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OTEC Platform Prototype Testing in Canary Islands
The innovative structure that will advance floating ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technology in severe weather-prone regions begins fabrication this March. Developed under the EU-funded project PLOTEC, the scaled platform is expected to be installed in the upcoming months in a testing site in the Canary Islands, Spain.
The structure comprises three main parts: a cylindrical hull, a cold-water riser pipe and a gimbal connection point. The cold-water riser pipe is being fabricated in Austria by AGRU, and the cylindrical hull, the largest element of the installation, is under construction at Hidramar Shipyard, in Gran Canaria, with delivery scheduled for June.
Once the fabrication phase is concluded, the 1:5 prototype will be assembled and installed in the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN), at around 3 km from the coast. During its lifetime, the platform will be subjected to the conditions of the Atlantic Ocean for about 12 months. Computer simulations and a scaled tank test in London last year have already affirmed the functionality of the envisioned OTEC structure. The project findings will contribute to marine engineering design and novel materials, as well as computational modeling, improving the accessibility of OTEC technology and the design and materials available to other offshore floating energy and marine devices.
Connecting seven companies across Europe, the PLOTEC project aims to contribute to the renewable energy transition in small island developing states (SIDS) vulnerable to severe weather conditions. Mostly powered by old diesel generators, these countries lack clean alternatives for electricity generation that are also adequate to their geographies. These conditions include intense hurricanes, typhoons, harsh storms and impacts from other climate occurrences, such as El Niño.
Besides being designed and built with tropical storm survivability in mind, the full-scale structure is also configured to be disconnected in the case of extreme weather conditions and moved to a safe harbor. It can be moved back as soon as the weather improves and reconnected to start generating electricity immediately, as the surface seawater remains constantly warm in the tropical ocean.
This prototype will provide Global OTEC with the opportunity to test the cylindrical hull and gimbal solutions in 20-m equivalent waves and hone the offshore connection and disconnection procedure.
Grid-Scale Floating Solar, Wind Farm off Italy
SolarDuck, Green Arrow Capital and New Developments s.r.l. have agreed to collaborate on the development of a landmark 120-MWp offshore floating photovoltaic (OFPV) farm integrated with 420 MWp of floating offshore wind.
The project will install SolarDuck’s elevated platform technology that enables PV panels to be deployed in significant wave heights while maintaining a safe working environment for access and maintenance and minimizing environmental impact.
The Corigliano offshore hybrid wind-solar farm will be located in the Gulf of Taranto off the coast of Corigliano-Rossano in Calabria. The farm will feature 28 floating wind turbines and an OFPV farm for a combined 540 MW of capacity. The OFPV farm alone will generate more than 160 GWh of solar energy per year.
Apply: MTS Scholarships
The application period for the Marine Technology Society (MTS) Scholarships and EMERGE Program is now open.
Each year, MTS awards significant scholarship funding to undergraduate and graduate students who are accepted into or enrolled in full-time marine-related programs (with a focus on marine technology, engineering or science).
MTS also offers the Emerging Leaders in Marine Technology Program (EMERGE) designed to give undergraduate and graduate students, as well as early-career ocean professionals, a guided program to enhance their professional development and networking experience at OCEANS Conferences.
To be eligible for consideration, applicants are required to be active members of MTS, with student memberships available for $25 per year. Additionally, applicants must be full-time graduate or undergraduate students currently enrolled or accepted into in a two- or four-year marine studies program.
Students who were recipients of a scholarship in the previous year are not eligible to reapply for the same scholarship in the following year.
MTS Scholarship applications are due on March 29, 2024.
EU Emissions Trading Platform
Technology company ZeroNorth, in partnership with energy and commodities company Vitol, has announced that customers will be able to request to buy European Union Allowances (EUAs) for EU Emissions Trading System compliance through the ZeroNorth platform.
The ZeroNorth platform’s Emissions Analytics solution already enables users to calculate their EUA exposure, but this additional functionality enables users to submit a request to Vitol for the purchase of allowances in the same workflow, saving them considerable time and effort.
ZeroNorth’s Emission Analytics module will facilitate EU ETS exposure management between owners and charterers by improving alignment on data collection, validation and reporting.
The platform will support customers who may not have their own capacity to purchase EUAs, lowering the barrier to entry for compliance with EU ETS rules.
This also opens a new opportunity for the industry, as traditionally EUA providers might charge a high commission fee, and banks require a large volume of EUAs for transactions. Customers can now request to buy EUAs in low volumes through a direct link from the ZeroNorth platform.
Shipping companies must surrender their first EUAs by September 30, 2025 for emissions reported in 2024. Initially, the share of emissions that must be covered by these EUAs is 40 percent of reported emissions in 2024, rising to 70 percent for 2025’s emissions and then 100 percent by 2027 and beyond.
Pew Chooses Six Marine Fellows
The Pew Charitable Trusts have chosen six scientists as the 2024 recipients of the Pew fellowship in marine conservation. The researchers—from Canada, China, Denmark, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States—join a community of more than 200 Pew marine fellows who have undertaken projects to deepen our understanding of the ocean and advance the sustainable use of marine resources.
The 2024 fellows will lead innovative projects that help protect and restore crucial ocean habitats, as well as improve the sustainability and equitable management of fisheries that feed millions of people.
The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation awards mid-career scientists and other experts $150,000 grants over three years to pursue conservation-oriented research projects. Fellows are selected by an international committee of marine science experts following a rigorous nomination and review process. Pew has recognized 208 marine fellows from more than 40 countries since the start of the program.
ABB to Supply UK Shore Power Connection
ABB has won an order with Portsmouth International Port to supply a shore connection solution for visiting ferries and cruise ships. Part of the U.K. port’s Sea Change project to design, build and operate a shore power system across its three busiest berths, the installation will serve two ferry berths, each with five connection points, and an additional berth shared by ferries and cruise ships.
The system is due for installation in the fourth quarter of 2024 and expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2025.
ABB’s shore connection allows vessels to turn off their engines while at berth, preventing annual carbon dioxide emissions for the vessels calling at the Portsmouth International Port at an estimated 20,000 metric tons from 2027. This will significantly improve air quality in the harbor area while helping the port to realize its long-term environmental ambitions.
Autonomous Warrior Exercise Features 3D Printing
The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) and its international arm, ONR Global, have participated in the recent Autonomous Warrior 2023 (AW23) exercise in Australia.
AW23 brought together Australian military allies, as well as industry and international partners, to demonstrate various technologies designed to help the Royal Australian Navy strengthen its capabilities in the area of undersea warfare—including uncrewed (also called unmanned) and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and logistics, to name a few.
In addition, AW23 represented just one way in which ONR and ONR Global are supporting AUKUS, which is a trilateral security partnership involving the U.S., U.K. and Australia, focused on the Indo-Pacific region.
During AW23, ONR and the U.S. Marine Corps engaged in a collaborative approach to facilitate rapid autonomous logistics delivery. This involved the ONR-sponsored Expeditionary Fabrication Laboratory (XFAB), which provides additive manufacturing to enable warfighters to fabricate and produce repair parts and other customized solutions. Marines can use software programs and 3D printers, among other tools, to address supply chain issues that might arise during a mission.
Encased in a type of shipping container called a conex box, the XFAB is equipped with multiple 3D printers, scanners, laser cutters and other support tools to shrink a unit’s logistical footprint by eliminating the need to transport large amounts of spare parts. During AW23, Marines printed components such as medical tools, latches and hinges, propellers, impellers and antennae.
Bell Retrieved from WWI US Navy Destroyer
An 80-lb. brass bell has been recovered by divers from a U.S. navy destroyer sunk during World War I, CBS News reported.
Divers discovered the wreck of the USS Jacob Jones about 1.5 years ago 60 mi. off the coast of England at 400-ft. depth.
The Navy’s policy is not to disturb newly discovered shipwrecks, but the bell was retrieved because of concerns that it would be stolen.
The USS Jacob Jones was deployed to the U.K. during World War I to carry supply convoys. It rescued hundreds of survivors from British ships that had been hit by enemy fire before being hit itself by a German torpedo.
Conservation work will be done on the bell, and it will eventually be displayed at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C.
Guidance: Offshore Industry Circular Economy
New guidance from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) on the circular economy (CE), “Practical guidance to implement the circular economy principles” (IMCA ES003), supports offshore businesses to take their first steps in circularity–key to making progress on sustainability.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), only 9 percent of raw extracted materials are reused, with nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of global greenhouse gases produced during their extraction. Worldwide consumption of raw materials has tripled since 1970 and is set to double again in the next 25 years.
