FarSounder Unveils 3D Forward-Looking Sonar

FarSounder has debuted a new sonar and a new name for its series of 3D forward-looking navigation sonars. With the company’s continued growth and focus on research and development, it was time to give the series a name and offer more alternatives. The new name is the Argos series and are now 3 models in the series. The latest model the Argos 350 will be revealed for the first time at Fort Lauderdale…

Mapping the Ikaite Columns of the Ikka Fjord, SW Greenland

Ikka Fjord in SW Greenland is the only known place in the World where the rare carbonate mineral ‘Ikaite’ (named after the fjord) is found in the form or large column structures, as opposed to its usual small crystal form. Over the past 25 years there has been an intensive scientific effort to try and understand why the mineral forms here and in such dramatic form.Ikaite is found in areas outside of the Fjord…

Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE Winner Annouced

The GEBCO NF- Alumni Team was announced as the $4 million grand prize winner of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, a three-year global competition that challenged teams to advance deep sea technologies for autonomous and unmanned, fast and high-resolution ocean exploration. The team's winning concept includes the use of a unique unmanned surface vessel (USV) / autonomous underwater vessel (AUV) and…

One-on-One with Martin McDonald, SVP, ROV Division, Oceaneering

Martin McDonald, an industry veteran with more than 35 years under his belt, is responsible for Oceaneering’s global ROV business. With a broad based of ROV experience – from operation to repair to maintenance to management – McDonald shares with MTR his insights on the historical development and future prospects of this high-profile subsea sector.How and when did you know that your career would be in the maritime/subsea industry?I grew up in Fraserburgh…

Offshore Wind Challenge Accepting Applications

Greentown Labs and Vineyard Wind are now accepting applications for the Offshore Wind Challenge. Greentown Labs and Vineyard Wind are seeking submissions from startups that are innovating in marine mammal monitoring, either surrounding data collection and real-time transmission or data analysis.The Offshore Wind Challenge is a six-month accelerator program housed at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Mass.…

LRAUV: Arctic Oil-Spill-Mapping Robot Put to the Test

As commercial shipping and energy activities picks up in the Arctic region, the prospect of accidental oil spills in this pristine environment remain a concern. In response, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is taking the lead – through the U.S. Coast Guard – to develop a subsea robotic system to map and report on spills.“Because of ice coverage and the tyranny of distance, it is difficult to get resources and assets up in the Arctic in a quick manner…

TechnipFMC to Expands in Saudi Arabia

UK-based energy industry company in TechnipFMC has broken ground on its new state-of-the-art manufacturing, aftermarket and training facility in Dhahran in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia.The 52,500-square-meter facility greatly expands TechnipFMC’s footprint in Saudi Arabia with a major investment and 140 new jobs focusing on Saudi talents.The new facility will offer a broad range of manufacturing…

Clark Joins Planet Ocean

Surrey based oceanographic and scientific instrumentation manufacturer Planet Ocean Ltd has hired Aaron Clark as the newest member of its sales team. Clark will serve as Technical & Scientific Sales Engineer, based at the firm's Camberley headquarters.Clark graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a B.Sc (Hons) in Marine Biology and is a keen SCUBA diver, qualifying as one of the youngest scuba divers in the U.K. after having been selected for a trial to lower the age for qualification.

JFD Completes First Phase of Open Sea Trials of its DSRV

JFD,  part of James Fisher and Sons plc, completed the first open sea launch, dive and recovery of the deep search and rescue vehicle (DSRV) for the first of two 3rd Generation Submarine Rescue Systems being delivered to the Indian Navy, the company announced.The DSRV completed a full launch deployment, dive and recovery in open sea, replicating the operating conditions of a real submarine rescue operation.

Ocean Energy: A Surge Coming in 2020

Ocean Energy Systems (OES) was launched in 2001 as a technology collaboration program of the International Energy Agency (IEA). It was created in response to increased ocean wave and tidal current energy activity primarily in Denmark, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The organization today consists of 25 members including specialists from government departments, national energy agencies, and research and scientific bodies.

