Share your innovations - The call for abstract submissions is almost over for The Marine Measurement Forum (MMF)
The 66th Marine Measurement Forum will be hosted by the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, on June 19th 2024.
The Marine Measurement Forum (MMF) is a series of one-day, non-profit events that has been running since 1983. It provides excellent opportunities for networking and the informal exchange of ideas, knowledge, techniques, and developments across an extensive range of marine scientific measurement activities.
During an MMF ‘day’ a series of short presentations on diverse marine measurement topics are interspersed with refreshment breaks that offer delegates the chance to network with like-minded colleagues.
Attendees typically include scientists, surveyors, engineers, and business people from various organisations, including research centres, academia, manufacturers, defence organisations, survey companies, consultancies, monitoring authorities, dredging companies, port authorities, energy companies, and trade associations.
CLick here to submit an abstract to present.
Please note Abstract Submission will close at midday on Friday, 24 May 2024
Registration to attend the event is £45.00 per person. This includes access to the meeting, refreshments and a working lunch. Click here to register to attend.
Exail enhances offshore operations with Octans AHRS advanced technology
Exail, a global leader in surface navigation, has secured a contract with Bourbon, a leading French maritime services provider, to supply several units of Exail Octans Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) for integration into Bourbon Subsea Services subsidiary's fleet. These units will be installed on multiple Bourbon Evolution 800 Series multi-purpose support vessels (MPSVs) dedicated to subsea operations at depths down to 3,000 meters.
IMO-HSC certified, the Octans AHRS will enhance Bourbon vessels’ efficiency in installation, maintenance, and repair tasks for the oil and gas, and offshore wind industries. Providing highly accurate measurements for roll, pitch, and heave, Octans will serve as a survey-grade surface gyrocompass and motion sensor, seamlessly integrated into the vessels' Class 3 dynamic positioning (DP3) system. This integration will ensure precise positioning and stabilization over underwater structures, ensuring the safe deployment of cranes, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and supporting efficient survey and saturation diving operations.
“With the deployment of ROVs and the execution of complex subsea operations, DP3-type dynamic positioning is essential on our vessels. Additionally, to support survey services such as positioning, inspection, and metrology, a high level of specification demands the best-in-class motion sensors for safe operations. That's why we've selected Exail's Octans, renowned for its globally recognized levels of performance, precision, and reliability.” said Stephan Midenet, CEO of Bourbon Subsea Services.
"We are thrilled to contribute to enhancing the efficiency and safety of Bourbon's fleet operations and would like to thank them for their trust. We are confident that the Octans AHRS, built on Exail’s trusted Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (FOG) technology and already installed on thousands of surface platforms worldwide, will meet expectations and rise to the challenge of ambitious projects in the oil and gas and offshore wind industries" said Calixte Genin, Regional Sales Manager at Exail.
New President and Vice President for IMCA
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) announces a new President, Luca Gentili of Saipem.
He replaces Jonathan Tame of Subsea7 who previously held the role and who, in accordance with IMCA’s constitution, came to the end of his two-year term. Hugo Bouvy of Deme Offshore is appointed as new Vice President.
Luca Gentili, Head of Assets, Fabrication and Project Services in Saipem, and new IMCA President said: “I’m delighted to be appointed President of IMCA and I am looking forward to continuing to work with the board, as well as with our CEO Iain Grainger. IMCA has a key role to play in bringing the industry together, raising standards and performance, and in supporting our Members to meet new ambitions around offshore energy. The Board and I will continue to work closely with Iain and his team to ensure Members’ voices are fully heard.”
Iain Grainger, IMCA CEO commented: “I’m looking forward to working with Luca and Hugo as we continue to focus on what we do best, supporting our Members to meet the safety and sustainability challenges which lie ahead.”
Commenting on the end of Jonathan Tame’s term, Iain Grainger, IMCA CEO, said: “I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Jon for his contribution to IMCA as President, and for his steady hand and guidance in what has been a transitional time for both the organisation and the industry.”
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) tests pioneering undersea cable earthquake detection technique in the Pacific Ocean
Scientists from the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the Measurement Standards Laboratory (MSL) in New Zealand are set to carry out the first ever optical interferometry-based earthquake sensing tests in the Pacific Ocean. By performing ultra-sensitive optical measurements, scientists from the two laboratories will “convert” a seafloor cable extending offshore from New Zealand into an array of sensors for earthquakes and ocean currents. These tests will lay the foundation for investigating the potential use of existing seafloor cables as detectors for tsunami early warning systems.
