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Why Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Should be Defined as ‘Ships’
By Tom Walters • Johanna Ohlman
The developing field of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) presents a myriad of opportunities and challenges. As the industry evolves and projects become larger, the liabilities associated with FOWTs will become paramount for owners and operators.
Owners and operators of FOWTs may face various types of claims, including physical loss, personal injury, and business interruption. These claims can arise from unintentional acts, such as natural disasters, collisions, and manufacturing defects, as well as intentional acts, such as sabotage, cyberattacks, and “gray zone” warfare. Each scenario presents unique challenges and requires specific insurance coverage and risk mitigation strategies.
The 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC) affords owners of ships transporting fixed offshore wind turbine components the right to limit their liability for third-party claims for loss or damage relating to their operation. This includes death, personal injury and property damage “occurring on board or in direct connection with the operation of a ship.” The definition of a “shipowner” includes a charterer, manager or operator.
Under English Law, the LLMC is implemented by Section 185 of the U.K. Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (MSA). Section 313(1) of the MSA provides that “unless the context otherwise requires … ‘ship’ includes every description of vessel used in navigation.” The requirement for “use in navigation” has been the subject of case law, but there is no clear reason why a ship either remotely controlled or in autonomous operation may not fall within the MSA definition of a “ship” purely because it is unmanned. Further, the MSA extends certain provisions to “any ship whether seagoing or not” (paragraph two, Part II, Schedule 7 of the MSA).
Article 1 of the LLMC provides that shipowners and certain other parties interested in the operation of a “seagoing ship” may limit their liability for the claims set out in Article 2, subject to the terms of the LLMC. If a claim falls within Article 2 of the LLMC, it is difficult to break limits in the U.K.
Even if an FOWT is not a “ship” under English law, section 116 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 gives the secretary of state the power to apply certain shipping legislation to things “which are used, navigated or situated wholly or partly in or on water.”
In other jurisdictions, there is an increasing willingness to treat FOWTs as “ships.” In 2020, an FOWT was registered with the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register. Shortly afterwards in 2021, the Marshall Islands allowed owners to register FOWTs. Singapore has also recently opened its doors to the registration of FOWTs.
There are also sound commercial reasons for allowing FOWTs to be registered as “ships”:
- Without the right to limit under the LLMC, the owners, insurers, and other FOWT stakeholders may be fully exposed to liabilities outside their control and which may exceed their capital value.
- If an FOWT is considered to be a “ship,” then mortgages and charges can be registered against the asset, making projects more “bankable.” It would also be possible to arrest the FOWT to secure a maritime claim.
- Certain tax and employment law obligations would also become relevant to FOWTs for those workers who regularly work offshore on the structures.
As the floating offshore wind industry continues to expand and assets increase in size, so will the potential liabilities facing owners and operators. The acceptance of FOWTs as ships could greatly reduce the risk exposure for owners and operators and would in turn potentially accelerate adoption of FOWTs in the offshore industry.
Tom Walters is a partner and Johanna Ohlman is an associate at HFW in London.
The Role of OEMs in Regulatory Compliance
Wärtsilä Water and Waste’s Membrane Bio Reactor Systems.
By Cathy Stephenson
The maritime industry is under intense scrutiny to address its environmental impact. Shipowners now face a complex regulatory environment as industry regulators clamp down on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The International Maritime Organization’s International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) now encompasses a host of environmental issues, from plastics to pollution. Understandably, much of the focus in recent years has been on the impact of airborne emissions on how our industry does its business.
Less discussed—but still as pertinent—is the host of rules that shipowners and operators must comply with to tackle waste from on board. To fully address this, we must take a holistic approach that covers all of a vessel’s waste products because our oceans are a precious environment that we must protect to the full extent of our ability.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are key partners in helping shipowners address these challenges. By offering advanced technological solutions and expert guidance, OEMs play a critical role in ensuring vessels comply with regulations, avoid penalties, and operate sustainably. At the core of this partnership is trust—shipowners and operators must be confident in the reliability of the technology and the OEMs behind it.
Wärtsilä Water and Waste’s Aquarius ballast water management system on board MS Viking Glory.
Preserving Resources, Reducing Environmental Impact
Good technology preserves vital resources, not just on vessels but in the broader environment. Wärtsilä Water and Waste, for instance, has developed water management systems that enable efficient freshwater usage on board. By reducing reliance on shore-based resources, these solutions help shipowners minimize their ecological footprint while maintaining operational efficiency.
Similarly, advanced technologies contribute to environmental stewardship by ensuring compliance with rigorous regulations. With environmental protection being a priority for shipowners, Wärtsilä’s systems make a significant contribution to actively preserving marine ecosystems and reducing pollution in sensitive maritime areas.
Trust in OEM technology extends to promoting circular economy practices within the shipping sector. Solutions that enable the recycling and reuse of onboard waste can help shipowners adopt more sustainable long-term waste management strategies. However, the success of these practices relies heavily on the durability and reliability of the technology itself, ensuring it performs consistently across the vessel’s life cycle.
This approach aligns with Wärtsilä’s broader mission to reduce emissions from waste treatment processes and optimize water consumption. By focusing on these critical areas, Wärtsilä contributes to the maritime sector’s climate mitigation efforts and reinforces the industry’s transition toward a low-carbon future.
Supporting Long-Term Performance and Regulatory Confidence
Building a new vessel or retrofitting an existing one requires significant investment and carries inherent risks. Shipowners must partner with suppliers who understand the nuances of vessel operations and offer reliable, scalable solutions. The longevity of these systems is also vital, as they must withstand extreme maritime conditions over decades of operation.
OEMs must work closely with shipowners’ engineering teams to create retrofit options that align with evolving standards and facilitate the approval process with classification societies. This will ensure that shipowners are always a step ahead in compliance.
Building Confidence for a Sustainable Future
Beyond compliance, OEM solutions are essential to the maritime industry’s efforts to combat climate change. New technologies are necessary to help shipowners minimize GHG emissions, meet sustainability targets, and adopt practices that support the industry’s broader transition toward a low-carbon future.
As the regulatory landscape becomes more complex, shipowners face mounting challenges. However, by working with trusted OEMs, such as Wärtsilä Water and Waste, with a dedicated and highly knowledgeable team to help navigate compliance challenges, they can adopt innovative solutions supporting compliance, enhancing operational efficiency, and promoting sustainability. In turn, shipowners must ask the right questions and demand reliability, sustainability, and longevity from their technology partners.
Failing to do so risks stranded assets, additional costs and delays in the industry’s mission to reduce its environmental impact. With trusted partners and forward-thinking technologies, the shipping industry can continue to make meaningful strides toward a greener future.
Cathy Stephenson is the managing director of Wärtsilä Water and Waste.
Digital Heritage Improves Vessel Performance and Compliance
ShipSure puts data heritage to work to improve operations and management.
By Stephen MacFarlane
The global maritime landscape has never been more complex. Globalization, geopolitics and decarbonization have created an intricate web of interconnected systems where every decision, event, or disruption has ripple effects across industries, market segments, and businesses.
A push for decarbonization in the EU, with regulations such as EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime, is just the start. Soon, other regulators will move to implement their own emissions reduction measures, which will increase regulatory complexity and cost and raise long-term questions around fleet efficiency investments, strategies for trading carbon credits, charter party agreements, and more. Meanwhile, the ongoing Red Sea challenges are also driving increased complexity and volatility in the industry. The extra routing requirements associated with avoiding the Red Sea passage mean that the equivalent of 6 to 7 percent of shipping capacity has been taken off the market.
Brewing below the surface is a myriad of overlapping developments, from conflict in Eastern Europe affecting thousands of seafarers to the return of Donald Trump to the White House, all coalescing to form one of shipping’s most transformative periods.
For ship managers and operators, this means our job becomes more about expertise and global scale. Nimbly navigating the interconnected web of industry challenges is a delicate balancing act.
Of course, these challenges also bring opportunities. The key to thriving in a volatile landscape lies in strategic adaptability, and in this context, ship managers can act as critical partners by guiding businesses through unpredictable waters, leveraging their expertise and experience to keep operations on track.
While headline grabbers such as geopolitics and environmental regulations have been significant disruptors, one of the most transformative forces reshaping the shipping industry has been digitalization. It has already revolutionized how businesses operate, offering technologies that enhance safety, optimize energy usage, improve decision making and unlock new levels of commercial efficiency.
Digitalization has delivered groundbreaking results, from real-time tracking and predictive analytics to advanced fuel management systems and AI-driven maintenance. These tools offer opportunities to streamline operations, reduce costs and meet tightening regulatory requirements.
However, like all innovations, the path to digitalization has not been smooth. The explosion of new technologies and software providers over the past decade has created a crowded and competitive marketplace. Startups and established players alike have rushed to offer solutions, each claiming to be the next game-changer.
For shipowners, this presents a significant dilemma. How do you identify which solutions are genuinely effective? Making the wrong choice can create more problems than it solves. Poorly implemented software can lead to information silos, duplication of efforts, communication breakdowns, and missed opportunities to leverage data for strategic insights. In large organizations, this risk is magnified when different departments or regional offices adopt different technologies that do not integrate seamlessly. Instead of solving problems, these fragmented solutions can amplify them.
In such a saturated digital marketplace, shipowners need more than flashy promises. Proven experience, a strong track record and digital heritage have become the most significant differentiators.
The Benefits of Data Heritage
One of the most valuable benefits of digital heritage is access to historical data. Solutions with a proven track record may have amassed years, even decades, of data that provide unparalleled insights into operations, fuel consumption, maintenance patterns and environmental performance.
Take the industry’s decarbonization challenge, for example. Companies with access to rich historical data can use this information to develop more precise strategies for meeting compliance targets. By analyzing trends in energy use, emissions, and vessel performance, shipowners can identify inefficiencies, optimize routes, and implement solutions that reduce fuel consumption while meeting regulatory standards. This proactive approach is only possible with the foundations of robust, reliable data.
Digital platforms, such as V.Group’s ShipSure, provide the industry with extensive data and insights to manage vessels and navigate evolving challenges with confidence. With a rich data heritage built up over many years, it is a critical part of the toolkit to make informed, strategic and data-driven decisions.
The power of data lies not just in its existence but in its breadth. Companies with access to vast data sets can gain clearer, more authoritative insights; the kind that smaller providers cannot offer. In a market where every commercial decision can have significant financial and operational consequences, the ability to trust in data is critical. The larger the data set, the clearer the patterns and trends become, which means shipowners can make informed, confident decisions based on trusted insights rather than guesswork or incomplete information.
At the heart of digital heritage lies the data flywheel effect. In simple terms, this is the process by which data compounds over time; the more data a company collects, the better its ability becomes to analyze and extract actionable insights from that data. These insights drive improvements in operations, which in turn generate more data to be collected and analyzed. This creates a continuous cycle of data collection, analysis, and action that fuels ongoing innovation and improvement.
For example, a digital platform that collects data on fuel consumption, maintenance schedules, and weather conditions can identify inefficiencies and suggest optimizations. Over time, these improvements become increasingly precise and impactful as the system learns from more data. The result is a perpetual cycle of enhanced performance, reduced costs and greater resilience.
Another example of the benefits of deep historical data would be in the world of maintenance. It is well known that predictive maintenance powered by data analytics can significantly reduce downtime and repair costs. By analyzing historical maintenance data alongside real-time performance indicators, shipowners can anticipate when equipment is likely to fail and schedule maintenance proactively. This not only saves costs but also minimizes operational disruptions.
Ultimately, the full potential of data is unlocked when it can be coupled with human expertise. While data and digital platforms provide all the right insights, it’s human decision making that ensures these insights are applied effectively in real-world scenarios, that their implications are understood, and that the customer’s trust is maintained.
This dynamic was recently demonstrated when a major cruise line engaged V.Group to support its energy performance management. Combining the expertise of three naval architects, alongside robust vessel efficiency data that were drawn from automated processes on board, V. provided consultancy on ways the cruise line could identify potential savings and take corrective action.
The team looked at a range of areas that contribute to fuel savings, from hull and propeller cleaning to voyage optimization, evaluating the estimated fuel losses per leg due to higher average speeds and extra fuel consumption at ports. Using the data, technical expertise, and a collaborative approach between crew, customer, and data experts, the cruise line was able to build a strategy that would see it save 25 tonnes of fuel per month per vessel across its 20-strong fleet.
In other words, captured vessel data combined with human expertise unlocked measurable upsides for the cruise operator. This is only possible when both forces can work in tandem with each other—and when the vast reams of ship data being gathered on board can be harnessed, understood, and interpreted by digital applications.
Conclusion
The journey toward digitalization is not about adopting the latest technology for the sake of it; it is about choosing the right partner, one with the expertise, experience and digital heritage to deliver meaningful, long-term results to future-proof operations. The right partner will have a proven track record of success, a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s unique challenges, and the ability to integrate solutions seamlessly across an organization’s operations.
The shipping industry’s challenges are not going away. Geopolitical instability, environmental pressures and technological disruption will continue to shape the future. The companies that thrive will be those that embrace adaptability, leverage the power of data, and choose partners with global scale and expertise.
Shipowners must understand their past to chart a confident course for the future. By blending historical data with advanced technologies and actionable insights, businesses can proactively manage risks, optimize operations, and drive sustainable growth.
Stephen MacFarlane is the chief information officer of V.Group.
Methanol Infrastructure Supports Hydrogen-on-Demand at Ports
To achieve global climate objectives, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established a comprehensive strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping, aiming for net-zero emissions by or around 2050. Targets include achieving at least a 20 percent reduction in total annual GHG emissions by 2030 (striving for 30 percent, compared to 2008 levels) and attaining at least a 70 percent reduction by 2040 (aiming for 80 percent relative to 2008 levels).
By Bryan Reid
Ports are uniquely positioned to serve as hubs for clean energy innovation. By leveraging methanol-to-hydrogen systems coupled with fuel cells, ports can access clean, on-demand power that reduces emissions, enhances operational efficiency and strengthens relationships with maritime partners. These systems offer a practical pathway to clean energy and electrical power, addressing global emissions targets and the immediate power needs of modern port operations.
As the global maritime sector considers transformative ways to reduce emissions, leading ports (and shipping operators) are looking at hydrogen and its immense promise as a clean energy source. Hydrogen’s potential, however, is tempered by practical challenges. Hydrogen storage and handling is complex and costly, creating an infrastructure puzzle with unique hurdles and opportunities for both shipbuilders and port operators. A breakthrough lies in hydrogen on-demand, on-site systems that streamline hydrogen generation and deployment and offer ports a leading role in reducing emissions.
Why are port facilities poised to play such an outsize role in clean energy initiatives? From a readiness perspective, major ports are fitted with the methanol infrastructure that is the foundation of clean energy systems based on hydrogen-on-demand. Methanol—and by extension, methanol-to-hydrogen (M2H2) solutions—is readily accessible across most global shipping ports. In terms of flexibility and strategic operations, ports also feature flexible and expansive space, diverse end-use applications, and a growing drive to define themselves as tactical partners in the global journey toward a greener shipping industry. These factors, paired with the urgent need for clean energy and electrical power, make ports likely to adopt hydrogen-on-demand systems more readily and cost-effectively than shipbuilders.
The Goal of Modernizing Ports
With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) setting ambitious net-zero targets, it is logical and strategic for ports to prioritize seamless emissions reductions. It’s a goal that is well-reflected in the influx of government support for hydrogen infrastructure development. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) is overseeing the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program, designed to establish interconnected networks of hydrogen producers, users and supporting infrastructure. The program includes up to $7 billion to establish six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs across America. Overall, the initiative seeks to advance the adoption of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier capable of storing and delivering vast amounts of energy efficiently.
OCED is working with the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems to build the California Hydrogen Hub, a network of clean hydrogen infrastructure sites that incorporates multiple facilities, including California’s Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland. The goal is decarbonizing public transportation, heavy-duty trucking and port operations by 2 million metric tons per year—roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 445,000 gasoline-powered cars.
Simplifying Hydrogen by Starting with Methanol
M2H2 systems use methanol as a feedstock fuel and hydrogen carrier for generating hydrogen-on-demand. It’s a low flash point fuel with management requirements that are deeply familiar to maritime professionals, given it is approved for storage, handling and bunkering in marine environments. It is already widely utilized as a feedstock globally, handled much like conventional fuels. With its liquid state at normal temperatures, biodegradability, water miscibility, and widespread availability in seaports, methanol offers a practical and economical choice as a hydrogen carrier.
Methanol itself is being scrutinized for ways to add further value to global emissions goals. Current M2H2 systems recognize this evolution and remain versatile, capable of utilizing both conventional and renewable methanol. As green methanol becomes more accessible, ports can seamlessly switch to this cleaner alternative, ensuring their sustainability investments remain future-proof for evolving greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards.
RIX’s M2H2 Series offers hydrogen-on-demand, integrating technology licensed from Element 1 (e1). Combined with PEM fuel cells, M2H2 systems produce power with no NOx, SOx or particulate matter. These systems deliver high efficiency, minimal vibration/noise and low emissions for power-critical applications.
The Power of M2H2 Technology
M2H2 systems convert methanol into hydrogen within a compact, self-contained unit, providing a steady supply of pure hydrogen, much like drawing it from a large storage tank. Commercially available M2H2 systems can be integrated into cabinet or container configurations, offering scalable, modular designs that deliver over 80 percent energy efficiency; when combined with fuel cells, these systems can accommodate power requirements ranging from 50 kW to multimegawatt-scale applications.
For example, an M2H2 hydrogen generator combined with fuel cell can efficiently power refrigerated containers (reefers) waiting at ports, generating up to 300 kW from a 20-ft. unit, scalable with additional units. Configurations are flexible and, depending on the number and scope of a port’s reefer population, the M2H2 would offer a bank of plugs for easy power connection. This aligns well with port activities and creates a stable micro-grid approach to electrical power delivery.
Another example features shore-to-ship power. This is the preferred method of power for ships to support hotel loads or refrigeration at port docks to reduce emissions, rather than continued operation of the vessel’s diesel systems. Reliable power generation via M2H2 systems combined with fuel cells ensure port operations during outages; ship facilities are maintained and cargo requirements are met, with steady power supporting operations such as cold ironing, reefer and auxiliary power.
Containerized M2H2 and fuel cell power systems can be easily relocated to provide power for various port operations and deployed where needed for both general port facilities and in support of docked ships. What sets them apart is their exceptional cleanliness and quiet operation, eliminating the noise and pollution typically associated with diesel systems. Combined with PEM fuel cells, M2H2 systems produce clean power with no particulate matter, NOx or SOx.
RIX Industries’ hydrogen generator systems, for example, enable the integration of advanced fuel reforming and hydrogen purification technologies directly on board marine vessels and heavy-duty logistic vehicles. The M2H2 Series is specifically designed to displace stored compressed hydrogen to support primary propulsion, auxiliary power systems, cold ironing and bunkering by providing high-purity (99.97 percent) hydrogen-on-demand. RIX’s scalable M2H2 Series applies to PEM fuel cell power systems from 100 kW to megawatts.
Tailoring Strategies for Port Profiles
Ports with extensive methanol infrastructure and bunkering as part of routine operations are well-positioned to adopt M2H2 technology and fuel cell-based power systems immediately. Others, such as container-focused ports (for example, Oakland), typically do not stockpile the large quantities of methanol necessary to fully utilize M2H2 technology. Despite this, container ports also face the dual demands of meeting power requirements and advancing environmental goals. To benefit from M2H2 systems, these ports would need an alternative approach, such as partnering with nearby fuel depots for methanol supply.
This added logistical step has minimal impact on infrastructure, as methanol is a stable, easily transportable substance. It can be delivered in intermediate bulk containers, which are modular, stackable and highly efficient.
The U.S. Department of Energy is working with the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems to build the California Hydrogen Hub, a network of clean hydrogen infrastructure sites/facilities, including California’s Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland (pictured here).
Partners in a Cleaner Future
Much like small cities, many ports are shifting to electrified equipment, including cranes and drayage trucks. Hydrogen-on-demand systems support this shift by enabling the use of both fuel cell and battery-electric vehicles. Additionally, ports can enhance their appeal to the refrigerated container business by offering reliable, off-grid power solutions that surpass the limitations of traditional power grids. By addressing air quality, noise, and pollution proactively, ports can also build stronger relationships with nearby communities, gaining the support of residents and businesses while advancing their sustainability goals.
Ultimately, M2H2 technology combined with fuel cells allows ports to implement clean energy solutions tailored to their unique operational needs. It’s a level of adaptability and flexibility not previously associated with hydrogen power, giving hydrogen-on-demand the real potential to bring innovative options to the surface. In embracing M2H2 technology, ports take a critical step toward becoming the “port of the future,” leading the charge in the maritime industry’s journey toward reduced emissions and sustainability. Where possible, a shipping operator may choose one port over another to better align with its emissions reduction targets and avoid penalties for non-compliance. Port operators play a crucial role in this transition, as their dedication to providing accessible and efficient hydrogen infrastructure can either support or hinder fleet owners’ shift to greener operations. Furthermore, some shippers are eager to highlight their commitment to sustainability, emphasizing clean shipping practices throughout the supply chain.
As the maritime sector evolves, ports that prioritize clean energy solutions will not only drive progress but also position themselves as indispensable partners in the global fight against climate change.
Bryan Reid is the chief sales officer of RIX Industries: breid@rixindustries.com.
Integrated Vessel Pilot Systems for Panama Canal and Beyond
Cocolí Locks, on the Pacific Ocean end of the Panama Canal, showing water recycling ponds.
By Simon Lightbody
The navigation of ships through the Panama Canal, and in fact, through any narrow port, harbor or channel in the world, is one that requires precision and skill, particularly when it comes to ships the size of the Panamax and Neopanamax class.
While positioning technology has helped improve the movement of these large vessels through confined spaces, the canal infrastructure still takes the brunt of even the slightest miss. In the Panama Canal, the lock chambers measure 427 m long, with a 55-m beam and 18.3-m draft. Neopanamax container ships, up to 366 m in length, with a 51.25-m beam and 15.2-m draft, are approved for transit through the new canal—leaving little room for error as the vessels move from lock to lock.
