Ivar Aasen Now Operated from Land
Aker BP on Wednesday said it has begun operating the permanently manned North Sea platform Ivar Aasen from an onshore control room in Trondheim, Norway.The Ivar Aasen platform was constructed with two identical control rooms – one on the platform and the other in Trondheim – and the Norwegian company said the plan has always been to move the controls to land. The company received the green light from Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority in November and this week started using its onshore site to monitor facilities, production, equipment and follow up everything that takes place on
Maritime Training: Take the MarTID Global Survey
a broader response, this year the MarTID steering group opted to both shorten the survey and to offer three, targeted versions: one for vessel operators, one for training institutions and one for seafarers.What is MarTID?MarTID is a noncommercial, joint initiative of the World Maritime University, Marine Learning Systems and New Wave Media. Its core principles include ethical integrity, objectivity and confidentiality. It was launched in 2018 with the completion of the inaugural survey and publication of the 2018 Training Practices Report (which can be found at www.MarTID.org).Why is MarTID Important
Arctic Rays Chooses GTS as West Coast Rep
Arctic Rays LLC, an underwater technology specialist in the design and manufacturing of high-performance lights, cameras and sub-sea equipment, has announced GTS Consulting as the company’s west coast representative. The territory for GTS Consulting on behalf of Arctic Rays includes California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
Optime Subsea Bags Long-term Deal with Aker BP
Norwegian based Optime Subsea said it has been selected by Aker BP to provide well access system and services on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) for the next two years, with extension options.Aker BP will in the next two years use Optime Subsea’s Subsea Controls and Intervention Light System (SCILS) and related services, for its well access operations on the NCS. The system will be deployed this spring on Aker BP’s Jette as part of their plug and abandoment operations and Skogul for its installation campaign.“Using Optime Subsea’s SCILS ties well into our strategy of
Boskalis Wins Subsea Work in the Middle East
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) announced Tuesday it has signed a multi-year subsea services agreement for an unnamed customer in the Middle East. The base value of the three-year contract amounts to $40 million with an option to extend.Under the terms of the contract commencing, The Dutch company said it will carry out a broad spectrum of subsea inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) services, including integrity assessments for offshore platforms and tripods, wellhead jacket inspections, integrity assessments and inspections of pipelines and light ad-hoc construction work.Boskalis said
iXblue Partners with Forssea
iXblue, a designer and manufacturer of advanced navigation, imagery and subsea positioning solutions, said it has joined forces with Forssea, a robotics startup that develops autonomous docking underwater technologies, to bring more agile and cost-effective subsea operations.Combining Forssea’s Atoll, an observation-class remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) that offers autonomous docking capabilities, with iXblue’s DriX offshore going unmanned surface vessel (USV) and its Gaps ultra-short baseline (USBL) embedded gondola, both companies are now offering a new method of long baseline
Case Study: Floating top marks for piles in flooding rivers
Grupo Lindley was approached by Administração dos Portos do Douro, Leixões e Viana do Castelo in Portugal to improve the reliability of the aids to navigation in the Douro River. Along this stretch of navigable waters there are many piles that when the river floods become totally submerged.In conjunction with Instituto Hidrográfico (Portuguese Navy), Almarin together with sister company Lindley in Portugal has been working on a topmark that performs as a buoy floating off from the pile in high water. The goal was to design a day mark that would function normally during the
UTEC Wins Survey Work Offshore India
Surveying company UTEC, part of subsea services group Acteon, said it has been awarded a subcontract by McDermott International for a series of survey work scopes offshore eastern India.The work, due to commence in December 2018, will see UTEC provide surface and subsea positioning services during the installation of subsea flowlines, pipeline end manifolds and terminations, jumpers, risers and umbilicals that form part of the development of a field in water depths to 2,100 meters.UTEC said it will operate equipment and personnel initially on three vessels: the McDermott operated DLV 2000 pipelay
India Plans Deep Dive for Seabed Minerals
