marine environmental science from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and a doctorate in physical oceanography from the University of South Florida.Virmani will join the institute at the end of February and will be based in Los
Mitcham Appoints New Tech Positions
, his experience includes technology and engineering positions at Sonardyne International and Thales Underwater Systems. Meecham, who has published a number of articles concerning marine acoustic technology, holds an M.Sc. (P.C. Interfacing & Software Applications) and a B.Sc. in Physics from Imperial College, London, U.K.In his role, Dr Ramsay's initial focus will be to guide the development of the company's next generation bathymetric sonar system. He will also assist in promoting the company's products and technologies within the hydrographic industry and assist in identifying
ORCA Hub Readies Drones for Offshore Energy
R&D funding on “Robotics and AI for Extreme Environments” through the Industry Strategic Challenge Fund (ISCF).The ORCA Hub is led by the Edinburgh Center for Robotics, a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh. The consortium also includes Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and the University of Liverpool.Unveiling recent results at its third presentation to industry, the ORCA Hub showcased the application of 16 autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic solutions at ORE Catapult in Blyth, near Newcastle.Designed to boost safety, improve
ROVOP Joins ORCA Hub
Robotics for Certification of Assets) Hub offshore robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems development program. The ORCA Hub is a consortium of five universities – Heriot-Watt University, University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, University of Oxford and Imperial College London – that are working together to develop highly specialized robotics and AI technologies for the inspection, repair, maintenance and certification of offshore energy platforms and assets.The partnership will see ROVOP support the research the ORCA Hub is carrying out in the subsea domain
AgileTek Hires Two
a promotion. Soo-hyeong Kim has joined the company as a Graduate Engineering Analyst, alongside Andrew Olson, who has taken on the role of Business Development Engineer. Kim previously worked at a computer aided engineering software provider, and Olson recently graduated from Imperial College London with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. The company is also building on recent successes in the Asian market, after securing a major cable and umbilicals contract in China. In recognition of the growing subsea market in Asia, further business development in this region will be led
February 2026
