Ocean and climate experts gather to discuss critical point in planet’s future
September 2021
The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST) will provide a forum for experts, practitioners and ocean users to discuss climate change and the oceans, the theme of its 4th biennial Oceans of Knowledge conference. Organised by the Institute’s Special Interest Group (SIG) on Operational Oceanography, the 2-day conference will address three key themes: firstly, the sustainable use of the ocean and its resources, secondly, its role in natural and engineered climate mitigation and thirdly, rising sea levels and coastal vulnerability.
The conference is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the busy programme includes talks by world-class speakers from leading organisations, including the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Schmidt Ocean Institute and the International Energy Agency. The discussions will focus attention on how better understanding the ocean will help ensure its future use as a source of energy and food is balanced with the need to protect ocean ecosystem services upon which we all ultimately depend.
“This is an opportunity to hear from leading climate change specialists and to gain an understanding of how mitigating and adapting to climate change will impact the use of the ocean and ocean resources. The day dedicated to rising sea levels will then explore impacts where the ocean meets the land, seeking to better predict and respond to the challenges of protecting coastal communities, infrastructure and the environment.” Ralph Rayner, Co-Chair, IMarEST Operational Oceanography SIG.
Scene-setting keynotes will highlight current scientific understanding of the ocean-related aspects of climate change. Policy responses at a national and international level will be placed into the context of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
“The next ten years are now widely accepted as critical for climate action. This high profile event, leading directly into COP26, makes a key contribution to the UN Ocean Decade. We are very also excited by the collaboration with other learned societies and professional bodies that are supporting this conference.” Gus Jeans, Co-Chair, IMarEST Operational Oceanography SIG.
Key outcomes of the conference are planned to be conveyed at a COP26 side event and exhibition, and to inform further publications on the subject.
Register now for Oceans of Knowledge 2021. Early bird tickets available.
For sponsorship, email [email protected]. For other enquiries, email [email protected].
Senior Hydrographic Surveyor - GEOSIGHT
GEOSIGHT is a small team of survey professionals who work across both terrestrial and marine environments. Our team capture topographic land data for terrestrial mapping, hydrographic data for seabed mapping and highly accurate 3D data of client assets to support high level engineering decisions.
Due to continued and organic growth GEOSIGHT are looking to recruit a Senior level Hydrographic Surveyor who can take a technical lead on vessel mobilisation and data capture, data processing and reporting. Being part of a small company means this role will also involve project management, client liaison, business development and supporting the operations manager with the general running and delivery of all hydrographic survey services.
The opportunity also exists for the right person to develop their skills with conducting land surveys and precise dimensional control, including the use of terrestrial laser scanners and 3D modelling software.
The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of technical experience, and a relevant degree in surveying, and be looking for a role that provides less time away from home and a spilt of working between fieldwork and our head office in Hampshire. This is a role that may suit somebody who is looking to take on greater responsibility and to complement their technical skills with developing management, commercial and general business competencies.
GEOSIGHT is not a large offshore survey company and works primarily in the nearshore and inland environments. This can be a challenging but very rewarding environment that requires a hardworking and passionate attitude to surveying, which will lead the successful candidate to a very promising and fulfilling career within GEOSIGHT where everyone's opinion counts and is used to shape the future of the company.
GEOSIGHT offer a salary commensurate with experience, which includes additional allowances for away from home working and time off in Lieu.
Please send your C.V and covering letter/email to [email protected] or call 01722 442302 for an informal chat.
Nature Recovery Officer - Chichester Harbour Conservancy
Nature Recovery Officer - FT, 18 months fixed - £28,672 pa
The Friends of Chichester Harbour and the Conservancy are recruiting a Nature Recovery Officer to join our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Unit. This role will implement an exciting new project sponsored by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, called ‘Return of the Tern: Nature Recovery on the Southern Coastal Plain’. The project will develop plans for a new Nature Recovery Area, initiate and deliver two capital projects (shingle recharges), and manage nine new tern rafts in Chichester Harbour. This work will complement our existing work on nature recovery.
The successful candidate will join a thriving team and must be enthusiastic, pro-active with strong interpersonal skills. They will have knowledge of inter-tidal habitats and coastal issues and experience of working in a protected landscape, project management and working in partnership.
To apply, please read the job description and person specification carefully before downloading and completing the application form. Please return your completed application form to [email protected] by 5pm on 13 September 2021. For an informal discussion about this vacancy, please contact Dr Richard Austin, AONB Manager on 01243 512301 or by email [email protected].
Underwater cable for floating energy Archipelago
NOVACAVI has specially developed a hybrid underwater cable with optical fiber for the first sea-scale prototype of floating energy archipelago, an innovative idea for a sustainable use of marine renewable energy of CNR-INM (Institute for Marine Engineering).
