Acoustic Technology Aids Search for Downed Helicopter
Marine Institute to assist with the initial search for the wreckage. This included the Scout USBL system which was mobilized on a local fishing vessel and onsite within four hours of the institute’s team arriving. The system is typically used for tracking divers, ROVs and underwater vehicles in waters up to 1,000 metres, and is designed to be operated from virtually any type of vessel, small or large. Scout is portable, quick to setup and easy to use making it ideal for short underwater surveys and operations. Following a three hour search, the Scout picked up the first
Research Vessels: The Fleet is In
A wave of new and innovative research vessels are set to help scientists enhance their understanding of the oceans. MTR profiles several of these ships currently in designe and construction across the globe. RRS Sir David Attenborough The U.K.’s new polar research ship rose to fame when Boaty McBoatface took the internet by storm as the leading vote getter in an online naming contest. The U.K.’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) eventually chose to call the ship RRS Sir David Attenborough, a name better fit for a $256 million high-tech research ship (though the Boaty
Mini ROV Aids in Drill Ship Cleaning & Inspection
A VideoRay Mission Specialist (MSS) remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used in the Gulf of Mexico for a second Intermediate UWILD Inspection on a DNV classified drill ship. The MSS ROV, which was transported to the location by boat and deployed from the drill ship, cleaned 62 sea chest grates in the machine room, engine room and pump room over the course of three days. Paul Chittenden, Business Development Manager at Proceanic, explained that “cleaning time is basically cut in half” with the Mission Specialist. The MSS system. “High power in a small package…wh
General Dynamics Delivers Submarine Colorado
General Dynamics Electric Boat delivered the nuclear-powered attack submarine Colorado (SSN 788) to the U.S. Navy. The 15th ship of the Virginia Class, Colorado is the fifth of the eight-ship group known as Block III. According to the builder, these ships embody a Navy and industry commitment to reduce costs while increasing capabilities through an initiative comprising a multi-year procurement strategy, improvements in construction practices and the Design For Affordability (DFA) program. “This delivery demonstrates the skill and commitment of everyone involved in the Virginia-c
Navy Awards Contract for Columbia Class Submarine Development
The Navy awarded a $5.1 billion contract to General Dynamics Electric Boat for Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) of the Columbia Class submarine Sept. 21. The IPPD contract award is for the design, completion, component and technology development and prototyping efforts for the Columbia Class Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs). This work will also include United Kingdom unique efforts related to the common missile compartment. "The Columbia class submarine is the most important acquisition program the Navy has today," said Secretary of the Navy
Rapp Marine to Equip New OSU Research Vessel
Rapp Marine said it has been selected by Gulf Island Shipyard, LLC, as the Overboard Handling System Single Source Vendor (OHS SSV) for Oregon State University’s (OSU) 193 ft x 41 ft multi-mission Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV), with the option of two additional vessels. Funding for the RCRV project is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the contract design of the RCRV was developed by Glosten. The first vessel is currently under construction at Gulf Island Shipyard in Houma, La. Under the scope of the OHS SSV, Rapp Marine is responsible for integrating
Meet the CARTHE Drifter
Surface currents in the upper 1 ocean are very important in driving the fate of marine debris and pollutants but are also challenging to measure. Tracking the upper ocean in an effective manner may require massive deployment of GPS tracked drifter buoys, which until now were expensive, cumbersome and quite polluting themselves (i.e. made of PVC, ABS and Nylon). The CARTHE drifter is an answer to the need for a compact, user-friendly, robust, yet eco-friendly solution. Scientists with the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE), in collaboration with the
Swathe Services to Represent Planck Aerosystems in the UK
Swathe Services said it has entered into an agency agreement with Planck Aerosystems to represent the San Diego based autonomous drone company in the U.K. Planck Aerosystems is a drone company that enables autonomous operations from moving vehicles on land or at sea. The company’s specialized Shearwater unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be deployed in a matter of minutes, with minimal user training and experience. With powerful onboard computing capabilities, long range digital communications and intelligent computer vision software the Planck solution provides a safer, faster
Buoy Network Monitors Kiel Canal Project
A network of seven off 1.9m data buoys supplied by OSIL to DHI in Denmark will be deployed to support a long term monitoring project in Kiel, Germany, starting in October. The sturdy buoy systems each incorporate two Sea-Bird Scientific WET Labs multiparameter water quality sensors; one mounted at the surface within the robust central buoy structure to prevent damage to the instrument, and the other securely located on a unique mooring frame suspended 2m above the seabed that also accommodates a Nortek AWAC on a gimbal to monitor currents and waves. The exclusive mooring design includes
Track Cables and Pipelines with an AUV
Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can now be prepared for cable and pipeline tracking missions using survey tool Smartrak from U.K. based INNOVATUM Ltd. The company designs, manufactures and operates compact, low-powered magnetic cable and pipeline tracking systems. INNOVATUM said recent tests have successfully demonstrated fully autonomous passive magnetic tracking of a submarine cable by AUV, using Smartrak. INNOVATUM has released the AUV data protocol for a standard communications format between Innovatum Smartrak and AUVs. The data protocol allows operators and AUV manufacturer
Margaret Leinen: Putting the Oceans in Focus
At the Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop in San Diego, Margaret Leinen, Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Dean of the School of Marine Science in her keynote address said that there are many positive signs regarding the interest, focus and funding for the health and future of the world's oceans. "To see the United Nations focus on the oceans is a real game-changer for all of us," sadi Leinen. "For the first time in, forever, the focus is on the oceans." Leinen served as a keynote speaker at the Teledyne
Oliver Steeds Opens Teledyne Marine Conference
"The deep ocean is the beating heart of our planet, and the most important part of our planet is the least known part of our planet," said Oliver Steeds, Chief Executive, Nekton Oxford Deep Ocean Research Institute, the first keynote speaker at the Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop, which kicked off Monday, October 16, 2017 in San Diego, Calif., at the Catamaran Resort. The event attracted more than 270 registrants from around the globe, to meet with more than 100 representatives from Teledyne Marine to discuss emerging topics and technologies in the global ocean and subsea space. Steeds
Oceaneering Adds New Reel Drive System
Oceaneering International, Inc. has taken delivery of an 800-metric-ton SWL (Safe Working Load) reel drive system (RDS) from Maritime Developments (MDL). The modular system will be used to deploy and retrieve SURF products (subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines) on board the company’s new-built multi-service vessel, Ocean Evolution and joins Oceaneering’s global fleet of flex-lay equipment. Rated for over 1,300-metric-ton DWL (Dynamic Working Load), the RDS is rated for handling 14m diameter reels weighing 800 metric tons under dynamic, sea-state conditions. The RDS
Sonar Technology to Be Used to Detect Sharks in the US
A state-of-the-art sonar system first developed and deployed by Shark Mitigation Systems (SMS) in Australia is now being recommended for use in Southern California, where an increase in the shark population has been observed. While shark attacks in California are rare (there have been 177 documented shark incidents in California since 1950, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife), the number of shark sightings has been on the rise. Some of the predators on the western U.S. coastline can measure up to 12 feet in length, posing a threat to surfers and beachgoers. In
Underwater Vehicles Conference Set for November
The latest subsea technologies and adaptations developed in response to increasingly challenging market conditions will be among the topics under the spotlight at Subsea UK’s 2017 Underwater Vehicles Conference set for November 21 in Aberdeen. Formerly known as the Subsea UK ROV Conference, the event will welcome experts from across the industry to discuss a range of subjects including the global cost challenges, sustainability and efficiency improvements, as well as market drivers and restraints. Recent market research revealed that the underwater vehicle market is expected to
Fugro Boosts Offshore Wind Projects in Taiwan
Fugro has completed geotechnical and geophysical surveys for feasibility studies, installation, commissioning and cost-effective operation of offshore wind farms in U.K., European and North American waters. In 2016 it undertook the first geotechnical and geophysical survey and metocean study project in Taiwanese waters for a major offshore wind developer for engineering design and environmental impact assessment purposes. With 30 years of Taiwan offshore experience under its belt, Fugro counts among its successful projects in the region’s oil and gas sector a large-scale clearance
Finland Selects CARIS Hydrographic Production Database
The Finnish Transport Agency Liikennevirasto (FTA) has selected Hydrographic Production Database (HPD) as the new system for chart production for current and future needs. With many lakes, an archipelagic sea and an estimated 40,000 islands, the FTA has a large and complex portfolio of navigational charts to maintain. The project to implement HPD will include deployment of software and the migration of existing products into an optimized workflow where data is centrally managed and various product types are derived from one updated source. The system will provide a platform where user-friendly,
ScanFish ROTV Sensor Payload Expanded by 700%
Designed to function as platform for subsea sensors, the EIVA ScanFish remotely operated towed vehicle (ROTV) comes standard with a maximum sensor payload of 50 kg. But a design upgrade was needed when marine geophysical-geotechnical service delivery specialist PanGeo Subsea contacted EIVA to discuss the possibility of using the ScanFish together with its Sub-Bottom Imager (SBI) unit, which weighs 300 kg. The EIVA R&D team took up the challenge in May 2017. Four months later, a ScanFish XL was introduced at the EIVA Days Denmark 2017. The ROTV itself measures 4.33x2.73x2.77 meters. It
Seaweed: Fuel of the Future?
