FarSounder: News Citizen Science Capabilities with Whale and Debris Reporting Feature

FarSounder has announced the release of a new citizen science feature in its latest SonaSoft™ software update. Building on its existing Data Sharing Program, this release introduces the ability for users to report whale sightings and floating trash/debris—further integrating marine conservation into day-to-day navigation for Argos users.Since 2019, vessels equipped with FarSounder’s Argos sonars have had the ability to participate in citizen science by contributing to global seabed mapping.

Portugal To Create New Marine Protected Area

Portugal said on Wednesday it was creating a new protected marine area around the Gorringe Ridge in the Atlantic Ocean that includes Western Europe's tallest seamount, positioning itself as a leader on the way to international conservation goals.The announcement by Environment Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho comes as countries gather in the French city of Nice for the third U.N. Oceans conference…

ONGC Buys Viridien’s Sercel Offshore Logistics Solution

French seismic company Viridien has sold its Sercel Marlin Offshore Logistics management solution to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to enhance operational efficiency and safety across its Western offshore exploration and production (E&P) operations in India.The sale includes a five-year contract to provide ONGC with dedicated on-premises Sercel software and support services.The Sercel Marlin Offshore Logistics solution will digitize and streamline ONGC’s complex offshore E&P logistics…

Skyports Trials Drone Deliveries for UAV-Enabled Maritime Services

Skyports Drone Services, a firm specializing in drone delivery and inspection services for healthcare, maritime, logistics and energy use cases, has been conducting a series of Proof-of-Concept Ship-to-Shore beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights and deliveries in Michigan’s Great Lakes region.Conducted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and Newlab…

Singapore Boosts Undersea Might with Two New Submarines

Singapore commissioned two new advanced submarines on Tuesday, vessels its navy says are meant to protect sea lines of communication, and which experts said would range beyond the waters of the tiny city-state to keep tabs on the region.The country's fifth and sixth submarines, the Invincible and the Impeccable, were ordered from Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in 2013 in a 1-billion-euro deal…

Fleet of Ocean Robots, Buoys, Set for Deployment Off Plymouth

What has been described as a first-of-its-kind multi-million-pound fleet of innovative and interconnected marine technologies is soon set to be deployed off the coast of Plymouth, UK, according to Plymouth Marine Laboratory, a marine research institute.An 8.5-meter-tall Autonomous Data Buoy featuring a set of onboard sensors will soon be deployed offshore as part of Smart Sound Plymouth’s plan to create…

IHO Director to Give CARIS Keynote Speech

Developers of geospatial software CARIS inform that Gilles Bessero, Director of International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), will deliver the closing keynote address at the CARIS 2014 conference June 2-5, 2014 in Brest, France. Gilles Bessero, is Director at the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the intergovernmental organization whose role is to ensure that the world’s seas, oceans…

Ultra-Deepwater Pipe Order Challenge for French Firm

France-based manufacturer of tubular pipes & fittings, Vallourec, informs it has been awarded a $100 million contract for the supply of premium pipes with VAM® 21 connections for the offshore ML-South Project, operated by Total’s affiliate Total E&P Borneo in Brunei. The development wells will be producing at depth greater than 5,000m, in a highly corrosive environment and sustaining High Pressure/ High Temperature (HP/HT).

Three NOAA scientists honored by White House

The White House yesterday awarded three NOAA scientists with Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. The award is the highest honor given by the federal government to outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. Laboratory. The NOAA scientists are part of a group of 102 scientists from across federal agencies that received the prestigious award.

UK Ocean Technologies Expo Biggest Yet

Ocean Business 2013 at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton will welcome 300+ worldwide companies to its upcomeng show. One of the most exciting elements of the show is that visitors can actually see equipment in action and ‘test-drive’ products before they purchase. This year’s Ocean Business is running an unmissable programme of free training and demonstrations, running over 180 hours where leading companies will introduce new products, technologies and techniques.