The CE aims to reassess our use of all types of products so that they do not become waste at the end of their usefulness but, instead, are kept in circulation through reuse, repair, remanufacture, and, as a very last step, recycling or composting. The circular model helps to combat biodiversity loss, waste and pollution.
In the current context of ecosystem and resource depletion, and increased demands from a range of stakeholders, businesses need to consider the introduction of closed-loop systems in their day-to-day practices–transitioning from a “make-use-discard” model to a “cradle-to-cradle” one.
Organizations that have successfully introduced the concept have limited the depletion of finite resources, reduced waste, improved their energy efficiency, and lowered their carbon footprint. All of which have also had positive impacts on the financial bottom line. Successfully applied in businesses around the world, this could unlock a potential $4.5 trillion opportunity.
This new guidance provides organisations with both the theoretical background and practical support to define and design manufacturing and operational practices and engage positively with their supply chain. Produced at the request of IMCA membership, it includes case studies from members, including TechnipFMC, DEME and SBM Offshore, sharing the lessons they learned on their own circularity journey.
ROVOP and Boskalis Partner for Integrated Subsea Solutions
ROV services supplier ROVOP and Boskalis Subsea Services, provider of integrated risk management (IRM) and construction and decommissioning services, have established a long-term global partnership to deliver integrated subsea solutions to the energy industry.
According to ROVOP, the partnership provides five diving support vessels (DSVs) and one construction support vessel (CSV) from the Boskalis fleet, with dedicated ROV services to maximize service delivery, efficiency, flexibility and capability.
The partnership will see the placement of seven ROVOP ROV systems across these DSVs and the CSV for a minimum three-year period on an international basis. ROVOP will also mobilize additional ROV systems on an ad hoc basis as required.
Driven by increased demand and limited supply in the subsea market, the agreement enhances supply chain reliability, the company said. ROVOP also added that the placement of ROVs across the Boskalis assets drives increased safety performance and enables the ability to carry out diver-less tasks.
‘’I am delighted to share the news that we have furthered our long-term relationship aimed at delivering exceptional diving and ROV services,” said Stuart Cameron, managing director at Boskalis Subsea Services.
“This collaboration not only strengthens our capabilities but aligns perfectly with the addition of the CSV Northern Ocean to our fleet, further solidifying our commitment to the North Sea and evolving needs of our clients.’’
Interview: Sir David King on Climate Change
From increasing rates of melting ice in Greenland to the threat of rising sea levels, extreme weather events and shrinking living biomass, the latest evidence, figures and reports confirm the intensification of the global challenges facing the planet today.
Sir David King, former chief scientific adviser to the U.K. government and the founder and chair of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, spoke with Oceanology International on the threats and impacts of climate change.
Canadian Coast Guard Enhances Maritime Security with AI
Zighra, a developer of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity solutions, has secured a contract to enhance the Canadian Coast Guard’s maritime security capabilities with its advanced GenesysInsights platform. This new technology integration marks a step forward in maritime safety and security, leveraging multi-sensor fusion and AI to offer automated threat detection and situational awareness.
The GenesysInsights platform is designed to synthesize data from multiple sources, including GNSS and both terrestrial and space-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals. This integration facilitates a more comprehensive approach to monitoring and responding to maritime threats, bolstering the Canadian Coast Guard’s operational efficiency.
This initiative, part of the Innovative Solutions Canada program, addresses the critical need for enhanced Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology.
PNT systems, essential for a variety of applications from military operations to civilian navigation, are vulnerable to cyber threats such as jamming and spoofing. These vulnerabilities underscore the importance of robust security measures to protect against unauthorized activities and sophisticated cyber attacks.
Deepak Dutt, CEO of Zighra, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the GenesysInsights platform’s capability to unify AI with multi-sensor data fusion for proactive threat mitigation. The platform’s advanced machine learning algorithms allow for the analysis of vast amounts of sensor data, enabling the detection of anomalies and unusual patterns that may signify potential risks.
The pilot project with the Canadian Coast Guard is set to deliver enhanced situational awareness through real-time maritime activity monitoring, advanced threat detection, and an integrated command system equipped with automated alerts for improved decision-making and coordination.
The successful deployment of GenesysInsights has the potential to extend its application to other critical infrastructure sectors, demonstrating its versatility and effectiveness in ensuring safety and security in diverse operational environments.
Marshall Islands AiP for Anemoi Rotor Sail Wind Propulsion
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator has awarded an approval in principle (AiP) to Anemoi Marine Technologies for its Rotor Sail systems following a review of two bespoke configurations of the wind propulsion technology.
Rotor Sails, also known as “Flettner” rotors, are vertical cylinders that harness the renewable power of the wind to provide additional forward thrust to the vessel, thereby improving its energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
The RMI Maritime Administrator’s AiP was issued after undertaking a comprehensive review of a 210,000-deadweight-ton Newcastlemax bulk carrier designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI), thereby validating Anemoi’s four Rotor Sails (measuring 5 by 35 m) with a folding deployment system and six Rotor Sails (measuring 5 by 30 m) with a bespoke rail deployment system.
The review also included a technical assessment of how the installation of Rotor Sails in both configurations will impact the vessel’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) calculations, with an estimated improvement of 20 percent for the rail system and 17 percent for the folding deployment system for the vessel’s EEDI.
HydroSurv to Commercialize Seagrass Monitoring Solution
HydroSurv, a provider of electric and hybrid USVs, has secured Innovate UK funding to commercialize an end-to-end seagrass monitoring solution with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The project aims to provide a rapidly scalable, low-impact and comprehensive answer to the numerous challenges of monitoring seagrass meadows by combining HydroSurv USV platforms with an automated data processing tool chain.
The robotic solution will be demonstrated over spring and summer 2024 at three designated worksites on the south west coast of England, conducting baseline and seasonal re-survey work and ultimately delivering some 40 days of on-water testing and data, showing seasonal variation over the project’s nine-month duration.
Dubbed SONARS (Seagrass Observation using Novel Acoustic Remote Sensing), the project will see HydroSurv work with Coastal Marine Applied Research (CMAR) from the University of Plymouth, the Ocean Conservation Trust, Falmouth Harbour and the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The technology package has already significantly advanced seagrass mapping capabilities.
HydroSurv started to develop the noninvasive solution, with Innovate UK support, in early 2022 in collaboration with the University of Plymouth and Valeport. This previous work focused on refining acoustic ground discrimination techniques from the robotic vessel platforms and was successfully demonstrated in live trials over the past two years. The next stage of technology development will propel the concept toward scale deployment and commercial viability.
Recipients of Crowley Scholarships
United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) deck cadets Ellary Boyd and Kaleb Cunningham and engine cadets Aidan Brown and Aidan Ciesluk have been awarded Crowley’s Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships. The scholarship recognizes the cadets’ success and dedication to a career in the maritime industry. The four recipients demonstrated Crowley’s values of drive, integrity, and sustainability in their academic achievements and while aboard Crowley-owned or -managed vessels.
Boyd, a senior from Custer, Washington, is studying for a bachelor’s degree in maritime logistics and security. At USMMA, she serves as the co-president of the Kings Point Ladies Mentorship Club, an organization working to ensure fair and adequate treatment of all midshipmen. During her sea year, she served aboard the Crowley-managed USNS 2nd LT John P. Bobo, a Military Sealift Command pre-positioning cargo ship, for 90 days and the Sunshine State, a Crowley-managed tanker, for 94 days. After graduation, Boyd plans to continue her maritime career by sailing on a commercial tanker with her third mate license.
A senior from Panama City Beach, Florida, Cunningham is pursuing a degree in maritime logistics and security. On campus, he is a two-time Academic Gold Star awardee for holding a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in a trimester and works as guide dog puppy-raiser for the Guide Dog Foundation Program at the academy. Recently completing his sea year aboard the Crowley-managed ice-class tanker Stena Polaris, on charter to Military Sealift Command, Cunningham intends to sail commercially upon graduation and work toward becoming a harbor pilot.
Brown, a senior from Middletown, Rhode Island, is pursuing a degree in marine engineering systems. At USMMA, Brown earned an Academic Silver Star and Sea Year Ribbon with Gold Star for holding a grade point average of at least a 3.25 while completing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam outside of his coursework. He is an accomplished sailor serving as the co-head of the recreational sailing team at King’s Point. Recently completing his sea year, Brown served aboard the Sunshine State for 94 days and the USNS 2nd LT John P. Bobo for 90 days. Upon graduation, he is eager to move into a shipboard position as a third assistant engineer and continue to work to obtain his professional engineer license.
A junior from West Islip, New York, Ciesluk is studying for a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering systems. In addition to his academic achievements, Ciesluk is a member of the Kings Point Rugby team. Recently completing his 97-day cadet shipping term on board the USNS PFC Dewayne T. Williams, Ciesluk looks forward to sailing on his license and pursuing further education in engineering and business to further his career in the U.S. maritime industry.
The Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship program was established in 1994 by his son and CEO and chairman, Thomas B. Crowley Jr. The memorial scholarship commemorates and honors his father’s instrumental leadership and accomplishments for the company and maritime industry.
To support the development of future maritime leaders, Crowley has provided more than $3 million dollars in financial assistance to students studying at maritime academies and other select schools in the U.S. mainland and Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Central America since 1984.
Wave Energy Microgrid Project in Thailand
Eco Wave Power (EWP) Global, a publicly traded onshore wave energy company, has won a £1.5 million grant as part of a consortium led by Toshiba (U.K.) and Aquatera (U.K.) to design a pilot microgrid project for a remote island in Thailand.
The £1.5 million grant is part of Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst program Round 10, which supports U.K. and international businesses and organizations in developing market-focused technologies that provide clean, affordable and accessible energy.
The consortium is led by Toshiba Europe Ltd. and Aquatera Ltd., and includes Hitachi Energy Ltd. and teams from the University of Manchester, the University of Exeter, the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and the Queen Mary University of London. The consortium will utilize the onshore wave energy converters (WECs) developed by EWP and implement advanced technology developed by the corporate partners and the university teams.
New technology to be developed as part of the project will include the development and deployment of:
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- novel and predictive control systems
- a radar system to forecast wave heights to help avoid hazardous conditions and maximize WECs’ energy generation
- a fully AI-based load and generation prediction system
- wireless, distributed energy management system to provide electricity without expensive lithium-ion batteries
The Thai electrical state enterprise, the Provincial Electricity Authority, will act as the microgrid operator on the island and minimize the capital cost of electricity to provide an electricity tariff, as inexpensive as monthly mobile charges, without incurring any asset ownership and maintenance costs for residents.
Aquatera, in close collaboration with AIT, will be active in seeking further private and public investment for similar pilot projects in Thailand’s islands and neighboring Southeast Asian countries with excellent potential for wave energy pilots.
Subsea Cable Lease for Scientific Research
Aqua Comms, a provider of global subsea connectivity services, has made a long-term lease agreement for Trans-Atlantic subsea spectrum with Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) for 25 percent of a fiber pair between New York, Dublin and London. This agreement marks the first Trans-Atlantic spectrum acquisition by ESnet, the high-performance network built to support scientific research, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science and managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
ESnet serves as the DOE research community’s “data circulatory system,” providing services to tens of thousands of scientific researchers throughout the entire national laboratory system, its supercomputing facilities, and its major scientific instruments, as well as peering with more than 270 research and commercial networks worldwide. Secured for 15 years, this quarter-fiber pair will provide a dedicated 5 Tbps data pipe that will be a foundational element of ESnet’s long-term trans-Atlantic strategy to accommodate rapid increases in data traffic from DOE science collaborations and facilities, including ramping up for the high luminosity upgrade of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
US Navy Maritime Technical Information Center Renamed After ‘Hidden Figure’
Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Carderock Division, also known as the David Taylor Model Basin, has renamed the Maritime Technical Information Center, a conference center used by Carderock employees and other government entities, as the Raye Montague Center for Maritime Technology, in honor of the first person to ever design a ship using a computer.
Raye Montague designed the first draft of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in 1971 in less than 19 hr., earning her a Meritorious Civilian Service Award and revolutionizing ship design.
As a black female, Montague faced many hurdles in her life, including being prevented from pursuing engineering programs in the 1950s. She initially began work for the Navy as a clerk typist at the David Taylor Model Basin, but quickly showed her aptitude for computers and was reassigned to work with the new UNIVAC computer system. Her career then blossomed over several decades, during which she realized her dream of becoming an engineer and ultimately became the program director for Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Integrated Design, Manufacturing and Maintenance Program, among many other accomplishments.
NSWC Carderock Division is the full-spectrum research and development, test and evaluation, engineering, and fleet support organization for the Navy’s ships, submarines, military watercraft, and unmanned vehicles, with insight into new concepts and diverse technologies for the Navy fleet of the 21st century.
NBOSI CT Sensor Chosen for Sailbuoy USVs
Offshore Sensing AS has selected Neil Brown Ocean Sensors’ (NBOSI’s) conductivity-temperature (CT) sensor to enhance the capabilities of the latest Sailbuoy unmanned surface vessels.
Founded in 2004, NBOSI has been at the forefront of designing and supplying CTD sensors to the global subsea market. These sensors cater to the specific needs of autonomous underwater and surface ocean vehicles, serving a wide range of sectors, including research, offshore operations, survey and defense.
Established in 2014 as a spin-off from Christian Michelsen Research, Offshore Sensing AS specializes in developing Sailbuoys for various ocean applications, including wave measurement and water quality monitoring. The Sailbuoy autonomously navigates the oceans, transmitting crucial data at regular intervals. Field-proven for extended periods at sea, including the first trans-Atlantic crossing by an unmanned surface vehicle, according to the company, the Sailbuoy is a solution for measuring ocean parameters, tracking oil spills, and acting as a communication relay station for subsea instrumentation.
Apply: Massachusetts Aquaculture Paid Internships
The Massachusetts aquaculture industry is in search of staff who are reliable and willing to learn. Aquaculture Internships for Massachusetts (AIM), a collaborative partnership with MIT Sea Grant, Woods Hole Sea Grant and Barnstable County Cooperative Extension, will pay those selected to learn about aquaculture. No prior experience is needed.
Deadline to apply is February 25, 2024.
Program Design
- 12 trainees will be chosen from multiple communities.
- April 15 to 26, 2024: Two weeks of training, including an introduction to the ocean environment and the basics of aquaculture.
- April 29 to May 17, 2024: Three weeks of trial rotations that serve as extended interviews. Each intern will work at three different host sites for one week at a time (ex: aquaculture farms, seafood processors or shellfish management departments).
- June 3 to December 27, 2024: Host sites will offer internships to trainees to work for the remainder of 2024.
- Spring 2025: Interns attend a one-day conference.
Housing
- During training: Housing near the worksite will be provided.
- During rotations and internships: You may receive $200/week for housing. In some cases, housing will be provided at no cost.
Payment
- You will be paid $1,400 for training and $2,100 for completing the rotations.
- During internships, you will be paid at least $17.50/hr.
- You will receive funding to support travel to and from work sites.
Job: Senior Executive Service, Superintendent, Acoustics Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, DC
USAJOBS Vacancy Announcement Number: DE-12305082-24-JS
You will serve as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) as the Superintendent of the Acoustics Division at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, D.C. You will be responsible for the conception, planning and formulation of the scientific program of the Division in pursuance of the military defense of the United States. The scope and extent of the programs influence not only the entire breadth of Naval programs, but also many scientific fields, both nationally and internationally. Due to the professional stature of the scientific community, this position has a greater degree of participation in planning and policy formulation.
Duties include:
- Planning and supervising Acoustics Division scientific programs.
- Providing technical and administrative leadership to a staff of over 100, including civilian
employees, contractors, post-doctoral researchers and students. - Overseeing a direct budget of $54 million and an indirect budget of $19 million.
- Attracting and retaining scientific and technical talent consistent with the highest standards of
integrity and productivity. - Planning and directing both short- and long-term research and development programs involving
underwater acoustic phenomena. Defines research goals, budgetary requirements and
resources. Reviews the objectives and content of proposed research programs for technical
soundness, resource impact, and Laboratory suitability. - Reporting scientific progress and fiscal program status to the Directorate Head and appropriate Naval activities.
Qualification and eligibility requirements are listed in USAJOBS vacancy announcement number: DE-12305082-24-JS.
Application materials must be submitted through USAJOBS by March 15, 2024.
You can access the USAJOBS vacancy announcement at: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/776540100.
Please note the USAJOBS announcement references a salary range for all SES positions: $193,819 to $221,900. The salary range for this specific position is: $193,819 to $204,000.
Contact info: Ginger Kisamore, NRL HRO, ginger.kisamore@nrl.navy.mil, 202-731-8100.
OCEANS 2024 Singapore, Apr. 14-18
OCEANS 2024 Singapore will take place April 14 to 18. The conference theme is: “Climate resilience, coastal protection and a sustainable ocean.”
It is an eagerly anticipated international conference that brings together leading experts, researchers, and professionals in the field of ocean science and technology. Set against the backdrop of Singapore’s vibrant and dynamic atmosphere, the event promises a unique platform for the exchange of cutting-edge ideas and the exploration of innovative solutions to address the challenges facing our oceans.
