Kraken Robotics Banks $3m in SAS Sales
new orders totaling more than $3 million for Kraken Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS). The Kraken SAS systems will be integrated on small and medium-class uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) for clients in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America.One of the orders is for the University of Southern Mississippi’s Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise, which will be outfitting a variety of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) with Kraken SAS to support research, development, testing, and evaluation activities.Kraken SAS integrates the capability to perform
Ocean Aero to Continuously Monitor the Port of Gulfport Autonomously
in the aftermath of severe weather events. Ensuring the channel and harbor is clear for ship traffic is critical to the rapid reopening of a port following a hurricane.A key aspect of the initiative, according to Kelly Lucas, Vice President for Research at the University of Southern Mississippi, is leveraging data analysis and prediction, which USM plans to provide. “Small, nearly imperceptible changes can accumulate over time, evolving into significant issues that impact port operations. By identifying these subtle shifts early on through patterns found in the data, we can
TGS Kicks Off New Multi-Client OBN Project in Gulf of America
, a global provider of energy data and intelligence, has launched a new multi-client ultra long offset ocean bottom node (OBN) data acquisition campaign in the Gulf of America.The Amendment 4 project will expand node coverage in TGS' multi-client library, adding over 1,100 square kilometers in the Mississippi Canyon, Ewing Banks, and Grand Isle South areas.The project will feature TGS' Gemini enhanced frequency source, offering lower frequency and improved signal-to-noise for ultra-long offset OBN seismic compared to conventional seismic sources.This advanced frequency source will enhance input
Support for Jones Act, Concern about China Voiced at Maritime Infrastructure Hearing
because it helps to maintain a pool of qualified American mariners that the US relies on to transport goods and its military, in times of peace and war.“Unfortunately, the rise of the shipbuilding industries of global competitors has led to a decline in our own shipbuilding capacity. Coastal Mississippi and the Gulf Coast as a whole, is home to several shipyards employing thousands of Americans. I look forward to discussing ways to reinvigorate this critical industry.”Giving witness testimony, Joe Rella, President, St. Johns Ship Building, Inc., on behalf of Shipbuilders Council of America
Padilla, Murkowski Introduce Bill for Atmospheric River Forecasting
National Weather Service. The legislation was announced as major atmospheric river storms bring high winds, heavy rain, and snowfall to California.Atmospheric rivers - often described as “rivers in the sky” that are hundreds of miles wide and can carry water vapor equivalent to multiple Mississippi Rivers - cause more than 80 percent of flood damage across the West. Climate change will only make these storms increasingly catastrophic - by 2090, atmospheric rivers are expected to cost $2.3 to $3.2 billion in annual damages and increase width by nearly 25 percent. Over 50 atmospheric
USV Hypoxia Mapping Capabilities Verified by Manned Vehicle
SeaTrac has used its SP-48 uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) to map potential hypoxic zones in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico as part of a project that confirmed its performance using data from a crewed vessel.Working in partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), SeaTrac sought to prove the effectiveness of an uncrewed system in gathering real-time data in these waters, while also reducing the manpower and resources used in traditional data collection methods.Operational goals included testing and demonstrating sampling procedure
$100 Million Boost for NOAA’s High-Performance Computing: Introducing Rhea
capabilities for both federal and private sector partners.Once operational, Rhea will join NOAA’s existing Research and Development High-Performance Computing System, which includes four other HPC centers located in Boulder, Colorado; Princeton, New Jersey; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Starkville, Mississippi. The addition of Rhea will increase NOAA’s R&D HPC capacity to approximately 43 petaflops, with another system at NESCC pushing the total to around 48 petaflops. A petaflop represents one thousand trillion operations per second, reflecting the immense computing power of these systems
Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone More Than Double 2035 Target
roughly the size of New Jersey.Scientists at Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) led the annual dead zone survey July 21–26 aboard LUMCON research vessel Pelican. This annual measurement is a key metric that informs the collective efforts of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force, a state/federal partnership which has set a long-term goal of reducing the five-year average extent of the dead zone to fewer than 1,900 square miles by 2035.TOP: Map of measured Gulf hypoxia zone, July 21–26, 2024. Red area denotes 2 mg/L of oxygen
US Harbor Craft: Measuring Opportunity for Zero Emissions
tugboats are considered the closest segment technically for the adoption of the HyZET technology, compared to, say, the towboat segment, which in California includes a number of oceangoing ATBs that may prove less ready for the HyZET concept compared to, for example, towboats operating on the Mississippi River.“The ferry and excursion vessels and pilot boats, especially those operating on the routine ferry routes, are generally well suited for zero-emission technologies, such as hydrogen and electricity,” Lewis added. “That said, some of the excursion vessels that venture further
February 2025
