Instrumentation

Fiber Optic Sensing and Mining an Ocean of Data

, not least across our oceans, where existing cables could offer a new global sensing network. Elaine Maslin reports.Criss crossing between our nations, across channels and between continents are a multitude of cables – some 120 million km of them. Some are pretty old (the first international submarine cable was laid across the Channel, between the UK and France, in 1850). But many laid since the 1980s contain fibre optics and provide the conduits for everything from those YouTube cat videos to stock market data.An increasing number of researchers are now hoping that they can also use these cables

Roxtec Delivers Seals for Orbital's O2 Tidal Turbine

Safety seal manufacturer Roxtec said Monday it had supplied Scotland-based Orbital Marine Power with a range of cable sealing solutions to support the construction of Orbital Marine's tidal turbine, the Orbital O2 2MW.Orbital’s O2 turbine is nearing completion at TEXO Group’s manufacturing facility in Dundee and will enter operation this spring at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) off the coast of Orkney.The O2 will be towed from Dundee to Orkney in the coming weeks before being anchored at EMEC’s site in the Fall of Warness where tidal speeds can exceed 3m/s. Once operation

RBR Hires Kumhyr as VP of Sales and Marketing

Ottawa-based oceanographic instrumentation company RBR Ltd. said it has hired John Kumhyr as its new vice president of sales and marketing.Kumhyr will lead RBR’s technical sales team, focusing on global market growth and breaking into untapped markets, the company said.“A strong background, sales talent, and a highly personable leader, John will excel in this role and help take RBR to the proverbial ‘next level’,” said Greg Johnson, president of RBR.Having completed a joint honors degree in electrical engineering and business from McMaster University, Kumhyr started his

Teledyne Webb Research Hires Quinn, Goodrich

Teledyne Marine announced it has hired two new members to the Teledyne Webb Research Glider team. Shea Quinn joins the team as the new Product Line Manager, and Cordielyn Goodrich joins the group as a Customer Support Applications Engineer and member of the Glider Support Team.Quinn will be responsible for driving the product line development for the gliders and bringing voice of customer to the engineering and development process within the company. he will support the outside sales teams, agents and customer base to assure that the products that are delivered meet customer expectations and specificati

Ship Repair: Inside the $60m Refit of RV Roger Revelle

This month MR dives inside the $60 million refit of RV Roger Revelle, a project which leverages a treasure trove of ‘lessons learned’ from recent refits in the academic research vessel fleet and highlights the value of slimming the vendor list.Research vessel (R/V) Roger Revelle is back at work after a midlife refit involving upgrades from top to bottom, bow to stern. The ship is owned by the Office of Naval Research and has been operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego since 1996. It is one of the largest ships in the U.S. Academic Research

Acoustic Tech Used to prep for America's Cup

INEOS TEAM UK needed accurate measurements of speed through water while training for the America’s Cup in waters with complex current flows. How did Nortek’s acoustic Doppler instrumentation meet their stringent demands for high performance?INEOS TEAM UK was formed to challenge for the 36th America’s Cup, to be held in New Zealand in 2021. They will compete in their new AC75 yacht named Britannia, a foiling monohull that flies over water on T-foils at speeds up to or exceeding 50 knots.The team represent the Royal Yacht Squadron, one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world

Teledyne Marine Introduces New Ultra Compact Acoustic Modem

Teledyne Marine announced the launch of its new Ultra Compact Modem (UCM). At 60 by 50 millimeters, and weighing 55 grams, the OEM version of the UCM is the smallest acoustic modem ever designed by Teledyne Benthos.The UCM is based on Teledyne Benthos’ signal processing technology to address the need for reliable wireless underwater acoustic communications onboard the growing number of autonomous micro vehicles and other subsea instruments. As the size of these micro vehicles continues to decrease, Teledyne Marine has responded with lightweight, low power, proven sensors and systems to expand