As Panama Canal navigation management has found, even small impacts or slight hits against the lock walls from these large vessels can cause significant damage. Those damages accumulate quickly when 35 to 40 ships, on average, transit the waterway every day, which can lead to costly repairs and delays.
To reduce the chance of vessel grounding and minimize damage to the canal, the Panama Canal Authority mandated that large vessels (ships 33.22 m or wider) must have an approved, permanently installed (non-portable) piloting unit with real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning capabilities for submeter accuracy. Effective October 2023, this mandate is a significant operational shift, as, for many years, the Panama Canal pilots have had to bring their own portable navigation system aboard each ship transiting the canal.
The non-portable, onboard pilot systems give canal pilots extremely accurate and reliable navigation data as the ships transit through the canal. These pre-configured add-ons also reduce risk for the canal pilots, who would otherwise have to calibrate these systems every time they step on board a ship; a mobilization/demobilization practice that increases the chance of inaccuracy and, thus, risk.
Onboard pilot systems enable the pilot to make decisions for safety of navigation in confined spaces, faster turnarounds, and use of fewer personnel for guidance. But what makes these systems truly groundbreaking is the potential they have to reshape global ship navigation well beyond the Panama Canal.
A Trimble GNSS marine antenna mounted on a vessel in Lake Gatun, an artificial lake that forms a major part of the Panama Canal.
A Pilot of Purpose
Permanently installed pilot systems are made up of several critical technologies. They incorporate a GNSS receiver and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for precise centimeter positioning data, as well as heading and rate of turn information with wireless data streaming.
The systems are also fully integrated with an automatic identification system (AIS). An AIS, the automated tracking system that displays other vessels in the vicinity, incorporates one VHF transmitter, two VHF time-division multiple access (TDMA) receivers, one VHF digital selective calling (DSC) receiver, and a standard marine electronic communications link to shipboard display and sensor systems. The broadcast transponder system operates in the VHF mobile maritime band.
The onboard pilot system must be able to receive signals and corrections from the Panama Canal’s RTK base stations, which includes Trimble Alloy GNSS reference receivers that broadcast corrections over Trimble 450-MHz radios or via cellular. These base stations provide reliable 24/7/365 GNSS signals.
To date, the Panama Canal Authority has approved eight non-portable pilot systems for use in the canal, each with some unique characteristics.
For instance, Trimble’s MPS566 pilot system includes an MPS566 receiver with an easy-to-read status screen and an AIS receiver. The MPS566 receiver supplies vessel positioning data and rate of turn to enable the pilot to make decisions for safety of navigation in confined spaces. It also allows for faster turnarounds while requiring fewer personnel for guidance. It incorporates dual Trimble GA830 GNSS antennas, which are designed for harsh marine conditions, combined with an IMU to monitor the vessel in 3D. The integrated AIS receiver sends data to the MPS566 so that a Wi-Fi stream is delivered to a pilot’s tablet or iPad.
The system was initially tested in New Zealand in 2023 on a roll-on/roll-off ferry along the Wellington to Picton inter-island route between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The pilot app was loaded with LINZ S-63 charts. Over the course of two months, the pilot app components, including AIS, were tested for accuracy and reliability on that route.
The system also includes 8 hr. of backup battery, which exceeds the Panama Canal Authority’s requirements (5 hr.), in case of possible power outages. Backup support is available through an optional remote access log-in with a SIM card. Pilots can also remotely log on to the MPS566 receiver if it is connected to the ship’s internet for additional support.
It’s a complete onboard package designed to improve communication between the ship’s captain, the Panama Canal pilot, tugs and other canal personnel. Notably, onboard pilot systems are also helping captains improve situational awareness during canal transit and port approach.
Trimble MPS566 pilot system components, which are approved for permanent installation on Neopanamax vessels transiting the Panama Canal.
Global Opportunities
The value of permanent onboard pilot systems is relevant beyond the Panama Canal. As more ports and canals recognize the safety, efficiency and cost-saving benefits of these precise positioning systems, the global adoption of these systems on large ships (and likely even smaller ships) is expected to grow.
Other major canals, such as the Suez Canal in Egypt or Kiel Canal in Germany, may also adopt similar onboard pilot system requirements for precise navigation systems. Fast ferry docking is another opportunity for non-portable pilot systems to improve safe, efficient vessel docking in locations where vessels are not required to have a specialized pilot to board.
A non-portable onboard pilot system is an excellent sensor for real-time under-keel clearance. As the behavior of the ship is affected by vessel loading and dynamics, it is now possible to know its exact draft so the pilot system can help pilots make better decisions, such as adjusting speed for safe under-keel clearance.
In the future, these non-portable pilot units could remove the need for portable pilot units that come with a number of challenges, including extra weight for the pilot, setup time, calibration and the potential for possible errors during measure-up.
With advanced GNSS receivers and positioning systems integrated on board ships, marine pilots can leverage the existing GNSS infrastructure assets installed in ports and canals around the world for precise navigation. Marine pilotage in general and particularly in complex environments, such as canals, rivers, harbors, and ports, can be made safer and more efficient if the GNSS is already on board and calibrated.
It’s a significant technology advancement that will allow vessels of all sizes, from large commercial ships to smaller vessels, to benefit from precise guidance, berthing, docking and pilotage capabilities. In the near future, these non-portable pilot systems could be used by marine pilots on any size ship, enabling them to board and navigate with precision, using just a tablet or iPad.
Eventually, it is possible that a marine pilot will remotely access the permanently installed pilot system and the ship’s other navigation systems so they will not need to board the vessel, which will enhance safety.
How ROVs Enhance Customs and Border Protection
ROV inspection of a ship propeller.
By Chad Gillen
Underwater threats have long posed challenges to customs and border protection (CBP) agencies worldwide. With advancements in submersible robots such as ROVs, agencies are now better equipped to address these issues.
Maritime Border Threats
Ports and waterways serve as critical gateways for trade and transportation, but they are also vulnerable to illegal activities, including smuggling and sabotage. Traditionally, inspecting ships for contraband or security threats has been a labor-intensive process relying on divers. However, this method is limited by time, visibility and safety concerns.
Specific threats include the smuggling of narcotics, weapons and other contraband concealed in hard-to-reach areas of ships. These areas often include: propellers and propeller shafts, which are common hiding spots due to their size and accessibility; intake grates, which smugglers frequently target to secure packages out of direct sight; bow thrusters, with their intricate designs that make them challenging to inspect thoroughly using manual methods; and keels and hulls, where illicit goods can be concealed along these extensive and less visible surfaces.
Inspections often need to be completed within a 30-min. window to avoid operational delays. Divers face additional challenges in murky waters, which complicates their ability to thoroughly examine critical areas. Visibility often drops to near zero in busy ports, further increasing the risk of missed threats. By integrating underwater ROVs into their protocols, agencies can overcome these limitations, conducting underwater surveys more effectively and safely.
ROVs equipped with ultrahigh-resolution 4K cameras, sonar systems, such as the Blueprint Subsea Oculus M3000, and advanced maneuverability provide precise and efficient inspection capabilities. Their ability to navigate tight spaces and maintain stable operation in strong currents ensures a thorough evaluation of high-risk area without compromising the safety of personnel. Advanced lighting systems also allow these devices to operate effectively even in turbid conditions, ensuring no critical zone is overlooked.
An ROV conducts an inspection of discovered explosive ordnance.
Traditional Inspection vs. ROVs
Traditional inspection methods rely heavily on divers, presenting several pain points. One is time constraints, since manual inspections often require significant preparation and must be completed within narrow operational windows. Another is safety risks: Divers face hazards such as low visibility, strong currents and underwater obstructions. In addition, there can be limited reach: Certain areas, such as propeller shafts or bow thrusters, are difficult to access manually.
Underwater ROVs address these limitations by offering rapid deployment. Operators can prepare devices such as Deep Trekker’s mini-ROV PHOTON for operation within minutes, minimizing delays. ROVs drastically reduce inspection times, completing tasks in minutes instead of hours. This efficiency enables CBP agencies to inspect more vessels daily, minimizing port delays. With user-friendly controls, even non-specialist personnel can conduct effective underwater inspections. These capabilities are particularly critical during high-traffic periods when delays can have cascading effects on port schedules.
ROVs also offer enhanced visibility via integrated sonar systems, such as the M3000, which enable detection of concealed objects in turbid conditions. High-resolution imaging systems enable detailed inspections of hidden compartments and complex machinery. This precision minimizes missed threats, increasing interception success rates. Precision navigation is another advantage, as ROVs provide access to tight or intricate areas, ensuring thorough inspections without human risk. By reducing the need for diver teams and extended downtime, ROVs lower overall inspection costs, making maritime security operations more economical and sustainable.
ROV inspection of a ship hull using sonar in low visibility.
ROV Border Protection in Action
The Canadian Border Services Agency, the U.S. Embassy in Peru’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Section, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection regularly utilize ROVs for inspecting vessels entering their ports. These inspections focus on submerged areas where tampering or concealment is likely, such as bow thrusters and propeller shafts.
ROVs monitor critical infrastructure, including intake grates and dock foundations, ensuring structural integrity and identifying potential threats. Regular inspections using ROVs mitigate risks associated with corrosion, biofouling and sabotage attempts. The ability to deploy ROVs frequently ensures ongoing monitoring without the logistical challenges of scheduling diver teams.
High-resolution cameras and sonar systems help locate contraband stashed in concealed compartments, such as false hulls or sealed intake grates. By providing real-time imagery and data, ROVs enable authorities to act swiftly on intelligence, increasing the success rate of interceptions. Advanced sonar systems such as the M3000 are particularly effective in detecting packages even when visibility is compromised.
With ongoing technological advancements, portable ROVs are set to further improve marine inspections, offering enhanced capabilities and broader applications in security operations. Developments in AI integration, such as anomaly detection and automated path planning, promise to make these devices even more effective in addressing emerging maritime threats.
The Deep Trekker family of ROVs. From left: DTG3, PHOTON, PIVOT, REVOLUTION.
Conclusion
The utilization of underwater ROVs in customs and border protection operations represents a major advancement in maritime security. By overcoming the limitations of traditional inspection methods, such as the safety risks and time constraints that diver-led assessments typically involve, ROVs provide efficient, precise, and real-time data. This technology enables CBP agencies to conduct thorough inspections of high-risk areas, such as propellers, intake grates, and hulls, enhancing their ability to detect illicit activities, such as smuggling and sabotage, and biofouling.
Advanced sensors, including high-resolution cameras, sonar systems, and GPS technology, ensure accurate navigation and detailed imaging even in low-visibility or confined environments. The addition of AI-powered analytics further streamlines the inspection process by enabling immediate threat detection and anomaly identification. These capabilities not only improve operational efficiency but also reduce human error, supporting faster, safer and more reliable decision making in national security efforts.
As ROV technology continues to evolve, its potential applications in defense, security and environmental monitoring will only grow. The collaboration between CBP agencies, Deep Trekker, and other industry partners highlights the importance of innovation in safeguarding maritime borders, ensuring that these tools remain at the forefront of global efforts to protect critical infrastructure and secure trade routes.
To learn more about Deep Trekker’s cutting-edge underwater ROV solutions, see the article in Sea Technology’s November 2024 issue and visit deeptrekker.com.
Chad Gillen is the content marketing strategist at Deep Trekker Inc.
Integrated Communication System
For organizations seeking an all-in-one communications solution for offshore platforms, the HELIDECK Rack is an integrated communication system including multiple NAUTEL technologies: a NAUTEL NDB transmitter; KENTA/NAUTEL VHF maritime transceiver; third-party VHF aero transceiver coupled with KENTA IP gateway; and KENTA/NAUTEL voice console and DSC console. This solution is fully integrated, plug and play, and benefits from a single source for support.
3D-Printed Catamaran
V2 Group, a Spanish company specializing in the design, engineering, and large-format 3D printing for nautical and naval applications, and Caracol AM, an Italian specialist in advanced large-format 3D printing technologies, have successfully developed the first functional 6-m-long monolithic catamaran for open waters.
This boat was produced using robotic 3D printing technology. This achievement not only demonstrates the feasibility of robotic large-format 3D printing but also establishes the foundation for a new era in the manufacturing of boats and nautical components.
The goal is to develop a product that can be industrialized and scaled, with attention to the full process: design, materials, production and post-processing. The naval industry’s requirements will be part of the process.
Registration Is Open for OCEANS 2025 Brest, France
Registration is now open for OCEANS 2025 Brest, which will take place June 16 to 19 in France.
OCEANS is the premier conference on ocean science, engineering, and technology, where industry leaders, researchers, and innovators from around the world will gather to explore the latest advancements in oceanic research and marine technology.
AI Emissions Control: NanoPredict
Grafmarine has launched its latest AI-powered technology, NanoPredict, an advanced energy optimization and weather management solution designed to revolutionize emissions control in the maritime industry. It was developed in collaboration with AI Foundry, a consortium of leading U.K. universities focused on AI research.
The maritime industry is responsible for an average of 3 percent of global emissions and, at its current growth rate, could represent 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. With increasing regulatory pressure, growing customer demand for greener practices, and global sustainability targets, this technology represents a key opportunity for fleet decarbonization.
Grafmarine’s existing NanoDeck tile systems capture, store and remotely manage clean energy while vessels are at sea. Integrated with AI-powered insights from 20 years of weather data along major shipping routes, the software can optimize engine performance and immediately reduce fuel costs by up to 10 percent.
Now, with the integration of NanoPredict, vessels could save an additional 20 percent, a significant reduction, considering that ships can spend up to 40 percent of their operational time either anchored or waiting for port entry.
Apply: Coast Guard Foundation Scholarships
The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening the Coast Guard community and service by supporting members and families, is accepting applications for the 2025 Coast Guard Foundation scholarship season until April 1, 2025.
This annual scholarship program provides financial assistance to Coast Guard children pursuing higher education through college or trade school to support tuition, room and board, fees, books, and other education expenses.
The Coast Guard Foundation awards more than 200 scholarships to college-age dependents of active-duty, reservists and retired Coast Guard members each year. Eligible applicants can be dependents of either enlisted members or commissioned officers and may attend a community college, four-year university, or trade school. Scholarships are renewable for up to four years if recipients continue to meet eligibility requirements.
Since the program’s inception in 1990, the Coast Guard Foundation has awarded more than $8.2 million in scholarships.
Eligibility requirements and application instructions are at: coastguardfoundation.org/apply.
New Platform in Development for Digital Engine Management
GasLog and Propulsion Analytics are set to develop a customized version of the Engine Hyper Cube platform tailored specifically for GasLog’s fleet. The platform will be enabled by Kongsberg Digital’s Vessel Insight cloud infrastructure.
The bespoke platform builds on Propulsion Analytics’ core Engine Hyper Cube application, which performs continuous engine performance analysis using high-frequency data from onboard engine sensors.
This data is integrated via Kongsberg Digital’s Vessel Insight Vessel-to-Cloud infrastructure. By synthesizing continuous engine performance analysis with insights from various other data sources, the platform reportedly enables improved engine condition assessment, optimizing performance and supporting data-driven engine maintenance decisions.
The platform aims to enhance engine availability by developing advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance to reduce downtime and improve reliability.
It also seeks to optimize fuel efficiency, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, while integrating continuous performance monitoring with long-term data analysis. This would enable more flexible overhaul planning in line with LNG carrier trading and dry dock schedules.
“This novel platform marks a significant step forward in our efforts to provide advanced software tools which improve operational performance and reduce maintenance cost,” said Panos Kyrtatos, CEO of Propulsion Analytics.
He continued, “Our engine diagnostic expertise combined with the extensive operational experience from GasLog and the continuous data from the KDI Vessel Insight platform are a key enabler towards sustainable and efficient maritime operations.”
“Our new digital engine management platform paths the way for the realization of our long-term strategy of engine lifecycle maintenance optimization,” said GasLog’s Asset Integrity Manager, Lampros Nikolopoulos.
Further, “With such tools developed from Propulsion Analytics and enabled through Kongsberg Digital, we can target, on one hand, increased plant reliability, and on the other, the optimization of the total cost of ownership of our assets, thus maintaining our commitment to operational excellence for a sustainable future.”
DOGE Could Cut US Shipbuilding
The new U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will look into the Defense Department’s spending, aiming to make steep cuts that will affect the U.S. shipbuilding industry, among other sectors, DredgeWire reported.
These cuts could also affect defense preparedness as the U.S. gears up for a military conflict with China by 2027.
UXO Services Company Launches for Renewables Developers in Europe
The British-owned Pritchard-Gordon group of companies with maritime expertise has launched PG Renewables, a turnkey contractor providing offshore and nearshore unexploded ordnance (UXO) identification and clearance services to the marine renewables markets in Europe. Focused on reducing risk and optimizing productivity for offshore wind farm developers, PG Renewables offers clients the benefit of highly experienced explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialists, proven low- and high-order techniques, and the only remote ordnance lifting system to be proven at scale.
PG Renewables has secured the experience of UXO and EOD solutions provider EORCA UK on an exclusive basis. This arrangement provides clients with access to an extensive and innovative range of EOD equipment, as well as highly skilled EOD supervisors, technicians, and divers.
PG Renewables’ full-service offering encompasses:
-UXO reacquisition and identification services.
-High and low order UXO disposal services utilizing Barracuda (bomb and mine disposal system) variants, depending on operational circumstances.
-Time-saving “multi-shot” ROV placement system allowing for several Barracuda systems to be deployed in one operation.
-Proven unmanned remote ordnance lifting system for the safe and effective movement of UXO outside of the project work site.
-Mobilization and supply of offshore UXO spreads: workshop, magazine, etc.
-Competent and skilled teams for the completion of nearshore and offshore scopes using diver or ROV intervention as required.
-A comprehensive fleet of fast-response support craft, including specialist daughter craft.
-Provision of multi-role, multipurpose vessels to support UXO operations and boulder clearances.
-Project documentation, reporting and management.
PG Renewables’ purpose is to enable the construction of offshore infrastructure for the advancement of the global energy transition while safeguarding the marine environment.
UK Advances Strongly in Energy Transition
The U.K.’s energy transition will deliver a cleaner, more efficient and less expensive energy system, according to DNV’s 2025 UK Energy Transition Outlook (ETO) report.
The independent energy expert and assurance provider assessed the UK’s trajectory against key government targets: Clean Power 2030, 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, and the net zero by 2050 goal.
While the U.K. will fall short—missing net zero by 18 percent—DNV’s analysis shows substantial progress in decarbonization. By 2050, emissions are projected to drop 82 percent from 1990 levels, amounting to remaining annual emissions of 145 million tons of CO₂ equivalent (MtCO₂e).
The short-term Clean Power 2030 target sets an ambition to decarbonize the electricity system by decade’s end, but DNV forecasts that unabated gas will still generate 12 percent of U.K. electricity in 2030. Full decarbonization is expected by 2035.
Renewables will see strong growth, with solar, onshore wind and offshore wind capacity nearly doubling to 90 GW by 2030. However, this remains 45 GW short of government targets to double onshore wind, triple solar and quadruple offshore wind.
Under the new NDC, the U.K. has committed to reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 81 percent by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. DNV’s projections suggest it will reach only 68 percent, requiring steeper reductions to meet the U.K.’s pledge.
Last-Mile Offshore Delivery Company Secures Seed Funding
ADLC, a pioneering drone logistics company, has raised €2.08 million in seed funding to accelerate its growth and expand its services in the maritime industry, including offshore.
The investment round was led by Galactic Beacon Ventures (GBV), alongside co-lead investor LRM, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and NXT II, with the support of PwC – Next Level as financial/fundraising advisers and Van Olmen & Wynant as legal advisors.
This funding supports ADLC’s mission to revolutionize last-mile delivery in maritime and offshore environments, leveraging the latest advancements in drone technology. ADLC will be able to deliver drone logistics services in key ports and offshore energy sites worldwide. Its innovative approach integrates drone technology with comprehensive service solutions, making it easier for companies to adopt drone-based logistics without the complexities of managing an in-house operation.
RFP: Ship Design, Assembly of CCRV
The ship will be a dual-powered hydrogen fuel cell/diesel electric hybrid oceanographic research vessel that will be able to conduct 75 percent of its missions using only liquid hydrogen fuel. When operating on hydrogen, CCRV will have zero emissions and a quiet operating profile, enabling contamination-free sampling and the performance of its underwater acoustic sensors.
The CCRV represents a major step toward reducing air pollution and advancing California’s pledge to reduce global climate risk while transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy and making progress toward the University of California’s climate action goals.
The vessel will be dedicated to California research missions to observe and measure biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes, including research to better understand fisheries, harmful algal blooms, severe El Niño storms, atmospheric rivers, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and oxygen depletion zones.
The 163-ft. ship will replace Scripps RV Robert Gordon Sproul, which has seen 43 years of service. After delivery and acceptance, CCRV will conduct scientific missions in the eastern Pacific as part of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet.
Responses from shipyards are being accepted through May 9, 2025, with a selection anticipated by June 20, 2025.
To learn more, contact Lynda Ta at L2ta@ucsd.edu or Gary Oshima at gmoshima@ucsd.edu.
Register: MATE ROV World Championship
Registration is now open for the 2025 MATE ROV Competition World Championship, which will take place at the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan, June 17 to 21, 2025.
The MATE ROV Competition is about student learning. It is designed to be an event that challenges students to apply the physics, math, electronics, and engineering skills they are learning in the classroom to solve problems from the workplace.
Mentors (teachers, parents, working professionals) are expected to limit their input to educational and inspirational roles and encouraged to focus on the benefits of the learning process and not simply on “winning” the competition.
Call for Speakers: International WorkBoat Show
The International WorkBoat Show, which will take place December 3 to 5, 2025 in New Orleans, is looking for speakers.
The WorkBoat Conference Program offers educational sessions on various topics relevant to all in the maritime industry. These sessions, curated by the WorkBoat content team alongside the WorkBoat and National Fisherman editorial teams, bring attendees the latest relevant industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.
The deadline is April 30.
For questions regarding content, contact Adam Blackmore, senior content and marketing coordinator, at: ABlackmore@divcom.com.