Attendees at OCEANS 2024 Singapore can expect a diverse program featuring keynote presentations, panel discussions, and technical sessions covering a wide range of topics related to oceanography, marine technology, and sustainable ocean development. The conference aims to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among participants, with the goal of advancing our understanding of the world’s oceans and promoting responsible and sustainable practices.
With a focus on the latest advancements in ocean science, technology, and policy, OCEANS 2024 Singapore provides a valuable opportunity for professionals from academia, industry, and government to engage in meaningful discussions and build connections that can lead to impactful collaborations.
The event also showcases state-of-the-art technologies and innovations that are shaping the future of ocean exploration and conservation.
Singapore, known for its commitment to environmental sustainability and cutting-edge research, serves as an ideal host for OCEANS 2024. Participants will have the chance to explore the city’s rich cultural heritage, world-class infrastructure, and iconic landmarks, providing a stimulating backdrop for networking and social interactions. As the conference unfolds, participants will gain insights into emerging trends, share best practices, and contribute to the global dialogue on preserving and harnessing the vast potential of our oceans.
OCEANS 2024 Singapore is not just a conference; it’s a platform for collaboration, inspiration and the advancement of knowledge that will shape the future of our oceans for generations to come.
Tech Trend: Nanogenerators Harness Wave Power
By Jane Marsh
The kinetic energy of ocean waves is a promising source of renewable energy, resulting in a lower environmental impact than traditional and other renewable sources.
Waves are created when the wind interacts with the ocean’s surface. Waves are also created by swells. Thus, global wave energy varies by region and is influenced by factors such as wind patterns and local conditions. The coastlines of the United States, particularly the West Coast, along with those of Europe, Japan and New Zealand, hold tremendous potential for harnessing wave energy. The estimated annual wave energy potential off the U.S. coast alone is as high as 2.64 trillion kWh, equivalent to 64 percent of the total U.S. electricity generated in 2021.
Nanogenerator Technology
A nanogenerator is a tiny device that converts small movements into electricity. Nanogenerators efficiently convert wave motion into electrical energy. They can be scaled down or integrated into various devices, offering application flexibility.
Recent nanogenerator technologies include triboelectric and piezoelectric designs that transform mechanical stress into electricity. Examples include Zhong Lin Wang’s pioneering work on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s contact-separation TENG to harvest wave energy.
Applications for nanogenerators include powering remote maritime sensors and monitoring systems for better data collection. They can also charge electronic devices on ships and offshore platforms, providing sustainable energy at sea.
Nanogenerators offer a promising way to tap into ocean wave power for energy.
Jane Marsh is the net-zero features editor at Environment.co.
Apply: ScottishPower Foundation Marine Biodiversity Fund
The ScottishPower Foundation Marine Biodiversity Fund will open for applications in mid-February and will finance one multi-year project for a period of up to three years at a rate of £200,000 per year. The project must contribute to the global objectives of protecting the seas and enhancing marine biodiversity, leaving a positive legacy for future generations.
Proposed projects, which must take place in the U.K., should:
- Contribute to the protection and enhancement of the marine/coastal environment, preventing negative impacts and/or enabling the repair and renewal or the marine/coastal environment, including the safeguarding of marine species.
- Share project knowledge and raise awareness of threats to the marine/coastal environment by engaging with the local community and wider society.
Projects delivered by multiple partners will be eligible to apply.
Applicants will be required to complete an online eligibility form on the ScottishPower Foundation website, which will be available from mid-February 2024.
To access the full set of criteria and to find out how to apply, visit www.scottishpowerfoundation.
Zupt to Support Install of Wind Turbine Monopiles off France
Zupt LLC, known for its advanced surveying services and technologies within the oil and gas industry, has been venturing into the renewables market and has now been awarded its first major offshore wind farm development project from a Tier 1 energy contractor off the northwest coast of France. Zupt will work alongside the contractor as an integrated subcontractor, providing instrumentation and survey support during the installation of wind turbine monopiles throughout the project.
This project involves installing monopiles in a difficult geophysical area, which requires a subsea template. Zupt will integrate a complex sensor suite to position the subsea template and monitor the large-diameter monopiles as they are installed through the template.
Zupt will provide over 40 sensors, including cameras, lights, acoustic and mechanical proximity sensors, GNSS, multiplexors, and inertial measurement units, all connected to the surface via a 10-GB network architecture. These sensors will be strategically placed across the template used in the installation process to monitor and ensure precise positioning and attitude while the monopiles are driven into the seabed. Many of these sensors will be custom-designed, manufactured and tested by Zupt for this specific project.
Beyond the provision of sensors, Zupt has been contracted to provide project management, continuous engineering development and on-site operational personnel throughout the monopile installations. The company’s role extends from development to operational phases, ensuring a seamless integration of innovative technology.
The monopile installations are set to commence later this year, and Zupt is preparing for a comprehensive factory acceptance test in Houston, followed by a systems acceptance test at the client’s fabrication yard.
Annual Review & Forecast: NOAA
Not Our Parents’ NOAA: Preparing a Climate-Ready Nation
By Dr. Rick Spinrad
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator
As we finish 2023 here at NOAA, I can say: This is not your parents’ NOAA. We’ve upped our game, and the reasons for this are clear: Climate change is affecting every community in our country, making NOAA’s climate, weather, ocean and fisheries services in higher demand than ever. Here’s the evidence: We saw record-high air temperatures causing unprecedented land and ocean heat waves, increased flooding, and a series of damaging hurricanes. In the 1980s, our nation averaged one weather- and climate-related billion-dollar disaster, adjusted for inflation, every four months: Now we see one every three weeks.
Here’s what we’re doing about it: NOAA received an additional $6.3 billion, the largest new investment in our history, to accelerate NOAA’s mission to help communities build resilience to climate change. With this funding provided over five years through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), NOAA is investing in high-impact projects that build resilience to coastal hazards, such as sea level rise and extreme weather events, and reduce pollution and marine debris; restore coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; build the capacity of underserved communities to support community-driven restoration; create climate solutions by storing carbon; support economic development in environmental products and services; and provide employment opportunities. We are also improving supercomputing capacity for research on weather and climate events, strengthening our fleet of ships and hurricane hunter aircrafts, and replacing aging facilities.
This new funding is enabling projects that will transform communities for generations, including helping to restore Chinook salmon populations on the West Coast; removing obsolete dams to restore fish passage and reduce flooding hazards; creating new technologies to reduce, remove and prevent marine debris from degrading coastal waters; and advancing new climate models to predict hurricanes, heat waves and ocean changes that drive global weather.
Enhancing the Blue Economy While Advancing Environmental Stewardship
We’ve made significant progress to advance President’s Biden’s America the Beautiful goal of conserving and restoring at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. We are in the process of designating six new national marine sanctuaries that, if implemented, would more than double the size of the National Marine Sanctuary System. Using BIL and IRA funding, we are upgrading sanctuary visitor centers and infrastructure and investing in climate resilience planning at these marine parks that conserve species diversity and maritime history.
We are building four new ships, nearly a quarter of our fleet, each one designed with the latest energy-efficient technology.
We are building new, and renovating existing, port facilities. Joining with our Alaska state, tribal and industry partners in Ketchikan, we unveiled a renovated port facility constructed by a Native Alaskan and shareholder-owned local corporation in 2023. The renovations build in climate resilience, green technology and a state-of-the-art floating pier to accommodate tidal flux and sea level changes.
We are moving the NOAA Atlantic fleet homebase to Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island. With funding from IRA and other appropriations, we are building a new pier, administration building and warehouse. Four of our research ships will be homeported in Newport, bringing jobs to the region and strengthening our partnerships with the Navy, Coast Guard, our nearby NOAA Fisheries science labs and NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration.
We just awarded a contract to add a new pier, warehouse, seawall and living seashore at our homeport for NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Supporting Climate Action with State-of-the-Art Science
Scientists from across NOAA are among the 500 authors of the Fifth National Climate Assessment, released in fall 2023, which provides authoritative science data, information, and examples of successful resilience projects for states, tribes, and all communities. The report outlines the challenges and urgency of addressing climate change and also notes progress made reducing greenhouse gases and building more resilient communities.
In 2023, we also saw remarkable advancements in the use of uncrewed systems to gather oceanic and atmospheric data to improve climate, weather, and ocean forecasting, as well as explore and map our Exclusive Economic Zone. Guinness World Records 2024 calls out NOAA and our private industry partners for records using uncrewed surface vehicles and uncrewed aircraft during major hurricanes to collect life-saving data. By teaming up with ocean technology companies, NOAA is advancing our mission and supporting the growth of the new blue economy.
