Exail's DriX USV Concludes Marine Survey on US Wind Farm Areas
our customers with highly accurate scientific data, ranging from biomass detection in the water column to the finesse of sand displacement bathymetry,” said Shayan Haque, Business Development Manager at Exail.Exail closely coordinated their efforts with the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeast New England, the wind farm developers, and local mariners to ensure safe autonomous operation in busy navigation channels and challenging windfarm construction areas
The Curious Case of the 1,200 MW Transmission Size “Limit” in New England
Was Recast to a 1,200 MW CeilingAs policy makers and energy developers look to develop and interconnect large offshore wind projects in the most economically efficient and least environmentally impactful way, an issue has developed. A relatively recent limit, set in place by the grid operator in New England in a planning process document, states that no single system loss of energy, or “contingency”, can be larger than 1,200 megawatts (MW). This 2016 addition to ISO New England’s (ISO-NE) Planning Procedure No. 5-6 is increasingly creating consternation among both policy makers
Greensea IQ Demo Day: Bayonet’s Tech Shines at Cordage Park
inauguration of Greensea IQ's new Integrated Systems Production Facility, a state-of-the-art center dedicated to developing and assembling advanced marine technology. A reception followed the ribbon-cutting ceremony with local dignitaries, friends of Greensea, and maritime professionals from South New England in attendance.Photo: Rhonda Moni
Blue Venture In-Water Equipment Demo Day
At the Blue Venture In-water Equipment Demo day earlier this year, the Blue Tech ecosystem located in Southeastern New England was on full display. Companies were given time to introduce their products to the standing-room-only audience in the upper level of the Roger Williams University Sailing Center followed by in water demonstrations off the docks facing Narragansett Bay.To kick things off, Kevin Rosa, founder of Current Lab, provided a high resolution forecast of the current conditions around the in-water demo area. Its proprietary ocean modeling system generates predictions of currents
North American Lobster Industry Confronts 'Ropeless' Traps After Whale Entanglements
technical glitches that could result in tens of thousands of dollars of traps lost at the bottom of the sea.“I suppose there are lobstermen that would go ahead and do it and would invest the money. But I think it would be the end of Maine lobstering as we know it,” said Weber.A handful of New England lobstermen are piloting ropeless equipment under special permits, mainly in Massachusetts. None of those lobstermen contacted by Reuters agreed to be interviewed.Canadian troubleIn 2017, North Atlantic Right Whales began showing up in numbers in an unusual spot, Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence
Threat to Whales Complicates US Research into Seaweed for Biofuel
scale needed to economically replace existing energy sources," Exxon spokesperson Chevalier Gray said.But while microscopic algae is hard to separate from water, larger algae such as sugar kelp is easier to harvest by hand - growing as long as 5 meters (16 feet).In the waterKelp grown around New England is often harvested in spring - around the same time North Atlantic right whales feed in the area, slowly following their cold-water prey up to Canada.The state of Massachusetts has granted coastal permits to five farms for sugar kelp, a strain of large brown seaweed. But they won't allow any
Floating Offshore Wind: New Seascape, New Challenges
Marine Engineer with W.F. Baird & Associates, based in Houston, presented a discussion on “Navigation Safety Considerations and Permitting for a Floating Wind Project in USA.” Wise has been part of the research team at the University of Maine Aqua Ventus project, also known now as the New England Aqua Ventus project because of additional partners and expanded project scope.(Image: University of Maine)Wise first referenced the requirements set within a Navigation Safety Risk Assessment (NRSA) which identifies and evaluates a project’s hazards and risks to vessel navigation. BOEM requires
OOI‘s Pioneer Array Relocating to Southern Mid-Atlantic Bight
maximize the usefulness of the data.” The OOI is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to collect and deliver ocean data in select locations for 25 years or more. The OOI’s Coastal Pioneer Array was designed to be relocatable, and its first deployment was off the coast of New England at the Continental Shelf/Slope interface, where it collected data from 2016 until it was recovered in September 2022. The new location off the coast of North Carolina was chosen by NSF based on input from the science community during a series of NSF-sponsored workshops in 2022.An A-frame at the
BOEM and NOAA Announce Joint Strategy for Fisheries Surveys
and human uses of marine ecosystems.Advance coordination between NOAA Fisheries and BOEM in the execution of this Strategy and share experiences and lessons learned with other regions and countries where offshore wind energy development is being planned and underway.The strategy—while focused on New England and the Mid-Atlantic—will serve as a model to address the impacts of offshore wind on NOAA Fisheries surveys in other regions. Nationally, NOAA Fisheries assesses the status of approximately 450 fishery stocks, 200 marine mammal stocks, and 165 threatened and endangered species (recognizing
February 2024