Nemo appeared to get one thing wrong, however, in asserting deep sea minerals "would be quite easy to exploit".Over the next decade, the Indian government plans to pump in more than $1 billion to develop and test deep sea technologies like underwater crawling machines and human-piloted submarines, according to the earth sciences ministry.If it works, the equipment will be able to reach depths of up to 6 kilometers (3.7 miles), where metals can be 15 times more concentrated than in land deposits.The ISA allows India to explore an area in the Indian Ocean of 75,000 square kilometers (about
Fugro Reports IRM Bump
Fugro said it has attracted seven new clients for its inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) services in the U.K. North Sea.Recent work includes pipeline and structure inspections for Centrica Storage, Chrysaor, Dana, Petrofac, Premier, Repsol and Spirit Energy, the company said Tuesday. Workscopes also include light repair and maintenance and decommissioning, utilizing Fugro’s multi-role vessels and broad in-house environmental, geotechnical and geophysical expertise.Karl Daly, Fugro’s European IRM Service Line Director, commented, “In this competitive market, we are extremely
Performing Coating Systems for Different Applications
Subsea Industries develops durable, non-toxic hard hull coating systems. Ecospeed was the first coating and was launched in 2002, but since then a line of other products has been added.EcoshieldEcoshield is an enhanced version of Ecospeed. Small but significant variations of the Ecospeed formula have been tested on rudders since 2002 with extraordinary results. After years of testing (initially under the name Ecospeed Strong) the product was launched in 2013.Ecoshield is designed to protect rudders and other underwater running gear against the cavitation phenomenon: against pitting, corrosion and
i-Tech Services Wins IMR Contract
i-Tech Services said it has secured its first inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) contract for the vessel MMA Pinnacle with a Malaysia-based integrated oil and gas services company, following the signing of a long-term vessel charter agreement in the Asia Pacific region earlier this year.The work scope for the 30-day campaign ranges from the provision of general visual inspection (GVI) services through to changing out subsea hardware in water depths of 1,400 meters, using the vessel’s 150-metric-ton crane.Mobilizing in Singapore, the MMA Pinnacle has been fitted with a range of i-Tech
MarTID 2019: The Global Survey of Maritime Training Practices is Open
. For Operators: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDOperatorFor Training Institutions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDMETIFor Seafarers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDSeafarerWhat is MarTID?MarTID is a non-commercial, joint initiative of the World Maritime University, Marine Learning Systems and New Wave Media. Its core principles include ethical integrity, objectivity and confidentiality. It was launched in 2018 with the completion of the inaugural survey and publication of the 2018 Training Practices Report (which can be found at www.MarTID.org).Why is MarTID Important
Teledyne Bowtech: Lamps for the Five Deeps Expedition
Teledyne Bowtech, A Division of Teledyne Limited, has announced the supply of modified LED-V-Series deep water lamps for installation on board Triton submarines for the Five Deeps Expedition, a collaboration between investor and explorer Victor Vescovo of Caladan Oceanic, Triton Submarines and EYOS Expeditions.After three years of intensive efforts from some of the world’s leading oceanographers, submarine engineers, and scientists, the Five Deeps Expedition is launching as the first global ocean journey to send a manned submersible vessel farther and deeper than any in history. An expeditio
DeepSea Expands SeaCam Product Line
DeepSea Power & Light is expanding its SeaCam family of subsea imaging solutions with the new IP Multi SeaCam and IP Apex SeaCam. These subsea cameras offer efficient and high-quality compression along with support for common real-time IP streaming and camera management protocols, the manufacturer said.The IP Multi SeaCam provides a compact, fixed focus solution for subsea monitoring and tooling applications. Efficient and high-quality compression provides sub-200 ms latency network streaming with full HD resolution in both the 72° HFOV flat port and 105° HFOV dome port options. The 256 GB
IKM Wins ROV Contract from AKOFS
IKM Subsea said it has been selected to provide remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) services as part of AKOFS Offshore's five + three year light well intervention (LWI) services contract on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) from Equinor.IKM said its 400 Million NOK ($47.2 million) contract with AKOFS includes the construction and mobilization of two Merlin UCVs (ultra-compact vehicles) on board the well intervention vessel AKOFS Seafarer. IKM will also supply ROV services with personnel and onshore support for the duration of the contract. The ROVs will be built by IKM Subsea’s
OPT Rolls Out New Products
Ocean energy solutions developer Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. has expanded its suite of complimentary products that leverage the core technology of the PowerBuoy, which include subsea batteries and a hybrid (liquid-fueled) PowerBuoy.George H. Kirby, President and Chief Executive Officer of OPT, said, “Our team has been working diligently to identify opportunities to leverage our technologies to address the needs of current and potential customers in subsea environments. These new product offerings provide OPT with the means to better serve customers by expanding its product and service offerings