Restoring Marine Habitats and Port Decarbonization

Considering the global initiatives to become nature positive by 2030 [1] and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals [2], the concepts of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) [3] and Marine Net Gain (MNG) are gaining traction [4,5]. Here we explore the potential of marine restoration in contributing to MNG, carbon sequestration, and port decarbonisation, addressing the critical need for effective marine restoration strategies in the face of climate change…

Soil Research Unearths Collecting Point for Plastics

Collaborative research team, led by KAUST scientists, reveals a history of plastic sequestration in mangrove ecosystems.Global plastic production began to rise precipitously around 1950. Since that time production has grown at around 8.5% annually. Unfortunately, due to poor recapture and recycling globally, much of that plastic has ended up in the world’s oceans.Strangely, locating plastic with surveys of the world’s oceans has proven difficult.

VIDEO: Barcode Tags Could Cut Subsea Pipeline Inspection Costs

A pipeline inspection solution combining subsea drones and the use of visual markers - barcodes - on the pipelines themselves could drive down the costs of subsea pipeline inspections.The solutions is being developed by tubular solutions firm Vallourec, smart robotics and visual positioning start-up Forssea Robotic, and subsea positioning and inertial navigation firm iXblue.According to the companies involved…

Tech File: Next-gen Acoustic Flooded Member Detection

Impact Subsea released a new generation of underwater, Flooded Member Detection system: ISFMD V3, designed to provide an intuitive yet simple-to-use flooded member detection system for deployment by divers or remotely operated vehicles.The system provides capability to test and store results for multiple members  at a time. Multiple members can be preconfigured prior to commencing the survey with details of diameter, length and angle.

iXblue, ECA Group Demo Subsea Asset Tracking to Polish Naval Academy

iXblue and ECA Group reportedly demonstrated successful subsea asset tracking in shallow waters using iXblue Gaps M7 USBL (Ultra Short BaseLine) positioning system and ECA Group new R7 ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle).Hosted by their local partner THESTA, a Polish company providing maritime navigation services and communication systems for the defense sector, the demonstration was organized for the…

New USGS National Map Data Reveals the Potomac River’s Submerged Topography

The U.S. Geological Survey recently published a new topobathymetric lidar dataset for the Potomac River as part of its 3D Elevation Program (3DEP).Topobathymetric lidar provides 3D maps of the submerged riverine topography. The maps were produced in two phases for more than 120 river miles of the Potomac River through a data-acquisition contract with Dewberry. The study area began near Hancock, Md.…

Saildrone Unveils New Acoustic Capabilities to Protect Marine Mammals

Saildrone’s passive acoustics array is designed to detect marine mammals like whales and dolphins to mitigate impacts on those species from human activities.As the demand for clean energy continues to grow, there has been a corresponding increase in the development of offshore wind farms to help meet energy needs. However, it is important that the construction and operation of these sites don’t negatively impact marine ecosystems.

Iver3 AUV Upgrades Ordered for the Royal Navy

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) received an order to upgrade three Iver3 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) to be used in support of the Royal Navy’s Project Wilton. L3Harris will upgrade the Iver3 vehicles with the capability to integrate high accuracy navigation sensors and advanced communications for surface tracking, with collaborative autonomy architecture and automatic target recognition.

Satellite-based Solution Helps to Prevent Ship Groundings in Coastal Waters

Recent incidents of naval and commercial vessels running aground have underscored the inherent risks of operating in shallow and poorly charted coastal waters. A solution from Denver-based TCarta Marine utilizes Earth observation satellites to deliver precise water depth measurements in near-shore areas.“While the exact causes of recent ship groundings off the coasts of Oman, Greenland, and Fiji are under investigation and often complex…

WHOI’s Benjamin Van Mooy Awarded 'Genius Grant'

Benjamin Van Mooy, a Senior Scientist and Interim Vice President for Science and Engineering at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), has received the esteemed MacArthur Fellowship, often referred to as a “genius grant.” This honor was announced by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which recognizes exceptional individuals from various fields, including science, art, literature…