2019:  JAN | FEB | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY

DECEMBER

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FastBallast Technology Undergoes
Canadian Ballast Testing

The Canadian government selected Chelsea Technologies’ FastBallast compliance monitor for trials in a ballast water monitoring program conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and managed by the Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Science. The test will assess the technology’s ability to prove compliance with the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC). FastBallast uses a single-turnover method to provide a lower detection limit of less than 1 cell per mL, and its statistical method generates an estimate of cell density that is independent of an assumed level of fluorescence per cell.

Local History Mapping Software
Contributes to Better Navigation

A collaboration between FarSounder, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and NOAA is assessing and producing new nautical charts. FarSounder has joined the IHO’s Crowd-Sourced Bathymetry (CSB) initiative by becoming a “trusted node” with NOAA. The project enables mariners to contribute seafloor depths measured from their vessels to NOAA’s data repository. Using FarSounder’s local history mapping feature, data sets will be added to the IHO Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry (DCDB), allowing worldwide use of the data.

Caribbean Regional Comms Program
Creates School and Government Networks

Deep Blue Cable, which is the developer, owner and operator of a state-of-the-art subsea fiber-optic system being constructed to provide connectivity across the Caribbean islands and to the Americas, will work to support CARCIP, a 15-year contract with the governments of the Caribbean nations of Saint Lucia, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It will include a government wide-area network (WAN), a schools network and a submarine cable between Saint Vincent and Grenada with landings on five Grenadine islands.

Unused Vessels Removed from Columbia River

Global Diving & Salvage recently completed an environmental cleanup project for the Oregon Department of State Lands, removing 11 derelict commercial vessels from a state leasehold on the Columbia River. The project included project management, diving, salvage and environmental services, as well as coordination among multiple subcontractors, state and environmental agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Maritime Payloads on Iridium Satellites to Expand

The government of Canada will make an investment of $7.2 million over three years to support the expansion of exactView RT, a real-time satellite-AIS service. The investment is being made through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a program designed to encourage R&D that accelerates the commercialization of innovative products, processes and services. exactView RT consists of a system of more than 60 maritime satellite payloads hosted on board the Iridium NEXT constellation.

LNG-Powered Ship Added
To Puerto Rico Supply Chain

Crowley Maritime Corp. christened its commitment-class combination container/roll on-roll off ship El Coquí, which is among the first of its kind to be powered by LNG. The ship is a key new component in Crowley’s supply chain transformation in the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico trade. The christening was held in October at the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal in Jacksonville, Florida.

Tidal Test Site to be Grid Connected

The Massachusetts Economic Development Bill includes $205,000 to put the Bourne Tidal Test Site (BTTS) on the grid, allowing the site to be wired to shore so that its turbines and devices can receive shore power and produce power to the grid. A pilot license application required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in order to obtain grid interconnection is now in process.

AUV Company Expands Operations,
Adds Training and Testing Vessel

AUV developer and manufacturer L3 OceanServer added 4,700 sq. ft. of space at its headquarters in Fall River, Massachusetts, which doubles its operational footprint and leverages its waterfront location for daily vehicle testing and operations. Additionally, a 46-ft. research vessel, RV Cassiar, has been dedicated to customer training and vehicle testing at L3 OceanServer’s San Diego location.

Search Expands to SS North Carolina Wreckage

Blue Water Ventures and Endurance Exploration Group are expanding operations to include what is believed to be the wreck of the SS North Carolina. Endurance Exploration has been granted a custodianship of the vessel by the Middle District Court of Florida. Operations will begin by conducting an archeological study and survey of the area using advanced underwater sensing technology. The SS North Carolina is of interest because of its similarity to the recently located Pulaski: It sank in 1840, only two years after the Pulaski, it was of similar size and design, and it operated along the same routes along the East Coast of the U.S.

Towfish Products Optimized for Navigation

Klein Marine Systems has chosen Greensea Systems to provide SWaP-C optimized inertial navigation for its high-performance side scan sonar towfish products. The Greensea INSpect GS products utilize Greensea’s heading alignment methodology and its open architecture operating platform, OPENSEA.

SonarWiz Used to Locate WWII Plane

Chesapeake Technology, the maker of SonarWiz software, renewed its partnership with the BentProp Project, which uses SonarWiz to create and review sonar images to identify search targets. BentProp and Project Recover this summer located a B-24 airplane called Heaven Can Wait in Hansa Bay near Papua, New Guinea, using scanning sonars, high-definition imagers and unmanned aerial and underwater robotics to find the site.

Latest Coast Guard Cutter Delivered

Bollinger Shipyards delivered the USCGC Terrell Horne fast response cutter (FRC) to the U.S. Coast Guard. The 154-ft. patrol craft, the 31st vessel in the USCG Sentinel-class FRC program, has a flank speed of more than 28 kt., advanced command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26-ft. cutter boat. The newest USCG FRC vessels have been deployed as far as 4,400 nautical mi., a notable increase in operational reach.

Bathymetric Software Includes Softkey Licensing

Teledyne CARIS is moving to a new software licensing technology that will be implemented in conjunction with the release of Bathy DataBASE 5.2, with integration into other CARIS applications to follow. Key benefits include softkey activation; elimination of hardware to reduce possible damage or loss; elimination of a separate licensing tool; faster software purchase and setup; and improved license usage transparency.

New East Coast Ferry Equipped with
Interceptors and Active Ride Control

The newest addition to the Seastreak ferry fleet is equipped with interceptors and active ride control supplied by Humphree USA. Seastreak Commodore, which was put into service this summer, is the biggest and fastest passenger ferry in the Seastreak fleet. The 150-ft. catamaran can carry up to 600 passengers. The high-speed vessel makes daily commuter runs between Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and the East 35th Street terminal in New York City, with transit times of about 45 min.

Fairfield Seismic Tech Business
To Operate as Magseis Fairfield

Fairfield Geotechnologies has agreed with Magseis ASA that Magseis will acquire the seismic technologies business from Fairfield comprising data acquisition, nodal and system sale, and rental activities, including all shares in Fairfield’s wholly owned U.K. subsidiary WGP Group. The new business will be Magseis Fairfield.

Inaugural Maritime Nations Forum
To be Held on Board Queen Elizabeth

A high-level maritime trade delegation is being led by Julian Clark, global head of shipping at the Hill Dickinson law firm, accompanied by Dr. Liam Fox, secretary of state for the Department of International Trade, and other maritime sector business leaders. Discussions will take place on board HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is currently in the U.S. for tests with the F-35 fighter jet. The British maritime leaders will meet with an American delegation at the inaugural Maritime Nations Forum between the U.K. and U.S.

NOVEMBER

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Multi-Vehicle System Combines
Technologies for Mine Countermeasures

Teledyne Marine and its industry partners showcased an autonomous, system-of-systems approach to expeditionary mine-countermeasures (MCM) using multi-domain unmanned assets. The demonstration took place at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport during the 2018 Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX). It involved at least eight different types of software, vehicles and technologies in the pipeline, from powering the vehicles to neutralizing a target.