Engie Gets Green Light for Offshore Wind Projects in France
French energy group Engie said on Tuesday it has received clearance for its grounded 500 MW gigawatt capacity offshore Yeu and Noirmoutier wind projects.Engie said the 2 billion euro ($2.27 billion) projects, which it is developing with renewables company EDPR, and a unit of French public sector lender Caisse des Depots, will proceed with the calls to tender after it obtained the final authorization from the government on Monday.A spokesman said the wind farms are expected to be operational by 2021.The farms are in an 83 square kilometers zone, and they will have 62 turbines manufactured by Siemens
Drafinsub Chooses Falcon ROV
Italian underwater works company Drafinsub chose the Saab Seaeye Falcon electric remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) for the wide ranging and complex tasks undertaken by the company.“We chose the Falcon because it's the industry standard for observation robotic vehicles,” said Andrea Dellacasa from Drafinsub. “It is reliable, scalable and suitable for most kind of works, from observation to non-destructive testing and survey.“Our company has more than 20 years’ experience with ROVs and we felt it was the right time to take a leap in quality, with the completion
Partners to Produce Innovative Dive Vessel
Veecraft Marine, subsidiary of Paramount Maritime Holdings, and Unique Group announced a strategic Agreement for the continued manufacture of the next-generation HYDRACraft 1400 Diving Daughtercraft. The maritime platform will be deployed by Unique Group customers with the primary purpose of supporting ongoing offshore oil and gas diving operations.The combination of lightweight composites and aluminum ship building technologies, the light weight 14m, MCA certified HYDRACraft 1400 Diving Daughtercraft can be deployed from a single point Mac Gregor 10T Davit while supporting the diving operations of up
Schlumberger, TGS Bags New US Seismic Project
Norwegian seismic specialist TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company (TGS) and oilfield services providers Schlumberger have announced a new multiclient nodal seismic project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.The project, named Amendment, will comprise acquisition of a 2,350-km2 multiclient seismic survey in the Mississippi Canyon and Atwater Valley protraction areas of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. This prolific area includes open acreage, existing producing assets and new discoveries.Seismic data will be acquired using Fairfield Geotechnologies 4C nodal acquisition technology with operations expected to commence in Q4
Hands-on Robotics Training in Australia
Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has begun training students to operate their new Saab Seaeye Falcon remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV).This follows Falcon training for CSIRO staff at the organization’s facility in Hobart, Tasmania, by BlueZone, Saab Seaeye’s distributor in the region.The course was adapted to give hands-on practical training for CSIRO staff in a week-long training program that includes theory and practical sessions, set near dockside facilities in Hobart. The training focuses on real world practicalities.
Hunting Hydrocarbons
acoustic monitoring (PAM) projects to aid environmental and anthropogenic monitoring during seismic surveys and, it hopes soon, also around offshore wind piling operations monitoring. For PAM operations, broad spectrum hydrophones are mounted to the gliders to record low and high frequency acoustics from marine life.Blue Ocean’s first PAM survey was in 2016, offshore Western Australia, during 3D seismic acquisition operations. The glider was deployed in the survey area and traversed four days, covering about 30km/day, depending on the current, before performing simultaneous operations with the seismic
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
MainOne Cable System to Extend to Francophone Region
Undersea communications technology company TE SubCom has secured a contract from connectivity and data center solutions provider MainOne to extend its active submarine cable system into West Africa’s francophone region with two additional branches connecting Senegal (Dakar) and Cote D’Ivoire (Abidjan). These new branches will connect to MainOne’s 7,000km cable system, which extends from Portugal to Nigeria, and will inject new technology that upgrades the system to a potential capacity of 10TBps by November 2019 when the subsea system becomes operational.With this development
Navy Divers to Have Automated Logging from Worn Dive Computers
at sea into a system known as the Dive/Jump Reporting System (DJRS). Manual entries can be time-consuming and allow human error.Enter the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global TechSolutions program, a rapid-response science and technology program focused on solutions to problems submitted by Sailors and Marines.ONR TechSolutions and industry partners have created a new tool called the Scuba Binary Dive Application (SBDA) 100 to digitally plan, record and report dive-profile information to DJRS. The application will accelerate the process of logging and uploading dive information, and will help eliminate