Three New US Ocean Research Vessels
Discussion on the future of U.S. ocean research capabilities at AGU’s recent annual meeting revealed that decommissioning of research vessels and a lack of funding for new ones have put U.S. ocean scientists at a global disadvantage, Eos reported. Since the 1980s, the country’s academic research fleet has dwindled from 34 vessels to 17.
National Science Foundation (NSF) funding, though, has allowed for construction of three new ocean research vessels. Scientists hope these Regional-class research vessels (RCRVs), named for their planned use close to U.S. coasts, will play a small part in bolstering U.S. ocean research capabilities.
The vessels are being built by Bollinger Shipyards in Houma, Lousiana. They will replace: RV Oceanus, a now-retired vessel once operated by Oregon State University (OSU); RV Endeavor, which is currently operated by the University of Rhode Island; and RV Point Sur, an aged ship brought out of retirement in 2015 and currently operated by the University of Southern Mississippi.
The OSU design team plans to include many advanced features, such as a propulsion and navigation system that enables station-keeping, sonar instruments for deep- and shallow-water seafloor mapping, oceanic and atmospheric sensors that collect data available to shore-based researchers in real time, and coring capabilities.
Delivering LEO Connectivity for Polar Expeditions
Speedcast enables remote connectivity for the RV Polarstern in the Arctic.
By Timo Biemüller
Today’s leading scientists and researchers are in a race against time to minimize the impact of climate change. For those interested in a view of the future, the polar regions are offering a preview of what’s to come: According to the World Economic Forum, the Arctic in particular has warmed four times as much as the rest of the world since 1980.
Experts have compiled data that show that permafrost in the region is thawing at a rapid rate, opening broad sinkholes in the land and swelling the size of lakes. Glaciers that have stood for thousands of years are melting and increasing the speed of their descent into the sea as meltwater cushions them from the ground. At the same time, shoreline erosion is accelerating and, as the ice melts, it is raising the surface level and temperature of the oceans, on which so much of life depends.
Climate Research in the Arctic
Because of the visible acceleration of environmental changes in the Arctic, the region has become a laboratory for understanding climate change and researching ways to mitigate its effects. Thirty-nine research stations are currently operating in the Arctic, using a vast array of sensors and internet of things (IoT) technologies to study the changing ecosystem. Researchers gather precise measurements of everything from behavior of the ice to atmospheric composition and ozone levels.
Research takes place at sea as well. This is carried out on research vessels such as Polarstern, the flagship of Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Managed by Reederei F. Laeisz, the vessel averages 317 days at sea each year, covering approximately 50,000 nautical mi. Its 20,000-horsepower engines enable the ship to break through heavy ice, which has allowed it to deliberately lock itself into ice sheets for more than a year during the MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) expedition, providing an opportunity for scientists to conduct fundamental research on the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice and ecosystems.
Polarstern: Icon of German Polar Research
Typically operating in the Arctic in the summer months, the vessel carries a crew of 44 people living and working alongside 55 scientists and technicians. The nine scientific laboratories on board enable users to conduct key biological, geological, and geophysical, as well as glaciological, meteorological, chemical, and oceanographic research right from the heart of the region. In addition to conducting its own research, the Polarstern is a designated resupply vessel for AWI’s Neumayer Station, which has been investigating the Arctic for more than 40 years.
The immense amount of data collected by the Polarstern is too valuable to stay on board. In addition to research and ship operational data being stored in leading-edge onboard systems, where shipboard staff can access them, the data are also transmitted via satellite to AWI to power the research taking place in Germany. The data are also made available to national and international science organizations.
That process sounds simple enough—but the Arctic has long been a challenging environment for satellite.
LEO Connectivity for Remote Missions
For decades, most satellites have circled the Earth in geostationary orbit (GEO) above the equator. Because the surface of the Earth is curved, radio waves from GEO reach the poles from the side, not overhead. Passing through all that air weakens the signal, leading to interference, and a hill or iceberg in the wrong place blocks the signal completely.
A robust connectivity infrastructure is now imperative for Arctic operations and their real-time connectivity, not just for research but for crew welfare and safety. Low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity as part of a comprehensive, hybrid service is one such solution. LEO satellites orbit the Earth at altitudes between 500 to 2,000 km, compared with 36,000 km for traditional GEO satellites. At that altitude above the equator, GEO satellites maintain a geosynchronous orbit, appearing stationary relative to a fixed point on Earth’s surface. In contrast, spacecraft in low Earth orbit travel at remarkable speeds of up to 7.8 km per second, rapidly traversing the sky.
To ensure continuous global coverage, LEO satellites operate in extensive constellations, often comprising hundreds or even thousands of satellites, ensuring multiple units are always overhead. Establishing reliable communication services from such rapidly moving satellites to a moving site such as a research vessel, particularly in harsh and remote environments, presents significant technical challenges, requiring sophisticated tracking, signal hand-off, and robust system design to maintain seamless connectivity.
The latest LEO satellites to enter the market offer high data rates at lower cost, often ranging from dozens to hundreds of megabits per second—ideal for vessels that must process masses of data from sensor to server and for internet access by scientists and crew.
In 2023, for example, Speedcast completed the first live deployment of Eutelsat OneWeb’s Maritime LEO service on the RV Polarstern, which offers 100+ Mbps of capacity with guaranteed enterprise-grade service levels and low latency due to the lower altitude of LEO satellites. Speedcast equipped the vessel with dual parabolic user terminals with advanced blockage mitigation capabilities, which deliver highly efficient, seamless high bandwidth connectivity even in challenging sea conditions. Built to withstand temperatures as low as -40° C, and equipped with an additional heater component, the terminal from hardware manufacturer Intellian is ideally suited to the Arctic’s below-freezing climate.
Since OneWeb operates in a polar orbit, its satellites are positioned to provide continuous service even in the far northern latitudes. In an email sent from the North Pole, the captain noted that although his ship had made many voyages to the location, this was the first time they had high-speed internet access, allowing them to enjoy communication in the remote region on this special occasion.
One Part of a Complex Solution
Researching in Arctic waters is not for the faint of heart. Storms and severe weather, equipment breakdowns in the cold, accidents, and medical emergencies pose constant risk to scientists and crew alike. While LEO services bring exciting benefits and options to Arctic connectivity, they operate at very high frequencies that can be impacted by snowfall and other factors. For all these reasons, it is rare that a vessel with critical operations would depend on just one form of connectivity.
This is one reason that the RV Polarstern was also outfitted with Starlink connectivity to complement its other communication systems. With a mega constellation of more than 6,000 satellites orbiting the Earth, Starlink is bringing reliable, high-speed internet to people no matter where they are. Speedcast delivered a seamless failover switching solution between the OneWeb and Starlink connectivity paths via its SIGMA network management platform, so the vessel never operated single-threaded. SIGMA also delivered important welfare connectivity services to Polarstern, with crew voucher options and access control capabilities to keep remote staff and crew connected during long voyages.
SIGMA offers expanded capabilities for vessels based on operating requirements. It can prioritize data traffic by type—giving highest priority, for example, to research data transmission, compared with email or text messaging. SIGMA is also cloud-native, running on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which can provide users with secure direct access to AWS cloud resources for data storage and processing.
Assisting Vital Research
Speedcast’s innovative blend of multiple LEO and L-Band services via SIGMA on the RV Polarstern has proven to accelerate onboard connectivity. Through enterprise-grade connectivity, the researchers benefited from traffic prioritization, reduced latency, and enhanced data transmission, enabling them to make more informed decisions and explore new ways of presenting their critical research to a larger audience, for example, through live video streaming to social media channels.
Ultimately, these connectivity developments will accelerate advancements in our understanding of climate change in the Arctic. With new connectivity resources, courtesy of Speedcast, the RV Polarstern will embark on many more projects in the future.
Nauticus Robotics and Leidos Partner on Underwater Robots
Nauticus Robotics and Leidos have partnered to advance the state of autonomous underwater robots. The companies plan to combine their complementary expertise to develop robots capable of tackling increasingly complex missions. The companies have previously worked together.
Texas-based Nauticus will apply its expertise in commercial subsea vehicle development. This includes its flagship Aquanaut robot and its proprietary software, ToolKITT. Nauticus also builds Olympic Arm, a subsea end effector that can be used for various tasks.
Leidos is a leading technology developer that serves a variety of customers and industries, including the U.S. government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, the company has 48,000 global employees. Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $15.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2023. It has previously developed autonomy software, autonomous ships, and other unmanned technologies to make maritime operations safer and more efficient for government and industry.
“We are thrilled to extend our relationship with Leidos through our targeted alliance,” said John Yamokoski, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Defense at Nauticus Robotics. “This alliance underscores our shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in subsea autonomy.”
Nauticus secured $12 million in a second tranche of investment in 2024. The company said with the funding, it planned to expedite commercialization of Aquanaut. Aquanaut can operate autonomously or users can remotely control the system, depending on what the customer needs at any moment. Additionally, it said it can perform a variety of underwater tasks, like managing aquaculture projects, repairing oil pipelines, and scanning seabeds.
Nauticus said it hit a number of deployment milestones in 2024. In September, it completed Aquanaut Mark 2 qualification and started commercial operations. It later completed its initial 2024 Gulf of Mexico field survey work for Shell and finished an evaluation agreement with a global oil and gas customer.
Nauticus said it’s now testing and certifying a new generation of vehicles to reduce operational costs and gather data to maintain and operate a wide variety of subsea infrastructure.
Active Acoustics for Underwater Research, Monitoring
Examples of deployments for active acoustic studies (not to scale): (1) a multibeam echosounder on an ROV; (2) a single-beam echosounder on a mooring; (3) a single-beam echosounder on a USV; (4) an ROV with a single-beam and multibeam echosounder; (5) two echosounders, up- and down-facing, on a glider; (6) a research vessel with single- and multibeam echosounders; (7) a stationary bottom platform with a single-beam echosounder.
By Dr. Haley Viehman
Aquatic research and monitoring questions often revolve around what’s happening in the water column, such as fish quantity and movements, zooplankton distribution, or vegetation canopy height. Active acoustic instruments, a.k.a. echosounders, are well-suited to addressing these questions. Active acoustics has a long history in fisheries stock assessment, and more recently its applications have expanded into other sectors, including aquaculture, ocean renewable energy, hydropower and more.
Echosounders emit pulses of sound of a specific frequency band into the water, and then listen for the sound to return as it gets scattered by objects in the water (“backscatter”). This is similar to echolocation by dolphins and whales. One iteration of sending out a sound pulse and listening for its return is called a “ping.” How long it takes for the transmitted sound to return indicates how far away an object is, and the properties of the returned sound (such as pulse amplitude and shape) can reveal properties of the object itself. This sending and receiving of sound differentiates active acoustics from passive acoustics, which involves only receiving sound by use of a hydrophone.
Sound travels rapidly in water (1,450 to 1,500 m/s), so echosounders can sample a large volume of water at once with high spatiotemporal resolution, and they can be deployed for long periods of time. Compared to cameras, echosounders require no light, are relatively unaffected by turbidity, and can sample much larger volumes of water. More invasive physical sampling methods, such as trawls, hook and line, or baited traps, cannot compare to the spatiotemporal coverage and resolution of active acoustic systems.
These versatile instruments can be deployed on virtually any platform, moving or stationary. Echosounders have traditionally been deployed in the hulls of vessels, but are now used on USVs, AUVs, gliders, moorings, pilings, dams, and sometimes even airborne drones to fit any survey design and monitoring or research question.
Stationary seafloor platforms can be deployed with upward-facing echosounders and other instruments for long periods of time, such as this one for the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy. (Credit: FORCE)
Common applications of active acoustics include fisheries stock assessment, for example, in large-scale surveys to enumerate freshwater, estuarine, or marine fish stocks; on stationary platforms in rivers to quantify migrations of diadromous species (e.g., salmon); and on commercial fishing vessels to improve species detection and reduce bycatch. In aquaculture, active acoustics is used in and around fish pens and macroalgae farms to gather information on organism size, health, and responses to environmental factors; detect harmful jellyfish; inspect nets for damage and biofouling; and monitor the effects of aquaculture on the surrounding environment. In ocean renewable energy, active acoustics help to monitor fish and other aquatic organisms at offshore wind, wave, and tidal power sites, where traditional survey methods (e.g., trawls) may not be safely deployed or provide the necessary resolution and coverage. For hydropower applications, echosounders monitor fish abundance and distribution in rivers in relation to dams, e.g., pre- and post-dam modification or removal, and to assess the effectiveness of fishways under light and dark conditions. Power plant intakes can benefit from active acoustics to detect approaching jellyfish swarms. At marine protected areas, echosounders are used to map and monitor fish densities in and around the sites and assess their effects. In habitat mapping, active acoustics can detect underwater vegetation, map canopy height above the bottom, and detect anthropogenic effects. Underwater gas seeps can also be located and mapped via active acoustics.
Types of Echosounders
Echosounders come in many different forms, each with different strengths and applications. All include a transducer and transceiver, which can be separate units or combined. To generate a ping, the transceiver sends an electrical signal to the transducer, which translates that voltage to an acoustic pulse emitted into the water. The transducer receives any backscattered acoustic energy from the emitted pulse and converts it back to voltage, which is digitized by the transceiver. A computer controls the echosounder in real time or pre-configures its deployment plan (if autonomous), records data files, and processes the data. Echosounders can be grouped into two broad categories: single-beam and multibeam. Choosing the correct hardware depends on the questions being asked and the capabilities of each system.
Data from two types of echosounders. Left: an echogram from a single-beam echosounder, showing various scatterers from the surface to the seafloor over time. Right: one ping from an imaging sonar, showing a school of fish and their “shadows” near the seafloor.
Single-Beam Echosounders. These emit sound in one “beam” extending outward from the transducer face. Recreational fish finders are in this category, though the echosounders commonly used for monitoring or research (often called “scientific echosounders”) are usually highly engineered systems that, when calibrated, produce measurements that can be compared across surveys and sites. The sound spreads as it travels, resulting in a roughly conical acoustic beam that can extend for hundreds of meters depending on the environment and acoustic frequency. Data from single-beam echosounders are visualized in an “echogram,” which displays backscatter in two dimensions (depth or range from transducer versus time), with backscatter strength mapped to a color scale.
Single-beam echosounders provide information on the distance (range) to objects in the water column, and when calibrated, backscatter values can be transformed into biomass estimates. Some single-beam echosounders, known as “split-beam” echosounders, comprise multiple sectors forming the beam. Split-beam echosounders can locate individual objects within the beam in 3D, which allows more accurate size estimates, as well as tracking of individual objects as they pass through the beam.
Like all sampling tools, single-beam echosounders have limitations. One is species identification. Although the characteristics of backscattered sound can help differentiate object types, identifying an organism in an echogram to species level typically requires additional supporting information. This may come from direct or indirect species and size observations obtained from physical samples, visual techniques (e.g., stereo cameras), or genetic methods (e.g., environmental DNA). Single-beam echosounders are additionally not well suited for sampling water directly adjacent to boundaries, such as the water’s surface, the seafloor or man-made structures, because biological backscatter may be masked by the strong signal from these objects. Though suitable for sampling pelagic organisms, other tools may be needed for observing demersal species, such as imaging sonars. Recent advances in wide-band data collection and processing can improve resolution of single-beam echosounders near boundaries and may provide more insights for species identification.
Single-beam echosounder data processing can include detecting and omitting unwanted backscatter (e.g., from the bottom and air entrained at the surface), smoothing the data, detecting fish schools, and removing all non-school backscatter so only the schooling species can be quantified. The images here are examples of these steps carried out in Echoview.
Multibeam Echosounders. These send and receive sound in multiple beams angled outward from the echosounder to sample a fan-shaped “swath” of water. These include echosounders typically used for bathymetric surveys, which sample a huge volume of water and, hence, can also be useful for assessing water column features (e.g., biological aggregations, seaweeds or bubble plumes from gas seeps). Omnidirectional sonars sample a long-ranging, 360° swath of water by sending and receiving sound in a “donut” around themselves.
In contrast, imaging sonars, or “acoustic cameras,” are multibeam systems that use very high-frequency sound (usually in megahertz) and a fast ping rate to produce video-like data of a shorter-range swath, similar to medical ultrasounds. These systems produce highly intuitive data with fine detail, making them excellent tools for observing individual organism size and behavior, inspecting habitat or structures, and identifying species.
Active Acoustic Data Analysis
Choosing the right hardware and deployment for a given research or monitoring task is essential, but it is equally important to consider how the resulting data will be converted into usable information. Active acoustic data sets are incredibly variable, but processing can be broken down into six general steps.
The first is data exploration. This includes loading the data; organizing the various data streams (such as data from multiple acoustic frequencies, collected concurrently); and visualizing and inspecting the data for potential issues or interesting features.
The second is data calibration, which ensures the active acoustic measurements are quantitatively accurate and mapped correctly in space and time. This includes applying correct environmental parameters (for example, sound speed) and calculating any necessary offsets to the backscatter values. Calibration offsets are typically derived by analyzing backscatter data from a known target (usually a tungsten-carbide or copper sphere of specific dimensions), and the calibration data are ideally collected in situ before and after survey data collection.
The third step is data cleaning, including removing unwanted components of the data set, such as backscatter from non-targeted objects (e.g., the seafloor or entrained air near the surface). Other unwanted components include acoustic or electrical noise; for example, due to other acoustic instruments operating in the vicinity or to an unclean power source. Once identified, unwanted or contaminated data points can be removed entirely or replaced with representative values (e.g., a local average). The presence of noise degrades a data set and any subsequent results, regardless of the cleaning methods used. Sources of electrical and acoustic noise should therefore be identified and rectified before collecting survey data.
The fourth step is target detection and tracking: identifying and delineating the scatterers of interest in the data set. This may include detecting backscatter likely to come from individual fish (when fish are separated enough) and tracking those fish across pings, or delineating schools of fish when they are packed closely together.
Imaging sonar data processing often includes removing the background, smoothing the data and detecting fish, as shown here. Echoview was used to detect and track fish over time, providing fish size and movement metrics for analysis.
The fifth step is target classification: the identification of scatterers that have been detected in the data. This is one of the more challenging aspects of active acoustics. Classification might include categorizing backscatter according to taxonomic group, body size, bottom type, etc. Approaches to target classification will vary with survey goals and instrumentation. For example, if data are collected concurrently at multiple frequencies, groups of scatterers may be classified by comparing backscatter from one frequency to the next. The size, shape, behavior, and/or location of detected schools or individual targets may additionally be useful for classifying certain species of fish or other organisms.
The sixth step is target characterization: calculating metrics for the targets of interest in calibrated, cleaned and classified data. This can be, for example, average backscatter (converted to biomass) from each grid cell of the echogram, or swimming behavior metrics from individually detected and tracked fish (e.g., swimming speed, direction and tortuosity).
Processing Software
Data processing requirements should be considered and procured alongside hardware, including storage, computing power, and analysis software. Active acoustic data sets can be quite large, and more data or more complex processing steps require a more powerful computer. Most echosounders are supplied with software for data replay that may also provide basic processing capabilities, and this can be sufficient for some applications. However, specialized software is often required when processing goals require more comprehensive features, or flexibility to cover a broader range of technologies, deployment types, and data quality.
Echoview
Echoview is a global industry standard for water column echosounder data processing, enabling easy visualization and interaction with more than 75 different active acoustic file formats from 18 different echosounder manufacturers. The software includes a large selection of built-in data processing and automation tools to produce quantitative results from echosounder data.
Echoview has been employed across the full spectrum of active acoustic applications. For example, Echoview was used to automate the processing of several years of active acoustic data collected at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) in Nova Scotia, Canada, for multiple research objectives. At such sites, fast currents pull air bubbles deep into the water column, requiring their backscatter to be identified and removed to study the backscatter from fish accurately and understand their interactions with tidal energy devices. Echoview’s power and flexibility was invaluable for handling data collected in this challenging environment.
Learning Active Acoustics
Effectively using active acoustics for research or monitoring requires an understanding of the physics of underwater sound, the biology of the organisms of interest, and instrument operation. For example, the best echosounder type and frequencies to use will depend on the sound scattering properties of the sampled organisms and the environment they inhabit. Data collection settings, such as transducer orientation, pulse duration and ping rate, must be chosen carefully because they affect what can be learned from the resulting data set.
Once data are collected, software solutions such as Echoview can make working with the files relatively easy, but the steps needed for data cleaning, identifying scatterers of interest, and interpreting their backscatter must be guided by prior knowledge on how sound interacts with the species present. Active acoustics can present a steep learning curve as introductory literature in this space is generally sparse (though improving).
At Echoview Software, we deliver training courses in active acoustics theory and data processing, provide consulting and client services, and offer advice on any questions you might have about active acoustics and its applications. You can learn more by reaching out to us at: info@echoview.com.
Dr. Haley Viehman is a hydroacoustics specialist at Echoview Software in Tasmania, Australia.
NOAA Awards Fugro Maritime Safety Contract
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded Fugro a new five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for hydrographic survey services, reinforcing the company’s long-standing role in supporting U.S. maritime navigation.
Under this agreement, Fugro will assist in maintaining and updating nautical charts critical for safe and efficient maritime operations across U.S. waters.
This contract, effective from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2029, falls under NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS). The OCS is responsible for managing the nation’s nautical charts, covering an extensive 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.6 million square nautical miles of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.
NOAA has relied on private-sector partnerships since 1996 to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of hydrographic data collection, with Fugro consistently playing a key role in this initiative.
Fugro has been instrumental in introducing advanced survey technologies to NOAA’s hydrographic operations, including airborne lidar bathymetry, remote sensing, and autonomous survey methods. These innovations have significantly improved data acquisition speed, survey safety, and overall sustainability.
With the growing emphasis on digital transformation in maritime navigation, the integration of cutting-edge techniques has become essential for ensuring the accuracy of nautical charts.
Céline Gerson, Fugro’s Group Director for the Americas and President of Fugro USA, emphasized the importance of this contract in maintaining a sustainable maritime economy: “A sustainable blue economy depends on accurate and up-to-date nautical charts. We’re proud to continue our long history of work with NOAA, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver the hydrographic data mariners need to safely operate in U.S. waters.”
