OPT PowerBuoy Tested at DeepStar's 'Zero Carbon Power for Electric Subsea Operations' Project

Ocean energy technology developer Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) has received a DeepStar project award to study the use of its PB3 PowerBuoy to provide remotely controllable zero-carbon power for deepwater subsea oil production applications.OPT's moored floating buoys - such as OPT PB3 PowerBuoy - harvests wave energy and converts it to electricity.The conversion of wave energy into electric power…

Mocean's Wave Energy Device to Power Subsea Oil & Gas Ops

Edinburgh-based wave energy technology firm Mocean Energy has raised £850,000 (USD 1,1 million) to speed up the commercialization of its wave energy converter and deploy it to power subsea oil and gas equipment.The Scottish start-up has raised £612,000 equity seed funding plus £250,000 from Innovate UK to advance the design of its Blue Star wave device and drive its adoption in subsea oil and gas.The funding includes investment by Old College Capital…

Shrinking Sea Meadows Store More Carbon Than Forests. Scientists Race to Track What’s Left

Hundreds of miles from the nearest shore, ribbon-like fronds flutter in the ocean currents sweeping across an underwater mountain plateau the size of Switzerland.A remote-powered camera glides through the sunlit, turquoise waters of this corner of the western Indian Ocean, capturing rare footage of what scientists believe is the world’s largest seagrass meadow.Human activity is helping destroy the equivalent of a soccer field of these seagrasses every 30 minutes around the world…

NOC: Underwater Vehicle Finds Loch Ness Monster Camera Trap

An ocean robot developed and operated by the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has made a chance encounter of a Nessie kind during engineering trials in Scotland’s famous Loch Ness.During a test mission, the advanced underwater vehicle, designed for discovering the secrets of the ocean, accidentally found an underwater camera system—thought to be one of the first attempts to catch the Loch Ness monster on film.It is believed that the camera…

Fugro's New USV to Chart Waters Off South Australia

Fugro will use its new uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to chart the waters of South Australia’s Gulf St Vincent and Investigator Strait as part of the Australian Government’s HydroScheme Industry Partnership Program (HIPP).The Dutch-based offshore survey services company will carry out  the 998 km2 survey will be conducted on behalf of the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO), which will use the data to update nautical charts for safer navigation.

Kongsberg Discovery Technology Sets Sail On One Ocean Expedition Research Voyage

Kongsberg Discovery has helped transform the 111-year-old, three-masted sailing ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl into a research vessel for the upcoming One Ocean Expedition, departing from Bergen, Norway, on 11 April.The almost 100-metre-long vessel, Norway’s largest sailing ship, has been fitted with an array of Kongsberg Discovery technology to help scientists monitor and understand unique ocean environments…

Autonomous Vessels: FAU Gets $1.25m for Research

Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has been awarded a $1.25 million grant by the United States Office of Naval Research (ONR) to undertake research in support of autonomous unmanned marine vehicle platforms for coastal surveillance, coastal surveys, target tracking and protection of at-sea assets. The five-year project will entail developing unmanned surface vehicles that serve as “motherships” for unmanned underwater vehicles and aerial drones…

US Defense Department Orders 60 ROVs for Explosives Disposal

Manufacturer of underwater observation class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) Teledyne SeaBotix said it was recently awarded a multimillion dollar operational capability upgrade contract with the U.S. Department of Defense through distributor, Atlantic Diving Supply (ADS). Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Mobile Units have a long operational history with Teledyne SeaBotix ROVs and have utilized the capabilities of both the LBV and vLBV systems for several years.

Huntington Ingalls Industries to Acquire Hydroid

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Hydroid Inc., a provider of advanced marine robotics to the defense and maritime markets and a U.S. based indirect subsidiary, wholly owned by Kongsberg Maritime. In conjunction with the transaction, HII and Kongsberg Maritime are also establishing a strategic alliance to jointly market naval and maritime products and services to the U.S.

New Subsea Resident Vehicle Solution Taking Shape

Ocean energy solutions innovator Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) said it it is working with joint development partners Modus Seabed Intervention and Saab Seaeye to develop a new solution for carbon-free subsea autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) residency that would provide long-term, persistent deployment without support from manned vessels.“We believe a self-contained system powered by an OPT PowerBuoy…

Hydroid Delivers to U.S. Navy

Hydroid delivered the first REMUS 300 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) prototype to the U.S. Navy through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a new, modular UUV will be assessed over the next year as a potential solution for the Next Generation Small-Class UUV (SUUV) program for the Navy.“The REMUS 300 is a game-changer for the small UUV class. It’s a culmination of everything we’ve learned by delivering over 400 REMUS UUVs over the past 17 years,” said Duane Fotheringham, President of Hydroid.