Companies Pledge to Support
Women in Maritime Jobs

KVH pledged its support for Women in Maritime, an initiative of Maritime UK that aims to promote fairness, equality and inclusion within the maritime sector, bringing together leaders from across the industry to identify practical steps to increase the number of women in maritime and, crucially, within senior roles across shipping, ports, marine and business services industries.

Local History Mapping Application Helps
Students Learn Ocean Mapping in Real Time

The Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM) at the Joint Hydrographic Center at the University of New Hampshire has added FarSounder as a partner in their industrial associates program. FarSounder technology provides students the benefit of identifying obstacles ahead of the ship with local history mapping (LHM). This application draws a virtual 3D image of the ocean floor as a ship sails over. This bathymetric image is updated with every ping and can be displayed as an overlay on top of a chart.

New Company Forms to Sell Seaview Products

Long-time Seaview managers Jason Romesburg, Ian Smith and Jason Abrahamsen have formed a new company to manufacture and distribute Seaview products. They say dealers and end-users can expect the same quality products and customer service that they received at PYI, since the new owners have been with Seaview for 16 years. The team has a combined 50-plus years in the marine industry and plans to expand the Seaview line and increase production in a new, larger facility in eastern Washington.

Explorer AUV for Chinese Mineral R&D

International Submarine Engineering (ISE) sold its latest ISE Explorer AUV to China Ocean Mineral Resource R&D Association (COMRA). The ISE Explorer AUV is rated for operations at 6,000-m depth. Its modular design enables it to carry multiple payloads including multibeam echosounders, side scan sonars, sub-bottom profilers, synthetic aperture sonars, high-definition cameras and laser systems, CTDs and chemical sensors, or any combination of AUV payloads.

Toronto Group Acquires Ops Software Company

Helm Operations was acquired by Toronto-based Volaris Group. Founded in 1999, Helm Operations is a developer of marine operations software for the workboat market. Following an acquisition by ClassNK in 2014, the company released its newest platform, Helm CONNECT, in 2016. Today, Helm CONNECT is a fast-growing software platform in the marine industry, used by 150 companies and 3,000 vessels worldwide.

Phoenix is Certified to Perform
Underwater Welding

Phoenix International Holdings received American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) approval of a Class A wet underwater fillet welding procedure specification for ASTM A 131 and Group II steels of the American Welding Society D1.1 structural welding code. With this approval, Phoenix can now perform permanent underwater weld repairs to classed vessels and structures.

Former Microsoft Software Architects Join Olis

Olis Robotics, formerly BluHaptics, acquired White Marsh Forests (WMF), a machine learning start-up based in Seattle. WMF was launched by former Microsoft software architect Steve White, along with Don Marsh, who was a principal software architect at Microsoft. Olis created a software platform that allows pilot-controlled service robots to recognize objects such as valves, tools and dangerous objects in the field. The Olis operating system (OlisOS) also allows for new levels of precision control, progressive levels of autonomy and advanced situational awareness for remotely operated robots.

Briggs Acquires Three Canadian Companies

The Briggs Group acquired three marine companies in Canada: Foreshore Technologies, Balanced Environmental and Ocean Tech. Foreshore Technologies Inc. is an underwater survey and inspection company that specializes in diving, environmental survey, structural survey and marine operations. Balanced Environmental Services is an expert in permitting, licensing, consultation, applications, planning and project delivery. Ocean Tech Constructors is a harbor support company that specializes in the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of floats, gangways, pontoons and breakwaters.

Montrose Port to Host
Simulated Emergency Training

Ethos Empowerment invested six figures in a new facility at Montrose Port to deliver interactive emergency response training sessions. The company also launched its latest oil and gas process simulator, which is used for both emergency response and control room operator coaching.

The simulator is designed to play a fundamental role in offshore emergency response training and increasing safety for personnel involved in demanding offshore operations. The technology positions individuals on a virtual offshore platform to interact with realistic emergency situations.

Panamá Maritime Authority Installs Beacons

Panamá Maritime Authority installed three new sector lights and towers to improve the navigation safety of ships coming into the Bays of Manzanillo and Las Minas on Panama’s Atlantic coast. The beacons consist of sector lights on 15- to 40-m towers. The tender issued by Panamá Maritime Authority was awarded to Delta 9, a local contractor, and Spanish company Almarin was subcontracted for the design and supply of AtoN, specifically the lights, towers and solar energy supply systems.

Ships Plan to Run on Hydrogen
Extracted from Seawater

Joi Scientific signed a license agreement for its Hydrogen 2.0 production technology with boat retailer MarineMax. The license agreement grants MarineMax the exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and sell propulsion and auxiliary boat power systems capable of running on hydrogen extracted from seawater using Joi Scientific’s Hydrogen 2.0 technology. Hydrogen 2.0 is a hydrogen production process based on the extraction of hydrogen directly from untreated seawater on demand at the point of use.

Seabin to Collect Trash from Chesapeake

The first Seabin will be installed on the U.S. East Coast at Nauticus, a maritime science center in Norfolk, Virginia. The Seabin was donated by Wärtsilä Defense Inc. It will be maintained by Nauticus’s Junior Scientists’ Club, a STEM after-school program for students from local junior high schools. The Seabin will clean as much as 1 t of litter from the river each year.

Falmouth Scientific to Integrate Seismic
Technology into ExxonMobil Design

Falmouth Scientific (FSI) received a patent immunity from ExxonMobil for its cable head marine seismic source (CHS) patent and will incorporate its seismic source with HawkEye Clear Signature technology into ExxonMobil’s CHS concept for near-zero offset data acquisition in 3D marine seismic surveys.

New Company Offers ASV Technology
And Autonomous Control Systems

L3 Technologies acquired ASV Global, a USV and autonomous vessel control systems company. The new company will be known as L3 ASV. Based in Louisiana and the U.K., L3 ASV will deliver surface vessels in a range of sizes, currently from 10 to 42 ft., with proprietary software and control systems and unmanned system autonomy architectures.

New Facility Offers Expanded Subsea Services

C-Innovation opened a dock facility in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, to expand its subsea services group. With more than 550 ft. of open quayside, the facility is supplied with a Manitowoc 777 crane and forklifts for rapid mobilization of subsea construction and inspection, maintenance and repair vessels, including the 525-ft.-long Island Venture offshore construction vessel.

OCTOBER

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Ocean Business and Tech Grows in L.A. with
Additional Funding and Space for Incubation

AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles has raised more than $8 million to build the first phase of its 35-acre center for ocean-focused science research, STEM-based education and sustainable business incubation. Three warehouses with deepwater dock access will be enhanced into space for ocean-oriented technology and business tenants. AltaSea initiatives have helped attract Boeing, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and SpaceX to the waterfront to create a cluster of science, business and education and establish the port as a blue economy leader.