DLM Delivers Monitoring Systems for Offshore Wind Farm Cables

UK-based Dynamic Load Monitoring (DLM), said Monday it has built two bespoke monitoring systems that have been installed by dive teams on subsea bend stiffeners at an offshore wind farm.The equipment has been commissioned, with the first round of data due to be collected in March 2021.The company, based in Southampton, said the products were delivered to Darlington, UK-based Subsea Innovation, a manufacturer of subsea equipment, which was challenged by the end-user to provide a system to prevent array cables— which connect the site’s turbines together—from breaking. DLM did not say

50 Years from Now: Perspectives Dr. Ralph Rayner

"50 Years From Now" was published in the Oceanology International 50th Anniversary Edition published by Marine Technology Reporter. Here we present insights from Dr. Ralph Rayner. (*Editor's Note: This was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic)The last fifty years have been dominated by technological innovation and development associated with the exploitation of the ocean’s living and non-living resources and the use of the ocean as a medium for transport.  It has also seen enormous progress in our scientific and technological capacity to observe, measure and predict the

SeaRobotics Launches Utility Class ASV

Marine robotics company SeaRobotics Corporation (SRC) on Monday revealed details of its next-generation utility class autonomous surface vehicle (ASV), the SR-Utility 3.0. This latest addition to the SRC portfolio is designed to extend the range and versatility of unmanned coastal marine survey operations by providing professional surveyors with a configurable platform that allows for interchangeable payloads and sensors, including the incorporation of existing instrumentation.“We have been building ASVs for over 20 years now and understand that there is always a need for some degree of customizat

MacArtney LARS for Fifth Asia Pacific Research Vessel

MacArtney completed its order of a launch and recovery (LARS) system for Taiwan National University, the fifth Ocean Research Vessel (ORV) in the Asia Pacific region to date. MacArtney Asia Pacific provided the full launch and recovery system solution for the new vessel R/V New Ocean Researcher 1 (ORV 1), including slip rings, cables and docking heads. The 1,000 GT RV was completed on July 21, 2020.Behind ORV 1 is the CSBC Corporation, which built the ship for end-user Taiwan National University. CSBC, owning two shipyards, is the largest shipbuilding company in Taiwan. Now that ORV 1 has passed

Valeport onboard Mayflower Autonomous Ship project

, UK, to Plymouth, USA, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) will trace the route of the original 1620 Mayflower to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the voyage, but in this case with no humans onboard, making it one of the first full-sized, fully autonomous vessels to cross the Atlantic.https://www.marinetechnologynews.com/news/modern-mayflower-ahead-400th-599991Marine research organization, ProMare is leading the development of the MAS.  Throughout the 3220-mile journey the MAS will function as a science laboratory and Valeport’s uvSVX and VA500 Altimeter will be used to enhance the operational

USS Delivers Unmanned Surface Vessel to Tetra Tech

UK-based Unmanned Survey Solutions has delivered an Inception Class MKII semi-autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) to consulting and engineering company Tetra Tech.According to USS, the Inception Class MKII USV is a sensor agnostic, semi-autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) composed of tough aluminum hulls, weed cutting power propellers, and a versatile modular payload pod system.  It has been designed to conduct survey operations in areas such as harbours, ports, lakes, lagoons, mining ponds and other shallow water zones.  It can be operated by Remote-Control (RC) or as a semi-autonom

Flooded Member Detection Using ROVs

broadband ultrasonic probe paired with an advanced digital signal processing engine to provide reliable readings. The ISFMD uses Impact Subsea's SeaView software for control, visualization and data collection.The ISFMD was supplied and supported by ECHO81, a U.S.-based equipment specialist for marine instrumentation and distributor of Impact Subsea products, to facilitate the successful 30-day trial, where the ISFMD proved it could reliably detect flooded members as large as nine meters in diameter."Flooded Member Detection is a key capability for our offshore users," said Scott Bentley

Proserv Subsea Controls for IOG's SNS Development

Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) has awarded Proserv a complete subsea controls system contract for IOG’s Core Project Phase 1 development in the UK Southern North Sea.IOG's Core Project Phase 1 comprises the development and production of the Southwark, Blythe, and Elgood fields through a total of five wells with gas transported onshore via the Thames Pipeline.Proserv will be responsible for the engineering, construction, and installation of the subsea control system for the Elgood single-well subsea tieback. The system will consist of a master control station, subsea control module, subsea