Exploring Under The ice (& Keeping your AUV in one piece)

December 2019 marked the one-year anniversary since University of Tasmania sent ISE built AUV nupiri muka to Antarctica as part of the Antarctica Gateway Partnership. While there it successfully completed many survey missions under the Sørsdal glacier. What better way to celebrate this accomplishment than to send it back for a victory lap this year!Under ice missions can be notoriously difficult, and…

SOI: Amidst Pandemic, Seafloor Mapping Zooms Ahead

Scientists working remotely with Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) have completed a first look at deep waters in the Coral Sea, despite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. As one of the only at-sea science expeditions to continue operations, the team has discovered the deepest living hard corals in Eastern Australian waters, sighted fish in new regions and identified up to 10 new marine species.SOI’s R/V Falkor spent the 46 days in the Coral Sea Marine Park…

Dissolved Oxygen and pH Policy Leave Fisheries at Risk

In a Policy Forum, “Dissolved oxygen and pH criteria leave fisheries at risk” published in the April 24 issue of the journal Science, Stony Brook University’s Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation, and Stephen J. Tomasetti, Science Teaching and Research to Inform Decisions (STRIDE) fellow, consider accumulating scientific evidence on the harmful effects of coastal hypoxia (low oxygen) and acidification (decreasing pH…

Fast-moving Waterfalls in the Deep Sea

New research led by the National Oceanography Center (NOC) has discovered how fast-moving waterfalls under the sea control the shape and behavior of submarine channels. These underwater channels are the offshore equivalents of rivers, but can be much larger. Submarine channels can extend for tens to thousands of kilometers offshore, providing an important conduit for the transfer of sediment, nutrients and pollutants, such as microplastics, to the deep-sea.

Nekton, Schmidt Ocean enter Partnership

Ocean exploration organizations Nekton and Schmidt Ocean Institute have entered into a new partnership to work collaboratively on expeditions and to advance public understanding of the ocean by engaging cultural sectors such as fashion, food, and sports.The two not-for-profit organizations released a white paper, Ocean Rising: The Quest to Inspire the Public that outlines industry actions that have brought awareness to ocean science and sustainability.

Stealthy Submarine Concept Unveiled

Naval Group has unveiled its new SMX 31 E submarine concept, integrating the latest digital technologies for reinforced operational efficiency and improved versatility. Stealthier thanks to her biomimetic covering, the ship also benefits from an unmatched electrical energy storage capacity and a new propulsion concept.The new sub is designed to deliver upon Naval Group's long-term vision. The French…

Strong Offshore Wind Lifts U.S. Maritime, Port, and Logistics Companies

After several false starts, 2021 is the year when the U.S. offshore wind industry begins to realize its potential. This is according to Philip Lewis, Director of Research, World Energy Reports (WER).In an interview with Maritime Reporter TV's Greg Trauthwein, Lewis, whose WER is set to release an intelligence pack that presents a roadmap to the opportunities in the U.S. offshore wind space, says that at least 30 major offshore wind projects are forecast to be developed within this decade.

Exail and UNH Open Maritime Autonomy Innovation Hub

A new innovation hub at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) will engage in all aspects of marine autonomous operations to help meet the challenges of the growing blue economy. High-tech industrial group Exail will use the new center to deliver increased operational advantage to U.S. civil and government customers. This includes the U.S. production of its uncrewed surface vessel (USV), DriX, the housing of a remote operation center to conduct worldwide remote autonomous operations…

Brix Marine Building Research Vessel for Northrop Grumman

Boatbuilder Brix Marine (formerly Armstrong Marine USA) has been contracted by aerospace and defense technology company, Northrop Grumman, to build a catamaran survey-research vessel, slated for fall 2021 completion.The 44- by 16-foot vessel is Brix’s third IPS-drive catamaran; the first two were 4216-CTC models, both delivered in 2019, to UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (R/V Bob and Betty Beyster) and Orca Maritime, Inc.