While Fugro has secured this contract, it is one of six firms holding similar IDIQ agreements with NOAA, allowing project assignments based on the agency’s shifting priorities. This structure ensures flexibility in allocating resources to meet the nation’s evolving hydrographic survey needs.
The contract will be managed from Fugro’s Hydrography Center of Excellence in Houston, where the company continues to advance its capabilities in marine geospatial solutions.
Engineering Integrated Solutions
Unique Group has a diving and life support division, which manufactured and delivered this DNV-classed, 12-person, 300-msw-rated, customized saturation diving system.
By Chris Blake
In 1993, Unique Group started its operations by providing survey equipment for the Middle East oil and gas market. Over time, the company has become a one-stop-shop solution provider for the wider energy, subsea and offshore markets. What started in a small garage in the United Arab Emirates has developed into a global powerhouse, employing more than 650 professionals spread across 18 locations worldwide. Unique Group supports clients wherever their projects take them, ensuring seamless delivery of products and services around the world.
Unique Group has six core divisions: USVs, survey equipment, buoyancy and water weights (for load testing), diving and life support, lifting and mooring, and bespoke engineering. The company offers a comprehensive range of solutions by partnering with leading industry manufacturers, such as Kongsberg, Sonardyne, Saab, Nortek, R2Sonic and many more, to provide state-of-the-art survey products. Additionally, Unique Group has ventured into manufacturing its own flagship products to deliver custom, high-quality solutions tailored to clients’ needs.
Pioneering Tech
Unique Group’s survey technologies are designed to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and ease of use for oceanographers, hydrographers, and surveyors. Unique Group’s R&D team, comprising more than 200 engineering specialists, has pioneered transformative products, such as Aquila Subsea, the industry’s first AI-powered chat solution, developed to reduce downtime due to delays in technical troubleshooting and to enhance operational efficiency in marine surveys.
The Uni-Counter system is another example. It provides reliable and accurate cable measurements for oceanographers, hydrographers, and surveyors working with side scan tow fish, magnetometers, ROVs, and other equipment.
The Uni-Mesh telemetry system, a complementary product to autonomous survey vessels and other subsea operations, supports long-range mesh radio operations, offering a radio range of up to 12 km. This solution enables seamless data exchange in fluid, self-forming, self-healing mesh networks, simplifying frequency management and increasing data reliability.
The electric Uni-Winch CEW500 boasts a compact design that saves deck space, making it ideal for smaller survey vessels. It is capable of handling a wide range of oceanographic equipment, including towed side scan and magnetometer systems, sub-bottom profilers, and water samplers. Its precision variable-frequency drive system ensures smooth and controlled cable handling, and its rugged construction ensures reliability in extreme offshore conditions.
The Uni-PPS/NMEA Distribution Box ensures seamless time synchronization across multiple systems, including acoustic and logging devices, significantly improving data accuracy in hydrographic surveys. This versatility supports a range of applications, making it an indispensable tool in the marine surveying toolkit.
The Uni-FlowX Controlled Mass Flow Excavation system significantly enhances seabed excavation. By eliminating physical contact with the seabed, Uni-FlowX reduces risk, improves efficiency, and delivers unparalleled performance. This system recently played a crucial role in completing two complex cable trenching projects in Malaysia, overcoming challenging weather and seabed conditions.
Unique Group’s fleet of USVs, from left to right: Uni-Max, Uni-Pact and Uni-Mini.
USV Fleet
The in-house innovation at Unique Group is clearly showcased in the Uni-USV fleet. These unmanned surface vessels were designed to meet the growing demand for efficient, cost-effective, shallow-water survey and monitoring solutions. Combining flexibility, performance and cutting-edge design, the Uni-USV fleet offers a range of vessels tailored for different operational needs.
The fleet offers three distinct models: the Uni-Mini, Uni-Pact and Uni-Max. The Uni-Mini, weighing just 65 kg and constructed from durable carbon fiber, is lightweight, portable, and fully electric, making it an ideal solution for confined and shallow-water environments. The Uni-Pact, which is compact, versatile, and fast, offers exceptional stability and maneuverability for missions requiring rapid deployment. The Uni-Max is a hybrid vessel designed for more demanding missions, built for endurance with two powerful Torqeedo Cruise engines, providing extended range and payload capacity for large-scale operations.
Each model offers customizable payload options that can accommodate various sensors and equipment. These features enable clients to tailor each vessel to specific project requirements, ensuring the fleet remains adaptable for a wide range of marine and subsea applications, such as seabed mapping, environmental monitoring, and coastal surveys.
Coastal Survey with Uni-Pact USV
In a recent project, a client required high-resolution topographic and bathymetric data to assess coastal erosion and guide the construction of breakwaters in Singapore. This challenging mission had to balance precision with minimal environmental disruption, while navigating complex tidal conditions and maritime restrictions.
Unique Group deployed the Uni-Pact USV, outfitted with LiDAR sensors and multibeam echosounders. The vessel’s autonomous navigation capabilities allowed for efficient data collection across the survey grid, while real-time telemetry enabled immediate adjustments. Despite logistical constraints, the Uni-Pact completed the survey within the client’s strict timeline. The resulting data were processed into 3D models, providing actionable insights into erosion patterns and aiding in strategic decision making.
The project demonstrated the efficiency and precision of the Uni-Pact. Its electric engines minimized noise and environmental disruption, aligning with the client’s sustainability goals.
Uni-Pact USV Bathymetry Survey
Another recent project by Unique Group was a recent bathymetry survey using the Uni-Pact USV to provide MMA Offshore with precise depth data around Fremantle Sailing Club’s wharfs, berths, and jetties, as well as for the entry to Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour in Australia.
Despite challenges such as strong winds and heavy maritime traffic, the project was efficiently completed through meticulous planning and advanced technology. Equipped with NORBIT iWBMS sonar and Valeport SWiFT SVP (sound velocity profiler) systems, the Uni-Pact collected accurate data while being remotely operated from multiple locations.
The environmentally friendly, electric-powered USV demonstrated its versatility, autonomy, and ease of deployment, supported by expert technical guidance and a hot-swap battery system that minimized downtime. The client praised the efficient delivery and high-quality data, which will inform safe navigation and operational planning.
Environmental Monitoring
In Oman, Unique Group has provided a solar-powered oil spill detection radar system for a coastal client. This system, which includes advanced sensors, solar panels, and online alerting capabilities, was designed to detect oil spills early, minimizing environmental damage and associated costs.
Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, Unique Group deployed a buoy-based oceanographic and meteorological system to monitor water quality, currents, and wave parameters, contributing to the country’s marine conservation efforts.
Unique Group’s Uni-Mesh telemetry system in use for a project in the United Arab Emirates. It supports long-range mesh radio operations, offering a range of up to 12 km.
Looking Ahead
As the marine and subsea industries continue to evolve, Unique Group remains committed to advancing its technological capabilities with the needs of clients in mind. Future developments will focus on incorporating AI into data analysis and operational workflows, enhancing the precision and efficiency of its product offerings. The Uni-USV fleet is also set to undergo significant upgrades, including increased payload capacities, extended mission durations, and enhanced autonomy, enabling these vessels to tackle even more complex and large-scale operations. By integrating AI, enhancing vessel autonomy, and focusing on sustainable solutions, Unique Group is poised to continue as an industry leader.
Chris Blake is the vice president of survey at Unique Group.
Small USVs Offer Decarbonization, Monitoring Benefits
The speed and strength of the Atlantic circulatory currents (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC) affect the Earth’s climate. Small USVs such as AutoNaut can help gather data to monitor climate over time.
By Mike Poole
The autonomous vessel kaleidoscope is incorporating a changing focus as regulators step in. There’s more to come, which makes this a good time to illustrate tech advancements and their relationship to the regulatory landscape, with two recent examples of small USVs.
In this article, we report on the wave-propelled AutoNaut’s recent zero-carbon demo mission to collect a year’s worth of data from a sensor moored 1,800-m deep in the Rockall Trough and whiz it ashore via satellite in real time—then go back and allow scientists ashore to remotely recalibrate the moored sensor. A first, and all without needing a mothership.
We also report on a fleet of small AutoNaut USVs being used to improve hurricane forecasting, potentially saving thousands of lives.
It is important such benefits of new technology are factored into the thinking about new regulation because the world is also evolving in response to climate change. The U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) aims to become “world leading” in developing regulation for autonomous vessels. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is wrestling with the same regulation issue, but on a global scale, with a mandatory code expected in 2032.
It is not easy. Clearly, regulation is essential for a future that promises 40,000-ton freighters doing 18 kt. with no sailors on board. Technology hares ahead, while regulation goes carefully, carrying a shell comprising 250 years or more of maritime regulation that stretches back to square riggers.
It is not just new technology that needs splicing into this long-established framework. We need to look forward at our changing world by encouraging the benefits that uncrewed and autonomous vessels can bring to solving today and tomorrow’s problems and helping regulators work out how to de-risk autonomy. Climate change means we need to factor in sustainability, including phasing out fossil fuel-powered research ships.
A Sonardyne Fetch BPR was moored at 1,800-m depth in the Rockall Trough. (Credit: Ben Moat, U.K. National Oceanography Centre)
Zero-Carbon Operation
Propelled by waves, AutoNauts are zero carbon in operation. Working with the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), and funded by the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through the Future Marine Research Infrastructure program, a 5-m AutoNaut was sent from the Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland out into the Atlantic to the Rockall Trough. There, it gathered data from a sensor moored 1,800-m deep, a Sonardyne Fetch bottom pressure recorder (BPR). The sensor mooring is designed to last 10 years, and the data are needed frequently, with a role to play by USVs.
There are hundreds of ocean floor sensors that could be tapped with this method, along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and in other oceans. If we are to begin to deal with the results of anthropogenic climate change, it is vital we monitor changes to ocean currents that determine the weather patterns of Europe and the rest of the world. Ideally, we will do so sustainably, looking beyond the usual preoccupation with lowest cost.
AutoNaut being prepared for launch. A Sonardyne HPT 3000 acoustic transceiver for through-water communication is mounted centrally, below the hull. The Thales VesseLINK 700/Iridium Certus satellite enabled scientists ashore to control the transceiver remotely. (Credit: Scottish Association for Marine Science, SAMS).
Monitoring Extreme Weather
Replacing manned, diesel-guzzling ships with USVs for the jobs that are dangerous, dirty and difficult is proving valuable. As recent weather events around the world demonstrate, tropical storms are becoming more extreme. The effects of climate change are causing increasing worry, due to the snail’s pace of change in reducing CO2 emissions and our politicians acting too slowly (or not acting at all).
Examples of readings from AutoNaut sensors for pressure and inclinometer. Data were recoded at 1-hr. intervals.
Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) operates a fleet of four AutoNaut USVs that provide data to improve forecasting of the direction, speed and strength of incoming hurricanes. Two more USVs are in build.
The benefits of using USVs in a “hurricane watch” role should be factored into the new world of autonomous vessel regulation. A primary benefit is saving lives. Economic savings also flow from better early warning to agriculture and other industries and for protection of infrastructure. Crews are not put at risk when using USVs to monitor a hurricane, and USVs can capture accurate data on storm intensity (e.g., surface pressure, subsurface water temperatures, wind speed, humidity, dew point and wave data). Budgets tend to be limited, and small USVs that are easy to launch and operate can provide affordable data. USVs such as AutoNauts offer very long endurance, which allows for improved data sets and, thus, better forecasting.
An example from BMS radar that depicts two AutoNauts at sea, Ocean Hunter and Sabu, and the data they transmit in real time (www.barbadosweather.org/Radars/LeafScripts/BMSRadarProducts.php).
Aligning Tech Development with Regulations
While all these benefits might make using small USVs a no-brainer, there are several key issues that currently prevent small USVs from fulfilling their market potential because of a mismatch with existing regulations, such as COLREGs.
One is stability: For radar and cameras to be useful, you need “height of eye,” which necessitates one or more masts, with kit on them, all of which are vulnerable in a storm. Windage is another; speed is not important for the “hurricane watch” role, but survival is. An AutoNaut sized at 5 m, and other small USVs, will inevitably pitchpole and capsize when breaking wave crests are higher than the boat is long. Self-righting must be part of the design, and all the kit aloft will need to be balanced by ballast.
Power is another consideration for regulatory compliance. Long-term power is needed for the sensors, satellite communication, command and control, bilge pumps, AIS, etc. For very long endurance vessels, energy must be harvested on the fly, by photovoltaic panels or other means. Even new alternative fuel solutions provide limited endurance relative to the size of the fuel tank. Other factors to consider are areas of operation and traffic density, degrees of autonomy, and scaling risk against potential benefits, such as lives saved.
In the coming years, regulators will work their way toward solutions, with the help of the embryonic industry, just as regulations evolved for the aerial drone industry as it moved into consumer markets. Another test in the coming years will be to find ways to allow new autonomous technologies to be tested at sea without regulation stifling progress.
Redefining Sensor Design for Smaller Underwater Vehicles
A growing market of small, hand-portable AUVs and ROVs is enabled by advancements in sensor technology, such as the Nortek Nucleus 1000 navigation sensor package.
By Rachel McAlpine • Lila Johnson • Asim Azad
Established in 2021 with a commitment to innovation, collaboration and a pioneering vision, the General Oceans group has rapidly become a driving force in the underwater technology industry. Comprising six operating companies—Nortek, Tritech International Ltd., Klein Marine Systems, Reach Robotics, Strategic Robotic Systems and, most recently, RS Aqua—General Oceans is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge solutions that push the boundaries of subsea exploration and sensing.
In this article, we highlight the latest technologies from Nortek and Tritech that are shaping the future of the industry.
Growing Low-Cost Vehicle Market
The world of subsea vehicles has changed rapidly over the last few years. While large work-class ROVs still dominate larger and more specialized subsea operations, a new market of small, easy-to-operate AUVs and ROVs has exploded.
The growth in availability of these smaller and ever-more-capable vehicles would not be possible without advancements in sensor technology. One of the key sensor elements that has previously limited these small vehicles from performing at a high level was the lack of a compact and affordable navigation system option. Now, advanced navigation sensor technology makes it possible for even small vehicles to be equipped with a single sensor that collects all the necessary data to navigate underwater.
The Nucleus 1000 is about the size of a can of tuna, ideal for very small AUVs or ROVs.
Subsea Navigation Systems
In many cases, a subsea navigation system comprises a Doppler velocity log (DVL) for speed over ground and an inertial navigation system (INS) for directional information, or a similar combination. However, these sensors have historically been prohibitively expensive and too big to be considered for smaller vehicles, not to mention the complex integration requirements associated with this type of navigation system.
These limitations meant that navigation systems on small AUVs or ROVs were either foregone or limited. This in turn meant that small vehicles were limited in the types of jobs they could do; without a reliable navigation system, certain tasks were out of the question, especially autonomous tasks without input from an operator. Even station-keeping is a challenge without a reliable positioning sensor.
The advent of newer and, importantly, smaller DVL technology has now opened doors for these types of vehicles to perform missions that they could not do previously. These vehicles typically don’t require the same level of survey-grade accuracy required by work-class ROVs but still greatly benefit from navigational sensors.
Nortek’s Nucleus 1000 is one example of a sensor suite that provides navigational capabilities to these small AUVs and ROVs. The Nucleus offers the additional benefit of being a combined sensor suite that offers DVL and INS (or attitude and heading reference system, AHRS) information in one small package.
This diagram shows some of the key steps associated with creating a subsea navigation system. The Nucleus sensor package brings together multiple data streams, removing some of the integration work typically required.
Benefits of a Combined DVL/INS Sensor Suite
While, on its own, DVL technology getting smaller creates possibilities for small vehicles, a DVL alone does not enable these vehicles to navigate. The Nortek Nucleus 1000 is unique in that it offers both DVL functionality and a pre-synchronized AHRS or INS. This alleviates the need for multiple sensors and reduces the amount of integration required to achieve navigation underwater.
In addition to providing a dedicated INS data stream, the Nucleus software shows a vehicle’s location in real time on a map using inputs from the sensors and navigation algorithms.
Users can now add a source of basic positioning to their vehicle without substantial time, cost and payload demands. The Nucleus only needs to be provided with a GPS position to begin navigating using absolute positioning.
Providing Earth-referenced position to a vehicle control system means that users who need to know where they are, where they’ve been and where they’re going now have a preconfigured, pre-synchronized navigation package.
The Nucleus 1000 shows a vehicle’s location on a map in real time, requiring only an initial GPS input.
Additional Sensor Capabilities
Payload demands are one of the biggest limiting factors on adding sensors to small ROVs and AUVs, so combined sensor suites such as the Nucleus aim to provide as much information as possible without requiring additional space or power from the vehicle.
The ability to collect current profiles, for example, is beneficial for several applications. If the environment where the vehicle is being deployed has currents whose strength exceed the capacity of the vehicle, then an operator can deploy the vehicle at the surface to take a current profile. Scientific applications often require current profile information, which can be collected from the same sensor that the vehicle uses to navigate. Collecting current profiles is also beneficial as a safety check before sending divers into the water.
The Nucleus also has a dedicated altimeter beam, which can take a direct measurement of the distance to the seafloor, and has dedicated temperature and pressure data streams as well.
Reliable Sensors for Autonomy
As the subsea vehicle industry continues to grow, many vehicle manufacturers and users are pushing the limits of what vehicles can do without intervention from a pilot or other operator. This increase in autonomous operations means that onboard sensors must become increasingly reliable.
While small sensors such as the Nucleus may not have the same long-term accuracy required by larger work-class vehicles, having a compact, reliable and multifunctional navigation sensor suite on board small vehicles makes a world of difference in the ability to perform autonomous functions.
Even if vehicle autonomy is not the end-goal of a user, having reliable and easy-to-use equipment enables crew members of any experience level to launch and operate small vehicles for inspections or other applications. Station-keeping, operating at a constant depth, or navigating to waypoints in unfamiliar terrain all require data from sensors such as the Nucleus.
Case Study
When the French AUV company RTsys required a sensor for its NemoSens micro-AUV that would not only contribute to vehicle navigation but also collect current profiles for a dredging application, Nortek’s compact Nucleus 1000 sensor fit the small footprint required for the application.
RTsys worked together with Nortek’s support team on the integration of the sensor. The Nucleus on board the NemoSens was used to navigate the AUV and collect current profiles in an area near the dredging operations, with the goal of characterizing the movement of the sediment plume.
Tritech Gemini 1200id: Air bubbles from divers escaping from a hatch on a wreck.
Gemini 1200id Sonar
The Gemini 1200id is the latest addition to Tritech’s multibeam sonar portfolio, targeted specifically at work-class ROVs and other applications where reliability is of the utmost importance. Based on the industry standard Gemini 720is platform, the Gemini 1200id employs a mechanical design that is tried and tested in the harshest of subsea environments and offers a degree of redundancy by design not afforded by any other platform. The sonar has been developed largely in response to requests from existing customers who regularly operate the Gemini 720is to depths as low as 4,000 m.
In addition to the 720-kHz acoustic frequency offered by the Gemini 720is, the Gemini 1200id introduces dual-frequency operation with the addition of a new 1.2-MHz acoustic operating frequency, which improves angular resolution from 1 to 0.6° and range resolution from 4 to 2.4 mm, resulting in a significant improvement in imaging resolution.
The Tritech Gemini 1200id multibeam sonar is ideal for work-class ROVs. It has an operating depth down to 4,000 m.
Gemini 1200id Design
The introduction of the 1.2-MHz acoustic operating frequency to the Gemini 1200id necessitated a redesign of the analog front-end electronics to handle the higher sampling rate requirements of the new higher-frequency mode of operation. Rather than taking the easier and cheaper route of transitioning over to single-ended analog front-end integrated circuits developed for ultrasound applications as typically used by the majority of other multibeam sonars, the Gemini 1200id continues to employ an in-house developed analog front-end solution that incorporates fully differential receiver channels consisting of discrete low-noise amplifiers, discrete variable gain amplifiers, second-order bandpass filters, and discrete high-speed, high-resolution serial ADCs (analog-to-digital converters).
This custom analog front-end solution enables the receiver to be optimized for longer-range sonar applications, rather than shorter-range medical ultrasound applications that primarily drive the development of ultrasound analog front-end integrated circuits, due to the relatively larger volumes involved. As a result of its superior analog front-end tailored for sonar applications, the Gemini 1200id has a dynamic range twice as wide as its nearest competitor.
The electronic circuits within the Gemini 1200id have also been optimized. Additional filtering is exclusively employed to minimize self-generated noise around the two acoustic operating frequencies, resulting in significant reductions in unwanted artifacts that can appear in the sonar image. The Gemini 1200id also actively attenuates external waterborne noise from other subsea equipment in the vicinity of the sonar, including from the likes of ROV thrusters, which have a tendency to generate relatively large levels of electromagnetic interference. By pushing self-generated electrical noise away from the acoustic operating frequencies, and by actively attenuating external waterborne electromagnetic interference, the Gemini 1200id offers welcomed improvements in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
The wide dynamic range and enhanced SNR of the Gemini 1200id enable it to produce sonar images displaying sharp and bright acoustic returns on a noise-reduced dark background, resulting in crisp sonar images of excellent clarity.
A flight-time sensor operating at 1 MHz and integrated into the side of the Gemini 1200id measures the speed of sound in the water immediately around the sonar at the time of acoustic reception to ensure that observed targets are displayed accurately for position and size.
All auxiliary port features supported on the Gemini 720is are also supported by the Gemini 1200id, and the depth rating of 4,000 m is maintained, ensuring that the Gemini 1200id offers a direct upgrade path for customers who until now have been reluctant to consider anything beyond their trusted Gemini 720is sonars for mission-critical operations.
The Gemini 1200id can be controlled using either Genesis or software development kits that support integration into third-party applications. Genesis is Tritech’s latest all-in-one software package for controlling, displaying and recording data from its portfolio of sensors. It boasts a modern, dynamic and easy-to-use interface with a comprehensive suite of integrated features.
To allow the Gemini 1200id to share bandwidth with other equipment and sensors that may be present on an existing or shared network connection, the data bandwidth consumed by the sonar can be limited by capping the ping rate, reducing resolution, or enabling data compression.
