Scientists to Study Potential Impact of Underwater Noise from Tidal Energy

The University of Manchester will lead a new research project to understand how noise generated by tidal-stream turbines travels through the marine environment and how it may affect marine life.As the UK prepares for a rapid expansion of tidal energy, (not)NOISY (Propagation of NOISe generated by tidal arraYs and its environmental impacts) will develop the first advanced tools capable of predicting…

Fugro Gets Offshore Wind Job in Taiwan

Fugro has secured a contract from Shinfox Energy for geotechnical services to support the development of its 700 MW Youde offshore wind farm off the west coast of Taiwan.Fugro will use its Taiwan-flagged vessel, Pacific Hornbill, an IOVTEC-managed DP2 vessel, is equipped with an advanced C30 marine geotechnical drilling rig and Fugro’s proprietary specialist WISON MkV EcoDrive downhole in situ testing and sampling system.It also features specialised seabed geotechnical equipment…

Sea Vorian Expands SEA360 Fleet with Teledyne Gavia AUV

Teledyne Marine announced the purchase and delivery of a Gavia Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to one of the subsidiaries of the Sea Vorian group, SEA360, located in Caudan, France. With this investment, SEA360 will be able to provide geophysical surveys, cable and subsea infrastructure inspection, environmental studies and become a European provider for underwater data collection and analysis.The newly acquired Teledyne Gavia AUV is equipped with advanced technologies…

NOAA Plans Hiring Events in San Diego

NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations will hold two hiring events in San Diego, Calif., on June 4 and 6, to recruit professional mariners to work aboard NOAA’s ocean research ships.NOAA operates a fleet of 15 hydrographic survey, oceanographic research and fisheries survey vessels. NOAA ships are run by a combination of NOAA commissioned officers and civilian professional mariners, and they operate in the U.S.

Quantum Sensor to Boost GPS-Free Navigation

Scientists from Sandia National Laboratories are attempting to make a motion sensor so precise it could minimize reliance on global positioning satellites. Until recently, such a sensor — a thousand times more sensitive than today’s navigation-grade devices — would have filled a moving truck. But advancements are dramatically shrinking the size and cost of this technology.For the first time, the researchers…

Hydrogen-Hybrid Research Vessel Earns AIP

Glosten was awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the design of UC San Diego’s new hydrogen-hybrid Coastal-Class Research Vessel (CCRV). The CCRV will be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and feature a propulsion system that uses hydrogen fuel cells for zero-emissions operation.Glosten and the project’s electrical integrator, Siemens Energy (SE), completed the preliminary design for the CCRV in March 2024.

Less is More with Gyroscopes

A new generation of fiber optic gyroscopes is taking the accuracy of inertial navigation systems higher and the payload lower.A fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) can now weigh less than three kilograms, less than two kilograms even, and be less than 200mm in diameter.As their host AUVs themselves shrink, FOGs are following suit, and as the AUVs go deeper and perform a wider range of data collection tasks…

X1 Wind and FibreMax Team Up to Enhance Moorings for Floating Wind Tech

Floating offshore wind company X1 Wind has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with mooring line manufacturer and cable developer FibreMax to boost performance of floating offshore wind solutions, with focus on tension leg platform (TLP) tendons.X1 Wind’s collaboration with FibreMax will explore opportunities to boost performance and sustainability of its mooring configuration with the introduction of synthetic cables…

Beam Boosts Fleet with Two Explorer ASVs and Quantum EV ROV

Beam, a company created by the recent merger of Rovco and Vaarst, has strengthened its fleet with two new autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), called Xplorers, and a Quantum EV workclass remotely operated vehicle (ROV).The Quantum EV and Xplorer vessels, acquired by Beam for a total cost of over $19 million, strengthen the company’s ability to support the wind industry across all lifecycle stages.According to Beam…

Verlume, Kraken Robotics Establish Strategic Collaboration to Deliver Subsea Battery Solutions

Verlume, developer of subsea intelligent energy management and storage solutions for the offshore energy industry, has entered into a strategic collaboration with Kraken Robotics, developer of SeaPower subsea battery solutions, to deliver best-in-class subsea power storage. By integrating Verlume’s Axonn advanced energy management technology with Kraken’s high-performance subsea batteries, the partnership will provide reliable…