Environmental Justice
NOAA also accelerated efforts to provide greater equity in the delivery of weather, climate and coastal resilience services to underserved communities who face some of the greatest climate change impacts. Our work with the Alaska Native Communities Health Consortium is bringing together NOAA’s climate data and tools with the equity, health, and service delivery expertise of the consortium to ensure Alaska Native communities have resources to make informed decisions in the face of climate risks.
What’s in Store for 2024
In the new year, we look forward to seeing a number of initiatives take off, including a project to accelerate training and education for a new generation, who will help transform our economy with growth in green energy and climate resilient infrastructure and dramatic reduction of carbon emissions.
We expect new research on climate mitigation through the ocean. The ocean is the world’s largest store of carbon and has the potential to play a role in helping the world avoid the worst impacts of climate change. NOAA is supporting research on enhancing the ability of the ocean to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, involving coastal communities in the process to carefully assess the benefits and risks of various strategies.
We are also excited about the new program to foster public-private partnerships to develop and support sustainable businesses around ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observation technologies, products, and services that address climate resilience needs.
The common theme of all these initiatives is that climate action is both the challenge of our time and a profound opportunity to transform our communities and industries to be more resilient, equitable and sustainable.
Okapi Supply Trading Advisory Acquire Yara Marine Technologies
Yara Marine Technologies (YMT) has been acquired by Geneva-based Okapi Supply Trading Advisory to expand its maritime portfolio.
YMT, a subsidiary of Norwegian chemical company Yara International, is focused on the development of vessel optimization and decarbonization technologies, such as its propulsion optimization system FuelOpt; performance management and reporting system Fleet Analytics; cloud-based AI-powered ship operation support system RoutePilot AI; and shore power installations for vessels.
Additionally, YMT’s FuelOpt system also supports wind-assisted propulsion that optimizes power and records fuel performance on vessels with sails, rotors, kites, and wings.
“I’m pleased to welcome Yara Marine Technologies into the Okapi family. Their wide portfolio of innovative solutions showcase a variety of approaches and stackable alternatives that can serve as immediate options when addressing our industry’s emissions challenges,” said Okapi Supply Trading Advisory CEO, Mohamed Ndao.
“This aligns closely with our ambition to offer our customers easier pathways towards greening their operations. This union is an exciting new chapter, and I look forward to working together to create positive change for the marine environment and the maritime industry.”
Customers with previously acquired products from YMT will continue to be supported by lifecycle services.
Nominate: US National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, is seeking nominations for its next class of inductees. Nominees must hold a U.S. patent for an invention that has contributed to the progress of science and the useful arts, as well as the nation’s welfare. The Hall of Fame seeks candidates whose patented work is extraordinary in their field, is in widespread use, and is having a major impact on the world.
You may submit a nomination at: invent.org/nominate.
The deadline to submit nominations is March 15, 2024. Any nominations received after that date will be considered for the next induction nomination cycle.
Ocean Innovation Africa, Feb. 20-22, Cape Town
The Ocean Innovation Africa Summit will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from February 20 to 22. It is the region’s premier event for innovators, investors, policy makers, and other stakeholders working to build a sustainable and equitable ocean economy in Africa.
This year’s theme is: “Realizing Africa’s Blue Potential: Innovation, Investment and Impact.”
The event will include a series of presentations, panel discussions, and workshops focused on the challenges and opportunities of the ocean economy in Africa. Participants will have the opportunity to network with business leaders, investors, researchers, and policy makers from across Africa and around the world.
Success for World’s First Offshore Hydrogen Production Pilot
The Sealhyfe project, equipped with a 1-MW electrolyzer supplied by Plug, has succeeded in demonstrating that producing hydrogen offshore from renewable energy sources is feasible.
More specifically, the experiment aimed to:
-Demonstrate Lhyfe’s ability to operate an industrial-scale production unit in an isolated environment.
-Prove the reliability of the electrolysis technology in harsh environmental conditions that are representative of the operating conditions of its future large-scale offshore sites.
-Provide a database of operating data that can be used to optimize and make production processes more reliable, and to test the technologies employed with a view to scaling them up to sites with 10 times and then 100 times greater capacity.
A range of measurement and data collection instruments were installed on board Sealhyfe to ensure precise management and control of all the production unit’s parameters from September 2022 to November 2023, first at the quayside and then at sea.
The results of this experiment are already being incorporated into the HOPE project, which represents the second stage in Lhyfe’s offshore ambitions. This project, which Lhyfe presented with a consortium of nine partners, was selected by the European Commission for a €20 million grant as part of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, along with an additional €13 million grant from the Belgian government. With HOPE, Lhyfe and its partners aim to commercialize green hydrogen produced offshore. From 2026, this unprecedentedly large-scale project (10 MW) will be able to produce up to 4 tonnes per day of green hydrogen at sea, which will be exported ashore by pipeline, then compressed and delivered to customers.
The Sealhyfe project will also ensure that the production processes at Lhyfe’s land-based sites are reliable and optimized from the outset, so that they can be ramped up quickly and progressively.
Lhyfe’s ambition is to have a production capacity of up to 22 tonnes of green hydrogen per day by the end of 2024 and up to 80 tonnes per day by 2026.
Register: MRC Mission to Marine Energy Wales
The deadline to register for Marine Renewables Canada’s (MRC’s) mission to Marine Energy Wales 2024 Conference & Exhibition is February 16.
The mission dates are March 11 to 15.
The conference will take place March 13 to 14. It will focus on Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) in the Celtic Sea. FLOW is projected to have a total capacity of 150 to 250 GW, a realistically attainable development in the sea space region between England, Wales and Ireland.
MRC’s mission to Wales will focus on conference sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and site visits (note that MRC will not provide a dedicated booth as part of the mission). MRC will work with the local organizers and regional trade commissioners on planning site visits and group activities.
Proposed activities include:
- Site visit to Morlais, the largest consented tidal energy scheme in the U.K., a recently grid-connected project
- Site visit to Holyhead Port, where there is investment in Celtic Sea FLOW and hydrogen
- Dinner/socializing with Marine Power Systems
- Lunch reception/supply chain opportunities with Welsh companies
Limited travel funding is available.
Fugro Expands USV Fleet
Fugro has expanded its 12-m Blue Essence USV fleet with the addition of Fugro Vaquita.
The latest Blue Essence has earned Category 0 approval from the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), the highest level of approval for autonomous vessels. It is now the largest USV to operate fully remotely, with unrestricted access, to support marine projects further offshore while enhancing safety and environmental performance.
The USV will be remotely controlled from Fugro’s global network of remote operations centers (ROCs). This remote operation capability not only removes personnel from potentially high-risk offshore environments but also significantly reduces the carbon footprint of operations, with the USV’s emissions up to 95 percent lower than conventional support vessels. Operators can also monitor and control the vessels from anywhere in the world, enabling faster decision making and access to near-real-time data.
Delivery of All-Electric Tugboat
Crowley has accepted delivery of eWolf, the first all-electric, ship-assist harbor tugboat in the U.S., a milestone advancing the company’s commitment to sustainability and decarbonization. The tugboat, which was designed by Crowley’s engineering services team, will operate with zero emissions while providing the complete performance capabilities of a traditional tug.
The eWolf represents a historic innovation through a collaboration among Crowley, federal, state and local government partners. They have a mutual commitment to improve air quality through battery energy for the vessel and port technology, including a shoreside, microgrid charging and storage station at the Port of San Diego.
Ocean Census: Charting New Depths
By Kira Coley
Ocean Census, a visionary project led by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton, heralds a transformative era of marine exploration. The initiative blends the latest technological innovation with time-honored scientific methods, introducing a pioneering concept known as cyber-taxonomy. Launched against the backdrop of the UN Ocean Decade and the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Ocean Census is being bolstered by increasing global support and is poised to deliver profound insights into the marine world.
Our planet’s life forms a complex web within a grand, interdependent system, harmonizing living organisms with non-living elements, such as the atmosphere, ocean and land. Human existence is not merely a part of this dynamic biosphere but depends on it for critical resources, such as food, clothing and medicine. Yet, we are witnessing an alarming decline in biodiversity.
The 2022 Living Planet Index report reveals an average decline of 69 percent in monitored wildlife populations since 1970, a stark indicator of the accelerating crises of biodiversity loss and climate change driven by unsustainable human activity.
This decline highlights a striking gap in our knowledge: We have a better grasp of the galaxy’s stars than the number of species on our own planet, estimated to be somewhere from a few million up to 100 million. Scientists suggest that the current species extinction rate is 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the natural rate, indicating that between 0.01 and 0.1 percent of all species could be lost annually. If Earth indeed hosts 100 million species, we face the staggering possibility of losing 10,000 to 100,000 species every year, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced conservation and understanding of these species.