Every Gemini 1200id sonar that rolls off the production line is subjected to a strict factory acceptance testing regime to guarantee quality and performance. As part of this testing, every function of the sonar is verified and additional tests at pressure limits conducted to confirm operation under extreme conditions. The design of the sonar is qualified to ensure reliability against shock and vibration, corrosion, and for compliance against relevant electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) regulations.
The Role of Small Sensors
The subsea industry is growing quickly. Vehicle manufacturers rely on sensor innovation to bring their vehicles into harsh environments, perform complex tasks and reduce the need for divers in dangerous situations. Sensors such as the Nucleus and Gemini 1200id sonar are just one piece of a much larger puzzle that enables these innovations, and sensor technology will continue to evolve as the needs of the subsea operations market change.
Rachel McAlpine is the group marketing manager at General Oceans.
Lila Johnson is a marketing specialist at Nortek.
Asim Azad is the hardware engineering manager at Tritech International.
Nominate: NOIA Safety in Seas Awards
Nominations are being accepted for the NOIA Safety in Seas (SIS) Awards 2025. As a beacon of excellence in the offshore energy industry, the SIS Awards recognize and celebrate companies that lead in safety innovation and contribute to the progress of offshore safety in the U.S.
Since 1978, NOIA has annually hosted the SIS Awards to honor those shaping the future of offshore safety. Sponsored by Compass Publications (the publisher of Sea Technology), the Safety in Seas Awards have become the industry standard, applauding unwavering dedication to safety, and acknowledging the women and men driving safety performance and sustainable improvement.
The Safety Practice Award recognizes specific technologies, approaches, methods, or projects with direct and demonstrable impacts on improving safety.
The Culture of Safety Award honors overall organizational immersion in and commitment to safety, which has resulted in remarkable, measurable, and sustained safety performance over a prolonged period of time.
The deadline is February 21, 2025 to be considered for these awards.
Email your submission, along with the applicable entry form in PDF format, to NOIA VP of Communications Justin Williams and NOIA COO Catherine Brown. Expect a confirmation email from NOIA within 48 hr. of submitting your entry.
The NOIA Safety in Seas competition is open to all NOIA members in good standing. In March 2025, an independent judging committee will review entries and select the winners in each award category. NOIA does not participate in the judging process. Winners will be announced and presented with their awards at the 2025 NOIA Annual Meeting at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., April 2 to 4. Winning entrants will have the honor of presenting their award-winning programs at the 2025 NOIA Fall Meeting at the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain in Arizona.
New NOAA Fire Weather Observing Systems in the Wake of Palisades Wildfire
The U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA have announced that approximately $15 million has been provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to construct and deploy a new suite of fire weather observing systems in high-risk locations in the Western United States to support wildfire prediction, detection, and monitoring. This comes in the wake of the devastating Palisades wildfire that began burning in Southern California earlier this month.
The investments support four distinct but related components of a regional fire weather observing system that relies on different technologies and approaches, with the goal of improving wildfire prediction, detection, and monitoring from the regional to local scales.
Existing federal properties with established NOAA presence near Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Desert Rock, Nevada, have been selected for two of the observing sites. NOAA is still finalizing the location of the other two in California and Washington state. The total cost of the project is $7.3 million.
During active fires, observations from state-of-the-art suites of research-quality instruments at these sites will be available to support operational decisions made by emergency managers. They will also improve numerical weather prediction models that are run daily, providing high-resolution forecasts on what might occur in the hours to days ahead.
OCEANS 2025 Workshop: Ship/Whale Collisions
Every year, approximately 20,000 whales are injured or killed in ship collisions. In response to this growing problem, the OCEANS 2025 Conference that will take place June 16 to 19 in Brest, France, will bring together leading engineers, scientists and other experts to explore innovative solutions to prevent such collisions.
On the first day of the conference, the Ship/Whale Collisions Workshop will feature presentations on the latest research and cutting-edge technologies designed to reduce ship/whale collisions. These include sonar systems that detect whale presence, AI-based prediction tools, and mapping technologies that provide real-time updates on cetacean movements. Strategies for the maritime industry to safeguard whales’ natural habitats will also be discussed. Additionally, scientists will share ongoing studies and data on whale behavior near ships and the impact of maritime traffic on whale populations. The workshop emphasizes the importance of cross-disciplinary cooperation, as addressing this issue requires input from marine biologists, technologists, policymakers and ship operators.
Fifty percent of whale species are currently listed as endangered. Ship collisions have become the leading cause of unnatural mortality for large cetaceans and a major threat to the survival of certain populations. The number of whales killed each year in maritime collisions has tripled over the past few decades and continues to rise with the expansion of global maritime traffic. Recent studies indicate that only 7 percent of high-risk zones for ship/whale collisions have implemented protective measures.
Apply: NMRA Marine Trades Scholarship
The application period is open for the 2025 National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA) Marine Trades Scholarship program.
The deadline is April 15.
Since 2008, NMRA has actively contributed to the future of the marine industry by offering scholarships to students pursuing education in the marine trades.
In 2024, four NMRA Scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded to students attending Northwood Technical College, Great Lakes Boat Building School, Lake Careers & Technical Center, and IYRS School of Technology & Trades.
To request an application for a 2025 NMRA Marine Trades Scholarship, email: info@nmraonline.org with 2025 Scholarship Application in the subject line.
Balancing Innovation and Consolidation
By Fabian Fussek
The maritime industry is undergoing a fundamental shift as firms balance the demand for new technological solutions against wanting more streamlined and consolidated processes. This means that shipping companies find themselves navigating a market that is fragmented and consolidating–at the same time. On one hand, firms are experimenting with niche solutions that target specific challenges. On the other, there is a growing trend to bundle these tools together, driven by the need for efficiency and the momentum of major acquisitions reshaping the landscape. It’s creating opportunities, but it’s also making it harder for companies to decide which investments are truly worthwhile.
A lack of standardization within the maritime industry is also emerging as a significant challenge. The variety of tools and platforms being used often lack unified standards, creating inefficiencies and making regulatory compliance more complicated. Industry-wide efforts to promote consistency and interoperability could help streamline operations and enable better collaboration between ship and shore teams.
Keeping Up with Regulations
These challenges come as companies face growing regulatory pressures. With the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decarbonization goals looming, shipping firms are under pressure to adopt more sustainable practices. Studies show that working with specialized providers can reduce operational costs by up to 20 percent while also helping companies meet compliance standards. The industry needs to strike a balance between using highly specialized tools and integrating them into cohesive strategies. Companies that figure this out will be the ones to thrive in the years ahead.
By focusing on digitizing workflows and integrating compliance monitoring with operational data, shipping companies can make decisions that align with both business goals and environmental responsibilities. However, achieving this clarity remains a challenge in a market crowded with competing solutions.
Trends to Watch in 2025
As the industry looks ahead, several trends are expected to take center stage. The push for consolidation will continue as companies streamline their technology ecosystems. Partnerships between shipping firms and tech providers will become more critical, as businesses look for trustworthy collaborators to navigate an increasingly competitive market.
Standardization is likely to play a key role in this evolution. The call for unified protocols and interoperable systems is growing louder, with the potential to reduce inefficiencies and enhance collaboration across the sector. Greater consistency could pave the way for more effective solutions industry-wide.
Emerging technologies will also shape the future. Digital twins, which create virtual models of physical assets, are expected to gain traction. These simulations enable ship managers to predict vessel performance, optimize maintenance schedules, and improve fuel efficiency. Cybersecurity will remain a top priority as interconnected systems face increasing risks from cyberattacks.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is another transformative force. Platforms leveraging AI are driving predictive maintenance, improving compliance tracking, and delivering real-time insights. These innovations are not only reducing costs but also aligning businesses with sustainability goals and regulatory requirements.
Collaboration is Key to Success
Looking ahead, collaboration will be the cornerstone of maritime technology. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all solutions. Success will come to companies that align with trusted partners who can adapt to their unique needs.
The maritime industry is at a pivotal moment, requiring careful navigation of both regulatory demands and technological advancements. By enabling stronger collaboration and embracing consistent standards, the sector can unlock new efficiencies and pave the way for a more sustainable future.
Apply: Sea-Changers Innovation Fund, UK
Sea-Changers’s Innovation Fund is open for applications until February 28, 2025. The fund supports new and experimental solutions to marine conservation challenges in the U.K. The maximum grant size will be £10,000.
Financing for the fund comes from ARC Marine Ltd. and the William Grant Foundation, with a further donation from a family trust.
The William Grant Foundation will specifically support innovation projects based in Scotland.
In addition to providing financial support for the Innovation Fund, ARC Marine Ltd. will offer in-kind support to some applicants, whether in terms of science or engineering expertise or enabling access to its vessels or 3D printers or software. This business has been built on innovation, supporting a mission to build biodiversity and replenish reefs on an unprecedented scale by providing environmentally sound, durable solutions for traditional marine industries.
World’s First Onboard Carbon Capture System Unveiled
Solvang ASA has reached a groundbreaking achievement in maritime decarbonization with the world’s first ship equipped with a full-scale onboard carbon capture facility now being readied for pilot testing.
This innovative technology holds the promise of becoming a pivotal advancement for the global trading fleet on its journey towards zero emissions.
Edvin Endresen, CEO of Solvang ASA, commented: “Onboard carbon capture combined with existing cleaning technology is a significant shortcut to decarbonization of the world’s deepsea fleet. This stands out as one of the more promising solutions for future vessels.”
The ship Clipper Eris, owned by Solvang ASA, is the inaugural vessel to be installed with Onboard Carbon Capture & Storage (OCCS) technology. OCCS effectively cleans the ship’s exhaust, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 70%, before storing the captured carbon dioxide in on-deck tanks for subsequent discharge and secure sequestration or potential utilization.
This pilot project is a collaborative endeavor involving Solvang, technology providers Wärtsilä and MAN Energy Solutions, and the esteemed research institute SINTEF.
Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä Marine, stated: “The introduction of carbon capture and storage capabilities on board the Clipper Eris is a major leap forward for maritime sustainability. It represents a system change that has been made possible by close collaboration between our companies.”
Solvang has seven new vessels currently under construction, all strategically designed and prepared for the seamless integration of OCCS technology.
After undergoing a comprehensive retrofit in dry dock over the past several months, the Clipper Eris is now positioned to meet the increasingly stringent environmental regulations of the future.
Apply: Uncrewed Maritime Systems Certificate
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will offer the Uncrewed Maritime Systems (UMS) Tier 1 Certificate Program during the spring semester of 2025. The Tier 1 classes will be held from March 24 through April 25, every weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Marine Research Center located at the entrance to the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi.
The five-week program, offered annually since 2017 and created at the request of the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, comprises four courses for a total of 10 credit hours.
Successful completion of the UMS Tier 1 Program is required for those wishing to apply for the Tier 2 Program.
Student Spotlight: 6 DOF AUV Model
Ilana Stern is a senior at George Washington University studying physics, and, as a hydrodynamics modeling intern at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Seattle, Washington, she has developed an application to track and model underwater drone trajectories. After graduation, she aims to pursue research in nuclear energy or artificial intelligence.
The paper below, by Stern, details an application that has since been used on three different AUV models of similar shape and function at APL. It was designed in such a way that the code can be applied to any AUV of an elliptical shape.
Icelandic Research Institute Acquires Deep Trekker ROV
The ROV is manufactured by Canadian company Deep Trekker and is equipped with 4K imaging technology, two lasers, and four LED lights. An arm fitted with a grab on this remotely operated vehicle makes it possible to collect samples. It includes a Blueprint Subsea Oculus MT1200d sonar system.
The Institute expects to use this new equipment to examine habitats and to record fauna and seabed features.
The Deep Trekker Revolution weighs just 26kg, and is powered by six propellers that enable a speed of up to four knots. It also has a depth range of up to 300 meters. The four batteries provide an operating endurance of up to six hours, plus it can be connected to an additional power supply on the surface to extend its operational time. A USBL positioning system enables pre-programming of operational routes.
The Revolution ROV has been supplied to the Institute by Slippurinn Akureyri, Deep Trekker’s agent in Iceland.
ETH Zurich: More Accurate Climate Models to Prepare for Escalating Heat Events
Climate model representation of January 2025 conditions using nextGEMS. Watch the simulation here.
By Cosimo Enrico Carniel
Master’s Student
ETH Zürich Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science
Extreme heat events, characterized by prolonged periods of unusually high temperatures, are emerging as one of the most pressing consequences of climate change. These events, which pose significant threats to human health, ecosystems and infrastructure, including military ones, have garnered increasing attention, particularly as their frequency and intensity escalate. Such extreme heat events are particularly dangerous in regions where populations are highly vulnerable to heat stress and the associated health risks, such as India, Pakistan and the Southern Mediterranean Basin. In regions where military tensions are at stake, such phenomena affect the functionality of equipment on land, reducing aircraft performance, limiting payload capacities, and disrupting naval systems by increasing maintenance needs or lowering operational efficiency. No area is truly safe when extreme events occur, as shown by the 2003 European heat wave that tragically claimed more than 70,000 lives, making it one of the deadliest in recent history.
Over the past few decades, research has highlighted a significant upward trend in the occurrence of extreme heat across various regions. For instance, in the Mediterranean region, under an intermediate emissions scenario, heat waves are projected to extend 27 to 67 days per summer by the end of the century, a dramatic increase compared to the mid-21st century, when this value was estimated at six to 24 days. Such projections are alarming, especially considering the severe health risks associated with them. Indeed, human tolerance to heat, already challenged by global warming, is further compromised when both temperature and humidity rise simultaneously. This is particularly concerning in regions where access to air conditioning and other cooling measures is limited, and where public health infrastructures may not be equipped to handle large-scale heat emergencies.
In addition to direct impacts on human health, extreme heat events also exacerbate environmental hazards, such as wildfires. Heat waves can lower the moisture content in plants and soils. Coupled with drought conditions, this creates ideal conditions for wildfires to start and spread rapidly. These fires release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, further contributing to climate change and amplifying the feedback loop of warming temperatures and more frequent extreme heat events.
One of the key innovations in the study of extreme heat events is the use of wet bulb temperature (TW) or wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) as a useful indicator for alert thresholds. TW combines temperature and humidity, while WBGT takes into account radiation and wind speed to provide a more accurate measure of human heat stress. Many studies highlight 35° C TW as the threshold at which human survival becomes impossible due to the failure of natural cooling mechanisms such as sweating. However, research increasingly shows that true risk to life begins at much lower TW values. In certain contexts, for example, in the military, strenuous activity is restricted when TW reaches around 31° C, and soldiers need to follow strict hydration and rest protocols. This makes the assessment of TW (or WBGT) vital for evaluating the impact of extreme heat events, particularly in regions with high humidity.
Next-Generation Models and the Role of SRMs
Traditional climate models have been instrumental in identifying broad trends in global and regional climate patterns, but they are limited when applied to localized extreme weather events. Advances in climate modeling now offer new opportunities to quantify changes in extreme heat events. At the forefront of these advancements are the storm-resolving models (SRMs), which operate at high spatial resolutions (between 2 and 10 km). These models capture small-scale atmospheric and oceanic processes critical for understanding extreme weather, including local manifestation of heat events. SRMs, coupled with high-resolution oceanic models, represent a significant leap forward from traditional climate models, which often miss localized coastal and atmospheric phenomena that contribute to extreme heat dynamics. SRMs can potentially better capture complex interactions such as sea breeze circulation, convective processes, land-sea temperature contrasts, mesoscale ocean eddies, and sea ice dynamics, which are critical for understanding heat waves, particularly in coastal and topographically complex regions.
For instance, in coastal areas, the interaction between land and sea can significantly influence temperature extremes, with processes such as coastal upwelling and sea breeze circulation playing crucial roles. SRMs are better equipped to capture these dynamics, making them invaluable tools for studying extreme heat in these regions.
To address these challenges the Next Generation Earth Modelling Systems (nextGEMS), a European Union Horizon 2020 initiative, has developed two storm-resolving, fully coupled Earth system models. The goal of these models is to provide climate services through the Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin developed in the EU’s Destination Earth initiative (DestinE). By leveraging these models, the nextGEMS project aims to improve our understanding of the physical processes driving extreme heat events while addressing persistent biases in conventional Earth system models.
As of March 2024, nextGEMS has produced 30-year climate projection simulations at kilometer scales. A Hackathon, where the produced simulations are carefully examined by several groups of scientists, is scheduled for March 2025.
The evaluation of these models through the integration of observational data and reanalysis products is now the critical step. Reanalysis data, such as provided by the ERA5 data set, offer a comprehensive historical record of atmospheric and surface conditions and serve as a reference for evaluating model performance in simulating extreme heat. Observational data from weather stations also provide essential validation of model outputs. The combination of model simulations, reanalysis data, and observational records enables researchers to assess how well models capture the frequency, intensity, and spatial distribution of extreme heat events.
The Future of Extreme Heat Modeling
While significant progress has been made in developing next-generation climate models, much work remains to predict extreme heat events at the needed spatial and temporal resolutions. Further research is necessary to improve the representation of key physical processes in these models, especially concerning land-sea interactions, convective processes and regional topography—all of which are crucial for understanding heat wave development.
Enhancing the resolution of models, particularly for long-term projections, is essential to accurately predict future occurrences of extreme heat under different climate scenarios. In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) offers a powerful approach to advance our understanding of extreme heat events. AI tools can analyze vast amounts of data quickly and identify patterns that may not be immediately apparent through traditional methods. Machine learning algorithms, for instance, can be trained to recognize precursors to extreme heat events by integrating observational data, reanalysis products and model outputs. AI-driven approaches can also improve the accuracy of predictions in regions with complex terrain or sparse observational data, and assist in directly simulating climate processes at the local level. This enhanced precision will offer policymakers and planners more actionable information to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat.
By improving our ability to predict extreme heat events, we can develop better tools to prepare for the impacts of climate change, particularly in regions with an urgent need for adaptation strategies, and in support of timely and effective military operations.
OpenOceans Global: The State of Ocean Plastics
By Carl Nettleton
Founder
OpenOceans Global
Plastic, from lost fishing gear and land-based sources, significantly impacts the marine environment. Plastic production, waste and leakage into the ocean are expected to double, even triple, in the coming decades, with 11 million metric tons now reaching the ocean annually.
Emerging news about impacts on human health has raised new concerns, with findings that microplastics are seemingly everywhere in our bodies, food and water, and that many plastics contain toxic chemicals. More than 16,000 types of chemicals have been found in plastic, many untested for toxicity. More than 4,200 plastic chemicals are of concern because they are persistent, mobile, toxic and/or bioaccumulate.
One key misperception has disempowered the public from coalescing to find solutions: the belief that most ocean plastic has accumulated into an “island” in the northern Pacific the size of Texas. This is not accurate: 75 percent of ocean plastic is actually on beaches or other shorelines, and most of the rest is in coastal waters.
Technology plays an important role in addressing ocean plastic pollution. An estimated 640,000 metric tons of fishing gear is lost or discarded in the ocean annually, including lines, buoys, nets, pots, traps and floats. Much of it is constructed from plastic. In addition to trashing shorelines, particularly those of island nations, ghost fishing by lost gear has long been a problem. One new technology alerts fishers when a fishing line detaches from its buoy or submerges deeper than intended. The alert allows the equipment to be retrieved before it is lost. Other technologies can track fishing gear by satellite after it is lost.
Rivers bring the majority of plastic to the ocean. The Ocean Cleanup nonprofit has had early success capturing plastic in rivers using its Interceptor technology. The Interceptor is a boom extending across large rivers. The river’s flow guides plastic trash along the boom to a barge, where a conveyor belt and shuttle distribute the debris across six dumpsters. When the dumpsters are almost full, it sends a text message to the operator, who moves the barge to a dock, empties the dumpsters, sends the debris to waste management facilities, and returns the barge to the Interceptor.
The Ocean Cleanup has three other technologies deployed in rivers: a smaller unit tending a trash boom, a standalone barrier to capture plastic coming down smaller rivers, and a barrier specifically suited for shallow waters.
Several other plastic barrier technologies have also been developed. A group in Indonesia called Sungai Watch is regularly cleaning 100 rivers by deploying its custom booms in conjunction with teams of workers. The group has expanded its activities to train villagers to stop throwing plastic into local rivers, giving them other options for disposal. A Dutch company makes bubble curtains that stop trash from flowing downriver in slow-moving waters.
Drifters are being deployed that simulate how plastic debris moves across the ocean to identify sources of plastic geographically. ROVs and AUVs are used to conduct surveys to find debris in the water column or on the seabed. Both remotely operated and autonomous equipment are being used to scoop up floating plastic debris in coastal waters.
Finding plastic hotspots is becoming a priority. Remote sensing by satellite, airplane, and drone is used to locate plastic on shorelines and in ocean waters. Ideally, satellites could provide a global assessment of the status of plastic along coasts and on surface waters, but satellite imagery still lacks the resolution to identify plastic debris such as soda bottles and wrappers. Hyperspectral imaging using drones thus plays a role in mapping the extent and concentration of microplastic pollution.
Even when accumulations of plastic are found, the challenge of disposal remains. There are only three options: landfilling, incineration and recycling. Many small, low-lying nations don’t have suitable locations for landfills. Environmental groups frown upon incineration, but many residents living on islands or in developing countries have little or no access to waste management collection or landfills. They often resort to open burning or dumping plastic into rivers. Recycling is a growing option, but with less than 10 percent of plastic recycled globally, the infrastructure to improve recycling rates will not expand quickly enough to make much of a difference in the near future. Chemical recycling, a process to break down plastic into raw materials for new products, is being explored but is strongly opposed by environmental groups.
In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a historic resolution to develop an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. It requested the UN Environment Programme to convene an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop a treaty to address the full life cycle of plastic, including its design, production and disposal. After a rocky start, with little progress in the first three sessions, the INC completed the actual text to start treaty negotiations.
The fifth and final negotiating session concluded in December 2024 with no agreement, other than to meet again in the summer of 2025. The primary obstacle was whether to include caps on plastic production. Oil-producing countries, led by Saudi Arabia and including Iran, Russia and other Gulf states, oppose caps. The U.S. took a neutral stance.