Riptide Expands into Canada

Riptide has made its first international expansion with the creation of Riptide Autonomous Solutions Canada. Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Riptide Canada is being established to support the increasing demand in Canada and abroad for affordable, flexible AUV systems. Riptide Canada plans to establish development, production and support capabilities in the Halifax area and add staff to meet growing product demand.

Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Profiler Award
Used to Study Prey-Predator Relationships

ASL Environmental Sciences announced the winner of the third annual acoustic zooplankton fish profiler (AZFP) award. Dr. Lilian Lieber, research fellow at Queen’s University Belfast, will use an AZFP for her proposal entitled “Drivers of Predator–Prey Coherence in Energetic Environments.” Lieber will conduct her study in the Narrows, an energetic tidal channel located in Northern Ireland. The project aims to understand tidal processes that result in foraging by top predators.

OceanGate Chooses Island Offshore to
Provide Vessels for Deep-Sea Exploration

OceanGate Expeditions selected Island Offshore as its preferred partner for deep-sea exploration, and one of its ships will be used as the primary topside support vessel for the 2019 Titanic Survey Expedition. OceanGate will grant first right of refusal to Island Offshore on all deep-sea expeditions over the next five years that require a commercial-grade and classed support vessel. Island Offshore will provide suitable ships, offshore crew and personnel to OceanGate.

Node-Based Seismic Survey Company
Expands its Products and Services

Fairfield Geotechnologies has launched a multiyear growth and investment campaign to enhance its core business by expanding its node inventory and associated system capacity to better serve the increasing global demand for node-based acquisition services. The company is working to expand the market for node-based seismic surveys through multiple sales channels and innovative commercial models. It is also extending its product and services platform for data acquisitions, reservoir management services and multiclient data through targeted acquisitions and strategic partnerships.

Unmanned Survey
Successfully Completed

ASV Global and TerraSond announced successful completion of a hydrographic survey for charting off the coast of Alaska. The 10,649-km survey used an ASV Global C-Worker 5 unmanned vessel alongside the Q105 survey ship acting as the mother vessel. The C-Worker 5 was remotely monitored using the ASView control system from a station on the mother ship.

The system used exported .dxf survey lines from the survey planning system to autonomously execute the survey.

Robotic Technology Will Collect
Data for NOAA

Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. has signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER). The data are used to enhance ocean research, inform policy and management decisions, develop new lines of scientific inquiry, and advise NOAA and the U.S. on critical issues. The CRADA partnership will explore the application of Kraken’s underwater sensor and robotic technologies to NOAA’s ocean observation charter.

Newest FRC Delivered
To US Coast Guard

Bollinger Shipyards delivered the 154-ft. USCGC Robert Ward, the 30th fast response cutter (FRC) to the U.S. Coast Guard. The vessel is named after Coast Guard Hero Robert Ward. During the invasion of Normandy, Ward served as coxswain of a landing craft in the landing operations against the enemy on Cotentin Peninsula. Robert Ward was awarded the Silver Star for his conspicuous gallantry despite continued shelling and mortar fire.

Phoenix Successfully Assists Stranded
Bulk Carrier in Mississippi River

After a collision with an obstruction in the Mississippi River, a fully laden bulk carrier suffered a flooded forepeak tank and was unable to continue transit. Phoenix was able to deploy a team within hours to assist the stranded vessel. Phoenix divers were able to open the tank top and assess the extent of the damage in zero visibility, formulating a repair plan that would allow the vessel to pump out the flooded tank.

Patent Awarded to
Sulfur Oxide Scrubbing Tech

EnSolve Biosystems earned a U.S. patent for its EnScrub technology, which addresses contaminants from the aqueous effluent of sulfur oxide (SOx) scrubber systems for ships and oil refineries. The company says that due to high demand, it is looking to accelerate the commercialization process and is open to options such as strategic partnerships or exclusive licensing of the technology.

SEPTEMBER

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Ocean Bottom Node Technology
Deployed for Gulf of Mexico Survey

Fairfield Geotechnologies has been awarded a contract by BHP to acquire up to 1,004 sq. mi. of ocean-bottom-node seismic data in the Alaminos Canyon and East Breaks areas of the Western Gulf of Mexico. The survey, located in water depths from 2,500 to 7,250 ft., will employ two seismic source vessels and Fairfield Geotechnologies’ newest ocean bottom node technology, ZXPLR. The survey will deliver seismic data for imaging and provide the long-offset, full-azimuth data necessary for high-resolution velocity model building.

New Mediterranean Observatory
Uses Inductive Telemetry Recorders

A new Mediterranean observatory relies on inductive telemetry and temperature/pressure recorders. The observatory is called THEMO (Texas A&M – University of Haifa Eastern Mediterranean Observatory) and comprises a shallow mooring (125 m) on the continental shelf and a deep mooring (1,500 m) 50 km from Haifa. Soundnine’s Enduro APT recorders with inductive telemetry are clamped to the wire rope mooring line at 11 depths. The two moorings have real-time RF communication with a shore station linked to the University of Haifa.

Partnership Facilitates $2.5 Million
Expansion of Port Allen Facility

CORTEC, a manufacturer of API chokes, valves and manifolds, and Louisiana Economic Development (LED) announced a $2.5 million expansion of CORTEC’s facility in Port Allen, Louisiana. CORTEC and LED began working on the expansion in March 2018, and it will be completed by the second quarter of 2019. The expansion will allow CORTEC to increase its space, equipment and capabilities and expand into specialized coatings.

New York City to Overhaul its Aging
Maritime and Rail Distribution Systems

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with federal, state and local officials and industry experts, unveiled a $100 million plan to overhaul the city’s aging freight distribution systems through strategic investments to modernize maritime and rail assets and create new distribution facilities. The plan, called Freight NYC, intends to create nearly 5,000 jobs and a more sustainable and resilient supply chain network.

Fire Detection Company Recertifies
With ISO 9001:2015 Standards

Sea-Fire Marine, specializing in fire detection and suppression systems for recreational, commercial and naval vessels, has recertified to ISO 9001:2015 standards. This comes on the heels of the company relocating its North American corporate headquarters into a state-of-the-art 30,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing space. The new 2015 ISO standard retains the same core values of a sound quality management system (QMS) outlined in ISO 9001:2008 while adding a focus on risk assessment.

High School in Chile Receives Donated ROV

Ercomar, in conjunction with VideoRay, has donated a Pro 4 ROV to a high school in Maullin, Chile, where aquaculture is a major industry, to facilitate a safer work environment for the students when they enter the workforce after graduation. ROV operator courses will be added to the aquaculture curriculum, resulting in a certificate in aquaculture and underwater robotic operations upon completion of the course.

Tugboat and Barge Association Adopts
Subchapter M Towing Safety Rules

The American Waterways Operators, a national advocate for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, is welcoming the implementation of towing vessel safety regulations, Subchapter M, which took effect in July. The product of 15 years of collaboration between the towing industry and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the regulations set baseline safety standards for towing vessels and offer two compliance options: a towing safety management system audited by a USCG-approved third party or annual USCG inspections.