With a reinforced configuration, this cable has been designed for the first laboratory at sea in Italy at the port of Naples (co-managed by CNR-Diitet and Unicampania university). It will integrate the part of transmission of electricity from land to platforms at sea, the part of transmission of electricity generated at sea to land and the part of digital signal transmission while at the same time it will guarantee excellent resilience to the forces to which it subjected.
NOVACAVI is proud to contribute to the realization of this Electrical System Research project funded by MiSE and coordinated by the Department of Engineering Diitet of the CNR, a strategic research project for the industrial system of the offshore renewable energy sector.
Specialist in custom cable design & manufacturing for advanced technology since 1975, NOVACAVI develops any cable solutions with engineering expertise, comprehensive knowledge of materials and a high degree of manufacturing.
For more details, please contact [email protected] or visit www.novacavi.it/news/
Valeport joins Ocean Infinity’s Armada
Valeport sensor technology has been selected by Ocean Infinity to provide sound velocity and bathymetric data for their pioneering Armada Fleet, the world’s most environmentally sustainable fleet of ocean-going, robotic vessels.
The Armada Fleet, capable of remotely operated uncrewed operations, is widely recognised as breaking new ground in the remote and autonomous seabed data industry. Integrating a suite of Valeport’s highly accurate sensors and profilers to a selection of the fleet’s uncrewed vessels, will provide important data to support operations for Ocean Infinity.
Valeport’s miniSVS will be mounted on the vessels beside the multi-beam echosounder in the sensor gondola, to provide surface Sound Velocity correction. Through the water column, the Midas SVX2, powered by the vessel, will deliver the Sound Velocity data of an SVP with the Salinity and Density data from a CTD. The Midas SVX2 has also been combined with the VA500 altimeter to provide range data for the vessels. Selected to interface with the Edge Tech side scan sonar and Saab Seaeye Leopard ROVs, the Valeport uvSVX will be integrated onto the vessels to deliver Sound Velocity, Temperature and Salinity combined with range data from the VA500 altimeter and precision depth from the miniIPS2.
The compact and robust instruments will be fitted across a selection of six vessels in the fleet including the 21m and 36m vessels, to assist their offshore data acquisition and ROV work in both shallow and deepwater operations.
Ocean Infinity selected Valeport for the Armada Fleet on the back of their previous experience using the leading hydrographic and oceanographic instrument manufacturer’s sensors and profilers. Valeport has already delivered the first instalment of instruments to Ocean Infinity’s facility in Southampton UK and further deliveries will be made throughout 2021 and 2022.
The robotic vessels in Ocean Infinity’s Armada Fleet use low emission technology, with an Armada robotic vessel emitting 90% less CO2 than a conventional survey vessel.
“The Armada Fleet is an exciting demonstration of uncrewed, and sustainable, seafaring technology and we are very proud that Valeport technology is involved in this innovative project.
“These exceptionally efficient vessels undoubtedly will play an important role in the future of data acquisition and maritime activity, and the stable, high accuracy data performance from our instruments can play its part in helping to underpin this”, commented Kevin Edwards, Head of Sales at Valeport.
“Working with Ocean Infinity engineers is an interesting project and we are pleased to offer them the solution required”, concluded Kevin.
The Armada Fleet will serve a wide range of industries by being fully equipped to perform a multiplicity of offshore data acquisition and intervention operations down to a depth of 6,000 meters. Expected to be deployable from 2022, Ocean Infinity will control and operate the Armada Fleet from its onshore facilities in Southampton, UK and Austin, Texas, .
Valeport has supplied the subsea sector for more than 50 years and continues to innovate in the design and manufacture of precision instrumentation for the hydrographic and oceanographic communities.
For more information contact: www.valeport.co.uk and www.oceaninfinity.com
Global Underwater Hub appoints industry heavy-hitter as first chair
The £13million UK and Scottish Government-backed, Global Underwater Hub (GUH) has appointed its first chair.
Andrew Hodgson will take up the role as Subsea UK transitions into a new strategically-focused organisation that that will transform the UK’s £8bn underwater industry into one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the country, generating £45bn in revenues by 2035. This will accelerate the drive to net-zero and create high value sustainable jobs and exports.
The GUH will harness opportunities in a rapidly-growing global market, create a step-change in the growth and internationalisation of UK underwater expertise, technologies, services and skills and drive innovation to accelerate the energy transition.
Mr Hodgson will lead the board of the new organisation as it works across all sectors of the industry, providing underwater companies with the market information, connections, access and specialist expertise they need to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the energy transition and the blue economy.
A member of Subsea UK’s board from 2010 to 2017, Mr Hodgson also headed up Subsea North East (England).
He is a recognised strategic business leader, with a reputation for delivery in periods of significant organisational change and brings a wealth of corporate, private and public sector experience to the GUH which will be crucial in this formative period.