If the treaty is finally adopted, its substantive elements will likely address chemicals of concern, problematic product design and financing to implement the treaty. The most important element of the treaty will likely be a framework, as with the Paris Climate Agreement, that calls for an annual gathering of the participating countries to assess new science and make incremental changes in the agreement.
It remains to be seen if and how the global plastics treaty will take shape.
Tunley Environmental: Advancing Ocean Tech for Sustainability
As floating wind turbines and tidal turbines tap into marine renewable energy, protecting the surrounding marine life must be considered for sustainable operations.
By Nora von Xylander
Marine Biodiversity and Sustainability Scientist
Tunley Environmental
Innovations in ocean tech supported key advancements in 2024 to sustainably manage our oceans. Developing technologies include acoustic monitoring for marine mammal protection and seaweed farming as a natural method to mitigate climate change.
Ocean Energy and Marine Mammal Protection
The push for marine renewable energy is vital to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and combat climate change. Innovative tech designs, including those for floating wind farms and tidal turbines, are being developed to reduce ecological disruption, maximize energy efficiency and foster sustainable coastal economies.
For example, the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at the University of St. Andrews has been instrumental in advancing marine research to assess the impacts of renewable energy structures on marine mammals. This ensures that the transition to cleaner energy remains aligned with marine conservation goals.
Marine mammals rely on vocalizations to communicate, navigate and locate prey through water. SMRU Instrumentation’s specialized tagging systems and open-source software for underwater sound monitoring, known as PAMGuard, enable real-time tracking of marine mammal movements and habitat needs, thus providing insight into the potential environmental impacts of marine renewable energy technologies.
The likelihood of collision between marine mammals and renewable energy infrastructure such as tidal turbines has led SMRU to innovate multibeam sonar systems. The sonar, along with the deployment of ultrasonic hydrophone arrays, has demonstrated the ability to detect and track marine mammals in 3D near tidal turbines. The systems, which the U.K. government will use for conservation, could reduce potential hazards from renewable energy structures and inform policy development for renewable energy expansion.
Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is now being used with artificial intelligence (AI) to identify species-specific acoustic signals, such as those from bottlenose dolphins and killer whales. PAM technologies range from hydrophones towed behind boats to stationary recorders on the seafloor to more recent advancements using distributed acoustic sensing along existing underwater fiber-optic cables to detect whales, shipping noise, or seismic activity.
It is the hope of the researchers that temporary shutdowns in offshore energy operations informed by PAM and multibeam sonar systems could reduce negative impacts on marine mammals, similar to how enforced vessel slowdowns in protected areas have reduced vessel collisions with and harmful noise impacts on marine mammals.
Sustainable Fishing, Aquaculture
Smart fishing gear and non-lethal acoustic deterrent devices for aquaculture are being developed to support sustainable practices.
As entanglement in fishing nets remains a leading cause of mortality for small cetaceans, smart fishing gear with the ability to track marine mammals using PAM technology is showing promise to minimize bycatch.
In the aquaculture industry, GenusWave’s Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST) is emerging as a potential alternative to traditional acoustic deterrent devices (ADD) to prevent predation. Unlike ADDs, TAST, a PAM technology, does not cause hearing damage in marine mammals. It records vocalizing cetaceans, the natural sounds of other marine life, and human-made noises from shipping and industrial activities, which provides a holistic soundscape to allow for environmental monitoring.
As we move into 2025, integrating AI-driven analysis with expanding PAM capabilities is a promising path forward for more sustainable industry practices that align with international goals for resilient ocean ecosystems.
Blue Carbon Technologies
Coastal marine habitats such as kelp forests and seagrass beds play key roles in carbon sequestration, provide substantial potential for reducing atmospheric CO2, and contribute to nutrient cycling and support for marine biodiversity. As a natural solution to climate change, initiatives such as regenerative seaweed farming are gaining traction globally, with new technologies showing promise for enhancing scalability and efficiency.
Algapelago is a seaweed farming company that plans for a project in June 2025 in North Devon, England, with a production potential of up to 40 fresh tonnes of kelp. It is uniquely engineered for high-energy conditions and offshore scaling, with automated seeding and harvesting capability. By using the Norwegian company Arctic Seaweed’s innovative maritime farming technology, Algapelago aims to answer critical questions about the scalability, impacts, and natural capital value of regenerative ocean farming over four years with the simultaneous cultivation of mussels and kelp at scale.
“We are excited to deploy this new rig, as it will accelerate the development of the Blue Forest initiative,” said Algapelago’s co-founder and ocean adventurer Olly Hicks. “This effort will help establish strong future credit markets, promote ecological improvements and create large-scale opportunities within the blue economy.”
As we look ahead into 2025, regenerative seaweed farming is expected to expand, helping create resilient marine environments that contribute positively to the blue economy and global climate goals.
Conclusion
The intersection of sustainability science and ocean technology has the potential to reshape marine conservation with innovation. By investing in these technologies and fostering collaborative approaches, we can build resilient marine ecosystems that support biodiversity, climate stability and sustainable resource use. The achievements of 2024 illustrate what is possible when interdisciplinary science meets visionary technology, setting the stage for an even more impactful 2025.
References
For a list of references, contact: catherinefoister@tunley-environmental.com.
PML: Optimizing Big Data, Tech and AI to Tackle Major Environmental Problems
PML has developed AI algorithms to detect floating plastic litter on the sea surface from drone footage.
By Professor Icarus Allen
Chief Executive
Plymouth Marine Laboratory and PML Applications
This past year has been another exciting and productive one for Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), with significant advancements using, and optimizing, the latest technological developments as part of our quest to better understand the ocean and all it provides to society.
Climate change is clearly one of the biggest challenges currently facing the world. The reduction of carbon emissions remains paramount, and there has been a recent flurry of interest around the development of approaches to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide via the marine environment and its chemical and biological processes.
To ensure these initiatives truly achieve what is intended without causing negative impacts on the environment, society or the economy, it is crucial that any proposed projects, such as those relating to ocean carbon dioxide removal (oCDR), are properly and robustly monitored and evaluated. Scientists at PML have been working on a number of projects to do just that.
The SeaCURE project, a collaboration between PML, University of Exeter, Brunel University and the SEA LIFE Centre in Weymouth, U.K., is building a pilot plant that could pave the way for large-scale, ocean-based removal of CO2. The SeaCURE system, which is due to be operational in early 2025, removes CO2 from piped-in seawater, then releases that seawater back to the ocean, where it naturally replenishes the lost CO2 by effectively “sucking” carbon from the atmosphere.
In another first-of-its-kind study, scientists from PML and PML Applications provided independent monitoring and analysis of a pilot oCDR trial by Planetary Technologies in St Ives Bay, U.K. This study involved adding magnesium hydroxide to wastewater before releasing the wastewater into the sea, where natural chemical processes reduced the concentration of CO2 in the released water, thereby increasing the water’s capacity to absorb CO2 from the air. The monitoring, reporting, and verification performed by PML for the study provides strong evidence that oCDR is a viable approach to actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere and help combat climate change.
Another aspect that is important in tackling climate change is offshore renewable energy. In 2024, PML scientists led or were involved with numerous research projects exploring the impact of wind farm developments on marine life and ecosystems. One such study showed that during construction, impacts were predominantly negative, whereas, once operational, the impacts were more balanced, depending on the site conditions. The conditions of the site also played a significant role in what would be the least detrimental approach for decommissioning.
Broadening the scope to wider environmental issues, PML scientists have been fully embracing the recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate environmental research and application. AI algorithms have been trained to detect the invasive Pacific oyster along U.K. shorelines and floating plastic litter on the sea surface from drone footage, potentially providing a new, fast, cost-effective and simple monitoring capability.
AI is also being used in the identification of plankton through a cutting-edge, in-water imaging system that, when combined with machine learning, can be used to rapidly identify and classify plankton species present in the water without the need for manual analysis. The high-frequency data produced help scientists to understand the changes that are occurring in our marine environment on a much finer scale.
This identification approach is also being used to detect harmful algal blooms (HABs), which can have a significant negative impact upon environmental and human health, as well as the economy through reduced productivity and income in the marine sector. PML has studied algal blooms for decades by looking for color signatures in satellite images. Now with AI, the team can build more complex models incorporating other data, such as temperature, chlorophyll levels, and turbidity, to help detect different species and predict when and where a HAB may occur. Improving HAB predictive capability could provide seafood farmers early warning of encroaching blooms, potentially giving them time to respond to save stock.
Another issue where progress has been made this year is that of balancing the needs of multiple marine users. The marine environment provides an extensive range of benefits to society, including food, transport, energy, waste processing, recreation and beneficial environmental processes that require protection. Managing the often conflicting demands of users of the marine environment in a changing climate requires a new approach, and PML scientists have proposed a novel framework for Climate-Smart Marine Spatial Planning (CSMSP).
The PML-led Marine Spatial Planning Addressing Climate Effects (MSPACE) project, in collaboration with the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership, published an “early warning system” report, based on CSMSP and incorporating an advanced modeling analysis. This analysis shows where and for how long marine conservation, fisheries and aquaculture could be best supported across U.K. seas. Creating new, climate-adaptive management strategies for marine ecosystems and the various economic sectors reliant on them is vital in order to harness opportunities for effective marine conservation and economic growth in the long term. MSPACE has been successful in securing additional funding to work more closely with potential end-users within the marine spatial planning sector and the U.K.’s overseas territories.
Diving deeper, PML and Seabed 2030, which seeks to inspire the complete mapping of the global ocean by 2030, signed a memorandum of understanding, recognizing shared endeavors, particularly in ocean bathymetry research, and supporting the UN Ocean Decade. The agreement will see closer collaboration in areas such as joint engagement with the wider geospatial, hydrospatial, and technology innovation community and the sharing of data.
In Plymouth, identified as Britain’s Ocean City, further exciting developments in the marine R&D sector have been achieved. As part of the National Centre for Coastal Autonomy, a unique proving ground for marine businesses to test, trial, prototype, and commercialize new products and services has been enhanced with a new underwater communications network. The Smart Sound Connect Subsurface network, in which PML is a key partner, will integrate into the existing surface networks to deliver a fully connected environment. It combines underwater, surface and aerial platforms to create unrivaled opportunities for research that will advance our understanding of the ocean.
Looking forward to 2025, PML will continue its developmental autonomy and AI work, aiming to deploy the full suite of automatic imaging devices alongside new cutting-edge marine monitoring equipment at sea by the spring. This will likely be the most comprehensive and advanced marine monitoring network in the world, helping to maintain PML and Plymouth’s global reputation as a leading force in marine science.
Pew: The World Currently Lacks the Ability to Govern Deep-Sea Mining
By Julian Jackson
Seabed Mining Project Director
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Despite continued negotiations in 2024, the regulatory framework meant to govern commercial-scale deep-sea mining is still years from being finalized by members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the United Nations-affiliated body tasked with governing the mineral resources of the ocean floor in international waters. And because of a legal loophole in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it is possible that the ISA could provisionally approve a submitted mining application even in the absence of regulations. This might cause irreversible damage to the seabed and threaten both the greater marine ecosystem and Earth’s vital systems.
Although the ISA has been negotiating the framework for a number of years, numerous gaps in the regulations remain, including many documented in a study that The Pew Charitable Trusts co-authored in Marine Policy in 2024. These gaps include fundamental issues, such as lack of agreement on environmental baseline data requirements; what constitutes permissible environmental harm; compliance, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms; how to address underwater cultural heritage; and insurance and liability requirements.
The negotiators also have not yet considered a significant number of subsidiary instruments, or complementary rules, that are required to accompany the main regulations and would govern important topics such as environmental impact assessments, emergency response and contingency plans, and toxic substances.
One particularly troubling gap is the lack of agreed-upon limits on hazardous mining impacts, which include sediment plumes, noise and light pollution. For example, mining equipment on the seafloor may generate clouds of debris, and as mined material is pumped to the surface and metals and minerals are filtered out, the unwanted sediment and waste are expected to be dumped back into the ocean. These plumes could travel thousands of kilometers from the mining site and have potentially devastating effects on deep-sea ecosystems. Among the potential hazards of plumes is the spread of toxic chemicals, polluting large swaths of ocean at the seabed and throughout the water column. Failing to set standards and limits for the kinds of sediments and waste that can be permissibly returned to the ocean, and when and at what depth this disposal is allowed to occur, is a fundamental gap in the environmental management regime for seabed mining.
Similarly, lack of noise restrictions could harm deep-sea species and wider ocean ecosystems. Recent research supported by Pew and published in July 2022 in Science found that a single deep-sea mining operation could produce noise extending hundreds of kilometers, dramatically increasing the environmental footprint of mining—and potentially affecting the ability of marine creatures to use sound to navigate, communicate, find mating partners, locate food, and detect predators and other dangers.
A small ISA working group has only recently started to develop thresholds to limit levels of toxicity, turbidity and settling of resuspended sediments, as well as underwater noise and light pollution. However, limits for other impacts of mining, such as habitat removal, have yet to be considered.
Deep-sea mining companies are not the only parties with an interest in the seabed. But there is no mechanism in place to foster coordination between mining companies and other users of the seabed, such as the owners of undersea internet cables. That means there is currently no clear path for other stakeholders, including industries that operate in the same areas, to raise concerns about proposed mining plans—and no clarity on what recourse they would have if their concerns are not addressed. Similarly, there is no framework for how these stakeholders could participate in the ISA’s decision making around environmental planning.
Deep-sea mining could have consequences beyond destroying and polluting habitat for marine life. Given the likely vast spatial and temporal scales of its detrimental impacts, there is potential for substantial effects on carbon storage and carbon cycling in the deep ocean, as well as on other ecosystem services, such as vital fisheries.
An increasing number of governments, scientists, and organizations are raising concerns about the potential harm that deep-sea mining would cause and are urging caution. During the ISA’s meetings in summer 2024, five more countries committed to a precautionary pause or moratorium on large-scale, commercial deep-sea mining, bringing to 32 the number of countries that agreed with this position in the past two years.
There are also companies that favor a moratorium on seabed mining. For example, automakers such as BMW and Rivian have said they will not use materials harvested from the deep sea to create batteries for electric vehicles—one of the main uses promoted by prospective miners. Tech companies, such as Apple and Google, also support a moratorium. And more and more investors, insurers and re-insurers have expressed significant concerns about deep-sea mining, threatening the industry’s viability. That includes Deutsche Bank, which, in September 2024, updated its ocean-related policies and joined 15 other financial institutions in saying it will not directly finance deep-sea mining projects.
The ISA’s last negotiating session ended in August 2024, and debate is slated to resume in March 2025. With so many gaps in the regulatory framework remaining, it is difficult to see a path toward completing these negotiations anytime soon.
As many questions remain, it would be irresponsible to allow a commercial deep-sea mining application to move forward. It is imperative that member countries at the ISA heed these concerns and establish a precautionary pause or moratorium on seabed mining before one of Earth’s most pristine and fragile ecosystems is opened to a new extractive industry clouded by uncertainty.
NOIA: Offshore Energy Is Critical to American Economic, Environmental Leadership
By Erik Milito
President
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)
Amid sensational headlines, election hyperbole and some questionable policy decisions from Washington D.C., the U.S. offshore energy sector remains resilient. This vital industry not only powers our nation with reliable energy but also supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across all 50 states and strengthens national security. From the Gulf of Mexico to the burgeoning offshore wind farms along the East Coast to the potential of carbon sequestration, hydrogen, critical minerals, and other emerging energy segments, the resilience and innovation of this sector are crucial for driving economic growth and ensuring our nation’s energy security.
The Gulf of Mexico has long been a cornerstone of U.S. offshore oil and gas production, producing nearly 2 million barrels of oil per day with a small footprint. Last year’s decisions from Washington may have cast a shadow over the region, but 2025 offers a bright outlook.
This past year marked the first since 1958 without an offshore oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. Only three lease sales are scheduled over the next five years. These policy decisions are inconceivable given the Gulf’s role as a wellspring of stable, affordable, and lower-carbon energy that drives economic growth and generates billions in government revenues.
Moreover, litigation has clouded the Gulf of Mexico. The recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, siding with environmental activists against the National Marine Fisheries Service Gulf of Mexico Biological Opinion (BiOp), demonstrates the uncertainty of the regulatory and permitting process. Without an active BiOp, nearly every permit or plan could be adversely impacted. While the court has granted a reprieve, it has become clear that changes are needed in our laws and regulations to shield against continued arbitrary disruptions to energy projects in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere.
Originally, the judge set a vacatur of the BiOp for December 20, 2024—a time frame that both industry and the federal government agreed was infeasible and would potentially lead to a bottleneck of almost every oil and gas permit in the Gulf of Mexico. Such a decision could open the door to an unpredictable regulatory environment, deterring investment and jeopardizing economic growth, tax revenues, and jobs.
After dozens of companies and several federal agencies provided declarations to the court, explicitly expressing how a December vacatur would severely impact their operations, the court granted a remedy and delayed the vacatur until May 2025.
Thankfully, the Gulf of Mexico will not be starting the new year with a permitting logjam.
Industry is also closely watching the anticipated December 2024 release of the expanded Rice’s whale critical habitat. At the time of writing, based upon the government’s proposal, the new habitat designation is expected to be significantly expanded through an effort that leaned heavily on incomplete science. Fixing this issue should be a major priority for Congress and the incoming administration.
Without a solution, the designation could reintroduce mitigation measures that harm energy, industrial, commercial and every marine activity in the Gulf of Mexico without providing effective protection for the whales. Potential restrictions could impact ships bringing fuel to Florida’s Gulf Coast, cargo ships from Houston, and food exports from the Mississippi, disrupting vital supply chains and economic activities.
Despite these challenges, the Gulf of Mexico continues to innovate and produce the energy that fuels society. New projects in the deepwater Gulf are advancing with groundbreaking techniques. Chevron’s Anchor project, which achieved its first oil in August 2024, exemplifies the industry’s commitment to innovation, safety and efficiency. As the first deepwater high-pressure development to begin production, Anchor uses 20,000-psi subsea technology to tap into reservoirs at depths of 34,000 ft.
This achievement required the collaboration of numerous companies. For instance, Chevron contracted Transocean’s newly built Deepwater Titan, an eighth-generation drillship, to drill and complete the project’s subsea high-pressure production wells. The Deepwater Titan and its sister ship are the first rigs in the world equipped with a 1,700-ton hoisting system, a 20,000-psi well control system and a 10,000-psi mud system.
Other frontier high-pressure, high-temperature projects, including Beacon Offshore Energy’s Shenandoah project and bp’s Kaskida project, are poised to follow and build upon the Gulf region’s impressive resilience and status as a premier global energy basin.
There has also been progress in developing new offshore wind projects in the U.S. The South Fork Wind project, a joint venture between Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables, is New York’s first offshore wind farm and the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in federal waters. With 12 turbines generating 132 MW of renewable energy, South Fork Wind will power approximately 70,000 homes.
Other offshore wind projects are not far behind, which is great news for local onshore residents and workers throughout the nation. While the power generated from offshore wind projects may be local, the economic significance, including the supply chain, has a national footprint. States such as Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida have already realized jobs and investments from supporting offshore wind projects.
Consider the ECO Edison, the first-ever American-built, owned and crewed offshore wind service operations vessel, constructed by Edison Chouest. This vessel will play a pivotal role in the operation and maintenance of wind farms, serving as a base for technicians and equipment.
Built by more than 600 workers across shipyards in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, and sourcing components from 34 states, the ECO Edison exemplifies the significant financial investments and collaborative efforts driving the U.S. offshore wind industry forward.
Furthermore, there is a pipeline from the offshore wind industry of more than $4 billion in proposed investments to ports, manufacturing, vessels, workforce development and research.
As the U.S. moves past the elections, it is crucial for Congress and the White House to quickly align on advancing an all-of-the-above offshore energy policy if the U.S. wants to continue to be an energy leader. One example of such alignment could be the pursuit of policies to mandate offshore oil and gas lease sales. This would create certainty for investment and pave the way for new American energy projects, thereby reducing reliance upon antagonistic energy suppliers, such as Russia and Iran, in the global marketplace.
Ensuring a stable and predictable regulatory environment and regular access to new energy opportunities through lease sales are essential for attracting the investments needed to maintain and expand our offshore energy capabilities.
Offshore oil and gas and renewable energy projects offer significant benefits, including job creation, energy security, and environmental stewardship and conservation. By seizing this moment, policymakers can drive forward the innovation and investment required to keep the U.S. at the forefront of global energy leadership.
DNV: Plotting the Course for Maritime Decarbonization
By Eirik Ovrum
Maritime Principal Consultant, DNV
Lead Author, Maritime Forecast to 2050
The decarbonization of shipping is a complex puzzle. Due to its nature, shipping is one of the world’s “hard to abate” sectors, which means that reducing emissions and contributing to stopping man-made global climate change requires ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking.
The goals, at least, are clear. Following the conclusion of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80) summit in 2023, the maritime industry has set its course toward full decarbonization “by or around” 2050, a 20 percent reduction in emissions by 2030, and a 70 percent reduction by 2040, all compared to 2008 levels.
These goals are, at best, highly ambitious, and, at worst, impossible. Nonetheless, the spirit of maritime exploration is alive and well, and a range of different technologies, fuels and operational strategies are already being explored across the industry.
A Roadmap for the Maritime Industry
At DNV, we are at the forefront of these efforts, summarized in the annual publication of our Maritime Forecast to 2050 report. In 2024, we released the eighth edition to continue to provide maritime stakeholders with a pragmatic assessment of the decarbonization road that lies ahead, helping them make the appropriate choices for their own fleet.
With every publication, the report provides an overview of the latest technological and regulatory developments in shipping. Both are dynamic elements that inform DNV’s forecasting models, demonstrating the different pathways to meet the IMO’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets.
Short Supply of Carbon-Neutral Fuels
Taking the longest view, full decarbonization of shipping will require the large-scale transition to carbon-neutral fuels. The scale of this task is difficult to exaggerate. Today, about 93 percent of the global fleet (in gross tonnage) is powered by conventional fossil fuel oil without onboard carbon capture. For full decarbonization, a brand new fleet, with the ability to be powered by alternative fuels, such as ammonia, hydrogen and methanol, or with the ability to capture carbon on board, needs to be constructed over the next 2.5 decades. The cost of constructing these vessels will be greater than for conventional vessels, and shipowners are understandably reluctant to commit to this based on an even greater issue, that of fuel supply.