The ocean poses a particularly daunting challenge. It is estimated that 1 million to 2 million species inhabit our seas, yet up to 90 percent remain undescribed, a glaring deficiency that exacerbates the biodiversity crisis. The process of describing new species, which can span from a few years to several decades, calls for a more expedited approach to marine discovery.
A New Horizon in Marine Discovery
Launched in April 2023, Ocean Census embarks on a mission to uncover the hidden biodiversity within our world’s ocean. This groundbreaking initiative aims to identify 100,000 new species over the next decade, making it the most comprehensive marine life survey to date. Building upon the historical achievements of the Challenger Expedition (1872 to 1876) and the Census of Marine Life (2000 to 2010), Ocean Census’s strategy includes global expeditions to collect specimens and gain new insights into marine ecosystems.
Central to this initiative is the cyber-taxonomy approach, which merges traditional taxonomy with contemporary techniques, such as DNA sequencing, digital imaging and machine learning. This method creates a “digital life form” for each specimen, facilitating and accelerating the classification and description of species by an expanding network of global taxonomists.
“Revolutions in technologies such as digital imaging, sequencing and machine learning now make it possible to discover ocean life at speed and at scale,” said Professor Alex Rogers, Ocean Census science director. “It currently takes one to two years to several decades to describe a new species after it is collected by scientists, but by utilizing new technologies and sharing the knowledge gained using cloud-based approaches, it now can take only a few months.”
By meticulously documenting biodiversity and identifying new species, the program, along with its partners, will establish a comprehensive baseline of ocean life, essential for advancing scientific understanding and stewardship of our marine resources. Cyber-taxonomy, with its creation of digital life forms, encapsulates marine life with unprecedented precision, propelling the speed of marine discovery into a new realm of possibilities.
Early achievements of the program include pioneering expeditions to the Barents Sea, Johnston Atoll and Tenerife. These expeditions mark the beginning of a much larger journey of discovery.
A Global Inclusive Network
The Ocean Census initiative is crafting a worldwide alliance uniting science, technology, and expedition partners with governments, philanthropy, and civil society from high-, middle-, and low-income nations, fostering a seamless exchange of knowledge and ensuring the equitable distribution of data, significantly enriching the global comprehension of biodiversity.
By digitizing data from specimen collections and constructing a sophisticated cyber-biodiversity system for data distribution, Ocean Census democratizes access to crucial biodiversity knowledge. This progressive step not only accelerates the discovery of species but also invigorates global conservation initiatives, setting a new standard for collaborative scientific efforts.
The program is committed to collaborating with scientists around the world, emphasizing the transfer of knowledge and skill enhancement, particularly in regions with limited resources. This dedication ensures that local communities are equipped with the necessary tools for long-term research and biomonitoring.
The initiative’s contributions are bolstering a global knowledge base, aiming to promote a culture of inclusivity, making open-source information accessible to all stakeholders. With this commitment, Ocean Census and its partners are reshaping the field of taxonomy, integrating digital imaging, sequencing and AI to significantly quicken the pace of species identification, a vital endeavor to confront climate change and biodiversity loss.
“The beauty and diversity of marine life in the ocean is still beyond human comprehension, but as we explore and uncover what lies beneath the sea surface, we are constantly awed and delighted by new life forms,” said Dr. Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute, one of the leading partners of Ocean Census. “Schmidt Ocean Institute is proud to be partnering with Ocean Census to accelerate our understanding of the incredible creatures that inhabit our marine world.”
Your Role in Shaping the Future
Recognizing that our current actions will define the trajectory of marine conservation, Ocean Census extends an invitation to organizations and individual scientists to become integral parts of this mission by joining as a partner, co-developing and co-deploying technologies, contributing to the Science Network, sharing in new species discoveries, and participating in expeditions and taxonomic workshops. Your involvement can help safeguard the ocean’s diversity, crucial for maintaining ecological balance and supporting human health and prosperity. By understanding the full breadth of marine life, we can harness its benefits, mitigate human impact, and nurture resilient marine habitats for generations to come.
Kira Coley is the head of communications for Ocean Census. For over a decade, she’s been telling stories about humankind’s relationship with the ocean, covering everything from underwater innovation to deep-sea exploration. She serves as a communications adviser and a member of the UN Ocean Decade Strategic Communications Group.
*This article is the extended version of the Soapbox that appears in the January 2024 issue.
Ancient Sword, Possibly Viking, Discovered via Dredging
A medieval sword, possibly from the Vikings, has been found at the bottom of the Vistula River in Poland. It is one of eight weapons of its kind discovered in the country, CBS News reported.
The sword was located near the city of Toruń, a protected world heritage site. It was discovered during dredging at the port at Włocławek, about 30 mi. from Toruń.
The sword dates back more than 1,000 years to the 10th century A.D., which is the period of the earliest known dynasty that settled in that area. It is speculated that the sword may have borne witness to the formation of Polish statehood.
MAN Cryo Wins Approval for Ammonia Fuel-Supply System
MAN Cryo, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, has announced that its design for an ammonia fuel-supply system to safely provide ammonia to marine engine applications has been awarded an Approval in Principle from classification societies DNV and Bureau Veritas.
Part of MAN Energy Solutions and a leading expert in the field of storage and handling of LNG and natural gas, MAN Cryo developed the system in cooperation with Chinese company, Yada Green Energy Solutions, with whom the company has previously cooperated to provide equipment for LNG and methanol marine fuels.
Yada Green Energy Solutions provides customers with one-stop, full lifecycle services including principle design; stress analysis; production design; optimization design; component manufacturing; pipeline prefabrication; module integration, installation and commissioning; safety monitoring; global operation; and maintenance.
MAN Cryo offers systems for the storage, distribution, and handling of liquefied gases and has a pioneering reputation within the marine sector. It supplied the world’s first LNG fuel-gas system for the ‘Glutra’ ferry in Norway in 1999, while in 2013 it supplied the ‘SeaGas,’ the world’s first LNG bunker vessel, with operations in Stockholm, Sweden. More recently, MAN Cryo delivered the first liquid-hydrogen fuel-gas system to be installed below deck aboard a ship.
HII Funds $100,000 for STEM Education
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has awarded $100,000 in grants to 24 STEM-related initiatives from schools and educational organizations located in Mississippi and Alabama.
The STEM awards are currently distributed on an annual basis each school year and are used to further the education of science, technology, engineering and math.
“Every year, we look forward to honoring the outstanding work of our region’s educators and supporting them in preparing their students to be the next generation of critical thinkers,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “Innovation and critical thinking skills are vital in the shipbuilding process, and we are proud to play a role in encouraging students to pursue a STEM-related career.”
Barbara Pickering Named President of Chevron Shipping
Barbara Pickering has been selected to lead Chevron Shipping after president Mark Ross retires from the position he has held since 2015.
Pickering, who is currently vice president of operations, will take over on May 1. She joined Chevron in 1991 as a ship charterer in London and has held positions with Chevron in the U.K., Australia, and the U.S. She also currently serves as a vice chairman of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF).
Mark Ross joined Chevron in 1990 and has held positions in the company’s midstream, upstream, and downstream organizations. Before becoming president of Chevron Shipping, Ross served as vice president of operations for four years. He is also a director of the American Bureau of Shipping and the UK P&I Club and is a past chairman of OCIMF and the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO).
“It has been an honor and privilege to have worked for Chevron Shipping Co. and to have served as president for the past nine years. I take immense pride in what we have accomplished in transforming Chevron Shipping Co. into a world-class marine organization. Words cannot properly express how I feel about our organization and the deep appreciation I have for the people who run it – onboard our ships, at our terminals, and ashore,” said Ross.
Chevron Shipping operates a fleet of 30 ships and charters third-party ships to transport crude oil, LNG, LPG, refined petroleum products and chemicals for Chevron operations.
Private 5G Network Launch at Port of Tacoma, WA
5G Open Innovation Lab (5G OI Lab), EDGE Cluster, Washington Maritime Blue and the city of Tacoma, along with a coalition of partners, have unveiled a 5G private network at Tacoma Tideflats supporting five enterprise clients.
This landmark pilot project showcases the potential of a 5G innovation ecosystem as an enabler for business modernization at ports.
The clients supported by this network include: TOTE Maritime Alaska, Silverback Marine, Trident Seafoods, SAFE Boats International and Motive Power Marine.
This pilot project provides initial network coverage for these five enterprise clients while leveraging existing infrastructure, including floodlights and utility poles, to optimize cost and effort. The network’s initial phase spans the East Blair Peninsula, where the clients’ operations are located.