The technique was first pioneered by NPL in 2021 and derived from techniques used for quantum science. It uses existing optical fibre infrastructure to gather continuous, real-time environmental data from the seabed. NPL previously demonstrated the technique in the Atlantic Ocean on a 5,860km-long intercontinental submarine optical fibre link between the UK and Canada.
The Pacific Ocean is a highly seismically active area, providing an ideal test bed for advancing the technology and demonstrating its full potential. NPL and the MSL will test the technique later this year on a section of the 3,876km-long Southern Cross NEXT cable on the floor of the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia.
More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and seas and oceans today are still mainly unmonitored. There are only a handful of permanent ocean-floor sensors in place globally, since installing and maintaining them is challenging and prohibitively expensive. By applying NPL’s technique to a multitude of seafloor cables, thousands of ocean-bottom sensors could be implemented.
NPL’s sensing technique does not require any new hardware or infrastructure to be installed or any changes to existing infrastructure on the seafloor instead, it utilises the optical fibre itself as the environmental sensors. NPL's technique has the potential to provide a valuable early warning system to safeguard coastal populations in the event of a tsunami. It also offers the first viable solution to fill the gap in data in ocean monitoring, with substantial impact in several scientific areas including seismology and oceanography.
Future projects could develop this concept into a worldwide monitoring network, giving earlier and more accurate detection of earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as advancing the world’s understanding of ocean floor geology and climate change through the long-term monitoring of seafloor temperature changes.
Giuseppe Marra, Principal Scientist at NPL, said, “This exciting UK-NZ joint project will enable NPL’s pioneering seafloor cable-based environmental detection technique to be tested in one of the most seismically active regions of the world. This will significantly advance research on these innovative environmental sensing techniques, with impact on a number of science areas, from seismology to oceanography, as well as future societal applications, such as in early tsunami warning systems. This project is a testament to how science is capable of bringing together minds from the world’s antipodes to advance our knowledge of how our planet works and bring positive impact to society.”
Dr Peter Thompson, CEO of NPL, said, “This technology, pioneered at NPL, is the perfect example of how our science can create impact, delivering tangible benefits for society which will simultaneously improve our understanding of the world.”
The project is part of a new collaboration agreement with New Zealand announced today by Andrew Griffith, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Committee for Science and Technological Policy Ministerial event at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, France.
UK Science Minister Andrew Griffith said, "Bringing the UK and New Zealand’s brightest minds together, to overhaul how we give advance warning of tsunamis, could save scores of lives. This work proves the value of breakthrough technologies like quantum, as well as the international teamwork that’s crucial to harnessing them.”
Annette Koo, Director and Chief Metrologist at the Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand, said, “MSL is delighted to partner with NPL to bring this potentially powerful technology to the Pacific. It is another beautiful example of improvement in measurement giving us access to depths of information that in turn push the limits of our metrology. Not only that, but we see precision measurement underpinning our aspirations for a sustainable future. Our earliest timekeeping devices - calendars - allowed us to live according to the rhythms of our natural world. And now the next generation of clocks is unlocking a new richness of insight into our planet.”
“We are very excited to collaborate with NPL and MSL on this project,” said Dean Veverka, CTO of Southern Cross Cables limited. “Southern Cross has a proud history of supporting initiatives designed to benefit the Pacific Island communities, we are thrilled to continue this through the development of NPL’s technology and the first trial of this in the Pacific. The 45,000km of the Southern Cross cable ecosystem spans the Pacific three times and once this technology is implemented the societal impact that early detection of seismic activity will have on the Pacific communities can be life changing.”
RS Aqua invents innovative anomaly detection and acoustic data labelling software
RS Aqua is proud to announce a significant update to the MARLIN project. In collaboration with the University of Southampton, and supported by funding from Innovate UK, the MARLIN project is set to deliver several new technologies including a web application that can detect unusual underwater noise using machine learning, cloud connectivity and an intelligent network of underwater sensors.
The latest development in the MARLIN project is the successful creation of a software application that allows us to correlate historical automatic identification system (AIS) data and underwater noise signatures. By automatically linking acoustic signatures to individual vessels, this innovative software enables real-time visualisation of data on a geographic information system (GIS) platform and acoustic data labelling.
Demonstrating the new technology at the Underwater Sound Forum on 18th April 2024, Dr. Ryan Mowat, Director of Innovation at RS Aqua, elaborates on the significance of this advancement: "The new MARLIN software application represents a shift in ocean monitoring technology. For the first time, we can identify potentially illegal vessel activity in real-time using underwater noise. This capability will enhance our understanding of ocean ecosystems and strengthen efforts to combat unregulated fishing."