Today, the supply of fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen and methanol is minuscule, with global supply chains, including bunkering infrastructure, almost nonexistent. Developing carbon-neutral versions of these fuels to fulfill shipping’s theoretical needs will require sustained, multibillion-dollar investment on a global scale over the next 25 years.
However, with demand uncertain, and clarity lacking around which will be the “winning” fuel, few fuel producers are reluctant to make this kind of commitment. Moreover, while some supply of these carbon-neutral fuels is available today, they are significantly more expensive than regular fuels, reducing their appeal even more for shipowners.
Energy Efficiency Plugs the Gap
Although the scale of the fuel transition seems almost insurmountable, a number of solutions—green shipping corridors; financial mechanisms, such as the Poseidon Principles, a global framework to integrate climate considerations into lending decisions; carbon pricing regulations—are being put in place to make the ground more favorable in the years ahead. Nonetheless, action is imperative today, and shipping needs to show a 20 percent reduction in GHG emissions within the next five years, so other avenues need to be explored. The most obvious of these is energy efficiency.
The latest Maritime Forecast to 2050 estimates that energy reductions of up to 16 percent can be achieved through a combination of operational and technical energy efficiency measures. This can start with instilling cultural changes throughout an organization. Encouraging crew members to seek efficiencies in their day-to-day operations has already been proven as a low-cost, risk-free way of achieving results, with some companies showing that this can deliver fuel and emissions savings of up to 5 percent.
Taking energy efficiency to the next level and reaching double-digit results requires technological solutions. Energy efficiency technologies such as wind-assisted propulsion systems, waste-heat recovery, and shaft generators, to name just a few, are already in use and have been proven to reduce emissions, with even greater potential in the future.
Other Technological Solutions Can Reduce Demand for Carbon-Neutral Fuels
Aside from energy efficiency measures, the new Maritime Forecast to 2050 report also demonstrates how a range of other technological solutions can contribute to a reduction in GHG emissions while reducing the dependence on carbon-neutral fuels.
Onboard carbon capture is a good place to start. Supported by sustainable and credible reception and storage schemes, this would enable the continued use of conventional fuels and technologies while contributing to emissions reductions. The technology required for this is developing quickly. However, there is not yet sufficient infrastructure developed to receive and store the carbon captured on board ships. Ideally, this would be done at major ports, and the Maritime Forecast to 2050 report explains how this could happen.
Digitalization is also crucial. Digital tools and systems are already unlocking operational efficiencies, for example, by facilitating speed and route optimization. Digitalization can also be used to show vessel performance, providing vital data on the impact of energy-saving measures and facilitating design of the next generation of energy-efficient ships.
Technology is developing quickly, and other solutions, such as shore power, batteries, fuel cells, and nuclear propulsion, are also examined in detail in the new report.
The Advantages of Pooling
While technology is developing quickly, the conditions for decarbonization need to be supported by progressive and goal-oriented regulations. A good example of this is the pooling mechanism, which forms part of the FuelEU Maritime regulation, effective January 2025.
Pooling provides shipowners with the option to attain compliance across a fleet of ships—even belonging to different companies—as a means of meeting stricter well-to-wake requirements imposed under the new regulation. This means that in a pool, a vessel with compliance surplus can sell excess emission units to several vessels with compliance deficits, compensating for the extra costs associated with investing and running an over-compliant vessel on costly carbon-neutral fuels.
Using a detailed simulation of an e-methanol vessel, the new Maritime Forecast to 2050 report shows how pooling can drive fleet-wide strategies, reduce investment risk, and help to accelerate the uptake of new fuels and technologies.
Possible Futures
With so many options on the table, it is understandably difficult for shipowners to know what the best solutions are for them and where to invest their money. Building on and updating our GHG Pathway model, the report presents four exploratory scenarios for achieving decarbonization: biofuels and onboard carbon capture, methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen. The report investigates the conditions under which the uptake of these different fuel types and technologies will accelerate toward 2050.
No single scenario dominates, and it is likely that the future energy mix will comprise a diversity of fuels and technologies. However the future unfolds, the cost of decarbonization will be high, including a potential doubling of the cost of transport for container shipping by 2050, compared to a business-as-usual scenario. This will have to be passed along the value chain, bringing the realities of maritime decarbonization all the way to the households of end-consumers.
Shipping’s Greatest Challenge
Decarbonization is probably the greatest challenge ever facing the maritime industry. Goals have been set, but the road ahead is full of uncertainty, and there is no guarantee of success.
Nonetheless, the pioneering spirit of shipping is alive and well, and no stone will be left unturned as we embark on this great transition.
FarSounder: Advancing ASV/USV Navigation Capabilities for Expanding Missions
Sample depiction of seafloor and bridge pilings via FarSounder Argos 500 3D FLS.
By Matthew Zimmerman
CEO
FarSounder Inc.
Autonomy and uncrewed autonomous vehicle (UxV) systems are hot topics across a variety of industries and vehicle types. For example, it is clear that the pace of adoption and development of drone technology in the maritime sector is increasing dramatically. The confluence of greater at-sea broadband connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI)-based vehicle control systems, the limited pool of mariners, and the success of uncrewed systems in the war in Ukraine has created an enormous opportunity for autonomous/uncrewed surface vessel (ASV/USV) platforms.
Now that the utility of USVs, including their value as a force multiplier, has been demonstrated, the industry is ripe for widespread adoption of these vehicles in not only defense applications but also hydrographic survey, search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and (soon) cargo/passenger transport. As more applications come online, there is one key factor that must not be overlooked: What is underwater, ahead of the vessel, in real time?
It is fairly common to use the information captured in electronic navigation charts (ENCs) to generate a vessel route that avoids the shallows and other underwater obstacles shown on an ENC. However, there is a fundamental problem with this approach: It assumes that the chart’s underlying hydrographic survey data are comprehensive and complete. ENCs may be valuable within the primary shipping channels and in popular locations, but only about 50 percent of coastal waters worldwide has been surveyed by modern standards. This means that as USV missions and applications move into remote coastal locations, nautical charts cannot be relied upon to provide accurate information about underwater hazards.
Historically, USV development focused on the use of above-water sensors (such as GPS, AIS, radar and optical/thermal sensors) and ensuring compliance with U.S. Coast Guard Rules of the Road (COLREGS). Testing of initial platforms took place either in well-charted areas or deepwater locations where concerns about underwater hazards could be minimized. Therefore, the limitations of ENCs could be largely ignored.
However, as ASVs/USVs move out of these simplified environments, that is no longer a valid assumption. Given the limited resources of hydrographic offices around the world, it will take a long time to fully survey all areas of interest. Even the U.S. has only mapped about 52 percent of its territorial waters. Seabed 2030, a joint project of GEBCO and The Nippon Foundation, supported by the International Hydrographic Organization and endorsed by the UN, is working to compile a comprehensive map of the seafloor. However, even when including crowdsourced measurements and data from private survey operators, the definitive global map thus far only covers about 26 percent of the seafloor at a maximum resolution of 100 m.
One method by which traditional, crewed vessels overcome charting limitations in littoral waters is by relying on local knowledge and observations from skilled bridge crew. Such capabilities are nonexistent with uncrewed systems, leading to a lack of situational awareness. Also, charts can’t account for transient obstacles, changes to the seafloor caused by seasonal conditions or natural disasters, or GPS-denied environments. These points are particularly salient when one considers the commercial, military, and scientific pushes into the Arctic, where the environment changes daily, and the various coastal regions of conflict where GPS spoofing and jamming are commonplace.
Above-water sensors can’t detect the uncharted rock pinnacle or coral head. They can’t detect debris that has blocked a previously well-charted channel after a hurricane. They are very limited in their ability to detect the keel of an iceberg or bergy bits. Above-water sensors can’t sense the bathymetry in an austere environment. They are very limited in their ability to detect whales, especially since they spend most of the time below the sea surface.
In the case of whale avoidance, navigating around these creatures is not only important for the vessel’s safety, it is critical for marine mammal protection, as ship strike is one of the leading causes of death for the great whales, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
Fortunately, above-water sensors are not the only tools available to the ASV/USV community. Their underwater complement is 3D forward-looking sonar (3D FLS). Having first entered the commercial maritime market in 2005, 3D FLS is a mature technology that excels at many of the tasks that limit the effectiveness of above-water sensors. When working in conjunction with other traditional navigation sensors, a vehicle’s control system (and/or remote operators) can employ 3D FLS to build a more complete understanding of the navigational environment, including uncharted bottom features, dynamically changing sandbars and transient objects.
FarSounder’s line of Argos sonars is the market leader in 3D FLS, and they have been installed worldwide on a wide range of vessel types. Though FarSounder’s original focus was on midsize crewed vessels, Argos 3D FLS systems have been in use on uncrewed vessels since 2021. Currently, they are deployed on a variety of defense and civilian USVs, from 14 m in length and longer. Depending upon the model, Argos 3D FLS can operate from 350 m (more than 1,100 ft.) to 1,000 m (more than half a nautical mile) ahead of the vessel.
Argos series sonars provide real-time capabilities, build a bathymetric map of everywhere they go, and have the ability to share a map optionally and anonymously across the FarSounder fleet and contribute to Seabed 2030. The sonar’s output can be accessed through a machine interface for vehicle control systems and via a graphical display for human-in-the-loop operators.
The FarSounder team is currently working on designs for new hardware models focused specifically on USVs less than 14 m in length, which will feature lower power, small footprint and lower cost. The team envisions that these expanded options will enable even more USVs to take advantage of 3D FLS technology, facilitating safer navigation across a wider range of vehicle types.
Solstad Offshore Invests in Subsea Services Sector
Solstad Subsea Holding, a wholly owned subsidiary of Solstad Offshore, has signed certain transaction documents whereby Solstad will acquire a 35.8% ownership share in Omega Subsea, thereby further strengthening Solstad Offshore’s position in the subsea services segment.
Omega Subsea is a provider of remotely operated vehicles (ROV), tooling, personnel, survey, and project management services to the global subsea industry. Omega Subsea has offices in Norway and the U.K. and has approximately 400 employees. For 2025, the company is expected to deliver revenue of approximately of NOK800 million (nearly US$70 million), with a result before tax of approximately NOK100 million (US$9 million).
Omega Subsea’s revenue has more than tripled since 2022, with associated exponential growth in profitability. This growth has, to a large degree, been driven by its current cooperation with Solstad Offshore, where Omega Subsea delivers ROVs, tools, and personnel to vessels operated by Solstad companies.
Solstad Offshore’s focus remains being an owner and operator of offshore vessels on day-rate basis and has no intention of being a contractor. However, its services offering provides clients with access to more complete delivery.
Solstad Offshore’s investment will be settled partly in cash and partly through contribution-in-kind of its current 49.99% ownership in Omega Subsea Robotics.
Following completion of all transactions, Omega Subsea will own 100% of Omega Subsea Robotics. Shareholders of Omega Subsea will be Omega (60%), Solstad Subsea Holding AS (35%) and key employees of Omega Subsea (4.2%).
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from the Norwegian Competition Authority, satisfactory due diligence, and final transaction documentation. Completion of the transaction is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025.
For Solstad Offshore, the transaction will be reflected as an investment in associates and accounted for using the equity method in line with IAS 28. The company expects the transaction to result in a minor accounting impact.
Omega Subsea Robotics was established in 2022 as an industrial collaboration between Solstad Offshore and Omega Subsea, with the goal of making joint investments in ROV systems and associated equipment.
Forcys: Balancing Technology Tensions in Naval Uncrewed Maritime Systems
EIVA’s C-ROTV provides rapidly deployable multi-mission capability with a flexible sensor payload.
By Chris Haugen
Business Development Manager, North America
Forcys
The story of uncrewed and autonomous maritime systems in 2024 is one of contrasts. The need for advanced autonomy that can reliably conduct independent missions in remote locations is balanced with the need to rapidly develop and deploy focused capability that is attritable or expendable at scale with speed and affordability. Progress in 2024 with uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUVs) responded to the tension between these two needs, in light of the U.S. objective to prepare for a major conflict with China by 2027, which requires both capability and capacity growth.
Forcys, working with our technology partners Sonardyne, Wavefront Systems, Voyis, EIVA and Chelsea Technologies, is privileged to be at the forefront of developing and delivering such undersea capability.
Super-Size It
Two highly capable, long-endurance, and long-range vehicles were delivered and entered service in 2024: the Ghost Shark, built in Australia by Anduril, and the Orca, developed by Boeing and Huntington Ingalls Industries in the U.S. Both these extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicles (XLUUVs) can carry a variety of payloads, such as undersea mines, persistent sensors or even smaller UUVs, into contested areas without the liability of risk to crewed systems. Ghost Shark will comprise a class of three vehicles; Orca is under test and evaluation and could be a class of up to four. In addition, Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray is being developed through a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program to support a wide variety of mission sets.
Among the challenges faced by these, and smaller UUVs, is precise navigation in GNSS-denied environments. Integrated INS and DVLs, such as Sonardyne’s SPRINT-Nav X, offer very precise position tracking over long distances and time, as long the UUV is within DVL range of the seafloor.
However, XLUUVs will conduct open-ocean transits without the benefit of DVL bottom lock. New means of position tracking will emerge in the near term to address this critical need.
Expendable and Attritable
Pulling on the other end of the spectrum is the need for quantity of force. The maritime conflict with China over Taiwan, for which the U.S. and allies are openly preparing, will see the replacement of crewed platforms with large numbers of UUVs, along with seafloor networks of sensors and communications systems.
The proliferation of small startup companies making inexpensive and small UUVs is the direct result of the success Ukraine demonstrated by quickly fielding low-cost and highly effective UUVs and uncrewed surface drones. The asymmetric nature of these vehicles, especially as swarming tactics and other capabilities are added, is daunting, particularly if these systems begin fielding across domains.
Swarming tactics will require robust yet inexpensive communications systems between elements of the swarm. Optical communication systems, such as Sonardyne’s BlueComm with its large bandwidth and high data rates, will facilitate emergence—the phenomena exhibited by schooling fish moving in unison—needed to overwhelm adversary defenses.
Rapidly Deployable Systems
Another area that saw continued growth and advancement in 2024 was developing means of delivering capability to areas of need within hours.
One such system was designed by EIVA: the Containerized Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle system, or C-ROTV. This system is fully self-contained and can be readily deployed and in operation within hours. The host vessel of opportunity needs only deck space and power. C-ROTV provides an EIVA ScanFish or ViperFish kitted out with a mission-specific sensor package, integrated launch and recovery system, cable reel and winch, and a two-person operator station—all in a DNV-classed 20-ft. ISO container.
Undersea Intruder Detection and Neutralization
Persistent resident sensor systems, critical national assets along coastlines, shipping ports and naval harbors, and expeditionary forces conducting amphibious operations are all are at risk from UUV attack or surveillance. Interest is high for systems that can help defend these vulnerable assets.
Detection systems, such as Wavefront Systems’ Sentinel 2 simultaneous active and passive sonar, are purpose built for this mission. Look for continued development of these systems to extend their capabilities to operate in deeper depths and incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and automated target recognition (ATR), as well as the ability to direct kinetic effects to complete the kill chain where necessary.
Autonomy and AI
Withdrawing warriors from the highest risk areas, particularly in the first phases of the next conflict, will require replacement by masses of UUVs and seafloor networks to provide the intelligence preparation of the operational environment, common operational picture development, and delivery of kinetic effects that will thwart adversary ambitions.
Autonomy required for these missions requires either strict rules for platform behavior, which precludes adaptation to a dynamic environment, or AI-powered systems capable of sensing and understanding how to adapt to accomplish the assigned mission. However, AI algorithms are data- and power-hungry and can stress mission endurance of UUVs. Finding the triple balance point of sensor resolution, data stream width and necessary computing power is key to success. Where “every joule matters,” sensors such as a multiple-aperture sonar (MAS) support that triple balance point.
AI-powered systems will ultimately be used to deliver kinetic effects with no human in the loop. This requires unequivocal identification of targets, which depends on high-resolution systems. Voyis, another Forcys technology partner, has high-resolution, true-color imaging systems that provide precise mensuration and characterization.
Coupled with EIVA’s software for real-time video simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM) 3D model development, high-confidence AI targeting and delivery solutions are possible.
The Year Ahead
The U.S. Defense Innovation Unit—DIU—will extend its Replicator initiative aimed at fielding thousands of autonomous systems in the next few years. The large-diameter UUV contracts have been let, and capable systems will be tuned through selection of sensor suites and payloads. This is a high-end mix with expensive but nominally attritable systems. Expect DIU, and naval acquisition and engineering organizations in the U.S. and in other nations, to increasingly focus on driving the cost of UUVs down to achieve the quantified capacity to carry out missions requiring more units with advanced capabilities.
Technology advances are needed in communications—between vehicles for swarming tactics and between vehicles and operators so that critical data can be harvested in real time. Long-range, secure, covert acoustic and optical systems are required and will necessitate advances in technology. Gateway systems connecting the undersea realm with remote operations centers are needed to breach the subsurface-sky-space interface.
As we close in on the target year of preparedness for a major conflict, the autonomous undersea realm will grow in importance.
NUWC: Maintaining Mastery of the Sea at All Depths
By Mark Dalton
Head of Strategic Planning Office
U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport Division
Throughout history, a nation’s ability to master the sea has been crucial to develop and safeguard prosperity. Imagining mastery of the sea likely conjures quaint images of the Age of Sail, yet the concept remains relevant. In the modern era, a nation’s ability to project sea power is essential to deter adversaries and protect trade for economic development. Since the end of World War II, the U.S. Navy has taken on this role, mastering the sea to provide security for maritime trade worldwide.
Today, two factors challenge the U.S. Navy’s longstanding technological and operational superiority in the sea. One is new warfighting domains that add complexity; technologies that exist from the ocean floor to space now play a significant factor in maritime and economic affairs. The other is that great powers (China and Russia) seek to challenge the international rules-based order.
To counter these threats, the Navy is developing new concepts of operation and integrating emerging technologies into its systems-of-systems. Commander of the U.S. Navy Submarine Forces Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher has outlined four major areas where the government, industry, academia, and the Submarine Forces need to collaborate on development efforts. These focus areas provide insight into what work is needed for the U.S. Navy to retain mastery of the sea at all depths.
UUVs and Subsea, Seabed Warfare
The deployment of unmanned systems, mainly unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has changed the character of war. While unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) have been slower to achieve a UAS level of adoption due to the challenging undersea environment from a communications standpoint, recent developments have made UUVs more common, and the Navy can now leverage UUVs more frequently in the undersea domain.
UUVs offer submarine crews greater capacity to conduct operations, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; acoustic collections; and oceanographic surveys. UUVs also extend the reach of the Submarine Forces to areas too dangerous for a manned platform to operate, expanding the range from the shallows to the depths of the seafloor.
Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, has matured in the past decade and could address some of the challenges the U.S. Submarine Forces face when it comes to accessing spare parts. Instead of manufacturing parts at a central location and staging spares, plans can be sent to the end-user for production at remote facilities or even on the platform itself. As the Navy operates in theaters that are far from support activities, the ability to produce parts locally and remain on station adds tremendous value.
Early efforts have focused on polymer printing—demonstrated on six submarine deployments to date—with metallic printing becoming more common. For example, the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land deployed to Australia with a metal AM capability, which expands the level of support provided to submarines in the Indo-Pacific.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are software techniques that are now used broadly in industry and government, and the Navy is no exception. A foundational task for developing AI/ML algorithms at the speed of relevance is to establish a common development environment (CDE) that provides developers with tools and integration pipelines to design, test, secure, and deploy algorithms.
In the past year, an AI/ML initiative by the Submarine Forces known as Task Force Turing established a CDE for a project known as Harbinger to develop, test and field ML algorithms for use on submarine-relevant acoustic data. Building upon the CDE, the team is exploring use cases outside of acoustic data, including using large language models to assist submarine support activities with creating engineering repair packages and interactive technical manuals.
Cross-Domain Command and Control
The most significant operational characteristic of the Submarine Forces is stealth, as it provides the ability to project power without detection. It is critical for commanders to have the ability to command and control all military assets within their area of responsibility. For the Submarine Forces, assets must remain hidden but retain the ability to communicate. To resolve this tension, the Submarine Forces are pursuing technologies that enable cross-domain command and control (C2) while reducing the time spent at periscope depth.
Conclusion
As it stands, the U.S. Navy—specifically, the Submarine Forces—is well poised to address challenges to our nation’s ability to master the sea at all depths, from emerging domains and global competitors. It is imperative to improve the operational capability of our forces through technological development because what is sufficient today may be insufficient tomorrow.
The Submarine Forces are focusing on the technology areas of UUVs, subsea seabed warfare, AM, AI/ML, and cross-domain C2 to remain ready and able to deliver warfighting capability to combatant commanders. Progress in these areas requires effective collaboration among the Navy, other government organizations, commercial industry, and academic partners to advance the state of the art and transform technological promise into operational capability.
Port of Amsterdam Bans Use of Open-Loop Scrubbers
The Port of Amsterdam announced that from 1 January 2025, there will be a restriction on the use of open-loop scrubbers for seagoing vessels in the port.
In order to combat water and soil pollution in the Port of Amsterdam, this restriction on the use of open-loop scrubbers will apply to ships that are berthed. There, the discharge of the washing water is most locally concentrated.
Additionally, in the case of a hybrid scrubber system, seagoing vessels must switch to closed-loop, or switch to another cleaner fuel that meets the sulfur environmental standards, such as Marine Gas Oil.
A scrubber, also known as an “exhaust gas cleaning system,” is a system in the funnel of ships that ‘washes’ exhaust gases to ensure that less sulfur is emitted into the air. After washing the exhaust gases, polluted wash water remains. Scrubbers come in different versions: closed-loop and open-loop. With closed-loop, the waste materials are collected in a waste tank. With open-loop, the polluted wash water is discharged directly into the water. This contributes to the pollution of the water and causes water and soil pollution. In addition, because of these scrubbers, ships continue to use fuel oil.