World’s Largest Deep-Sea Coral Reef Habitat Discovered Off The US Coast
The team at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has discovered an area larger than the state of Vermont that contains a whole seascape of cold-water coral mounds that had, until now, remained undiscovered off the southeastern coast of the U..S.
“For years we thought much of the Blake Plateau was sparsely inhabited, soft sediment, but after more than 10 years of systematic mapping and exploration, we have revealed one of the largest deep-sea coral reef habitats found to date anywhere in the world,” said Kasey Cantwell, operations chief for NOAA Ocean Exploration, in a statement.
Data from 31 multibeam sonar mapping surveys, as well as 23 submersible dives, were used to produce an almost complete map of the seafloor in the area known as the Blake Plateau. This area is about 161 kilometers (100 miles) from the southeast coast of the U.S.
The researchers also developed a special system to help them look at the number of coral mound features. By using this system, they identified 83,908 individual coral mound peak features within the data.
The reef habitat is vast – it’s nearly the size of Florida. It’s thought to consist of nearly continuous coral mound features that span up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) long and 110 kilometers (68 miles) wide, with a core area of high-density mounds up to 254 kilometers (158 miles) long and 42 kilometers (26 miles) wide. Blake Plateau is also not uniform, with lots of variation in the height and density of the coral mound formation across it.
The area, aptly nicknamed “Million Mounds,” consists mostly of the stone coral Desmophyllum pertusum and has an average water temperature of 4°C (39°F). The area is also deep, found roughly 200 to 1,000 meters (656 to 3,280 feet) below the surface. No sunlight can penetrate these depths. Instead, the corals filter-feed on nutrients from the surrounding seawater. Despite this, the coral is referred to as an ecosystem engineer, as it provides a foundation for other species, such as corals, sponges, invertebrates, and fish, to live within the mounds.
“Approximately 75% of the global ocean is still unmapped in any kind of detail, but many organizations are working to change that,” said Dr. Derek Sowers, mapping operations manager for the Ocean Exploration Trust and lead author of the study.
“This strategic multiyear and multi-agency effort to systematically map and characterize the stunning coral ecosystem right on the doorstep of the U.S. East Coast is a perfect example of what we can accomplish when we pool resources and focus on exploring the approximately 50% of U.S. marine waters that are still unmapped,” Sowers added.
The study is published in the science journal Geomatics.
US Dept of Defense Requests Proposals for Innovative Tech
The Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), a U.S. Department of Defense program, has released a solicitation requesting proposals for demonstrations of environmental and installation energy technologies beginning in fiscal year 2025.
Topic areas include:
- Environmental Restoration
- Resource Conservation and Resilience
- Weapons Systems and Platforms
- Munitions Response in Underwater Environments
The pre-proposal deadline is March 7, 2024.
Latest Release of Echoview Hydroacoustic Data Processing Software
Echoview Software has introduced Echoview 14, the latest release of the hydroacoustic data processing software for water column research. Echoview provides analysis and processing of data recorded from an array of echosounders and sonars in marine and freshwater environments. It is used by governments, scientists, commercial fishers, and nongovernment organizations globally for a wide range of applications, including aquatic projects, scientific research, environmental assessment and monitoring, aquaculture, and more.
Echoview 14 offers:
Lowrance File Format Support: Echoview 14 is now compatible with data recorded by Navico Group Lowrance fish finders, including HDS and Elite product lines, plus other consumer Simrad systems that record sl2, sl3, or slg sonar log files.
Additional File Format Support: Compatibility is extended to more new and updated data formats, including Kongsberg EM systems data recorded to kmall and kmwcd files, and Furuno FCV-38 split-beam echosounder version 2 files.
Transect Definition and Analysis: Echoview 14 introduces the concept of transects, allowing users to partition their data ahead of analysis more easily. Whether tracking vessel movement along transects or analyzing stationary data in time series, you can define transects by drawing them manually on cruise tracks or echograms, entering them in a table, or import them from a file.
Transducer Geometry Widget: A new interactive 3D widget is introduced to visualize transducer orientation, ensuring the pointing direction of your single-beam or multibeam echosounder is precisely as intended.
New Operators: Echoview 14 provides new operators to refine and manipulate your data. These include the ability to join single-beam data collected from gliders with transducers pointing in opposite directions, to resample multibeam pings to smooth and regularize data across pings, and to combine multibeam fans from dual-head systems.
AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting, Feb. 18-23, New Orleans
The scientific program is now available for the 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting, co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), and The Oceanography Society (TOS), in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 18 to 23.
Ocean Sciences Meeting 2024 is primarily an in-person event, with an online-only scientific session on Wednesday February 21. Audio and slide presentations from in-person oral sessions will be recorded and made available to registered attendees after the close of the meeting.
You can browse the full scientific program and session formats from the meeting website.
The biennial Ocean Sciences Meeting brings together about 5,000 scientists, students, policy makers, and educators to discuss breaking research across the ocean sciences and critical issues affecting a sustainable future for our oceans.
Rising Tide Podcast: 100th Episode
Blue Frontier has released a special edition of its “Rising Tide” podcast, marking the 100th episode. It features clips from 14 exemplary watermen and women, including Paul Watson, Sylvia Earle, Danni Washington, Ralph Nader and others.
Apply: Marine Trades Scholarship
The application period is now open for the 2024 National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA) Marine Trades Scholarship program.
The deadline for receipt of applications is April 15, 2024.
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 2023, two NMRA Scholarships of $2,500 each were awarded to students attending the Webb Institute and the Ocean County (NJ) Vocational School.
To request an application for a 2024 NMRA Marine Trades Scholarship, email: info@nmraonline.org with “2024 Scholarship Application” in the subject line.
Public Comment Open for Draft Environmental Review of US Central Atlantic Wind Energy Areas
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has made available its draft environmental review of wind energy areas offshore the U.S. Central Atlantic region.
BOEM’s draft environmental assessment (EA) considers potential environmental consequences of site characterization activities (e.g., geophysical, geological and archaeological surveys) and site assessment activities (e.g., installation of meteorological buoys) associated with issuing wind energy leases in the Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) offshore Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
The Draft EA also considers project easements and grants associated with each potential lease, including subsea cable corridors.
The public comment period for the draft EA runs through February 12, 2024.
New GM at Forcys
Dan Zatezalo has joined Forcys as general manager for Forcys Inc. and head of global sales. He was responsible for U.S. Department of Defense sales at sister company Sonardyne Inc., delivering continued growth. At Forcys, he will look to instill the same customer-led culture.
Covering a range of maritime operations, including asset protection, littoral strike, mine warfare, submarine rescue, and submarine and anti-submarine warfare, Forcys seeks to transform the underwater domain by enabling increasingly distributed and automated operations. This is made possible by integrating and bringing to market solutions from technology partners Chelsea Technologies, EIVA, Sonardyne, Voyis and Wavefront Systems.
Apply: Ocean Glider Tech Training
Applications for Glider School 2024 are being accepted until June 30.
The Glider School is a hands-on ocean glider technology training forum that will take place at PLOCAN headquarters in the Canary Islands, Spain, October 21 to 25.
Those interested should fill out the form here and provide a short C.V. and letter of interest to: gliderschool@plocan.eu.
Methanol-Fueled Ultramax Bulk Carrier Receives ABS Approval
Lemissoler Navigation Ltd. and Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) received ABS approval in principle (AIP) for its design of a 65K DWT methanol-fueled ultramax bulk carrier, the first such methanol vessel for China’s shipbuilding industry.
“ABS understands and is deeply involved in supporting clients with decarbonization solutions. Getting to net zero by 2050 is an ambitious target for the industry, requiring more renewable energy options, zero-carbon fuels, carbon-neutral fuels and carbon capture technologies. Lemissoler and SDARI’s new design using methanol is an important piece of the puzzle to create a more sustainable shipping industry,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO.
The design explores the feasibility of using methanol as fuel to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions to reach the IMO’s net-zero target by 2050. With the implementation of EU ETS and FuelEU regulations, the vessel, when burning green methanol, will have a greater potential to reduce the cost related to carbon emissions.
The vessel has been thoroughly optimized and its preliminary Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) was reviewed and indicated that the vessel exceeds EEDI Phase 3 standards. ABS completed design reviews based on class and statutory requirements.
“We at Lemissoler are once again pioneering new technological and innovative designs for our Dry Bulk fleet. The collaboration with SDARI and ABS is proof of how much can be achieved collectively. This new evolutionary design is another step toward Lemissoler’s target to become net zero by 2045,” said Philippos Philis, chairman and CEO of Lemissoler Navigation Ltd.
“As the designer of this innovative methanol-fueled vessel, SDARI is always committed to the tailor-made and practical solutions for customers’ demands, offering an optimized design to satisfy future maritime rules and regulations,” said SDARI Vice President Zhou Zhiyong.