The Ocean Cleanup Kicks Off
primary objective is to prove the technology and start the cleanup, a secondary goal is to collect performance data to improve the design for future deployments. The system is equipped with solar-powered and satellite-connected sensors, cameras and navigation lights to communicate its position to passing marine traffic, and enable extensive monitoring of the system and the environment. The Maersk Launcher will also remain active as an observation platform for several weeks after delivering System 001 to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.In order to begin tackling the Pacific debris patch covering an area
Subsea Defense: Extending Unmanned Capabilities
The defense sector is looking for ways to extend its reach and capabilities, with underwater robotic and autonomous systems and sensors.Extending the capabilities of submarine warfare systems without the need for humans is a key focus in the marine defense space. Navies feel under threat; they have limited budgets and worries about resurgent maritime forces from Russia and China, while new technologies – robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems – are increasingly available to an ever-wider range of players, creating what are termed asymmetric threats in an ever-wider
Nemeth Joins BIRNS as Manufacturing Engineer
BIRNS, Inc., an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer of high performance lighting and connector systems, announces the appointment of Abel Nemeth as Manufacturing Engineer at the company’s headquarters. In his new role at BIRNS, Nemeth will be responsible for designing efficiency, cost-effectiveness, environmental and safety controls into each process, and will design, develop and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production procedures.Nemeth brings more than 25 years of expertise to the position, having served previously in senior Engineering roles for a range of companies and
Swire Seabed Awarded Wintershall Framework Agreement
Swire Seabed announced it has secured a framework agreement with Wintershall Norge AS for the provision of marine subsea services (MSS) in the North Sea.The agreement will commence this year and has a duration of three years plus four yearly options, the subsea services firm said.The work scope includes the supply of vessel and services which encompasses survey, IMR and light construction.The agreement is call-off based, meaning that during the course of the frame agreement, Wintershall can award MSS contracts on an as-needed basis.
New ASV Delivered for Post-hurricane Surveying
sidescan/bathy multibeam echo-sounder (MBES), R2 Sonic 2022 MBES, Applanix WaveMaster POS MV inertial navigation system (INS), a SeaRobotics’ cast winch and a castable AML BaseX² sound velocity probe (SVP). The two multibeam systems were chosen to provide exceptional data quality in multiple marine environments, aiding in the rapid assessment of navigation hazards. The lightweight SeaRobotics’ cast winch deploys the SVP used to generate corrective sound velocity profiles by the onboard data acquisition computer.“The rapid deployment and ease of assembly of the ASV, as well as the
5 Minutes with Mike Read, President, Teledyne Marine
Teledyne Marine Group has been a consolidator in the subsea space for more than a decade, today totaling 23 companies. Teledyne Marine’s MTR100 entry is focused on insights on the moves in the market from Mike Read.As we continue to navigate through a historic downturn in the offshore energy sector, can you give us your view of the market? Where you see opportunity in the coming 12 to 24 months?We are optimistic on the health of the marine market across all market sectors over the next 12 to 24 months. Our interconnect and instruments businesses are beginning to see the effects of stabilization
Shearwater to Buy Schlumberger’s Seismic Business
Norwegian marine geophysical services company Shearwater GeoServices Holding AS has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the marine seismic acquisition assets and operations of Schlumberger’s geophysical services product line, WesternGeco.The transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018.Houston based Schlumberger will receive cash consideration based on an enterprise value of $600 million plus a 15 percent post-closing equity interest in Shearwater. For a limited period, Schlumberger
OSIL Debuts Deep Sea Camera System
Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) launched its new expandable Deep Sea Camera System, a pressure activated self-contained system which allows for the integration of additional instrumentation.The system is activated by a pressure switch in the intelligent battery pack which can be programed at the surface to turn the camera on and off at specific depths, preventing users from having to record and review hours of wasted footage, and can also independently or concurrently activate any instrumentation that is connected to it.Data is recorded onto a standard Micro SD memory card. Several hours of