In 2023, approximately 100 seagoing vessels with open-loop scrubbers called at the Port of Amsterdam. In addition to Amsterdam, the ban is already in place in the ports of Antwerp and Hamburg, and in French and several Scandinavian ports. Most recently, Denmark banned hazardous scrubber water from being dumped into Danish waters, a restriction that will become effective on July 1, 2025.
Milembe Mateyo, Harbor Master, Port of Amsterdam, stated “With this decision, we are combatting the pollution of the marine environment. It is another step closer to a cleaner port and an acceleration in the sustainability of shipping.”
NSF: Interdisciplinary Solutions and Partnerships in Ocean Research
By Dr. Elaine Shen
Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow
Division of Ocean Sciences
U.S. National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) delivers curiosity-driven and solutions-oriented research for discoveries that benefit the nation. This mission is underpinned by recognizing that investments in climate and resilience research and innovation are necessary to ensure a livable and equitable planet.
“Every part of our nation has been impacted by the changing climate,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “We build a sustainable future for all by investing in climate resilience research and solutions across our country.”
NSF continues to invest in partnerships across disciplines and industries that advance convergent approaches and the commitment to finding ocean-climate solutions, including those informed by environmental equity and justice principles and efforts in workforce development and education. This work addresses the multifaceted challenges the ocean faces, as well as opportunities for current and future generations.
Advancements in Ocean Technology and Ethics
NSF is funding state-of-the-art technologies for ocean observations, as well as workshops to discuss the ethical and social implications of climate interventions. Earlier this year, NSF and NOAA funded the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to design and build two medium-size remotely operated vehicles (mROVs). These mROVs will enable researchers to study rapidly changing nearshore ocean and coastal environments to create fundamental knowledge critical for national security, environmental restoration and economic progress. Additionally, the vehicles will be able to visit depths of 4,000 m and have more sampling and payload capabilities than smaller ROVs that focus mostly on observations.
As researchers and policymakers consider using more advanced ocean technologies, they must think of how to use these technologies responsibly and assess their impact on people. This year, NSF funded a series of workshops on the ethical and societal implications of climate intervention, with a specific focus on solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal (CDR). These funding efforts complement other agency work, including involvement in the Marine CDR Fast Track Action Committee and the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. Additionally, through the NSF Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies program, NSF has invested in multisector teams of researchers to ensure that ethical, legal, community, and societal considerations are embedded in the life cycle of technology creation and use. Inaugural investments included projects related to developing decision-making tools to enhance coastal community resilience in response to coastal storm events in Texas and Louisiana. These holistic considerations in ocean and climate technology innovation serve to strengthen its advancement and benefits to society.
Building a Resilient (Ocean) Planet in Collaboration with Communities
The work of the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences shares a broader thematic focus that NSF has advanced over the past few years to “Build a Resilient Planet.” This initiative seeks to accelerate the development of solutions to the interconnected challenges of achieving climate-resilient ecosystems and communities. Led by the NSF Geosciences Directorate, this NSF-wide initiative has spurred exciting new programs and solicitations where researchers can explore how ocean climate modeling, nature-based solutions, and other related topics help address climate hazard and mitigation strategies. Importantly, the NSF Build a Resilient Planet initiative encourages solutions to serve historically underserved and disadvantaged communities and be just, inclusive, and equitable.
The NSF Confronting Hazards, Impacts and Risks for a Resilient Planet program supports community-driven research partnerships on Earth system hazards to develop actionable solutions that reduce risk and increase social and ecological resilience. The NSF Civic Innovation Challenge is a competition that accelerates the transition to the practice of foundational research and emerging technologies in communities through civic-engaged research. NSF Regional Resilience Innovation Incubators support community-engaged team science to co-design high-impact solutions to climate-related societal challenges that leverage recent advances in fundamental climate change and Earth system science research. These solicitations are designed to fund projects highlighting local knowledge, co-producing research questions and more equitably realizing community resilience outcomes.
Growing a Capable, Diverse STEM Workforce
NSF continues to address the talent shortage in the STEM workforce by strategically investing in new institutional capacity-building and student-focused initiatives in 2024 and beyond. For example, the NSF Geosciences Directorate’s Focus on Recruiting Emerging Climate and Adaptation Scientists and Transformers program funds emerging research institutions to create student-centered professional development opportunities that emphasize building entrepreneurial and innovation capacity in geoscience and climate-related fields. In addition, the new NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) Graduate Fellowship Program expands the reach of the hallmark NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) by providing funding for new or continuing students in NSF EPSCoR jurisdictions who received NSF GRFP honorable mentions within the last three years. With many emerging research institutions and EPSCoR jurisdictions engaged in ocean and coastal research, these opportunities can provide additional support for early-career scientists on the cusp of innovative research.
Looking Ahead
In 2025, NSF will commemorate 75 years of investing in ideas and innovations across all fields of science and engineering. As the agency moves forward in its thematic focus to Build a Resilient Planet and broaden the STEM workforce, insights from the ocean science community will play an important role. Partnerships and advancements in the ocean science and technology enterprise will involve and support increasingly diverse users and sectors, including local communities and those with environmental justice concerns.
Interagency partnerships are also crucial to advancing ocean science and technology. As a member agency of the White House Ocean Policy Committee, NSF helps ensure that the federal collaboration to tackle ocean problems is informed by sound science and diverse perspectives. In 2024, NSF co-authored the National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, a whole-of-government approach to ensure that economic, social and environmental benefits from the ocean are realized by all communities.
NSF continues to sustain the ocean research enterprise with innovation and funding for community-engaged and interdisciplinary ocean research that translates cutting-edge ideas into actionable solutions.
Key Milestone in US Navy’s Autonomous Operations
The U.S. Navy has reached a major milestone in the development of its Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) program by successfully completing a 720-hour continuous power demonstration on a key engine system. This achievement marks the final step in assessing the capability and resilience of propulsion systems designed for autonomous operations.
The test, mandated by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, was conducted by Precise Power Systems on behalf of Austal USA. The demonstration took place at Daimler Trucks North America Aftermarket Solutions in Tooele, Utah, between June 19 and September 5, with oversight from the Navy’s Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) and the Unmanned Maritime Systems program office (PMS 406).
Rear Adm. Kevin Smith, head of PEO USC, highlighted the strategic importance of the accomplishment. “Successfully demonstrating a power system that can sustain autonomous operations for 30 days without maintenance not only bolsters our readiness but also sets the stage for a truly integrated manned-unmanned fleet, ensuring we remain at the forefront of maritime innovation,” he stated.
During the demonstration, no human intervention or maintenance was allowed, ensuring the engine’s ability to function autonomously for 30 days. The tested engine, the MTU 8V4000M24S, has now been approved for use aboard future USV platforms, paving the way for further advances in unmanned naval technology.
Prior to this final test, five other teams successfully completed similar 720-hour demonstrations. These included Bollinger and Carter Machinery, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Gibbs & Cox, Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, and L3 Harris, each validating the reliability of different diesel engine systems. These efforts collectively represent significant progress toward achieving a reliable and robust propulsion foundation for future USV operations.
Capt. Matthew Lewis, program manager of the Unmanned Maritime Systems program office, praised the achievement, noting, “This milestone is a significant step forward in the continued development of integrated unmanned surface capabilities. The successful execution of these tests highlights our commitment to deliver cutting-edge solutions that can meet the evolving needs of our fleet.”
NOAA: Investments to Build National Climate Resilience
On May 8, 2024, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad visited NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson while it surveyed the approaches to Savannah, Georgia, using a DriX USV. The NOAA Uncrewed Systems Operations Center recently transitioned the DriX into operational status. It primarily supports NOAA’s ocean mapping. From left to right are: General Vessel Assistant Stephanie King, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, NOAA Corps LTJG Abby Letts and Ensign Genesis Beaz Nieves. (Credit: NOAA Corps LT Michelle Levano)
By Dr. Rick Spinrad
Under Secretary of U.S. Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
NOAA Administrator
NOAA had a record-breaking year in 2024. Bolstered by the largest climate investment in U.S. history, NOAA put out more climate-focused grant money to U.S. communities than ever before. We accomplished our core mission and accelerated our efforts to lay the groundwork for a climate-ready future for our nation.
We forged new relationships and strengthened existing partnerships with communities, states, tribes, academia, international partners, nonprofit organizations and industries, including insurance and reinsurance, retail, architecture and construction, ocean technology, and transportation. We also partnered with Climate Mayors, a bipartisan network of nearly 350 mayors demonstrating climate leadership in their communities, to provide cities nationwide with the tools, data and resources needed to address the growing threats of climate change.
By the end of the 2024 fiscal year, we invested $4.3 billion of the $6.3 billion granted to NOAA from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. These investments include: high-impact projects to build resilience to coastal hazards, such as sea level rise and extreme weather events, and to reduce pollution and marine debris; restoring coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; building the capacity of underserved communities to support community-driven restoration; creating climate solutions by storing carbon; supporting economic development in environmental products and services; and providing employment opportunities through climate-ready workforce training and job placement. We also added supercomputing capacity for weather and climate research, and we continue to strengthen our fleet of ships and aircrafts and to replace aging port facilities.
Industry Partnerships for Climate Resilience
With $85 million in funding from the IRA, NOAA established the Industry Proving Ground program to bring together NOAA scientists with key industry leaders to deliver more modernized products and services and help build climate adaptation. We are working with industries to ensure they have high-quality, accessible, and actionable data to ensure sustainable growth as the climate changes and extreme weather increases.
NOAA is fueling economic opportunity across the new blue economy by supporting innovation in new tools and technologies to gather ocean, weather, and climate data needed to operate effectively in the present and to plan for future climate impacts. NOAA supports the development of uncrewed systems that can track hurricanes; map the seafloor; help site wind power; monitor fisheries; and inform climate models to prepare society for higher sea levels, more precipitation, and intensifying tropical cyclones, as well as the impacts of these phenomena on humans and the environment.
New Ships, Aircraft, Piers
Novel uncrewed systems complement the monitoring and research done with NOAA ships and aircraft. We are building two new oceanographic research ships that will go online over the coming years, and two new coastal mapping and charting ships are in the design phase.
In 2024, we contracted for two specialized Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to become the next generation of NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft. The planes will be modified to serve as flying laboratories in support of NOAA’s hurricane and environmental research. The fully instrumented aircraft are expected to join NOAA’s fleet in 2030. They will replace the long-serving WP-3D Orions, which have operated since the mid-1970s. We also ordered a second Gulfstream G550 aircraft that will support atmospheric research and hurricane surveillance.
We broke ground in 2024 for a new marine operations center in Newport, Rhode Island, and for major renovations to the NOAA pier facility in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Next-Generation Satellite, Space Weather Sensor
We also continued to add to our next-generation satellite fleet in 2024, launching GOES-19, a satellite that provides high-definition, real-time observations to improve the accuracy and timeliness of our weather, climate, and ocean forecasts. The new satellite carries the first operational satellite solar coronagraph, an instrument that will improve the detection of hazardous space weather that could disrupt power grids, navigation systems and communications.
Climate Planning Tools
In 2024, NOAA released a sea level calculator to provide the public with the best available data to understand and plan for sea level rise at the community level.
NOAA’s investments in climate-ready fisheries are bolstering efforts to incorporate climate and ecosystem data into fisheries research and quota management to help fishing communities adapt to climate impacts on resources.
New National Marine Sanctuaries
NOAA designated two new national marine sanctuaries in 2024. Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, off the California coast, will celebrate the indigenous people’s connections to the region and conserve marine diversity. Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary in the state of New York will celebrate maritime culture and provide new opportunities for tourism, recreation, research, and education. The two sanctuaries help advance the America the Beautiful Initiative to support locally led conservation and conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
Seafloor and Coastal Mapping
NOAA made continued progress mapping both coastal and deep seawaters in 2024, including autonomous mapping with the Exail DriX uncrewed surface vehicle, which was deployed off the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. Mapping to improve navigation, resource management, and our understanding of ever-changing ocean environments took place in the Arctic, Great Lakes, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. NOAA partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard to successfully map a new Arctic shipping route leading to the North Slope of Alaska that has opened up because climate warming is accelerating sea ice melt. The Arctic mapping will help inform the locations of a series of meteorological and oceanographic data buoys to deliver observations for navigation and to ensure increased vessel traffic does not harm the region’s marine life and coastal communities.
Strengthening the NOAA Corps
In workforce progress, Vice Adm. Nancy Hann became the first woman in NOAA history to achieve the rank of three-star admiral this past year. As the director of the NOAA Corps and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, Hann led efforts to improve NOAA Corps policies, practices, and working conditions, putting in place policies to prevent sexual assault and harassment and raising pay for mariners. In late 2024, I was thrilled to name Hann as the deputy under secretary for NOAA Operations, the highest ranking career leader in the agency.
As we look to this new year, 2025, NOAA’s investments in climate resilience, infrastructure improvements and expanded partnerships have positioned the dedicated NOAA workforce to build on the many achievements of the past year.
WRI: The 100% Alliance Will Lead to Sustainable Ocean Management
By Dr. Tom Pickerell
Humanity’s well-being depends on the health of the ocean. As the world’s largest ecosystem, the ocean provides the oxygen necessary for marine life, absorbs 25 percent of our excess carbon dioxide emissions and feeds billions globally.
Like any ecosystem, no matter how large, it’s susceptible to the negative impacts of human activity. The ocean is showing signs of the immense pressure from climate change, pollution and overfishing. This past year saw record-high global temperatures, while the ocean’s oxygen levels are decreasing, and it is becoming more acidic as it absorbs and reacts with increasing CO2 in the atmosphere. All this has repercussions for ocean and planetary health.
A degraded ocean will have a significant economic impact as ecosystem services fail. In fact, it could eventually cost the global economy trillions annually. Yet, of all the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 14 (the ocean goal) is by far the least funded, representing just 0.01 percent of all SDG funding.
The solution to tackling these challenges lies in a series of interconnected actions, commitments and agreements of how the ocean should be managed sustainably, from national waters to the high seas. This means combining national action to effectively manage and sustainably use the ocean along with international agreements that are already in play, such as the UN High Seas Treaty.
The 19 member countries of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) have committed to 100 percent sustainable management of their national waters. As a group, the Ocean Panel holds substantial influence, led by serving heads of government and representing 50 percent of the world’s coastlines and 45 percent of the world’s exclusive economic zones (EEZs).
This commitment is guided by Sustainable Ocean Plans, which act as a unifying umbrella for ocean governance and a policy framework that facilitates holistic sustainable use of the ocean while allowing for effective protection and equitable sharing of opportunities. Member countries are making strong progress, with half of them currently implementing and updating their Sustainable Ocean Plans and four member countries finalizing theirs at the time of writing.
Research shows that actionable ocean-based climate solutions can deliver up to 35 percent of the annual greenhouse gas emission cuts needed by 2050 to limit global temperature rise to 1.5° C.
However, we cannot address the ocean’s sustainability challenges if some areas are managed while others are left open to exploitation.
In September 2024, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, launched the 100% Alliance, a new campaign calling on all coastal and ocean states to commit to sustainably manage 100 percent of ocean areas under their national jurisdictions by 2030. Led by the government of France, in partnership with the Ocean Panel, and coordinated by the World Resources Institute, the campaign will lead ambitious global action as we approach the next UN Ocean Conference (co-hosted by France and Costa Rica) in Nice, France, in June 2025 and beyond.
Progress is being made on this holistic approach. At COP28 in Dubai, the leaders of the Pacific Islands committed to the goal of 100 percent effective sustainable management of their region; an area five times the size of the United States. In Samoa in October 2024, 56 countries of The Commonwealth adopted a declaration that includes more support for a sustainable blue economy with Sustainable Ocean Plans, recognizing the need for 100 percent management of national waters. Also, Sustainable Ocean Plans are becoming increasingly recognized as critical to ocean governance, for example, through the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
Ensuring national governments adopt this holistic approach to managing their national waters will complement global commitments to protect and conserve at least 30 percent of the world’s ocean by 2030 (known as 30 by 30) and cooperation to sustainably manage areas beyond national jurisdiction (known as the High Seas Treaty). After all, to effectively protect 30 percent, you need to manage the other 70 percent.
Countries joining the 100% Alliance will receive access to the support of leading global institutions dedicated to providing technical and financial assistance to develop and implement Sustainable Ocean Plans.
It has long been thought that the ocean is too big to register the effects of human activity, but it is increasingly clear that the ocean is saying “enough.” It’s evident that a global approach is needed to get ocean health back on track.
As the next UN Ocean Conference approaches, the 100% Alliance has sounded a rallying cry: The ocean gives us so much—let’s give it 100 percent.
NOC: Advancing Science for Ocean, Climate Sustainability
By Dr. Jon Blower
We face an uncertain future. The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent, and the complex and interconnected nature of the climate system makes prediction very difficult.
The importance of the ocean in regulating and influencing the climate is becoming clear. We are now halfway through the UN Ocean Decade, a mission to stimulate and coordinate global efforts in ocean science to support sustainable development and improve ocean health.
While time doesn’t always feel like it’s on our side, we have many reasons to be positive. We are collecting more data about the oceans than ever before, and past investments in long-term ocean observing systems are delivering vital information. This is critical to see how our ocean is behaving and responding to climate change and to create predictive models and understand potential tipping points.
This year, for example, is 50 years since the first Ellett Line was run using a ship to take repeated observations to monitor changes in the properties and circulation of the North Atlantic. Stretching between the Scottish Continental Shelf to Rockall, then to the Iceland Shelf, it was developed into the Ellett Array and is one of the longest deep ocean observing systems in the world.
It’s also 50 years since the start of the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory, one of the longest running open-ocean observatories in Europe. In addition, last year saw the 20th anniversary of the RAPID array of instruments monitoring the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26° N.
These sustained observations are supplemented by advances in technology, including sensing and autonomy, helping to deepen our insights into critical ocean processes, such as the biological carbon pump. In 2024, for example, one of the U.K. National Oceanography Centre’s (NOC) Autosub Long Range vehicles, carrying a suite of sensors, many developed at NOC, conducted the first country-to-country mission investigating the role of marine life in ocean carbon storage as part of a joint Future Marine Research Infrastructure program and BIO-Carbon mission.
We’re also seeing advances in the use of other platforms, such as satellites, to gather data. Satellite measurements provide global-level data, from sea surface temperature, salinity, and wave height to color (to spot algal blooms) and more.
The data produced by all of these observing systems are crucial to create the climate models we rely on to improve predictions of ocean behavior and climate impacts. With better models, we can better predict and safeguard the sustainability of the ocean.
To do this at scale, it’s critical that science and policy actors make all these data easier to access globally. At NOC, we host the British Oceanographic Data Centre, which plays a leading role in this effort. We are also developing novel approaches for combining and interrogating large and diverse data, including using artificial intelligence.
All of these digital advances will help the global science community extract more value from ocean data. We want to make sure that the best decisions are being made about our ocean and climate, informed by the best data.
To achieve this, NOC is part of a global collaboration that is developing “digital twins” of the ocean, promoted by the UN Ocean Decade, to enable scientists, businesses, and policymakers to test ideas, design solutions, and monitor impacts. This initiative and others will enable society to understand and share knowledge about the changing ocean to improve the future.
Dr. Jon Blower is associate director at the U.K. National Oceanography Centre.
Happy New Year!
Sea Technology wishes you a happy new year!
We look forward to continuing to serve the ocean technology community in 2025 and beyond.
Apply: DHS Homeland Security Startup Studio
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is accepting applications for the Homeland Security Startup Studio (HSSS), an innovative program that brings together entrepreneurs, mentors and inventors to deliver technology solutions for homeland security. The 2025 cohort will run from February through June 2025.
Entrepreneur participants are expected to devote approximately 20 hr. a week (evenings and weekends) to the program. All teams take part in the first phase of the program, and some may progress to phase two, based on a competitive process.
HSSS is looking for diverse applicants who are ready to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey.
The deadline is January 15, 2025.
Design Study for CCS Project Offshore Malaysia
RINA, an inspection, certification and engineering consultancy, has been awarded a contract by PETRONAS CCS Solutions Sdn Bhd (PCCSS) to carry out a pre-FEED (preliminary front-end engineering design) study for a groundbreaking carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Malaysia. This major development is a key step in supporting the country’s efforts toward net-zero emissions.
The contract covers the northern hub, located in Kerteh, and southern hub, located in Kuantan, with RINA responsible for three distinct scopes: the northern hub’s onshore terminal, jetty, and pipeline; the southern hub’s onshore terminal; and the offshore pipeline and platform. These facilities will be crucial in capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources and securely storing them in offshore geological formations.
The pre-FEED study, expected to be completed by the end of 2024, will provide an optimized engineering plan for the collection, transport and storage of CO2.
Kelp Farming Toolkit in FIRST LEGO League Challenge
The Robricks Columbia River Mission Solvers is a team of fourth and fifth graders at Lewis & Clark Elementary School in Richland, Washington, who are participating in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge. They have qualified for the state tournament on January 18 in Spokane.
The FLL competition has two components: an innovation project and a robot mission challenge. The innovation project theme is “Submerged,” and the technology ideas must help ocean explorers.
The Robricks Columbia River Mission Solvers has developed a decision-making toolkit for determining the reliability of a kelp site, with support from Dr. Schery Umanzor from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Kelp requires suitable conditions for growth, and the team’s Site Assessment Toolkit (SAT) enables users to check environmental parameters (e.g., salinity, nitrogen and sunlight) and map the ocean.
Watch: Connectivity in Polar Regions
For 30 million years, the North and South Poles have been kingdoms of ice and snow. But now, they are at risk from climate change. The Antarctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. Arctic temperatures are rising even faster.
Researchers at both ends of the Earth are gathering tens of thousands of data points and creating trillions of bytes of data on the subject.
Today, a new generation of satellites, including Starlink and OneWeb, covers the entire world. But they are especially vulnerable to interference from bad weather, which is common at the ends of the Earth. A company called Speedcast offers connectivity solutions for more reliable data transfer and communications in remote regions, such as the poles, which will enable climate change research.
Watch the video here, and look out for an article on Speedcast in ST‘s February 2025 issue.