Pulse Wins Taiwan Offshore Wind Farm Contract

Pulse Structural Monitoring signed its first major contract for the provision of digital structural monitoring and insight services and equipment on an offshore wind farm. The contract, which provides for the design, fabrication, yard installation and commissioning of its market-leading monitoring instrumentation on three wind turbine foundations to be installed offshore Taiwan, was awarded by global offshore wind leader Ørsted.Pulse will supply its cutting-edge NX2 digital platform for acquiring a range of high-quality measurements that include bending and torsional strain, inclination

Research Vessel Gets Turbocharger Overhaul

Marine propulsion engineers Royston has completed the overhaul of two turbocharger units as part of service work on a marine diesel engine onboard Gardline’s research vessel, MV Ocean Endeavour.The project saw the removal of the heavy-duty ABB VTR 200 turbochargers from the vessel’s Mirrlees Blackstone ES6 engines and transportation from Hull docks to Royston’s test and repair center on the banks of the River Tyne in the North East of England.There, the units were dismantled and inspected by engineers for signs of wear or damage before being cleaned, serviced and reassembled with new

Helping to Keep Waterways Navigable in the Netherlands

navigation channel for the ferry crossing between Holwerd and the island of Ameland has to be dredged around the clock to keep it accessible. Near the village of Holwerd, sedimentation rates of up to 6 m a year are frequently reached. Total dredging volumes exceeded 1.5 million m³ in 2018.WaterProof Marine Consultancy & Services was asked by the Dutch Ministry of Public Works to monitor and assess the possible impact of dredging a shortcut in the meandering navigation channel. Due to its constant erosion and sedimentation process, the route to Ameland is becoming longer, costing time, fuel and

@ SAMS, Science + Autonomy = Answers

Few sea and ocean-related research projects today do not involve some form of underwater robotic or marine autonomous system. Elaine Maslin reports on how they’re being used by the Scottish Association of Marine Science.Whether it’s large autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), gliders, landers, small man-portable AUV systems and even air-borne vehicles, unmanned systems have become a day-to-day tool. And, while ready built systems are now readily available, easy access to components is enabling researchers to assemble bespoke platforms to meet specific

ADCPs & DVLs: Recent Tech Developments

computing are exciting developments not often seen in ocean instrumentation. But the demand for measurement of water’s motion is significant and drives equally significant innovation. The next decade of movement will be exciting.The Tasman DVL employs a single, phased array (Photo Courtesy Teledyne Marine

Seatool’s Plug-and-Play Subsea HPU Range

Seatools offers a new range of subsea hydraulic power units (SHPUs) which come as true plug-and-play solutions.“We believe this new product range proposes a unique offering,” said Johan Sol, Business Development Manager at Seatools. “Complementing Seatools’ existing line of subsea hydraulic components, with the launch of this underwater hydraulic powerpack range we grow alongside existing customers and meet the needs of new customers.”The ready-to-roll powerpacks were designed to meet the demands of today’s subsea equipment and clients’ configuration requirement

Change of Management for Nortek

After over two decades at the helm of Nortek, a specialist in oceanographic instrumentation, Atle Lohrmann is taking on new challenges at newly started Hefring Engineering in Boston. Nortek’s new CEO, Finn Ivar Marum, has been entrusted with the task of ensuring Nortek’s continued growth.Nortek was established in 1996, when Atle Lohrmann set up offices outside Oslo, Norway, and started building up production capacity for Doppler instrumentation.Since then, Nortek has grown rapidly, with its revenues increasing from $985,000 in 1996 to $24.6 million in 2018. Many factors lie behind the