Expedition Cruise Ships Outfitted with Sonars

FarSounder received an order for four FarSounder-1000 forward-looking sonars from Wärtsilä Valmarine to be installed in new expedition polar-class cruise ships, giving them real-time 3D data that updates on their bridge as well as sonar systems with no moving parts that retrieve images from more than 1,000 m away. This will broaden the vessels’ exploration capabilities by allowing for safe navigation in waters otherwise thought of as impassable.

8,000 Total Broadband Units Sold

KVH Industries announced that it recently shipped its 8,000th mini-VSAT broadband system.

The TracPhone V-series satellite communications antenna systems utilize advanced satellite technology, including the latest high-throughput satellites (HTS), to meet the growing demand for more onboard broadband connectivity.

World Ocean Council to Host Coastal
Planning Event at Global Climate Summit

A World Ocean Council (WOC) event to be held at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco this month will advance business leadership in adapting ports and coastal infrastructure to changing sea level and major weather events. The purpose is to create a capacity-building program to prepare SIDS governments and their port owners, operators and users to overcome resource constraints and institutional barriers and catalyze private sector engagement for port adaptation, including finance.

AUG

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Sharktech Onboard Digital Control System
Offers a Wide Range of Sensor Integration

Metal Shark is working with ASV Global to introduce Sharktech autonomous vessels with dynamic collision avoidance that considers data from multiple radars, daylight and thermal cameras and AIS to steer clear of obstacles. The system allows autonomous or remote operation of navigation and safety lighting, hailers and sirens, as well as fire pumps, monitors and fire-fighting equipment; hydrographic survey equipment; equipment for acoustic, oceanographic or meteorological monitoring; and FLIRs.

Nordic Hamburg Installs High-Speed
Satellite Antennas on Dozens of Ships

Nordic Hamburg has chosen KVH’s TracPhone V7-HTS antenna equipment and the AgilePlans subscription-based Connectivity as a Service (CaaS) program to bring fast, global connectivity to its vessels. Installations for 13 vessels have been completed, with plans for an additional 12 through 2018. The TracPhone V7-HTS is a 60-cm Ku-band satellite communications antenna that utilizes high-throughput satellite (HTS) technology with connectivity from KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network.

Expanded Global AIS Service Available

exactEarth and IHS Markit will provide a new combined tracking service, AIS Platinum, offering unprecedented frequency and coverage of vessels worldwide. AIS Platinum will provide a fast flow of real-time intelligence to assist organizations that require time-critical intelligence. The solution has been developed with exactEarth’s global real-time satellite AIS service, exactView RT powered by Harris, which will consist of a system of more than 60 maritime satellite payloads.

Mission Planning Underway for Under-Ice AUV

A workshop was hosted by ISE and Australia’s Antarctic Gateway Partnership to finalize details for nupiri muka’s first field season. Nupiri muka is an ISE Explorer AUV owned and operated by the University of Tasmania as part of the Antarctic Gateway Partnership, a research Initiative of the Australian Research Council. Deploying the AUV beneath Antarctic ice shelves will allow the collection of data vital to understanding the physical, chemical and biological processes at work under Antarctic ice.

AML Relocates for High MVP Demand

The demand for AML Oceanographic’s real-time underway profiling system, Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP), has swelled as organizations seek to improve data quality on hydrographic and ocean science surveys. An influx of orders has caused the company to outgrow its Nova Scotia office space, prompting a move to a new location to accommodate a higher volume of MVP builds. The move comes less than three years after the manufacturer opened a second location across the country in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Panama Canal Expansion Marks Two Years

The Panama Canal marked the two-year anniversary of its canal expansion, the largest enhancement project in the waterway’s 103-year history. The route has recorded milestones such as: a new monthly tonnage record of 38.1 million tons in May 2018; the transit of the canal’s largest cruise ship to date, the Norwegian Bliss, weighing more than 168,000 gross tons and carrying nearly 5,000 passengers; and the transit of the largest capacity container vessel to date, the CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt.

VescoPlastics Celebrates 60th Anniversary

This year marks the 60th anniversary of VescoPlastics and Vesconite, its first engineering plastic. Founded by Alain Leger, an entrepreneurial engineer, Vesconite started in response to a need for an alternative to nylon bushings that swell in humid underground mines. Years of testing resulted in a thermopolymer with low-friction properties that could be machined to close tolerances. The company has grown into an international enterprise.

Manned Submersible Tests at 4,000 M

OceanGate held a successful unmanned depth test of the manned submersible Titan to validate the hull to a depth of 4,000 m. Titan is the world’s first privately owned five-person submersible to reach this depth, opening more than 50 percent of the ocean to manned exploration. Designed and engineered by OceanGate, Titan is constructed from carbon fiber and titanium and is the largest submersible of its type in the world. The sub is scheduled to survey the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 2019.

FairfieldNodal Is Now Fairfield Geotechnologies

Fairfield Geotechnologies (formerly FairfieldNodal) has relocated its headquarters to the Houston energy corridor. While engineering, field service, manufacturing and the operational center will remain at the company’s Sugar Land, Texas, location, the new corporate office will be located in the Air Liquide building at Memorial City.

New Test Bed Available for Load Tests

Yale Cordage has acquired a Sahm Splice test bed for testing of synthetic and wire rope, shackles, chain and slings up to 1,300,000 lb. With a maximum test sample length of 116 ft. and a 15-ft. stroke, it is one of the largest test beds in the eastern U.S. The machine includes built-in programs for load testing, including cyclic, bend over sheave and proof load testing.

Port Canaveral Celebrates 65 Years

Port Canaveral will celebrate sixty-five years of operation on November 4, 2018. The Canaveral Port Authority plans a series of activities celebrating the port’s history and its role in economic growth of the Central Florida region.

In the first of a series of events this summer, Canaveral Port Authority staff took part in a ceremonial flag raising of a new Port Canaveral anniversary flag, similar to an event held at the port 65 years ago.

Largest U.S. Containership Christened

Matson Inc. and Philly Shipyard Inc. christened the largest containership ever built in the U.S. in a ceremony at the Philly Shipyard on June 30. The new vessel is named Daniel K. Inouye in honor of Hawaii’s late senior U.S. Senator, a supporter of the U.S. maritime industry and its role in Hawaii’s economy. The vessel is the first of two new ships being built at a cost of approximately $418 million and the first of four new vessels that Matson will put into its Hawaii service during the next two years.

City of Virginia Beach Develops
Broadband Underwater Cabling Hub

Activity in subsea cabling is thriving on the U.S. shores of the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, with more cables to come. The city’s mayoral candidate, Ben Davenport, heads a broadband taskforce in an effort to make the city a hub for data-centered industries. Currently, cabling that stretches across the Atlantic from Spain, Rio de Janeiro and South Africa to Virginia Beach is installed or in process, and Davenport notes the city is a key cabling landing site between New York and Florida.

The city is also undergoing a telecommunications infrastructure overhaul to ensure super high-speed networks.

AUVSI Forms Policy Advocacy Committee

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has formed an advocacy committee to focus on policy positions to support the unmanned vehicle industry.