His career has spanned international technology, engineering and manufacturing, built on a sound financial background. His significant board experience includes nine years as chair and vice-chair of the North East (of England) Local Enterprise Partnership. He has won a number of business accolades, including the Queen’s Award for Industry three times, and was awarded an OBE in 2015 for Services to Manufacturing and the North East of England Economy.
The GUH will build on SSUK’s 18 successful years of championing the subsea industry and its globally recognised role as the industry’s leading voice.
With extra resources, through an injection of £13 million from UK and Scottish Governments, Subsea UK is transitioning into the GUH with the launch and official opening planned for later this year.
Having successfully diversified SMD, one of the world’s leading suppliers of ROVs for the subsea sector, from an almost 80% oil and gas focus to more than 80% revenues in other sectors whilst significantly growing the business, during his nine-year tenure as chief executive, Mr Hodgson said he understands the challenges of both organisations and sectors in transition.
“The underwater industry in the UK is strategically important, as evidenced by government support for the Global Underwater Hub. With a rapidly growing global market and a world-leading position, the industry has the potential to grow exponentially, helping achieve net-zero and creating new, high-value jobs and exports.
“We want to see the UK continuing to lead the way around the world and capturing a larger share of the opportunities in the blue economy by addressing the challenges for our future generations, whether that be reversing climate change, husbanding our mineral resources or monitoring and safeguarding our ocean environments.
“The biggest challenge we face, but also the greatest opportunity, will come from cross-sector collaboration. The GUH will be uniquely positioned to connect the different institutions and companies with the market opportunity to deliver the underwater solutions of the future.
“It will be incumbent upon us to make sure that sectors such as defence, offshore renewables, and oil and gas all work together, collectively furthering their knowledge and improving their global offering.
“We have major strengths in each of those spaces with world leading technology and expertise. The world is demanding change and, in helping bring that about, we can gain economic advantage not just for the industry but for the country as a whole. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of that and I am thrilled to be steering this new organisation in meeting its ambitious objectives and delivering transformational change.”
For further information please contact Zoe Ogilvie on [email protected]
Unique Group adds iXblue Gaps M7 USBL to its US pool of rental equipment
"USBL positioning systems have been highly sought after by clients due to the increase in geophysical projects in the US. Such projects push the vertical-horizontal tracking range and accuracies to extremities, with an understanding of these requirements Unique Group has invested in the iXblue Gaps M7 USBL and added it to our rental pool so that clients can choose the best solution for their projects. Gaps M7 is an integrated solution that makes USBL (Ultra Short Base Line) underwater positioning extremely simple to operate from any vessel of opportunity, using a portable and truly pre-calibrated USBL head coupled with internal INS (Inertial Navigation System) and GNSS.”
"We would like to thank Unique Group for their renewed trust and continued support in our subsea navigation and positioning technology. We are also pleased to see that our Gaps M7 USBL systems continue to provide highly accurate subsea positioning for their clients across the Americas.”States Euan Mackay, Business Development Manager at iXblue, Inc.
Remote Hydrography Conference & Exhibition - THS UK Announce a Second Call for Papers
Following the rescheduling of this conference and it being extended from two to three days (22-24 February 2022, Dubiln), the organising committee are pleased to invite potential speakers to submit their abstracts for proposed papers to be presented at this conference. Submissions may address any subject relating to the conference theme.
All abstracts will be peer-reviewed, and authors notified before the final programme is announced in October. Presentations will be selected based on relevance to the conference theme, originality and quality. Presentations focussing on innovation or application and those featuring case studies would be of particular interest to the target audience.
Abstracts are particularly welcome from students and recent graduates; it is the intention of the organising committee to have a dedicated student presentation session.
Successful authors will be offered discounted registration at the conference, although THS UK will not be able to cover the cost of travel, accommodation, or subsistence.
The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30th September 2021, full details of how to submit your abstract can be found here Second Call For Papers - The Hydrographic Society UK (ths.org.uk).
Topics under consideration at this three-day conference include, but are not limited to:
The latest innovations in and novel applications of:
- Autonomous and unmanned aerial, surface and underwater survey platforms
- Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB)
- Crowdsourced Bathymetry
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning in data gathering, analysis and visualisation
- Forward Looking Sonar (FLS) for real-time data gathering and enhancing navigational safety
- Remote command and support services for offshore survey operations
- Potential future developments and applications of these technologies
- The use of collaborative fleets or swarms of autonomous systems
- Challenges and solutions for the verification and quality control of remote data collection
- Initiatives such as the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project; UK's Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme and LINZ Hydrographic Risk Assessment model developed for the SW Pacific SID
Full details of the conference, exhibition, networking events and sponsorship opportunities can be found here Remote Hydrography Conference & Exhibition - The Hydrographic Society UK (ths.org.uk).