IBM Joins Mayflower Autonomous Ship Project

International technology giant IBM has joined a global consortium of partners, led by marine research organisation ProMare, that are building an unmanned, fully-autonomous ship that will cross the Atlantic on the fourth centenary of the original Mayflower voyage in September 2020.A new Mayflower will set sail 400 years after the historic voyage, this time using AI and other advanced technologies, the American IT major said.The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) will use IBM’s AI, advanced servers, cloud and edge computing technologies to navigate autonomously and avoid ocean hazards as it makes its

MTR100: Sonardyne International Ltd.

underwater acoustic, inertial, sonar and optical technologies that are enabling users to position, monitor, measure, detect, image, log, analyze and communicate data, when and where they want in the ocean space.The company is at the forefront of the drive towards safe, efficient and cost effective marine operations including: the latest in over-the-horizon, unmanned and remote autonomous navigation and data harvesting systems; centimeter-level seabed monitoring for hydrocarbon and geoscience applications; intruder detection systems able to detect and track next generation asymmetric threats in the

MTR100: Teledyne Marine

With 23 brands, and more than 400 marine products in its portfolio, Teledyne Marine collectively offers the largest breadth of technology in the industry.  From tiny connectors to 6000m rated AUVs – and virtually everything in between – Teledyne is well positioned to solve subsea’s biggest challenges.  Whether customers seek a single product, or a complex turnkey solution, Teledyne Marine has the vision and capability to deliver leading-edge technology to commercial, academic, and defense customers around the globe.As the organization continues to grow and mature, and

AML MVP to Augment NSCC’s Seafloor Mapping

spatial coverage. Development of a method that would increase both efficiency and data density of seafloor imaging data through integration of these technologies into the MVP would benefit a wide range of ocean sector industries, such as offshore oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, subsea cable routes, marine conservation and spatial planning.NSCC’s MVP200 will be built down the road from their waterfront campus in Canadian manufacturer AML Oceanographic’s Atlantic office in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The solution is expected to be supplied in fall 2019 and includes the MVP200, CTD instrumentation

Giant Squid Filmed in America's Backyard

out left and right, pictures were pointed to, opinions were tossed out. The two of us that knew squid the best were "70 percent sure" it was a juvenile giant squid, but we couldn't go any further. We needed one of the best squid experts in the world, Michael Vecchione at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Services - National Systematics Laboratory at the Smithsonian. Unfortunately, we were in the midst of a set of strong squalls, so the Internet was down and we had no way to reach him.What happened next was something that we truly never expected. About 30 minutes after Nathan first saw the

A New USV for Ocean Surveying

A new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for the Chinese market offers an open and low-cost platform to measure water current and direction. Nortek China has integrated Doppler instrumentation on the vehicle to help better meet user requirements for ocean surveying.The new USV has an IPC (Industrial Personal Computer) as the main operation platform and uses Remote Desktop, a remote control technique, to communicate with all the instruments installed. This means that the vehicle offers an open and low-cost platform for customers who need to carry out several different tasks at the same time.

Robotic Data Help Explain Mysterious Holes

The winter ice on the surface of Antarctica's Weddell Sea occasionally develops an enormous hole. In 2016 and 2017, one such hole drew intense curiosity from scientists and the media.Though bigger gaps had formed decades before, this was the first time oceanographers had a chance to truly monitor the unexpected gap in Antarctic winter sea ice. It was an opportunity that came about as a result of uncanny timing and a seasoned oceanographer’s knowledge of the sea.A new study co-authored by researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego combines

Güralp and Sonardyne Partner

GÜRALP AND SONARDYNE TEAM UP TO PROVIDE ADVANCED SEABED EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH TECHNOLOGYSeismic monitoring instrumentation and solutions provider Güralp Systems Ltd. and Sonardyne International Ltd. have signed an agreement to cooperate in the provision of multidisciplinary ocean bottom research technology, including capabilities for earthquake or tsunami detection.The official Teaming Agreement, announced at the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) conference in London on Tuesday, will enable the two companies to collaboratively provide more advanced and efficient

Nortek Opens Australian Office

Nortek, a leader in Doppler-based measurements in marine environments, has opened the latest of its global network of offices in Melbourne, Australia. This facilitates access to cutting-edge Doppler instrumentation for researchers and engineers in Australia and New Zealand.This is the company’s first office in the region, creating a strong local point of contact for sales and support. The Port Melbourne office also gives Nortek a platform from which to extend its reach throughout Australia and New Zealand, an area that has been important for the company since it was founded over two decades ago.