The committee will be chaired by Thomas Reynolds, vice president of business development for Hydroid Inc./Kongsberg Maritime. Reynolds previously served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, where he served as commander of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Task Group, U.S. Fifth Fleet, among other roles.

Knud E. Hansen Expands to Canada

Knud E. Hansen now has a permanent presence in Canada. The burgeoning east-coast port of Halifax, Nova Scotia will serve as the home base for Senior Naval Architect and Project Manager Sam Stark.

The new location will allow the company to focus specifically on the growing maritime sector in Canada, as well as the increase in demand for ship tonnage in the Arctic region.

Company Awarded $164 Million in Contracts

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. has received several major dredging awards totaling $164 million, including: the Long Beach project (coastal protection, New York, $54.4 million); the Myrtle Beach project (coastal protection, South Carolina, $34.8 million); the Nags Head Beach project (coastal protection, North Carolina, $34.7 million); the Chesapeake Beach project (coastal protection, Maryland, $4.8 million); the Corpus Christi La Quinta Channel Widening project (capital, Texas, $21.0 million) and the Delaware River Deepening Variation Order (capital, Delaware, $14.3 million).

JULY

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Riptide Implements Open Architecture Autonomy
On US Government UUV Mission Controllers

Riptide and Draper will implement the maritime open architecture autonomy (MOAA) that Draper developed as an extensible open architecture framework for autonomous mission controllers for AUVs through millions of dollars of investment and decades of research and development. Draper has received approval from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport to provide MOAA as an option on all Riptide UUVs sold to the U.S. government or government-purposed vehicles.

Patrol Boats Delivered to Curacao Coast Guard

Four new high-speed patrol boats manufactured by Metal Shark for the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) have been commissioned on the island of Curacao. The new vessels are the first to be delivered under a 12-boat order announced last year. The 38 Defiant monohull patrol boats are the result of a multiyear effort by the DCCG to replace its fleet of open-cockpit RIBs. The new vessels will serve as the DCCG’s main interceptors, patrolling the territorial waters of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Saba.

Remote Survey Trials Include
Successful Acoustic Jumper Metrology

An acoustic jumper metrology was successfully conducted using the Sonardyne Connect software in conjunction with 4D Nav’s remote survey system in the Gulf of Mexico. Acoustic long baseline (LBL) data and pressure sensor data were collected at a network operations center onshore in Houston. The direct interface to the Sonardyne 6G transceiver enabled by the Connect software allowed full control of LBL data collection, as well as logging of pressure sensor data for depth loops.

Multispectral Challenge Produces Mathematical
Solutions for Multispectral Backscatter Data

M. Timo C. Gaida from Delft University of Technology was recognized as the winner of the Multispectral Challenge at GeoHab 2018. R2Sonic launched the Multispectral Challenge following the introduction of the multispectral mode available with R2Sonic’s multibeam echosounder Sonic. Given that each frequency provides different acoustics returns, it was believed that the multispectral mode could be a game-changer for bottom characterization. The challenge was to develop an algorithm to determine bottom type based on multispectral data.

Kraken Synthetic Aperture Sonar
Receives Military Standard Certification

Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. completed military standard certification testing of the KATFISH-M, a ruggedized version of its KATFISH towed synthetic aperture sonar platform. KATFISH-M incorporates a synthetic aperture sonar in a compact, lightweight and hydrodynamically stable towed body. It uses advanced signal processing and algorithms to provide real-time detection and classification against underwater mine threats.

Titanic Survey Expedition Rescheduled to 2019

OceanGate has rescheduled its 2018 Titanic Survey Expedition to the summer of 2019. To conduct the first manned expedition to Titanic since 2005, OceanGate built Titan, a five-person submersible designed to dive to depths of 4,000 m. Deep-sea testing began in April near Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas, but upon arrival the sub’s electronics sustained lightning damage that affected more than 70 percent of its internal systems, preventing testing and delaying the mission.

Waterjet Robotics Receives Funding
For Continued Product Development

Waterjet Robotics U.S.A. has secured a seven-figure funding package with Decathlon Capital Partners. The company’s products are used throughout the international marine industry for removing vessel coatings for surface preparation in an automated and environmentally sensitive manner. This market consists of ships, barges and other large vessels, both commercial and military, in drydocks at the 3,000 shipyards that service the more than 80,000 vessels at repair facilities worldwide.

65,000 Square Kilometers of Data
Earn NOAA Recognition for Fugro

Fugro’s leadership in advancing global ocean mapping has earned it a formal commendation from NOAA. Over the past year, the company has contributed more than 65,000 sq. km of high-resolution, crowd-sourced bathymetry data to NOAA in support of the seabed 2030 mapping project. Fugro is collecting the seabed data while transiting between offshore survey projects.

310-Year-Old Spanish Shipwreck Discovered

The wreck of the Spanish Galleon San Jose was discovered on November 27, 2015 and recently made public. The search was performed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) REMUS 6000 AUV equipped with an EdgeTech 2200 side scan sonar. The San Jose was a 62-gun flagship galleon of a Spanish fleet carrying gold, silver and emeralds from the mines of Peru back to Spain. It was sunk June 8, 1708 in a battle with the British off of Cartagena, Colombia.

BIRNS Earns ISO 9001:2015 Certification

The BIRNS Quality Management System is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by DNV GL after an audit of its business and manufacturing processes. The ISO 9001:2015 standard focuses on risk-based thinking and accountability in all organizational processes, leadership involvement and demonstrated commitment to understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties, with the result of continual improvement.

KVH Connectivity Added to 45 BW Group Vessels

BW Group has chosen KVH’s connectivity services for 45 additional vessels in its fleet. The two companies will also pursue a connectivity contract for BW’s LPG and LNG vessels that have had KVH’s VSAT systems and services. BW’s fleet includes product tankers, LPG and LNG carriers, FSRUs, dry bulk carriers, chemical tankers, offshore vessels and crude carriers.

COVE Continues to Welcome New Tenants

Four more ocean technology companies have signed on to be located at the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE). The new tenants include Sensor Technology, Enginuity, Pisces Research Project Management and MacArtney Canada. COVE is a collaborative facility for applied innovation in the ocean sector that is located in Halifax Harbor, in Nova Scotia, Canada. Its mission is to propel the ocean economy by providing marine infrastructure and a collaborative space in which a community of ocean enterprises can grow and prosper.

New Study Compares Mineral Oil-Based and
New ‘Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants’

ABS, in partnership with Vickers Oil and Imperial College London, completed a study on the use of environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs) on stern tube bearings. The study evaluated EAL relative to mineral oil-based lubricants and concluded oil viscosity is the primary property in selecting an EAL. Primarily driven by 2013 U.S. EPA requirements, EALs were intended to replace mineral oil lubricants in marine vessels.

