Fugro Kicks Off Cable Route Site Investigation for Sofia Offshore Wind Farm

Fugro’s multipurpose vessel Fugro Pioneer left the Port of Sunderland in the UK earlier this month to kick off a 6-month offshore site investigation and survey campaign for innogy’s Sofia offshore wind farm. With a consented capacity of 1.4 GW, Sofia will be one of the world’s biggest offshore wind farms; Fugro will provide geophysical and geotechnical services over the project’s 220 km export cable corridor, in what is believed to be one of the longest cable route surveys ever performed for an offshore wind farm, as well as further works on the wind farm array. Subsurface Conditions The objective... (read more)

2020-02-20 10:53:04

Schmidt Ocean Institute Appoints Dr. Jyotika Virmani as its First Executive Director

The Schmidt Ocean Institute has appointed Dr. Jyotika Virmani as its first Executive Director, to lead the US-based global nonprofit in its work to advance the field of oceanographic science through innovative research and technology. The announcement was made at the Ocean Sciences Meeting, the conference for the ocean sciences and larger ocean-connected community. With an extensive background in science and innovation, Virmani most recently served as the executive director of planet and environment at XPRIZE and the executive director of the Rainforest XPRIZE, a competition for innovations in biodiversity assessment technologies. She was also executive director of the Shell... (read more)

2020-02-20 09:00:56

Are Multifunctional Robots in Control?

I recently received a press release from a company that develops robots. Nothing special, I thought, because there are more companies doing that, but this time my attention was drawn to a special element because the robot in question turned out to be able to put another robot to work. This makes it possible, for example, to send a UAV to sea with a glider on board that can be launched remotely. Is that special? According to a robotic expert who was interviewed in a Dutch radio programme, it is. Although we are perfectly capable of developing robots that can... (read more)

2020-02-18 09:27:35

Two New Oceanographic Vessels Will Join the NOAA Fleet

NOAA is in the process of acquiring two new oceanographic ships as part of the agency’s fleet rebuilding effort. Once in service, the new ships will support a wide variety of missions, ranging from general oceanographic research and exploration to marine life, climate and ocean ecosystem studies. The first ship, to be named Oceanographer, will be homeported in Honolulu. The second ship, to be named Discoverer, will be assigned a homeport at a future date. Both ships will continue the legacies of their namesakes, the first Oceanographer having served in the agency’s fleet from 1966 to 1996 and her sister... (read more)

2020-02-13 09:25:40

Fugro Awarded Aker Energy Contract for Pecan field Surveys Offshore Ghana

Aker Energy has awarded Fugro a contract for geotechnical and geophysical survey services in relation to the Pecan field, offshore Ghana. The surveys will obtain critical seabed and sub-seabed information to facilitate the planning and emplacement of the Pecan subsea infrastructure and the floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) ship. “This project will build on the extensive experience that our vessels and staff have gained in Ghana and the wider West Africa region, and we look forward to using this knowledge to execute a safe and successful campaign,” said Jaco Stemmet, Fugro’s Director for Africa. Geophysical Survey Data The contract... (read more)

2020-02-11 08:46:35

Founder of the Five Deeps Expedition Launches New 2020 Voyage

Through collaboration between investor and explorer Victor Vescovo, Triton Submarines and EYOS Expeditions, the 2020 Caladan Oceanic expeditions will yet again visit never-before-seen ocean depths and famed historic sites. A first of its kind two-person research submersible, designed and manufactured by Triton specifically for extreme deep-sea exploration endeavours, will bring its stories of the voyage to the world in near real-time between February and July of 2020. The vessel, the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor, is the first commercially certified full-ocean-depth submersible. It will be transported and deployed into the ocean depths by the Deep Submergence Support Vessel (DSSV)... (read more)

2020-02-07 02:14:24

Kongsberg Maritime Sells its Underwater Technology Company Hydroid

Kongsberg Maritime AS has signed an agreement to sell its underwater technology company Hydroid, Inc. for USD 350 million to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest supplier of vessels to the US Navy. The agreement provides that, as of closing, the parties will enter into a strategic alliance agreement concerning underwater technology and maritime solutions. Kongsberg Maritime acquired Hydroid for USD 80 million in 2007 and is now selling this US subsidiary for USD 350 million on a debt-free and cash-free basis and as adjusted off an agreed-upon working capital. "Kongsberg Maritime has driven technology development and created considerable value... (read more)

2020-02-05 04:09:13

INMARTECH 2020

INMARTECH Symposia were initiated, and are coordinated, by the annual International Research Ship Operators meetings (IRSO, formerly ISOM) with the purpose of providing a forum for marine technicians to meet and exchange knowledge and experiences, thereby aiming to improve equipment performance, deployment and operational techniques during scientific cruises on research vessels. INMARTECH 2020 will be hosted by the Marine Technology Unit (UTM) from the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) during the first week of July (29 June to 2 July) 2020 in Barcelona (Spain) at the World Trade Center. The UTM provides the technical support and logistical management to the... (read more)

2020-02-03 10:00:03

When Can We See an Image of a Fully Mapped Ocean?

Video Included

Schmidt Ocean Institute has come together with The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project for the joint signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to share all of its collected mapping data with the project. According to the Seabed 2030 Project, about 32 million square kilometres or 15% of the ocean has been mapped. The million square kilometre milestone is a big one for Schmidt Ocean, accounting for 3% of this mapping contribution and the discovery of 14 new underwater features. Schmidt Ocean Institute is one of more than 100 organizations to formally support the initiative. Seabed 2030 is a global initiative... (read more)

2020-02-02 08:42:10

NOAA Hydrographic Community Prepares for Field Season

Once a year, the NOAA hydrographic community meets at the Field Procedures Workshop in the US to not only share information but have frank discussions about their challenges and the path forward in preparation for the upcoming hydrographic field season. “The Field Procedures Workshop is the single most important event of the year for NOAA’s hydrographic community,” said Rear Admiral Shep Smith, director of the Office of Coast Survey. “NOAA has become a global leader in hydrography because we use the full breadth of our community to continually refine our practices and adopt the best available technology and tools.“ Themes of... (read more)

2020-01-31 04:01:37