Remote-Controlled Submersible Fish Farm in Arctic Ocean

Digital technology leader ABB has won a contract from Arctic Offshore Farming to power its first-ever remote controlled submersible offshore salmon farm in the Arctic Ocean.ABB will provide a comprehensive package of its leading electrical, automation, instrumentation and telecom technologies that ensure maximum efficiency and minimal environmental impact.With the global market volume of salmon expected to hit 4.5 million tons by 2023, according to a 2018 report by Research and Markets, the Arctic Offshore Farming project is looking for ways to farm fish in a more sustainable manner.The submerged fish

New, High-Performing USV for Ocean Surveying

A new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for the Chinese market offers an open and low-cost platform to measure water current and direction. Nortek China has integrated Doppler instrumentation on the vehicle to help better meet user requirements for ocean surveying.The new USV has an IPC (Industrial Personal Computer) as the main operation platform and uses Remote Desktop, a remote control technique, to communicate with all the instruments installed. This means that the vehicle offers an open and low-cost platform for customers who need to carry out several different tasks at the same time.

SEAMOR: ROV to Last Ice Project in Canada

SEAMOR Marine will provide a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to the department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Manitoba. The vehicle will be deployed to the High Arctic to inspect the area which remains frozen year-round and take part in research and evaluating ways to protect this special ecological region.The High Arctic is an important area encompassing the northern regions of Canada (Arctic Basin, Baffin Bay and the Pikialasorsuaq, or North Water Polynya) and reaches to western Greenland. This area remains frozen throughout the year, for multiple years, acting as an important refuge for ice-depend

Miros Measuring Mini-Tsunami Phenomenon

Flaskebekk, a small community on the edge of the Oslofjord, regularly experiences what are being termed as “mini-tsunamis”, ostensibly caused by large ships passing areas of the fjord with pronounced variations in water depth. These waves, which are eroding the foundations of Flaskebekk’s boathouses and docks, can reach 1.5 meters in height, with a period of 30-60 seconds.Miros is working with the local community to measure the wave height, wavelength and wave period of these “mini-tsunamis” in order to better understand their causes and impacts. To measure these parameters

Researchers to Monitor Disruptive US Gulf Current

A major $2 million scientific study led by the University of Rhode Island (URI)’s Graduate School of Oceanography will monitor disruptive ocean currents in the US Gulf of Mexico, with a long term goal to improve forecasts for safer offshore operations in the region.The Loop Current System (LCS) is the dominant ocean circulation feature in the Gulf of Mexico, influencing all ocean processes in the Gulf with implications for a wide range of human and natural activities, from oil exploration to coastal eco-systems. To date, knowledge of its underlying dynamics is limited.URI’s initial study

Current Profiling & China’s Maritime Infrastructure Drive

China’s recent wave of infrastructure renewal has included a large portfolio of developments, such as ports and other developments, that have a subsea component. Accurate, efficient and cost-effective current profiling is vital in the successful implementation of major maritime projects.Nortek has been able to play a role in this side of China’s economic revolution, through its collaboration with a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), a Fortune 500 listed firm that has been at the forefront of the infrastructure drive.CCCC & NortekCCCC’s hydrological

R/V Bob and Betty Beyster: New CAT For Scripps

The Research Vessel Bob and Betty Beyster is a purpose-built coastal research vessel designed for efficient operations offshore Southern California and throughout the Channel Islands.  Based at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility and operated as a shared-use facility, Bob and Betty Beyster provides scientists, students and engineers a capable, safe and economical platform for research and teaching.R/V Bob and Betty Beyster is a 42-foot scientific workboat with a range of 500 nautical miles, a cruising speed better than 25 knots, and a capacity for six scientists and a boat operator. The vessel has