This classification technology in the MARLIN project marks a crucial milestone in ocean conservation efforts. By utilising labelled acoustic data from vessels, we have the potential to identify and track illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity, contributing to the protection of marine biodiversity and the sustainability of our oceans. The MARLIN team are now adding Al algorithms to the software application to automate the detection of IUU fishing.
Martin Stemp, Managing Director at RS Aqua, adds: "We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Innovate UK and the University of Southampton in driving forward the MARLIN project, and we are confident that these advancements will have a profound impact on ocean monitoring, security and conservation efforts worldwide."
Mission accomplished for the world's first HUGIN Endurance
Kongsberg Discovery is pleased to announce that the first production system of its revolutionary long-range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) HUGIN Endurance has completed factory acceptance testing.
Sea trials for the first production unit began in September 2023, and over the last months, the Kongsberg Discovery Uncrewed Platforms team has put HUGIN Endurance through its paces, verifying and refining all system capabilities. Sea trials culminated in March 2024 with a successful demonstration of the AUV capabilities to the customer. President Martin Wien Fjell is immensely proud of the great effort of the organisation.
"I am very proud of the team's hard work, and we are achieving yet another significant milestone in the history of our company. The project has been delivered in record time, and a huge thank you to everybody who has contributed to this success. This is also an excellent way to celebrate our first anniversary as Kongsberg Discovery. The customer is also pleased and genuinely impressed by the work accomplished by Kongsberg Discovery," he stated.
Limitless Possibilities
Fjell says that the HUGIN Endurance program has attracted significant interest both from the defence sector and commercial operators.
“Endurance can accommodate whatever kind of payload a customer wants, whether for seabed mapping or inspection, oceanography, continuous surveys of offshore wind parks, or as a surveillance tool for critical subsea infrastructure or changes in ecosystems. To achieve the first system delivery is a significant milestone, and we will continue to develop additional capabilities. HUGIN Endurance enters the market as a game-changer”, he says.
Unmatched Capability
HUGIN Endurance, launched in 2021, is the largest member of Kongsberg Discovery’s HUGIN family of AUVs. The system can come equipped with a wide array of standard sensors. This includes a wide-swath high-resolution synthetic aperture sonar (HISAS 1032 Dual RX), multibeam echo sounder (EM 2040 MkII), sub-bottom profiling system, colour camera, laser profiler, magnetometer and environmental sensors collecting data such as conductivity, temperature, sound speed, methane, and CO2 and O2 concentration.
In addition, the vehicle includes a large configurable volume that can be used to carry a mixture of batteries and custom payloads as needed. The system is designed to allow autonomous operations directly from shore, and with a full complement of batteries, it can spend up to 15 days at sea, traveling up to 2200 km (1200 nm).
While the new AUV incorporates many of the industry-leading capabilities found in previous HUGIN vehicles, to enable long-term unsupported missions, new advancements had to be made, including greater redundancy, a new autonomous mission management system, greater situational awareness, and the ability to deal with a wide range of varying water density.
Greensea IQ and VideoRay announce transformative five-year, multi-million dollar partnership to advance ROV user experience
Greensea IQ, a pioneer in marine technology development, and VideoRay, a global leader in underwater robotics, have announced the extension of its strategic partnership. The renewed five-year, multi-million dollar agreement underscores both companies' dedication to improving the performance and dependability of their products, as well as fostering innovation within the inspection class ROV sector.
Under this collaboration, Greensea IQ and VideoRay will leverage its combined expertise and apply dedicated resources to develop industry-leading systems that promise to deliver unparalleled value and reliability to customers worldwide. The companies have already begun work on the development of Professional Workspace software for VideoRay’s Ally, the newest member of their Mission Specialist family.
"The Master Agreement between Greensea IQ and VideoRay illustrates the significant commitment both companies are making to our US Navy and defense customers. This Agreement ensures our customers will have constant and stable access to the most advanced remote undersea robotics platform available. This Agreement removes the blockages of day-to-day operations and allows us to focus on technology advancement and customer satisfaction while maintaining our collaborative position as a world leader in ROV solutions." said Ben Kinnaman, CEO, of Greensea IQ.
This strategic alliance is more than a mere collaboration; it represents a shared vision for the future. By combining Greensea IQ's leading technology platform with VideoRay's leading Mission Specialist series ROVs, the partnership is set to introduce breakthrough solutions that address the current and future needs of subsea defense and commercial customers.
"With our long-standing partnership, this new deal ensures our capability to address the long-term software demands of our defense customers while harnessing emerging technological advancements to bolster our Mission Specialist capabilities. Ultimately, all our customers stand to gain from this arrangement," stated Chris Gibson, CEO of VideoRay.
