The Ocean is Absorbing More Carbon
The world's oceans absorbed 34 billion metric tons of carbon from the burning of fossil fuels from 1994 to 2007 — a four-fold increase to 2.6 billion metric tons per year when compared to the period starting from the Industrial Revolution in 1800 to 1994, according to new research conducted by by NOAA and international partners.The study results published in Science show that the ocean has absorbed a greater volume of emissions as carbon dioxide emissions have increased in the atmosphere. Though the volume of carbon dioxide going into the ocean is increasing, the percentage of emissions
WHOI Hires New Chief Development Officer
Fundraising and philanthropic giving expert Court Clayton will take over as the new Chief Development Officer (CDO) Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the marine science and engineering institution announced.Clayton will be responsible for leading the development team and expanding philanthropic revenue from individuals, corporations and foundations. The team will focus on establishing new ‘Accelerator Funds’ which will increase funding for innovative research, education and advancement.“We are dramatically stepping up our efforts to expand the impact of Woods Hole Oceanograp
One-on-One: Chris Gibson, VideoRay
Chris Gibson is VP of Sales & Marketing at VideoRay, a leader in portable, inspection-class remotely operated vehicles (ROV). Gibson is a ubiquitous figure around the globe representing the VideoRay brand, and has been with the company since its inception in 1999. MTR spoke with Gibson recently for his insights on market and tech drivers.The familiar family of VideoRay ROVs are found globally in a wide range of industries and missions, from homeland security and defense, to inland and offshore infrastructure inspection, aquaculture, power plant inspection, and more. MTR caught up with Gibson
Magseis Fairfield Wins Gulf of Mexico Work
Oslo based offshore seismic services provider Magseis Fairfield said on Friday that it has received a contingent letter of award (LOA) for a three months data acquisition program for an unnamed client in the Gulf of Mexico.The survey is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2019, it said.Magseis Fairfield CEO, Per Christian Grytnes, siad, “The program in the Gulf of Mexico further strengthens our order backlog for 2019 and reflects the increasing interest in ocean bottom seismic nodal surveys.“The awarded program would be our fifth acquisition program in the Gulf of Mexico in 2019 and
Submarine Cables Writing Award
Each year, the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) sponsors the Rhodes Academy Submarine Cables Writing Award for a deserving paper addressing submarine cables and their relationship with the law of the sea. With the award, the ICPC seeks to foster scholarship regarding submarine cables and the law of the sea and promote the rule of law as applied to submarine cables. In 2018, the selection jury chose Ms. Liao Xuexia of China as the winner for her paper titled: “Protection of Submarine Cables against Acts of Terrorism.”Each year, the Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy
DGA Taps iXblue for AUV Positioning & Monitoring
The French General Directorate of Armament for Technical Naval Applications (DGA Technique Navales – DGA/TN, formerly GESMA), an entity specialized in experimentation in the area of mine warfare, has selected iXblue's Gaps acoustic positioning system for its autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) positioning and monitoring applications."The choice of Gaps by the DGA/TN, which is the reference in France in the area of mine warfare, is a clear mark of the confidence placed in our underwater positioning technology," said Hubert Pelletier, Head of the Acoustics Division of iXblue. "Thi
Wreckage of USS Wasp CV-7 Discovered
The expedition crew aboard the late Paul G. Allen’s research vessel (R/V) Petrel discovered wreckage from USS Wasp (CV 7), which was sunk in 1942.Wasp, found Jan. 14, was sunk Sept. 15, 1942, by four Japanese torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-19 while escorting transports carrying the Seventh Marine Regiment to Guadalcanal as reinforcements. Of the 2,162 on board, 176 were killed as a result of the attack. The sunken aircraft carrier was found in the Coral Sea, 4,200 meters (nearly 14,000 feet) below the surface.“Paul Allen’s passion for U.S. history lives on through these
SBG Systems Unveils New IMU
Inertial motion sensing solutions provider SBG Systems has released the Horizon IMU, a FOG-based high performance inertial measurement unit (IMU) designed for large hydrographic vessels surveying harsh environments.Navsight Marine Solution consists in a powerful and ready-to-use inertial navigation solution dedicated to hydrographers. It is available at different levels of accuracy to meet the various application requirements and can be connected to various external equipment such as Echo-sounders, LiDAR, etc.Navsight Marine Solution already offered two levels of performance with the Ekinox and Apogee
OPT Inks Deal with US Operator