Enhanced Seismic Monitoring at Johan Sverdrup

through the water column from the seabed to the sea surface as well as the pressure (depth) at the seabed. This data is then used to calculate a continuous time history of average water velocity and tidal variation throughout the whole water column.While PIES instruments are already very widely used in marine seismic survey operations, this will be only the second time where PIES units are hardwired into topside power and communication infrastructure, which means Equinor will have instant and continuous access to its data. Conventionally, PIES data is collected acoustically by a passing surface vessel

AML Equips New Swedish Research Vessel

A new research vessel being built for the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) will be used by the university and the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) for a wide variety of environmental surveys, from monitoring ocean acidification to assessing fish stock.The newbuild, to be named RV Svea and delivered from Armon Shipyard in Spring 2019, will feature a range of high-tech equipment, including a Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP), announced Canadian instrumentation manufacturer AML Oceanographic.By including a MVP on the new vessel, the scientists expect to gain a clearer

Oi: Tracking 50 Years of Ocean Innovation

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially, to the

Subsea Electrification: Subsea Power Evolves

packs also function for up to eight times the cycle life of traditional sealed lead acid batteries, which may provide many years of service, and eliminate classic and costly battery failure headaches.Meeting customer needsAn example user of SWE SeaSafe II is SEAmagine, dedicated to the personal submarines industry since 1995. This private submersibles company has demonstrated the safety, utility, and dependability of its submarines. To support this, SWE SeaSafe employs its patented Battery Management System within every SeaSafe II Battery Module to ensure safety and dependability unsurpassed in the

Partners Designing Autonomous Seismic Nodes

Underwater sensor technology company Sonardyne International said it is partnering with Shell Brasil and Brazilian research institute Senai-Cimatec to develop autonomous technology to make the monitoring of Brazil’s deepwater pre-salt oil fields more efficient.The new 4D seismic monitoring system, based on so-called On Demand Ocean Bottom Nodes, is being developed under a National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) promoted program.According to Sonardyne, the goal is to increase the autonomy of ocean bottom nodes and enable them to be deployed and remain on the seafloor for up

Teledyne Gavia: New SeaRaptor 6000m AUV

sensor (CTD) (Teledyne RD Instruments), and onboard processing software (Teledyne Caris). In addition, the first vehicle delivered also carried an Edgetech Side Scan Sonar with Dynamic Focus capability, an iXblue Phins 6K INS system, and a CathX Camera and strobe system. The integration of Teledyne Marine’s industry leading vehicle design, instrumentation, imaging, and interconnect solutions from a single supplier, as well as the incorporation of third party sensors into a turnkey package for customers, makes the company unique in the unmanned underwater vehicle market

Shipbuilding: Damen TSHD for Portuguese Dredging Company

Recently the Jose Duarte started its first mining job in Lisbon. The trailing suction hopper dredger has been built in Portugal for a Portuguese dredging company, to a Spanish design and using Dutch dredging equipment. The European cooperation has resulted in a customized dredger performing above expectations on her first job.Portugal has a long coastline and a number of busy navigable rivers – an excellent backdrop for the dredging company Inersel. When Inersel required an addition to its fleet, its preference was to acquire it within its home country. As a result, the company formed a team

IUEM Chooses iXblue Equipment

Navigation, positioning and underwater imaging solutions provider iXblue said it has been chosen by the European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM) to provide 8 Canopus long baseline (LBL) transponders for a geodetic mission off the coast of Sicily. Deployed on the seabed, 2,500 meters below the surface, the Canopus transponders will measure the crustal deformation along the North-South Alfeo faults with a millimeter-scale resolution over the course of four years.Hubert Pelletier, Head of iXblue Acoustic division, said, “Because the Canopus transponders precisely meet the exacting requirements

More Tenants Move into COVE Facility

and Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association (NSBA) have moved into COVE,” said Jim Hanlon, CEO of COVE, a collaborative facility for applied innovation in the ocean sector located in Halifax Harbor, in Nova Scotia, Canada.COVE's mission is to propel the ocean economy by providing high quality marine infrastructure and a collaborative space in which a community of ocean enterprises can start, grow and prosper. Its primary goal is to support ocean technology commercialization and business growth.RBRRBR creates instruments to measure the blue planet. From the ocean abyss to the polar ice cap, its