Antarctic Research Will Assess Krill Biomass

The U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program has implemented a krill research program that will utilize an array of moorings and gliders around the Antarctic Peninsula. Data collected will replace traditional ship-based surveys and will provide standardized spatial and temporal data to understand the consequences of overlap among krill, predators and the krill fishery. The gliders will be equipped with ASL acoustic zooplankton fish profilers (AZFP) and record backscatter of krill biomass.

Piezoceramic Manufacturer Joins Canada’s
Marine Tech Innovation Campus in Nova Scotia

Sensor Technology Ltd. is expanding into Atlantic Canada by joining the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), a collaborative community for the ocean technology industry. Sensor Technology has served for more than 35 years as a piezoceramic manufacturer and designer for ocean technologies, producing ceramic materials, custom acoustic transducers and hydrophones in Collingwood, Ontario.

JUNE

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Military Supplier of Performance Inflatables
Acquires Avon Engineered Fabrications

Avon Rubber sold Avon Engineered Fabrications (AEF) to Performance Inflatables Co. LLC. AEF is a major supplier of industrial coated fabric goods to the U.S. military, including the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard. The performance inflatables portfolio also includes Subsalve USA. AEF will be based in the U.S.

Fire and Blast Safety Systems Company
Opens New Office in Houston, Texas

InterDam, a supplier of fire- and blast-resistant architectural products for refineries, oil and gas platforms and offshore wind platforms, opened a new office in Houston, Texas. InterDam specializes in fire-resistant and post-blast walls, windows and doors in prefabricated systems that fit modular and standardized buildings. The systems conform to fire and blast regulations and are designed to withstand a fire outbreak in a post-blast situation.

Scottish Offshore and Coastal Consultancy
Launches US Subsidiary in Houston

The Scottish marine survey and coastal consultancy group Partrac Ltd. launched its U.S. subsidiary, Partrac GeoMarine Inc., based in Houston, Texas. Partrac GeoMarine delivers services and consultancy for complex engineering and environmental projects in challenging marine environments. Its market sectors include both conventional and renewable offshore energy, including oil and gas, decommissioning, wind, wave and tidal, dredging including contaminated sediments, ports, harbors, rivers, waterways and coastal engineering.

Oregon State University Tests and Invests
In Cabled UV Biofouling Control Systems

Following a successful test in which AML Oceanographic’s Cabled UV prevented marine growth on oxygen sensors and cameras deployed in situ for six months, Oregon State University (OSU) has purchased 20 Cabled UV biofouling control systems. Cabled UV was selected for the Endurance Array, a multi-scaled array developed under the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). OSU’s trial is the latest deployment successfully completed through the use of AML’s biofouling control solutions.

New Mars-Bound SpaceX Rocket
To Be Developed in the Port of Los Angeles

SpaceX will produce its Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) in the Port of Los Angeles. Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets were built in Hawthorne, California, but the company will need to build the big rocket near the water due to its size and space requirements, SpaceX told Bloomberg.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the selection of the city’s port in a tweet, saying, “This vehicle holds the promise of taking humanity deeper into the cosmos than ever before.” The Port of Los Angeles will play an increasingly important role in operations, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in a Bloomberg report. The Big Falcon Rocket is intended to fly people into orbit around the Earth and eventually to Mars.

AI Startup Earns $900K Investment to Continue
Development of Self-Driving Ship Technology

Buffalo Automation, an artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that is developing technology for self-navigating boats, has secured $900,000 from investors to expand testing of a system called AutoMate that integrates real-time sensor data about waterways with static information such as nautical charts to enable vessels to pilot themselves. AutoMate enables early detection of obstacles such as other boats and debris and saves fuel with algorithms that enable more efficient routes. The AutoMate system is currently testing with two lake freighter operators and an international container liner.

ROV Used in Nevada to Assess the Health of
Lake Mead and Water Infrastructure

The Australian infrastructure inspections and management company Abyss Solutions is piloting its high-fidelity imaging underwater ROV at Lake Mead to inspect the condition of water infrastructure within the lake. Abyss Solutions is also conducting an assessment of an SNWA reservoir facility through 3D modeling. The data will help affirm the effectiveness of SNWA’s efforts to control quagga mussels in the raw water intake system and evaluate the efficiency of water treatment and disinfection.

Panama Expects to Quintuple LNG Transports

The Panama Canal Administrator said the waterway expects to transit five times its current volume of LNG by 2020.

The LNG trade’s role in Central America and the Caribbean is growing as the regions are increasingly interested in natural gas to meet their energy needs. In 2018, Peru transited 575,529 tons of LNG to Europe, and Trinidad and Tobago exported 1,340,396 tons to Asia, Mexico and Chile. Since the opening of the Neopanamax locks, Mexico has imported an estimated 3.1 million tons of LNG, while Chile has imported about 1.1 million.

Dual-Channel Waveform LiDAR
Mapping System Added at GPI

GPI Geospatial Inc. has added the RIEGL VQ-1560i to their toolbox of advanced digital sensors: an ultrahigh-performance, dual-channel waveform processing, airborne LiDAR mapping system for complex airborne mapping missions. The calibrated system is equipped with a high-performance GNSS/IMU system and a primary phase one 100-megapixel RGB camera. The system is capable of online waveform processing and recording, producing information-rich data for post-processing.

Newmar and ASEA Form MCE Marine Group

ASEA Power Systems and Newmar DC Power Onboard have aligned under the newly formed MCE Marine Group. Both ASEA and Newmar retain their brand names. David Brown was named president of MCE Marine, with all operations now headquartered in Huntington Beach, California. Eric Herman will be MCE Marine director of engineering. Brian Giannini has been promoted to MCE Marine Group sales manager, and Gabriel Vargas was promoted to service manager and application engineer.

DeepOcean Expands into Gulf of Mexico
With Delta SubSea Acquisition

DeepOcean acquired Delta SubSea LLC, which provides inspection maintenance and repair and construction services with international operations in locations such as West Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. The company owns and operates 10 Schilling-manufactured ROVs from its operating base in Montgomery, Texas. This acquisition will allow DeepOcean to expand its operations in the Mexican segment of the Gulf into the U.S. segment. Delta SubSea will also be DeepOcean’s vehicle for offshore renewables projects in U.S. waters.

Virgin Islands Port Authority Receives
New Pilot Boat and Port Security Boat

Metal Shark has delivered two new custom welded aluminum vessels to the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA). The vessels were recently delivered to St. Thomas and transferred to VIPA. Both vessels are now operating from the Edward Wilmoth Blyden IV Marine Facility on the Charlotte Amalie waterfront, where they serve the island of St. Thomas and also nearby St. John.

New Study Compares Mineral Oil-Based and
New ‘Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants’

ABS, in partnership with Vickers Oil and Imperial College London, completed a study on the use of environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs) on stern tube bearings. The study evaluated EAL relative to mineral oil-based lubricants and concluded oil viscosity is the primary property in selecting an EAL. Primarily driven by 2013 U.S. EPA requirements, EALs were intended to replace mineral oil lubricants in marine vessels.