The Alps Will Lose 34% of Ice by 2050
Committed ice loss in the European Alps will be 34 percent by 2050, rising to 46 percent with linear extrapolation of 2000 to 2020 mass-balance trends, according to a new study in Geophysical Research Letters.
Modeling the short-term evolution of glaciers–less than 50 years–is difficult because of issues related to model initialization and data assimilation. However, this time scale is critical, particularly for water resources, natural hazards and ecology.
Using a unique record of satellite remote sensing data, combined with a novel optimization and surface-forcing-calculation method within the framework of the deep-learning-based Instructed Glacier Model, the researchers are able to ameliorate initialization issues.
The team was thus able to model the committed evolution of all glaciers in the European Alps up to 2050 using present-day climate conditions, assuming no future climate change. They find that the resulting committed ice loss exceeds a third of the present-day ice volume by 2050, with multi-kilometer frontal retreats for even the largest glaciers.
The results show the importance of modeling ice dynamics to accurately retrieve the ice-thickness distribution and to predict future mass changes. Thanks to high-performance GPU processing, the study also demonstrates the method’s global potential.
$13M Contract Awarded for Bathymetric LiDAR Data Collection
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has tasked Woolpert with acquiring bathymetric survey data using LiDAR technologies to support the Florida Seafloor Mapping Initiative (FSMI) and its mission to produce a comprehensive, publicly available, high-resolution seafloor surface model of Florida’s coastal waters by 2026.
Once completed, the FSMI dataset is expected to be merged with existing terrestrial LiDAR.
According to DEP, the data will be used by federal and Florida state agencies to help better understand the state’s coastal vulnerability and hurricane impacts, evaluate the performance of restoration projects, and support ongoing coastal resilience efforts and flood risk mapping.
Under this task order, Woolpert will collect 23,418 square kilometers of bathymetric LiDAR data off Florida’s southern coast, including the Florida Keys and extending southwest to Dry Tortugas National Park.
Woolpert Program Director Rick Householder said that FSMI will acquire the data in two phases:
- Phase I will include the aircraft acquisition of topographic and bathymetric LiDAR data up to 20 meters of depth.
- Phase II will include the acquisition of data beyond 20 meters in depth up to 200 meters using marine vessels equipped with multibeam sonar.
The full set of data is expected to be acquired by May and delivered in summer. The contract is currently underway.
Arctic Ops Mar. 5-6, Baltimore, MD
The American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) will host Arctic Ops March 5 to 6 at MITAGS in Baltimore, Maryland. The theme is: “Capability, Presence, Protection.”
Without the capability to operate ships, comms, aircraft, and underwater tools in the Arctic and Antarctic, the U.S. as a nation will become a spectator. Achieving a sustained presence in the harsh and remote environments of the Arctic and Antarctic is incredibly challenging. The event will address how to protect the right of free navigation, natural resources, and a critically sensitive environment.
Rolls-Royce Engine Powers New Inland Ferry
Europe’s first inland ferry powered by Rolls-Royce high-speed mtu Series 4000 gas engines has begun operating on Lake Constance in Germany.
The Richmond ferry will cross the lake eight to nine times a day, carrying up to 700 passengers and 64 cars from Meersburg to Constance and back. It joins a fleet of five other ferries that are all powered by mtu engines.
Each of the two eight-cylinder mtu (Motor [Engine] and Turbine Union) Series 4000 engines provides 746kW of power and operates with less noise and vibration than a diesel engine. Emissions are maintained below the current IMO III nitrogen oxide limits, even without exhaust gas after-treatment.
A multipoint gas injection system ensures dynamic acceleration behavior, and the turbocharging system enables sufficient power reserves throughout the entire speed range for difficult driving maneuvers. In the future, the ferry operator hopes to run the ship on bio-liquified natural gas (LNG), making it completely climate neutral.
Each engine has its own fuel tank, able to carry up to 18m3 of LNG – enough to keep the ferry running 24 hours a day for a week. The tanks maintain the LNG at -160°C so that it remains liquid.
When the fuel is needed to power the ship’s drive system, the gas processing unit (GPU) brings it back into a gaseous state before it’s fed through to the two separate engine rooms. Gas regulation units (GRUs) then ensure the correct pressure for the gas to enter the engines themselves, thus supplying the energy for the two propellers and the generators.
The ship’s captain, Oli Hermann, said, “The ferry seems to drive like any other. Every ferry has its own peculiarities and drives a little differently. Whether there is a diesel or a gas engine in the engine compartment, I don’t notice that.”
NOAA Gulf Coast Hiring Events Jan. 23, 25
NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations will hold two hiring events in the Gulf Coast region to recruit professional mariners to work aboard NOAA’s ocean research ships. The first event will be in Mobile, Alabama, on January 23, and the second will be in New Orleans on January 25.
NOAA operates a fleet of 15 hydrographic survey, oceanographic research and fisheries survey vessels. NOAA ships operate in the U.S. and around the world. The ships are run by a combination of NOAA commissioned officers and civilian professional mariners.
NOAA’s civilian professional mariners are federal employees and include engineers and unlicensed members of the engine, steward, and deck departments. In addition, survey and electronic technicians operate and/or maintain the ship’s mission, communications, and navigation equipment.
NOAA staff will be at the hiring event to answer questions and expedite the hiring process for qualified individuals. In particular, NOAA is hiring for positions in the deck, engine, steward and electronic technician departments. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
Those interested should bring a photo I.D. (driver’s license, passport, etc.) to the events. Applicants are also encouraged to bring, if available:
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Merchant Mariners Credential
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Maritime training certificates
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Transportation Worker Identification Card
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Military service record
Learn more at: www.omao.noaa.gov/
Reset for Equinor, bp’s Empire Wind 2
Equinor and bp have made an agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to terminate the Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate (OREC) Agreement for the Empire Wind 2 project, which has potential generative capacity of 1,260 MW.
This agreement reflects changed economic circumstances on an industry-wide scale and repositions an already mature project to continue development in anticipation of new offtake opportunities. The decision recognizes commercial conditions driven by inflation, interest rates and supply chain disruptions that prevented Empire Wind 2’s existing OREC agreement from being viable.
The Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2 projects recently reached a key federal permitting milestone, having received the federal Record of Decision from BOEM. Empire Wind 1 has also received its Article VII Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need in New York.
Wave Power Now Feeds into Israel’s Grid
Eco Wave Power Global AB, a publicly traded onshore wave energy company, has started sending clean electricity from its EWP-EDF One project in the Port of Jaffa to Israel’s national electric grid; a first for the country.
Eco Wave Power has recently finalized the construction of EWP-EDF One, which was co-funded by EDF Renewable IL (50 percent owner of the project) and by the Israeli Ministry of Energy.
The project has 100 KW of installed capacity and comprises 10 floaters.
Currently, the Eco Wave Power engineering team is performing calibration of the automation system of the power plant and is testing the durability and operation of the equipment.
New Head of Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology
The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST) has appointed Chris Goldsworthy as its new chief executive. He replaces Gwynne Lewis, who is retiring, having been in the position since 2020.
Chris is a fellow of the IMarEST and former Cyprus Branch chair. He embarked on his career as an engineer cadet with P&O Containers, where he spent 16 years at sea, achieving the rank of chief engineer officer. He transitioned to shore-based roles in 2005 as a technical superintendent, and his journey has led him to technical, fleet, management and director positions. Throughout his career, he has overseen diverse fleets, nurtured strong teams, and provided strategic leadership to boards and executives.
The IMarEST is a registered charity and the international professional body and learned society for all marine professionals. It is the largest marine organization of its kind and promotes the scientific development of marine engineering, science and technology. IMarEST provides opportunities for the exchange of ideas and practices, aiding in the development and upholding the status, standards, and knowledge of marine professionals worldwide.
Proposed Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Sanctuary
NOAA has released for public comment the draft designation documents for the proposed Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary. This follows a thorough analysis and evaluation of feedback from the public, stakeholders, Native Hawaiian communities, scientists, and federal and state agencies.
The proposed sanctuary would include marine portions of the existing Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
The proposed sanctuary is a place of unique environmental resources that provide large-scale ecosystem services for the region and the world. The marine habitat includes several interconnected ecosystems, including coral islands surrounded by shallow reefs (down to 100 ft.); low-light mesophotic reefs (100 to 490 ft.) with extensive algal beds; open-ocean (pelagic) waters connected to the greater North Pacific Ocean; deepwater habitats, such as abyssal plains 16,400 ft. below sea level; and deep reef habitat characterized by seamounts, banks and shoals.
NOAA will accept public comments on the proposal from March 1 to May 7, 2024.
Learn more here.