MTR’s “Top 10” Ocean Influencers
Out today is the 13th Annual “MTR100”, Marine Technology Reporter’s profiling of 100 leading companies, people and technologies in the subsea space. This year for the first time the editorial staff, with input from the global industry, delivers a listing of the “Top 10 Ocean Influencers.” Marine Technology Reporter’s Top 10 are profiled in short below; for the full editorial see the July/August 2018 edition at: https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201807/No. 1Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman, Nippon FoundationYohei Sasakawa, Chairman, Nippon
US Destroyer Wreckage Discovered off Remote Alaskan Island
For almost 75 years, the stern of the destroyer USS Abner Read lay somewhere below the dark surface of the Bering Sea off the Aleutian island of Kiska, where it sank after being torn off by an explosion while conducting an anti-submarine patrol. Seventy-one U.S. Navy Sailors were lost in the aftermath of the blast, during a brutal and largely overlooked early campaign of World War II.Heroic action by the crew saved the ship, but for the families of the doomed Sailors, the final resting place of loved ones lost in the predawn hours of Aug. 18, 1943 remained unknown.On July 17, a NOAA-funded team of
IMR Contract to IKM Subsea
Aker BP has awarded IKM Subsea an ad-hoc call of agreement for light IMR services on the Norwegian continental shelf. The duration of the contract is 3 years with additional six years of options. IKM Subsea will provide onshore project management, engineering, tooling preparation and offshore operations utilizing its Merlin ROV fleet.
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
Fugro to Conduct Marine Lidar Bathymetry Survey in Australia
Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), on behalf of the New South Wales Government, Australia.The project will deliver data as part of OEH’s Seabed NSW program, announced earlier this year, and involves the collection of high resolution, seamless bathymetry across the New South Wales coastal and marine environment. The data will assist in mapping the seafloor and sediment compartments along the NSW coast. This information will enable councils, scientists and government agencies to better understand nearshore processes and allow them to model coastal hazards at a local scale with far greater accuracy
New Site Hosts Corps’ Hydrographic Survey Training
What do hydrographic surveys ― the scientific measurement and description of physical features at the bottom of bodies of water ― have to do with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and marine construction? In a word, plenty.Francis Postiglione, chief of the New York District's Survey Section, Operation's Division, said, "Surveying is at the root of all projects in coastal and inland waterways," adding, "Surveying also plays a large role during the bidding process and awarding of contracts, especially with estimating costs."Importance of SurveysHydrographic surveys are important
New Long-range RTsys Recorder Launched
, flat or geometric) equipped with 16 omnidirectional hydrophones. The system is less than 20m long and can be launched by two people from a light boat. The multiple hydrophones, in combination with digital processing, reduce noise and therefore improve signal quality. The equipment can record below the marine background noise over a frequency range up to 100 kHz.The success of this challenge essentially rests on a modification of the SDA (Synchronous Data Acquisition) circuit board which is at the heart of all RTsys products. While maintaining an identical format and a power consumption that is still
ABB Wins Order for World's Biggest Offshore Wind Farm
ABB has won orders worth more than $150 million from Danish energy company Ørsted to supply technology to transmit wind energy from the 1,400 megawatt (MW) Hornsea Project Two, slated to be the world's largest offshore wind farm.The orders were booked in the second quarter of 2018 and are the first tranche of a global five year frame agreement for the supply of electrical and automation equipment for offshore and onshore wind power connection and integration to the grid, ABB said.ABB will supply its Static Var Compensation (SVC) Light technology with ABB Ability MACH control systems, High
Elon Musk Sends Submarine to Aid Thai Cave Rescue
Billionaire inventor Elon Musk has sent a “kid-size submarine” to aid rescuers working to save a Thai soccer team that has been trapped in a flooded cave for more than two weeks.A team of Thai and international divers began rescue attempts this weekend and have so far freed eight boys, while another four and their coach face their 17th night trapped on a ledge more than two miles inside the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex.“Mini-sub arriving in about 17 hours. Hopefully useful,” Musk said in a tweet Sunday. “If not, perhaps it will be in a future situation.”&l
Another IMR Contract to IKM Subsea