OceanSENSE 4 – Detects All Subsea Fluorescing Trace Dyes
OTAQ Offshore is proud to announce the final word in subsea leak detection with the release of the OceanSENSE 4.
Designed to detect all fluorescing trace dyes used in subsea leak detection from a single 6000m rated Titanium housing, the OceanSENSE 4 utilises the same core technology as the industry standard OTAQ OceanSENSE subsea leak and cement returns detection system.
With two units purchased and in the field with two separate clients, the ROV mount OceanSENSE 4 enables operators to instantly switch between detecting different dye types ‘on-the-fly’ via the newly designed topside software. The ability to detect all dye types means there is no requirement to mobilise multiple detection configurations or recover the ROV to surface. OceanSENSE 4 is engineered to save operators time and money and to eliminate all risk associated with sensor and dye incompatibilities.
Utilising cutting edge technology OceanSENSE 4 is extremely capable. When mixing fluorescing dye into the carrier medium, the industry standard is 200,000 parts per billion – all OceanSENSE models detect dye to 6 parts per billion. The sensor feedback based topside software removes human judgement and inconsistencies from the detection operation. The OceanSENSE 4 unequivocally informs the operator when dye is present in the water column thus, depending on the application, locating the leak, confirming asset integrity or confirming the arrival of cement at the seafloor.
OceanSENSE was first released to the market in 2009, with operators rapidly positioning the system as the global industry standard for subsea dye detection. To date, OceanSENSE technology has achieved in excess of 50,000 offshore days on over 1000 subsea projects. The OceanSENSE 4 builds on this pedigree by ensuring increased operator flexibility while delivering repeatability of results, protecting the environment and reducing offshore operational costs.
Dr Harry Rotsch, inventor of the OceanSENSE range, expands; “as the industry looks to rebound from ongoing pressures and recent global events, the 4 dye detection system is the natural evolution of OceanSENSE. We have always looked to offer the best technical solution while responding to market forces. The system will continue to position OceanSENSE at the forefront of subsea dye detection for the rest of this decade”.
OceanSENSE 4 is available for hire or sale directly from OTAQ Offshore, for further information or to arrange a product demonstration please visit: https://offshore.otaq.com
Marine Advanced Robotics and Planck Aerosystems Announce Strategic Alliance; Combining Technologies for an Unmanned Aerial and Surface Robotic Team
Marine Advanced Robotics and Planck Aerosystems have established a strategic alliance to provide a multi-domain robotic team that includes an unmanned surface vessel (USV) equipped with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) that operate together for advanced mission profiles.
The first system of its kind, the UAS-USV combination has broad applicability in the maritime sector. Applications include offshore infrastructure inspection (such as wind turbines and oil platforms), patrols of marine protected areas and exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and defense and security use cases. The sUAS can be operated remotely as a push-button capability, which includes autonomous launch and recovery, as well as automatic securing and recharging while not in flight. The USV can travel long distances unsupported, even in high sea states, and can host additional sensors above and below the water. The combined system is currently in trials for early customers. It will be offered as an enabling capability to all customers in the fourth quarter of 2021.
“The combination of Planck’s unmanned aircraft system with Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V) technology will enable greater situational awareness for multiple applications,” said Mark Gundersen, CEO of Marine Advanced Robotics. “Thanks to Planck’s ACE (Autonomous Control Engine) on the UAS and the inherent stability of the WAM-V, we’re able to provide a USV/UAS solution that can operate in open ocean conditions. Together we’re providing force multiplier solutions for aerial and surface missions for our defense and commercial customers.”
“This strategic partnership builds upon our existing relationship with Marine Advanced Robotics, which has included collaborative multi-domain deployments for Navy base security applications,” said Dave Twining, COO of Planck Aerosystems. “WAM-Vs are the ideal unmanned maritime platform for operating UASs, and we’re excited to see how far we can go with the combined system.”
About Planck Aerosystems: Based in San Diego, California, Planck Aerosystems develops and integrates navigation and autonomy solutions for tethered and freeflight sUAS that enable them to operate from moving platforms, including in GPS-denied environments, primarily for defense and industrial applications. Planck Aero’s Autonomous Control Engine (ACE) has been integrated into over 30 different aircraft types of various sizes and configurations. Learn more at planckaero.com or contact [email protected].
About Marine Advanced Robotics: Based in Richmond, California, Marine Advanced Robotics designs and builds Wave Adaptive Modular Vessels (WAM-Vs) with unique features that make them well suited for marine surveys, remote observation, maritime domain awareness, oceanography, maritime security, and disaster response. WAM-V technology has been used to build manned and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) ranging from 8 feet (2.4 meters) to 100 feet (30 meters) for deployments around the world. Learn more at wam-v.com or contact [email protected].