Antarctic Research Will Assess Krill Biomass

The U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program has implemented a krill research program that will utilize an array of moorings and gliders around the Antarctic Peninsula. Data collected will replace traditional ship-based surveys and will provide standardized spatial and temporal data to understand the consequences of overlap among krill, predators and the krill fishery. The gliders will be equipped with ASL acoustic zooplankton fish profilers (AZFP) and record backscatter of krill biomass.

Piezoceramic Manufacturer Joins Canada’s
Marine Tech Innovation Campus in Nova Scotia

Sensor Technology Ltd. is expanding into Atlantic Canada by joining the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), a collaborative community for the ocean technology industry. Sensor Technology has served for more than 35 years as a piezoceramic manufacturer and designer for ocean technologies, producing ceramic materials, custom acoustic transducers and hydrophones in Collingwood, Ontario.

MAY

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USS Lexington and USS Juneau Wreckage Found

EdgeTech side scan sonar technology was used by the RV Petrel in the discovery of the sunken remains of USS Lexington and USS Juneau. The USS Lexington, one of the first aircraft carriers built and commissioned by the U.S., was sunk during the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942 off the coast of Australia. The USS Juneau, a U.S. Navy light cruiser, was sunk in November 1942 during World War II. Both discoveries used a 2-km swath to conduct search patterns.

MSI Transducers Allow Unmanned Tech
To Go Full Ocean Depth

Airmar has significantly broadened its offerings to include a comprehensive suite of ultrasonic transducers that includes more than 150 different piezoceramic element and array options, an extensive housing portfolio and customized solutions for offshore platforms. The acquisition of MSI Transducers has significantly broadened the company’s offerings to include MSI’s design and manufacturing of high-performance composite transducers suitable for full ocean depth.

Quest Offshore Releases Data Platform
To Assist Floating Wind Energy Industry

Quest Offshore Resources has released Quest Floating Wind Energy LLC (Q FWE), a data and analytical practice focused entirely on the resources driving the economics, technology and supply chain encompassing floating wind energy.

To aid industry in developing their strategies and targeting opportunities in this sector’s supply chain, Q FWE has assembled the resources to connect various disciplines and services involved. The Q FWE platform, in conjunction with Q FWE’s consulting practice, provides customized analysis.

Aquabotix to Install Norwegian GPS

Aquabotix has partnered with Norwegian technology supplier Water Linked AS and will integrate its GPS system with the Endura ROV to enable greater underwater positioning for tank and hull inspections, fish farm exploration and search and recovery missions.

The company also sold a hybrid vehicle to the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), which will use the hybrid and its technology for ongoing geoscience and energy research in Korean waters.

Woods Hole Installs Hyperbaric Testing System

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) installed a 20,000-psi hyperbaric pressure system as part of a new test building and pit.

The hyperbaric testing system supplied by Optime Subsea includes both a pressure vessel and a control system and more than triples high-pressure test capacity by enabling unattended 24-hr. operations. It replaces an outdated system that is more than 50 years old.

Modular Dry Stack Engine and Exhaust
Installed on High-Speed Ferry

Seastreak’s new Commodore-class high-speed catamaran ferry is launching with innovative Delta “T” Systems/Dinak modular dry stack engine and generator exhausts and ventilation equipment. The 150-by-40-ft., 600-passenger Incat Crowther-designed vessel is built by Gulf Craft of Franklin.

Industry Project to Tackle Propeller Issues

TrueProp Software LLC has launched an improved propeller inspection and metrology joint industry project (JIP). The project aims to resolve a number of identified deficiencies in metrology, compliance criteria and inspection practices to achieve improved workflow productivity, cost savings, better product outcomes and connectivity for new and legacy inspection devices. Members will participate in development, application and testing of new modules in the TrueProp inspection software.

Fugro Updates Cayman Islands Nautical Charts

Fugro recently completed the data acquisition phase of a hydrographic survey project that is designed to update significant portions of the nautical charts of Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. The surveys were conducted on behalf of the United Kingdom and Cayman Islands governments after the project was awarded through a competitive bid contract, issued and overseen by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO).

Canada Tests aqua tools’ Ballast Water Kit

The government of Canada is testing aqua-tools’ B-QUA ballast water sampling and monitoring kit in the Canadian ballast water surveillance program. The trials compare the capabilities of sampling and analysis tools for measuring organisms of various sizes, zooplankton, phytoplankton and bacteria.

The Canadian laboratory carried out research to better understand the capabilities of tools, visiting multiple ships and taking samples of treated ballast water. B-QUA proved fully capable of providing analysis of organisms in the 10- to 50-µm and >50-µm ranges.

Samson Rope Sponsors Crossfire Yacht Racing

Samson Technologies is sponsoring Crossfire Racing, a Corinthian yacht racing program focused on competition at the highest levels in the sport while maintaining a commitment to sportsmanship and community development.

The boat is a Reichel/Pugh-designed and McConaghy-built custom race boat from Seattle, sailing under the Sloop Tavern Yacht Club burgee. The crew is a dedicated team of experienced sailors based in the Northwest, with a combined total experience of more than 300 years sailing.

Early Career Scientist Proposals Due June 15

Winners of the Early Career Scientist Contest earn free use of a battery-powered AZFP 125/200/455/769-kHz or 38/125/200/455-kHz mooring cage and battery for a three-month deployment period, along with support from ASL’s team of experts. The instrument loan program is open to early-career scientists and engineers, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and others involved in oceanographic or freshwater work.

Offshore LED Deck Lights, Wipers
Installed on New England Lobster Vessels

IMTRA has provided its offshore series LED deck lights, Exalto and Roca windshield wipers, side-power thrusters and zipwake dynamic trim control systems to lobster vessels throughout New England. The newly launched lobster boat Sailor’s Way from Stonington, Maine, is the latest fishing vessel to be equipped with IMTRA gear.

Marlink Moves to Houston

Marlink has moved to larger premises in Houston to meet the growing needs of its Gulf of Mexico offshore industry and shipping customers. The new facility includes expanded office space in addition to a new warehouse facility to support responsive bridge and satcom equipment installation and onboard services.

The Houston location allows the Marlink Group to support customers with operations, sales support and technical training, including delivery, field services engineers, service management and program management.

SSI President, CTO, CEO Move Into Ownership

SSI CEO Darren Larkins and President/CTO Denis Morais have acquired ownership of the shipbuilding software development company SSI from the company’s founder Rolf Oetter.

Larkins and Morais have been managing SSI for the past seven years while Oetter has focused on other initiatives, such as the promotion of alternative energy. The change in ownership ensures the long-term stability of SSI with those actively involved in decision making and day-to-day operation now having ownership.

Phoenix Upgrades Quality System Certification

Phoenix International Holdings Inc. is transitioning from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015 certification.

The 2015 version of the quality management standard requires greater involvement of senior management and a broader understanding of supply chains. It sharpens a company’s focus on risk, with the goal of an organization’s many processes operating as a single, integrated system directed at meeting customer requirements.