Exail Set to Deliver USV to Global Hydrographic Authority

Robotics, maritime, and navigation technology supplier Exail has secured the sale of its new long-range Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV), the DriX H-9, to a global hydrographic authority.Building on the success of the DriX H-8, the new H-9 model delivers up to 20 days of autonomous endurance, increased payload capacity and enhanced flexibility to support a wide range of maritime missions.Designed to address the growing demand for persistent…

NTSB Recommends Pipeline Operators Implement Safety Management Systems

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending new notification alarms and procedures for potential incursions on pipelines and a change to an anchorage off the California coast following a crude oil release in 2021 caused by ship anchors damaging an underwater pipeline.NTSB investigators determined that the oil leak, which began on October 1, 2021, in San Pedro Bay, resulted from an anchor strike on the pipeline that occurred eight months earlier…

Saildrone USVs Support Mission to Secure US Southern Border

Saildrone is scaling up its fleet in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States in response to the US-declared state of emergency at its southern border.On the water, the US Navy and Coast Guard have moved fleets of ships into place. These agencies are responsible for securing thousands of miles of coastline and open ocean, but assets are extremely limited…

OceanAlpha USV Validates Long-Range Survey Capability in Malaysia

In late June 2025, OceanAlpha’s L25 marine unmanned surface vehicle (USV) successfully completed its first public demonstration in Malaysia, showcasing its marine survey capabilities in real-world conditions at Port Klang. The L25 USV directly addressed a critical constraint for offshore marine surveys: crew dependence and costly support vessels typically required for operations beyond line-of-sight (LOS) control range.

TGS Kicks Off 3D Seismic Survey for Floating Wind Farm

Norwegian seismic firm TGS has started a geophysical survey for the pioneering Green Volt floating offshore wind farm offshore Scotland.Mobilization initiated in Aberdeen last week and the work is scheduled throughout June will include an ultra-high resolution 3D (UHR3D) seismic survey used to deliver detailed subsurface data for the floating windfarm’s site characterization.Utilizing integrated Multibeam Echo Sounder…

SMD Launches New Tech Facility for Subsea Innovation

Subsea technology and services company SMD has officially opened SMD Tech Works, a USD$4.03m (£3m) innovation and manufacturing center designed to power the development of world-leading equipment. Strategically located on Newcastle’s Tyne Corridor, an epicenter of subsea innovation, the facility represents a USD$4.03m (£3m) investment that expands SMD’s production capacity and strengthens its position…

AI is Boosting Operational Autonomy

In a world-first for marine science and technology, Teledyne Marine, in collaboration with Rutgers University-New Brunswick, has just launched an autonomous glider that will circumnavigate the globe.Navigational adjustments will be made along the way, as full operational autonomy is something that the underwater robotics industry continues to perfect.The loss of the University of Gothenburg AUV Ran demonstrates what can go wrong.

Saildrone Surveys Gulf of Maine to Identify Potential Deep-sea Coral Habitat

A previously unmapped section of the north-central Gulf of Maine has been surveyed to identify potential deep-sea coral habitats.Saildrone said it mapped 1,500 square nautical miles in the Jordan and Georges Basins in support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) led mission.The Gulf of Maine is a productive and dynamic marine environment, with a diverse array of marine life…

MacArtney, Elettra Work to Enhance Subsea Monitoring

MacArtney announced a partnership with Elettra Tlc to deliver critical subsea infrastructure for the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), enhancing its capacity for environmental monitoring and research.The scope of this collaboration involves installing and connecting a new subsea power, communication and data transmission network located 2,200m deep and 35km offshore from Catania…

OTE Corp Signs $3.5M Deal for OTEC Installation at US Army Base

Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation (OTE Corp) has partnered with Johnson Controls to demonstrate the feasibility of deploying a 17.5 MW Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system at the remote military base.The contract is part of Johnson Controls Deep Energy Retrofit Assessment program for engineering planning and design at the U.S. Army Garrison - Kwajalein Atoll (USAG-KA), to advance energy independence…