Equinor, Norske Shell and IKM Subsea have agreed to adopt the terms and conditions of the contract originally signed between Norske Shell and IKM Subsea for provision of Light ROV & inspection services for Equinor operations. The services specifically ordered by Equinor will include onshore project management, engineering and offshore operations utilising the Siem Pride which is subject to a vessel share agreement with Norske Shell. The requested services and equipment will be delivered based on a call off mechanism and contract arrangement is estimated for two years with options to
Meet Kraken’s Tentacle Autonomous LARS
From elephant trunks to octopus legs, nature abounds with tentacles that are adept at precise manipulation.At Kraken Robotics, we wanted to see what nature could teach us about better manipulation methods for launching and recovering marine vehicles and equipment. Inspired by the sophisticated feedback loops and dynamic response times found in creatures such as the elephant, octopus and jellyfish—and even the occasional carnivorous plant—we undertook an 18-month research and development program into biomimetic design.Getting into or out of the water is by far the highest-risk operation for
Unmanned Vehicles May Soon Take Up Residency Subsea
infrastructure for resident vehicles, regulation relating to unmanned vehicles, and skepticism and resistance to change. But, with a string of roadmaps in place, from vendors to operators and service providers, resident subsea vehicles are just a matter of time.(As published in the May 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
BIRNS Achieves ISO 9001:2015 Certification
BIRNS, Inc., designer and manufacturer of lighting and connector systems, announced that its Quality Management System is now certified to ISO 9001:2015 by DNV GL.The company recently underwent an audit of its business and manufacturing processes, and completed the certification to the new standard as of May of this year.The new ISO 9001:2015 standard has a focus on risk-based thinking and accountability in all organizational processes, an emphasis on leadership involvement and demonstrated commitment to understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties, with the result of continual
NORBIT Establishes Oceans Business Unit
domain.NORBIT Oceans will include the following:•NORBIT Subsea AS, which provides wideband multibeam sonars for hydrographic applications and subsea leakage detection for the oil and gas and maritime industries.•NORBIT Aptomar AS, which provides integrated field monitoring services for the marine and offshore industries. NORBIT acquired the company from a group of venture investors last year.•NORBIT Aqua; a range of specialized solutions for the aquaculture industries, including high power submersible and dimmable multispectral lights for fisheries and cage-based farming.•NORBIT
Nekton Aids Exploring Ocean's Potential
“In fact we estimate that between one and ten million new species are waiting to be found in the oceans. How could these help us understand the origins of life? How could they propel new medical advances in microbiology, genetics, virology and biotechnology? We already use biological materials from marine organisms in around 18,000 products, including many key drugs, so how could new species be utilized? What possibilities could they unlock? The potential is limited only by our understanding.” Mission critical It’s Steeds’ mission to create a (far) deeper understanding
Mappers Look to Chart World's Ocean Floor by 2030
Using data collected from underwater drones, merchant ships, fishing boats and even explorers, a new scientific project aims to map the ocean floor by 2030 and solve one of the world’s enduring mysteries.With 190 million square km (73 million square miles) of water - or about 93 percent of the world's oceans with a depth of over 200 meters (650 feet) - yet to be charted, the initiative is ambitious.Satinder Bindra, director of the Seabed 2030 project, said the work can be completed within the period and will shed light on everything from tsunami wave patterns to pollution, fishing movements
Old Sea Ice is Disappearing from the Arctic Ocean
Sea ice grows throughout the fall and winter, and melts throughout the spring and summer. But not all Arctic sea ice melts; some portion of the ice survives at least one melt season, persisting throughout the summer months. This ice is usually thicker and more resistant to melt than ice that's less than a year old, and therefore more likely than first-year ice to survive the coming melt season. As Arctic sea ice often reaches its maximum extent around late February or early March (around the ninth week of the calendar year) that's a good time to measure multiyear versus first-year ice.In the
Damen Shows New Class of Fish Farm Vessels
Damen has held the first viewing of its UV 4312 Fish Farm Support Vessel. The new class is the result of extensive discussions with the global fish farming industry and the result is a versatile vessel specifically designed to undertake the maintenance and support tasks particular to saltwater fish farms. The open day took place at the group’s headquarters at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem and was held for the benefit of operators from across the global sector. The 43-meter, 499 metric ton GT Utility Vessel (UV) 4312 builds on the development work that went into its smaller predecessor; the