and complexity drive the need for new technologies and where every dollar saved goes directly to the bottom line,” he said.“OPT’s PowerBuoy Exclusion Zone Monitoring solution can decrease cost and increase safety by providing autonomous surveillance and monitoring. Resident underwater vehicles using our continuous PowerBuoy recharging system can allow for safe and cost-effective visual tracking and intervention during well plugging and abandonment activities. Our PowerBuoy eliminates the need for expensive on-site vessels by offering a clean and renewable solution while allowing operations
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
World First: Video Broadcast Live from Underwater
Pioneering subsea communications technology has enabled the world's first live broadcast stream to global audiences from an underwater submersible.Underwater technology company Sonardyne International said the international news agency Associated Press (AP) used its BlueComm wireless through-water optical modem technology to broadcast live from a two-person submersible operating in waters off the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean. AP said that the broadcast via YouTube was “the first multi-camera live signal in full broadcast quality from manned submersibles using optical video transmission
U.S. Navy Requests $205.6B in 2020
According to a blog by Rear Admiral Randy Crites posted on the Navy Live, the official blog site of the U.S. Navy, the Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 20 Budget request submitted to Congress is $205.6 billion, a 4.8% increase from the FY19 enacted budget. Specifics of the budget are focused on six specific dimensions:The FY20 budget requests funding for more ships – as the navy continues to progress toward a 355-ship fleet – submarines, aircraft and people, and highlights include: The budget provides for a deployable battle force of 301 ships in FY20 including 11 aircraft carriers and
Catamaran and AUV Complete Joint Survey
Norwegian and Canadian partners have completed geophysical area survey in Norway using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and small catamaran concept.In September 2018 DOF Subsea Norway AS was awarded a contract for The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Statens Vegvesen (SVV), to perform geophysical mapping of a 5km2 area in Bjørnafjord in Norway. The project was executed using the Hugin AUV Chercheur manufactured by Kongsberg Maritime and owned and operated by Canadian company Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc. (OFG) in combination with the small survey catamaran GeoCat owned by DOF Subsea
TenneT Contracts Fugro for UXO Services
services at an offshore wind farm development in Dutch coastal waters. The contract follows previous involvement in route survey activities at the site.Fugro said it will use DP2 multipurpose vessel Atlantis Dweller for the contract. The vessel is permanently equipped with a work class remotely operated vehicle (ROV), providing fast and safe identification of potential UXOs. Other technology includes a sub-bottom imager which can reduce dredge scope, resulting in notable time savings.Commenting on the identification and clearance (ID & C) project that begins in April, Business Development Manager Martin
VA Offshore Wind: A Strong Foundation
Virginia officials have established a well-planned, extensive strategy to build out an offshore wind industry, including wind towers for electricity generation and the supply chain to support that extensive infrastructure and operations. The State’s big picture is ambitious: developing 2,000 MW of offshore wind by 2028.As currently envisioned, VA’s offshore wind development will likely start this year with two 8-megawatt wind turbines 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. This is a Dominion Energy pilot undertaken in partnership with the Danish wind company Orsted. The
Maersk Supply Service Wins Total Contract
are a series of versatile vessels designed together with Marin Teknikk and built as a flexible, stable and reliable platform for deep- and shallow-water operations. The vessels feature an efficient propulsion set-up, a 400 t active heave compensated crane and two work class remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) capable of operating in up to 3,000 m water depth. The large 1,850 m2 free deck is designed with hundreds of non-welding, sea fastening features and cofferdams are built in above all tanks
OceanAlpha Launches 5G Unmanned Vehicle
A 5G unmanned surface vehicle recently made its debut in Barcelona, Spain. The new boat was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2019, where fifth generation of mobile communication technology (5G) was the "hottest topic", said Chinese company OceanAlpha, who developed the new vehicle OceanAlpha 5G alongside developed by Ericsson and China Mobile.According to its developer, the unmanned "environmental smart vessel" is designed to help address the problem of water pollution by quickly and efficiently collecting water quality monitoring data, identifying the cause of the
Scripps Adds Volvo Penta Vessel