Geoscience Software Gift to University of Malaya

GeoSoftware, part of CGG’s Geoscience division, has donated twenty of its advanced geoscience software suites to the University of Malaya (UM) in Malaysia. The initiative will enrich the student experience at UM’s Department of Geology while supporting its mission to train world-class professionals for domestic or international careers in petroleum geosciences.The software will be used to teach quantitative…

COVE Welcomes Aboard IBM Canada

COVE announced that IBM Canada has joined the ocean business park as a tenant, one of 50 currently in residence.“We are very pleased to welcome IBM Canada to COVE,” says Jim Hanlon, CEO at COVE. “IBM has proven its commitment to the growing field of ocean data analytics and we feel this new tenancy at COVE further helps support COVE’s position as a significant hub for ocean technology, not just in Nova Scotia…

NOAA & US Power Squadrons Sign Agreement

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey & US Power Squadrons sign a Memorandum of Agreement to improve cooperative charting program. Rear Adm. Gerd Glang, director of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, recently sat down with John Alter, chief commander of the U.S. Power Squadrons (USPS) to sign up to a collaboration that began fifty years ago. The USPS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to safe boating through instruction in seamanship, navigation, and related subjects.

SMD Integrate SeeByte Software in ROV System

Soil Machine Dynamics & Seebyte announce successful integration of SeeTrack CoPilot to SMD's work-class ROV system. The integration and trials, which took place in Fort William, Scotland, in mid-January, saw SeeByte’s SeeTrack CoPilot Software system for dynamic positioning and real-time monitoring of work class ROVs, successfully carry out a number of survey missions using the software’s easy to use, point-and-click interface.

Advanced Offshore Flow Measurement Solutions

McCrometer offers advanced flow meter technology measurement solutions for the industry’s challenging, highly space- and weight-constrained offshore oil and gas production environments. Subsea modules, Offshore Platforms and FPSO Vessels necessitate flow meters that can maintain accuracy under rugged, crowded, high pressure conditions. Already cramped installations are further complicated by the extensive…

Reach Subsea Charters Two Vessels Amid Increasing Demand

Norwegian company Reach Subsea has made charter agreements for two vessels to meet the increasing demand in the subsea services market.Reach Subsea has expanded its capacity by securing charters for both the Northern Maria and Olympic Taurus vessels.For the Northern Maria, the charter arrangement includes 3 years firm period and 6+6 months options.Northern Maria is a survey vessel with a 20 tons crane and sufficient accommodation and deck capacity…

General Dynamics Introduce Airborne Acoustic Processing System

General Dynamics Canada says more powerful, reliable and accurate detection of underwater threats is now possible with the introduction of its newest airborne acoustic processing systems. Venom, the UYS-505 system, is the latest addition to General Dynamics’ family of acoustic processing offerings. It leverages commercial-level advances in hardware and the latest innovations in signal processing technologies to maximize the detection of submerged threats in deep and coastal waters.

Deepwater Heavy Lift Crane Orders for Cargotec

Cargotec's MacGregor contracted by Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. to deliver 4 AHC cranes for 4 multi-purpose supply vessels (MPSV). The cranes will be delivered between fourth quarter 2014 and third quarter 2015, and the value of the order is EUR 37-million for the four 250-tonne active heave-compensated (AHC) subsea cranes. "MPSV's are specialized vessels that are principally used to support complex deepwater subsea construction…

Scientists Find Life at Unexplored Ocean Depths

With a brand new ROV in tow, a team of leading geologists, chemists and biologists recently returned to the largely unexplored Mariana Back-Arc to search for life at depths greater than 13,000 feet. Led by Dr. David Butterfield, JISAO, University of Washington, and Dr. William Chadwick, NOAA-PMEL and Oregon State University, the group returned to the Back-Arc for the second phase of a two-part exploration of the region.

Tethys Robotic's new ROV Leverages Nortek DVL Tech

A new Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) from Switzerland’s Tethys Robotics is aiming to provide a safer alternative to putting divers in the water, utilizing Nortek DVL to complete its navigation solution.Jonas Wüst, CEO at Tethys Robotics, set out to meet these challenges of working efficiently, safely underwater following a student research project at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zurich), a public university in Switzerland.