Statoil Awards Contract for Subsea 7’s Seven Viking
Subsea 7 S.A. said it has received a contract from Statoil to provide subsea inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.Subsea 7 did not specify a dollar amount for the awarded work, but said the contract is worth between $150 million and $300 million.Offshore activities will begin in January 2019 using Subsea 7’s IMR and light construction vessel Seven Viking, built at Norwegian shipyard Ulstein Verft in 2013.The contract involves the provision of a life of field support vessel Seven Viking for five years, with options for extensions. The vessel,
University of Limerick Buys ROV for Renewables Research
for the offshore renewables industry. The ROV is equipped to a high specification with precision positioning and navigation systems, camera and lighting systems and sonars. The systems will be used as a test bed for research to develop capabilities for inspection, maintenance and repair work on Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) infrastructure in the challenging strong wave and current conditions at MRE test-sites and offshore MRE sites in Ireland and further afield. The ROV system is home ported at Limerick Docks in the Republic of Ireland.University of Limerick President, Dr. Des Fitzgerald, stated
A Record-setting Journey to the Atacama Trench
and recovering a benthic lander named DOV Audacia (Audacity), three times to deeper than 8,000 meters, the last to a record depth of 8,081 meters deep. Using a Mocness Trawl the expedition also collected plankton at a record depth of 5,000 meters. The Atacamex 2018 expedition represent a milestone for marine science in Chile, as researchers there pursue seminal work in deep-sea exploration and research.The hadal zone is the deepest region of the ocean, from 6,000 to 11,000 meters below sea level. Their access and study is extremely difficult due to the high pressures and great difficulties of reaching
SMD to Supply Work Class ROV to China
Subsea equipment design and manufacturer Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) has signed a contract to supply its Atom Mk1 1000m 100hp Work Class Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) system to Chinese power specialist China Southern Power Extra High Voltage Power Transmission Company (EHV, CSG), a subsidiary of the state-owned China Southern Power Grid (CSG). The ROV will be used for inspection of the 31km physical power cable connections in the Qiongzhou Strait between Hainan Island and mainland China. The Qiongzhou strait often experiences high currents so it was essential that CSG chose
Paul Allen’s Crew Finds Another Historic Shipwreck
The USS Helena (CL 50) is the latest in a string of historic shipwrecks discovered by Paul G. Allen’s expedition crew aboard the state-of-the-art research vessel Petrel.The U.S. Navy's storied St. Louis-class light cruiser began her World War II service at Pearl Harbor and took part in three significant battles during the Solomon Islands campaign before being sunk by Japanese torpedoes on July 6, 1943, during the Battle of Kula Gulf. All but 168 of Helena’s 900 crew survived the sinking and eventual rescue.Allen's team found the wreck 860 meters below the surface in the New Georgia
Boaty McBoatface Completes First Antarctic Mission
;deep water’ forms near the ice shelf, which is a key driver of global ocean circulation and therefore impacts upon the climate system everywhere on the planet.The PS111 research team involved many different disciplines including oceanography, meteorology, sea-ice physics, bathymetry, geology, and marine biology. Each share an interest in obtaining data from a region that, due to its permanent ice cover, can only be accessed using icebreakers such as the RV Polarstern and AUVs capable of traveling under the ice.This latest mission builds on what Boaty achieved in 2017 when it returned from its first
600 Gallons of Coolant Spills into Straits of Mackinac
Hundreds of gallons of mineral oil has been released from a leaking underwater utility line in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, this week. Initial reports from the responsible party, American Transmission Company (ATC), indicate that approximately 600 gallons of product has been released, with maximum spill potential of more than 4,000 gallons. The U.S. Coast Guard said it has established a Unified Command comprised of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, county emergency managers, local tribes, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S.
"The" Subsea Awards Edition: MTR100 - Apply Now
13th Annual MTR100 set to publish in the July/August 2018 edition of Marine Technology Reporter -- the world's largest circulation b2b subsea publication. Top companies in the global subsea sector are invited to apply now for the "MTR100". Marine Technology Reporter's annual MTR100 awards edition is the subsea industry's most awaited annual ranking of the leading companies serving the global subsea industry. The editorial team gathers candidates and stories from around the globe, covering the entirety of the global subsea sector: - Subsea Defense - Offshore Energy