McLane Research Announces New WTS-LV Deep Option

Filter, and High Capacity WTS-LV models. Existing WTS-LV systems can also be retrofitted with the new deep housing option.“The WTS-LV deep option provides 35% greater depth capacity and has been a customer-requested enhancement for some time,” says McLane General Manager Jon Mogul. “Marine biologists, chemists, and geologists can use the WTS-LV Deep to pump up to 45,000L of seawater and collect suspended particles from previously unattainable depths.”WTS-LV samplers with new 7,000m deep housings were deployed as the deepest two pumps on every cast during the recent U.S. GEOTRACES

Clark Joins Planet Ocean

and scientific instrumentation manufacturer Planet Ocean Ltd has hired Aaron Clark as the newest member of its sales team. Clark will serve as Technical & Scientific Sales Engineer, based at the firm's Camberley headquarters.Clark graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a B.Sc (Hons) in Marine Biology and is a keen SCUBA diver, qualifying as one of the youngest scuba divers in the U.K. after having been selected for a trial to lower the age for qualification. Subsequently he has gone on to obtain qualifications in advanced open water diving and scientific diving techniques.Clark was previously

MacArtney Hires Behrens as CCO

Michael Behrens has been named chief commercial officer of subsea technology provider MacArtney Underwater Technology from November 1, based at the company's headquarters in Esbjerg, Denmark.Behrens joins MacArtney from the largest steel and technical sales company in Denmark. He has a HD(O) in Organizational Leadership from the University of Southern Denmark, and is currently finishing an MBA in Business Administration. Behrens' career began in international sales, and over the years he has taken sales director and business management roles with leading technology companies from Saab to ABB.

RBR Opens Office in China

Oceanographic instrumentation manufacturer RBR announced it has opened RBR China in 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

Persistent Profiling of the Greater Agulhas Current

impacts—notably climate matters.Extensive & Persistent Current Monitoring off Southern AfricaThe Agulhas Current streams poleward off the east coast of southern Africa. This major current exerts diverse influence—locally and globally. For southern Africa, the Agulhas affects things from marine transport and regional weather to local biodiversity. More globally, the Agulhas water properties are now linked to earth’s climate system.About one-sixth of the volume carried by the Agulhas leaves the Indian Ocean for the Atlantic. Paleo studies suggest that amount has varied over eons. Below

Marine Technology Reporter - October 2018

The October 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter is now available in print and online.This issue includes features on:The hunt for hydrocarbons: Subsea gliders are taking to the oceans to hunt for an ever wider array of anthropomorphic and chemical signatures to an ever greater accuracy.A “National Hero”: Shanghai Ocean University’s Professor Cui Weicheng is breaking new ground in the subsea sector, both in science and business.Ocean Observation: Two decades of moored ADCPs off southern Africa, as the Greater Agulhas Current is suspected to influence the global

New Research Vessel for Virginia Institute of Marine Science

A new research vessel for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has completed sea trials and is transiting to its home port in Virginia.The new vessel, the R/V Virginia, will support the institution’s fisheries research projects and greatly expand VIMS’ capability to perform general oceanographic research in the Chesapeake Bay as well as mid-Atlantic coastal waters. Interest in the new research vessel is already growing rapidly as next season is almost fully booked with science cruises.The 93-foot vessel was built by Meridien Maritime Reparation. JMS Naval Architects performed

Sonardyne Hires Paull as Business Development Manager

instrumentation and systems company Aquatec Group, will also focus on other developing ocean industry markets, such as subsea mining, for Sonardyne’s widening portfolio of products.The ocean space is home to an increasing number of offshore renewables facilities, including offshore wind farms and marine energy devices, and aquaculture operations, as companies look to diversify and countries seek to grow their energy and food production.“Increasingly our oceans are being looked at as engines of growth – be it in renewable energy, aquaculture, mineral resources and even biotechnology.