Customers of VideoRay and Greensea IQ can expect advanced products, enhanced services, and innovative solutions designed to meet the evolving demands of the subsea industry. This partnership reaffirms both companies’ commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and leading the way in technological innovation.
BioBase undergoes acquisition by independant investors
The automated cloud mapping platform for inland and coastal waterways, BioBase (biobasemaps.com), has recently undergone a change in ownership. Formerly under the Navico Group, a division of the Brunswick Corporation, BioBase has now been acquired by an independent group of investors and will now operate as BioBase LLC with operations in St. Paul, MN USA.
BioBase is a subscription-based mapping platform that processes sonar files from off-the-shelf marine electronic brands Lowrance® and Simrad® in the cloud, generating detailed bathymetric, seagrass or kelp, and bottom composition maps. Users can export maps and datasets in a variety of GIS formats.
"The team is enthusiastic about this new chapter and is eager to solidify BioBase as the premier solution for automated mapping derived from sonar files. Whether it's mapping depth, aquatic vegetation, or bottom composition, we're committed to delivering high value maps and datasets with minimal effort and cost. This allows aquatic and fisheries professionals to focus on the important work of aquatic management and conservation and not making a map" stated BioBase President and Product Expert, Ray Valley.
Making Waves in Westminster
Ocean scientists made waves in Westminster as they presented their work to a room of MPs and members of the House of Lords. On Tuesday 16 April, MPs and Peers were brought together by Sarah Champion MP and Sally-Ann Hart MP in a cross-party show of support for ocean conservation. Sarah and Sally-Ann chair the All-Party Groups for Zoos and Aquariums and the Ocean respectively.
Ocean wildlife face immense challenges:
- According to the IUCN coral reefs are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth, largely due to climate change and local pressures.
- Since the 1930’s, up to 90% of seagrass beds have been lost, largely through physical disturbance, pollution, and disease. Seagrass is an essential habitat for species including seahorses and are a vital carbon sink.
- Scientists from ZSL have shown climate change is impacting strandings of whales and dolphins on beaches in the UK.
But the oceans are also sites of incredible conservation work:
- The Ocean Conservation Trust is cultivating seagrass within purpose-built labs at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, and in Polytunnels in nearby Brixham. This new seagrass is then planted in suitable habitats in and around Plymouth. This method has currently restored 8 hectares of seagrass meadow and the learnings from are helping protect nearly 200 hectares of this much needed ecosystem.
- ZSL scientists helped protect corals through their research on resilience and recovery of corals from bleaching events in the Chagos Archipelago and is working with communities in the Philippines to protect reefs there from issues such as overfishing
- BIAZA aquariums are helping off-shore wind farms create positive impacts for local ocean wildlife, surveying sea horses on the UK’s south coast and native sharks in Wales.
- Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre undertake research to map, survey and monitor offshore Marine Protected Areas around the UK such as the Darwin Mounds MPA and the Canyons Marine Conservation Zone, both of which feature cold water coral gardens.
- Earlier this year the UK Government expanded marine protections by more than 166,000 square kilometres around the South Georgia Islands in the South Atlantic.
Mark Parry of the Ocean Conservation Trust presented on the organisation’s ‘Blue Meadows' seagrass protection and restoration project, Rachel Jones from the Zoological Society of London spoke about their incredible work with Chagos corals and Dr Tammy Horton from the National Oceanography Centre presented on their leading scientific research and work in open ocean conservation.
They joined a chorus of NGOs encouraging parliamentarians to hold a debate for World Ocean Day in June, where they can shine a light on the obstacles for marine conservation.
Sally-Ann Hart MP commented: “I am delighted the APPG for the Oceans and the APPG for Zoos and Aquariums could come together at this timely point. It is clear that here in the UK we are not short of passionate expert advocates for the ocean and I am sure government will draw upon that expertise. Ocean conservation is an important issue for biodiversity, coastal communities and for the future of the ocean, and it is integral we all come together to ensure it can be protected.”
Sarah Champion MP said: “The state of ocean ecosystems isn’t just a matter of supporting the animals that call the ocean their home, but it is also about supporting the millions of people in coastal communities all across the world that rely on the ocean for their livelihoods.”
Dr Tammy Horton from the National Oceanography Centre said: “We need ocean advocates at every level of Government, more than ever. It was a pleasure to present alongside experts from the Ocean Conservation Trust and the Zoological Society of London, I hope the MPs and Lords heard clearly the need to take action to support our critical marine environment.”