Scientists envision a future where fuel made from seaweed grown at large-scale offshore farms will be used to provide green power for homes and vehicles. Now with help from U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funding, researchers are working toward making that scenario a reality. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) received $5.7 million from ARPA-E's Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) Program for two projects that have set out to develop tools and technology to advance the mass production of seaweed for
First Ever USV-supported Cable Route Survey
For the first time ever, a seabed cable route survey has been performed with support from an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The survey route included various water depths and strong currents, while facing difficult wind and sea conditions in the Bering Sea offshore Alaska. The project was mobilized immediately following a 9,000km nautical charting survey by Terrasond, of which 4,750km (53 percent) was executed by an ASV Global C-Worker 5 autonomous surface vehicle (ASV). The cable route survey required a new payload including a hull mounted multibeam sonar, a sub-bottom profiler, and a towed
Fugro to Open ‘Hydrography Center of Excellence’
Fugro has announced plans to establish a Hydrography Center of Excellence for the Americas, utilizing specialist resources including autonomous vessels and aircraft, integrated data acquisition techniques, remote processing and large data transfer to reduce risk, increase accuracy and streamline project timelines for clients. With the opening of the Houston-based center, which will handle a wide range of hydrographic project types, including nautical charting, cable routing and Law of the Sea boundary claims, Fugro said it is formalizing its coastal zone mapping services using complimentary
US Navy Buoys into the Arctic Ocean
The U.S National Ice Center (USNIC) in coordination with the Office of Naval Research, Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy, the Danish Joint Arctic Command, Environmental and Climate Change Canada and University of Washington deployed buoys into the Arctic Ocean during a joint mission. The joint mission was conducted to collect weather and oceanographic data to enhance forecasting and environmental models thereby reducing operational risk for assets in the Arctic. "Polar lows are like hurricanes of the north and the data collected from these buoys will help us with
Thales Invests to Advance Autonomy
Thales is announcing a major commitment to develop future autonomous and unmanned technology across air and sea by investing in two new UK-based trials and training centers. Following Thales’s successful trials during the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercise in 2016, Thales is now investing in two trials and training centres based in West Wales and in South-West England to test and develop autonomous systems for both military and civil activities. "Investing in these facilities enables the safe test, evaluation and training of autonomous platforms, innovative
Sonar Images Show Historic Avro Arrow Discovery
; and passionate – part of Canada's aviation and technological history as a reminder of what Canadians can achieve.” The sonar images of the newly discovered Avro Arrow model were captured using AquaPix Synthetic Aperture Sonar deployed onboard the ThunderFish autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from Kraken Sonar Inc. subsidiary Kraken Sonar Systems Inc. David Shea, Kraken's VP of Engineering, said, "It has been a very exciting few weeks. After a short break to conduct vehicle maintenance and refresh our team, last week we headed back out onto the lake. The plan was
Construction Milestone for RRS Sir David Attenborough
The stern section of Britain’s new polar research ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, will be transported by barge this week from Hebburn-based shipyard A&P Tyne (Newcastle), part of A&P Group, to the Cammell Laird’s shipyard in Birkenhead. The new ship is a major U.K. Government investment in frontier science. Commissioned by NERC, and built by the world famous marine engineering company Cammell Laird Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders Ltd. The vessel is a Rolls-Royce design, and will be operated by British Antarctic Survey when the ship enters service in 2019. T