BMT and Sonardyne Partner on Subsea Monitoring

Engineering consultancy BMT and subsea technology company Sonardyne International Ltd. will together provide advanced integrated marine integrity monitoring solutions to the oil and gas industry under a new agreement announced today at the Rio Oil & Gas exhibition and conference in Brazil.The official Teaming Agreement will allow the two companies to collaboratively provide smarter and more efficient through-life solutions for monitoring and managing critical subsea assets, including drilling and production risers, moorings and wellheads.By jointly offering BMT’s monitoring and analysis

Seafloor Crawlers: New Robotic Tools for Challenging Missions

in the lower energy boundary layer. The low profile further minimizes current drag. The vehicle has operated in 1.5-m plunging surf and can cross soft terrain that will not support human loads. Recent tests demonstrated the ability to carry 40-kg payloads as well as tow a 45-kg sled across various marine surfaces.Specs of the Otter-SZC include:Symmetrical dual-sided operation for operation in the heavy surfWeight: 45-kg dry, 1-m long, 55-cm wide and 25-cm high (expandable in length and width)Speed: forward or reverse, variable up to 1-m/sNavigation: 3-axis IMU, FOG, dual encoders, dual-sided, dual-frequen

University of Miami’s Hurricane Research is Helping Save Lives

more of a challenge.“We saw several times in this last hurricane season where storms just intensified really rapidly, and that process is not well forecast right now,” says the University of Miami’s Professor of Ocean Sciences, Brian Haus.Haus is director of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science’s Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. Surge Structure Atmosphere Interaction Laboratory – otherwise known as SUSTAIN. Here, he and a team of researchers are trying to improve forecasts of hurricane intensity and associated storm surges. Their efforts are supported by advanced

Kongsberg's Operational Advisory Solution for Harsh Environment Semi-Submersible

Odfjell Drilling has awarded Kongsberg Maritime the contract to deliver a real-time monitoring and advisory solution to provide operational safety and non-productive time (NPT) improvements for the 6th generation semi-submersible, Deepsea Stavanger. The contract is in specific relation to an upcoming offshore South Africa campaign awarded to Odfjell Drilling.Kongsberg Maritime’s integrated services and systems delivery for Deepsea Stavanger is designed to provide high operational safety and availability in deepwater harsh environments, strong currents and high waves. The scope of supply includes

Ocean Networks Canada: 'Wiring the Abyss'

late July. The collection of detailed measurements over two years will assess the deep-sea site, approximately 200 kilometers southeast of Vancouver Island, for future use.“A potential full-scale neutrino observatory at Cascadia Basin would benefit particle physics, astrophysics, ocean science and marine biology by offering reliable long-term detection capabilities,” said Benoit Pirenne, ONC’s executive director of user engagement.The equipment being used to detect neutrinos is also sensitive to bioluminescence, providing scientists with data to study trends in this emission of light

High-tech Sensors Advance Tsunami Monitoring

to save lives, model wave propagation and quantify coastal hazards.The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) has recently taken delivery of five new RBRquartz³ BPRs (bottom pressure recorders) from oceanographic instrumentation manufacturer RBR for a long-term research program with the Insitu Marine Laboratory for Geosystems Research (iMARL). The iMARL is a network of deep sea ocean sensors including ocean bottom seismographs (OBS), broadband acoustic sensors, and RBRquartz³ BPRs for measuring absolute water pressure and temperature at the ocean floor. Strapped to deep sea landers, the

New Acoustic Technology Aids Fisheries Management

As fish and other marine life grow increasingly important for feeding a human population on the rise, how can high-tech acoustic-based scientific instruments assist fisheries management, while also opening up opportunities for interdisciplinary research?Fishery scientists and managers working to keep stocks sustainable rely on state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation to better understand the dynamics and structure of fish stocks, as well as the resources those fish depend on. Echosounders can help quantify the biomass and behavior of fish, as well as the plankton and/or krill that many fish species