The event was organised by the APPG for the Ocean and Zoos and Aquariums APPG, and supported by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the National Oceanography Centre, as part of the respective organisations ongoing work to support nature conservation through advocacy.
Smart Capital and VSL Club Cornerstone Investors in the listing of NextGeo on EGM with a maximum investment size of € 15m for a pre-money equity value of the company of € 250m
NextGeo, a leading international company in the field of marine geosciences and offshore construction support services mainly in the energy sector, with a focus on renewable energies, following the resolution - adopted by the Company's Assembly on March 29th, 2024 - approving the project for the admission to the listing of ordinary shares of Next Geo on the multilateral trading system Euronext Growth Milan, organised and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A. and dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises with high growth potential ("EGM"), through a fully capital increase offer of approximately € 50 million, it communicates having signed on April 12, 2024, a cornerstone investment agreement with Smart Capital S.p.A. ("Smart Capital") and VSL Club S.p.A. ("VSL Club") preparatory to the listing on EGM.
In this agreement, Smart Capital and VSL Club, acting as Cornerstone Investors for the IPO on EGM, have committed - through a newly established company in which they are shareholders and subject to certain suspensive conditions - to subscribe, within the broader capital increase approved by the assembly on March 29th, 2024, up to a total amount of € 15 million (with a minimum subscription of € 10 million).
The pre-money Equity Value of the Company for the investment will be € 250 million. This investment, characterised among other things by the presence of 12-month lock-up commitments on the part of the investors and the appointment of an independent board member already identified in the person of Andrea Costantini (President and Managing Partner of Smart Capital and Executive Vice President of Agrati Group), expresses their willingness to support the Company over time in the implementation of an ambitious growth plan, both organically and through targeted acquisition operations, which could lead in the future, if the conditions are met, to a translisting on the Euronext Milan Market.
Smart Capital is a permanent capital holding company specialised in Private Equity and Private Investments in Public Equity; VSL is a holding company engaged in investment and advisory activities exclusively in the transportation, maritime services, and logistics sector, with a long-only permanent capital perspective.
Attilio Ievoli, President of NextGeo and CEO of Marnavi Group: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement, which encourages the participation of important holding companies to support NextGeo's development project. The entry of Smart Capital and VSL Club, the latter specialising precisely in investment operations in the maritime logistics sector, reinforces the decision to take this significant step towards listing on the stock exchange, confirming NextGeo's capabilities and potential in its reference sector".
Giovanni Ranieri, CEO of NextGeo, commented: "We are now moving into the heart of the listing process, a fundamental step that opens up important prospects for the future, and knowing that we can count on the support and experience of prestigious Cornerstone Investors further proves the growth strategy we want to outline, both internally and externally, which will allow us to consolidate NextGeo's national and international leadership in the marine geoscience and offshore construction support services sector, with a particular focus on renewable energy".
Andrea Costantini and Andrea Faraggiana, Co-Managing Partner of Smart Capital, commented as follows: “We are extremely pleased to announce this important agreement regarding the investment in the capital of Next Geosolutions alongside the Ievoli family's Marnavi with Attilio Ievoli, Giovanni Ranieri and Giuseppe Maffia. We believe that Next Gesolutions is an Italian company with unique characteristics and absolute excellence, also thanks to a first-class management team. Next Geosolutions now enjoys a distinctive positioning both nationally and internationally that will enable it, over the next few years, to ride the impetuous growth trend of its reference market driven also by the pipeline of offshore wind farm installations."
VSL Club partners Fabrizio Vettosi, Giorgio Drago and Ciro Russo added: "We are very excited to support Next Geosolutions in its ambitious strategic path. We know the Ievoli Family and the Management of Next Geosolutions very well and we appreciate their strategic vision and capabilities that fit perfectly into our mission, namely the enhancement of Italian excellence in the field of Maritime Logistics."
Next Geosolutions (NextGeo) is a leading international company in marine geosciences and offshore infrastructure construction support in the energy sector, with a particular focus on renewable energy. NextGeo closed 2023 with strong growth results that reflect the company's growing success in its industry. The value of production rose 121% to € 148.6 million thanks to effective commercial and business strategies that facilitated winning more and larger contracts. EBITDA stood at € 40.5 million, up 281% year-on-year with an EBITDA Margin of 27%, and EBIT more than quadrupled to € 35.3 million with an EBIT Margin of 24%. Net profit almost quadrupled to € 29.2 million.
As at February 28th 2024, the Backlog (understood as the Group's order book, including only the contractual value of projects already secured by the Group) amounted to approximately € 325 million, of which € 204 million refers to contracts scheduled for execution during 2024.