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego has added to its fleet a fourth research vessel, which was constructed by Armstrong Marine. The research vessel Bob and Betty Beyster is expected to launch in mid-April for use in San Diego.Armstrong Marine of Port Angeles, Washington, designed the 42-foot aluminum hulled boat. Pacific Power Group, working closely with Armstrong, fit the vessel with a Volvo Penta IPS 650 propulsion system. This is the first time PPG has mated the IPS configuration with an aluminum hulled boat.“We took a lot of time with the Scripps
R/V Bob and Betty Beyster: New CAT For Scripps
.Bob and Betty Beyster features a dynamic positioning system (DPS) that integrates GPS navigation data with propulsion controls to automatically maintain heading and position, even in strong currents and windy conditions. These capabilities enable the precise control required for remotely operated vehicles, CTD casts, mooring deployments, and other operations required for science.The vessel's scientific equipment includes a seafloor mapping system, a knuckle crane that enables the vessel to deploy and recover autonomous vehicles, a stern A-frame with hydraulic hoist, a hand-deployable remotely
Seized: 3,300 Rare Pig-Nosed Turtles
Malaysia seizes 3,300 rare turtles from a boat in suspected trafficking caseMalaysian authorities seized about 3,300 rare pig-nosed turtles on Wednesday suspected of being smuggled into the Southeast Asian country.The turtles, found in Australia and on the Indonesian island of Papua, are endangered due to high demand from exotic pet traders, wildlife experts said.Seven packages of turtles were discovered during a boat inspection near Johor on Malaysia's southern coast, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said in a statement, adding that two people were arrested.The value of the seized
Downed Fighter Jet Recovered off Hawaii
A remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) was recently used to help locate a downed fighter jet off Hawaii.The privately owned Hawker Hunter aircraft crashed on December 12, 2018 while participating in the Hawaii Air National Guard sponsored training exercise Sentry Aloha. The pilot ejected before the crash and was rescued by the Coast Guard with the assistance of nearby good Samaritans, but the plane was sent crashing into the ocean.The aicraft hit the water about 1 mile south of Honolulu in an area with many small boats. The number of boats in the area meant there were many cellphone videos
Rose Joins IMCA as Technical Adviser
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has appointed Andre Rose as Technical Adviser - Competence & Training, Remote Systems and ROV.Rose has spent most of the last 18 years working in the ROV industry, including time as a pilot/technician, superintendent, ROV manager and client representative.He has a background with the Royal Navy, where he spent 19 years in its Fleet Air Arm working with rotary and fixed wing aircraft. Initially, he completed an apprenticeship in aircraft mechanical engineering, before being trained as an avionics engineer.When he left the Navy, after a short
Kraken Completes Sea Tests of KATFISH with Elbit Systems
; wholly owned subsidiary, Kraken Robotic Systems, has completed a series of successful sea tests of its KATFISH towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar system with Elbit Systems Ltd., a major international defense contractor based in Israel.Elbit Systems has developed a state-of-the-art Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) named “Seagull”. Seagull is a multi-mission USV platform boasting high autonomy levels and modular features, allowing it to be rapidly reconfigured for a wide array of missions – including anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures.“Elbit Systems’ Seagull
Underwater Glider Goes Searching for North Atlantic Right Whales
. In 2017, 12 individuals of this endangered species died in the Gulf, likely as a result of ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear.The 1.5-meter-long Slocum glider is a buoyancy driven underwater drone that rises and dives in the water to propel itself forward while gathering data. Onboard the vehicle, the OceanObserver system records the underwater sounds while running seven automated cetacean detectors that flag possible marine mammal calls. The glider comes to the surface every three hours to send the flagged events to shore. JASCO’s analysts review the events and send the confirmed
Voices: Jill Zande, MATE II
Jill Zande, President and Executive Director at MATE Inspiration for Innovation (MATE II) was featured in last month’s MTR 100 as a top 10 ocean influencer. This month in MTR we present our full interview with Zande on the importance of attracting the next generation to a career in the oceans.How did you come to a career at MATE?As a research associate at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL), I thought that the only next step for me career-wise was to go back to graduate school, get a Ph.D., have a lab and take on graduate students. I saw the academic, Ph.D. path as my only realistic option; but I