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28th Fast Response Cutter Delivered

Bollinger Shipyards delivered the USCGC Nathan Bruckenthal, the 28th fast response cutter (FRC), to the U.S. Coast Guard. The 154-ft. patrol craft has a flank speed of 28 kt., command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26-ft. cutter boat. The vessel is named after Nathan Bruckenthal, who was killed in 2004 while conducting maritime intercept operations in the North Arabian Gulf.

Samson Rope Sponsors Crossfire Yacht Racing

Samson Technologies is sponsoring Crossfire Racing, a Corinthian yacht racing program focused on competition at the highest levels in the sport while maintaining a commitment to sportsmanship and community development.

The boat is a Reichel/Pugh-designed and McConaghy-built custom race boat from Seattle, sailing under the Sloop Tavern Yacht Club burgee. The crew is a dedicated team of experienced sailors based in the Northwest, with a combined total experience of more than 300 years sailing.

APRIL

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US Coast Guard Makes Progress
On Funding Icebreaker Fleet

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) launched plans to acquire a new heavy icebreaker vessel intended to be the first of a six-ship installment and the beginning of a robust U.S. icebreaker fleet. Announcing the proposal at the 2018 State of the Coast Guard address, Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft said it is the first step in protecting the “fourth coast” of the U.S.—the Arctic. The U.S. icebreaker will have military-grade weapons and cutting-edge UAV capabilities.

Sub-Bottom Profiler Used in
Wave Energy Project Siting

The University of Queensland used Syqwest’s Stratabox 3510HD for a seabed survey off King Island for a wave energy company. Sub-bottom profiling (SBP) with the Stratabox3510 HD revealed a need to relocate the survey to a location further west. To characterize benthic surfaces within the survey area, a series of transects using a sub-bottom profiling system focused on mapping the potential placement site.

Underserved Ocean Research in San Diego
Receives Foundation Grants

The San Diego Foundation announced $632,934 in grants for 10 programs that strengthen San Diego’s innovation economy by creating opportunities for students from underserved communities pursuing STEM opportunities. The San Diego Foundation Science & Technology Program grant making supports the findings from Our Greater San Diego Vision, a report that found that a majority of residents want to increase opportunities for those who work and learn in the San Diego region. The grant recipients include the Ocean Discovery Institute and The Maritime Alliance Foundation, among others.

Greensea Honored with Prestigious
MTS Award for ROV Development

Greensea Systems received the 2018 Corporate Excellence Award presented by the ROV committee of the Marine Technology Society (MTS) at Underwater Intervention in New Orleans, Louisiana. The MTS ROV Committee began its award program in 1990 to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations in the ROV community. To maintain a high degree of distinction, awards are not necessarily presented annually, but only as deemed appropriate.

Energy Storage Systems Added to
Mexican Platform Supply Vessels

Corvus Energy was selected by SEACOR Marine and Kongsberg Maritime to supply lithium ion-based energy storage systems (ESS) for four platform supply vessels (PSVs). The Orca Energy ESS from Corvus will supply electrical power to the PSVs’ propulsion and dynamic positioning systems’ electrical network. All four PSVs are owned by Mantenimiento Express Marítimo SAPI de CV (MEXMAR), SEACOR Marine’s joint venture in Mexico. By July 2018, hybrid power retrofits will be complete for the Mexico-based SEACOR vessels.

Ship Cybersecurity is Bolstered by
Threat Intelligence Integration

Integration World-Link Communications has added to its ShipSecure maritime cybersecurity platform a full suite of CISCO services. ShipSecure is a multilayered security management system designed to protect, monitor and control the global fleet security network from a single management portal. The company says CISCO’s latest threat intelligence cloud-based services help deliver an end-to-end maritime cybersecurity platform with next-generation IPS/IDS firewalls for customers.

Aquabotix Announces Key
Korean, Norwegian Partnerships

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources purchased an Aquabotix hybrid vehicle for ongoing geoscience and energy research. Aquabotix also formed a GPS integration partnership with Norwegian technology supplier Water Linked AS to integrate its underwater GPS system with the Endura ROV to enable greater underwater positioning across a wide range of applications, including hull inspections and fish farm exploration.

Shark Detection and Alert
System in Development

Smart Marine Systems Ltd. is developing Clever Buoy—an ocean monitoring platform that specializes in detecting large marine life using sonar and identification software systems to relay critical information to authorities responsible for beach safety. Shark attacks on the Pacific Coast have been on the rise, with 2017 numbers almost double 2016. Finding a solution that doesn’t cause environmental damage or pressure on threatened species has been an ongoing challenge.

Hawaii-Based Company’s Software
Installed on Prysmian Group Vessel

The MakaiLay cable deployment control software was commissioned on the cable-laying vessel Giulio Verne by the Prysmian Group of the energy and telecom cables and systems industry. MakaiLay’s power-cable module will be used by Giulio Verne when it starts working on the North Sea Link installation, a subsea power cable interconnector between Norway and the U.K. that will be the world’s longest upon completion in 2021.

KVH Satellite Partner to Invest $4.5 Million
To Push Development of Marine Broadband

KVH Industries announced that its longtime partner SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. (SJC) will invest $4.5 million in KVH to help deliver next-generation maritime broadband services. KVH and SJC intend to collaborate on value-added services in the area of shipping digitalization and improved broadband access at sea. KVH’s mini-VSAT BroadbandSM service is the market share leader in maritime VSAT worldwide, according to KVH.

KVH Satellite Partner to Invest $4.5 Million
To Push Development of Marine Broadband

KVH Industries announced that its longtime partner SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. (SJC) will invest $4.5 million in KVH to help deliver next-generation maritime broadband services. KVH and SJC intend to collaborate on value-added services in the area of shipping digitalization and improved broadband access at sea. KVH’s mini-VSAT BroadbandSM service is the market share leader in maritime VSAT worldwide, according to KVH.

Savannah Harbor Expansion
Reaches Critical Milestone

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed outer harbor dredging at the Port of Savannah, marking the midpoint of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). The first half of the project deepened the outer harbor to 49 ft. at low tide. The inner harbor channel will be expanded from its current low-tide depth, 42 ft., to 47 ft. Deepening the harbor will allow Neo-Panamax vessels to take on heavier loads and transit the Savannah River with greater scheduling flexibility.

HydroComp Joins Green Marine
To Design Quieter Ships

HydroComp has joined Green Marine, a North American environmental certification program designed to strengthen sustainability in the marine sector. HydroComp specializes in applied methods for a variety of mission-critical performance indicators, including energy consumption and audible propeller noise with notable work in underwater radiated noise. The group plans to focus on quieter ship design to mitigate the impact of underwater radiated noise on marine mammals.

IMCA Issues Jones Act Update
On Gulf of Mexico Vessels

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has updated the U.S. Gulf of Mexico vessel data associated with its study “Marine Construction Vessel Impacts of Proposed Modifications and Revocations of Jones Act Letters Related to Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Activities” submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency last year. This supplement focuses on the Gulf of Mexico vessels of interest to IMCA’s members and can be found at www.imca-int.com/jonesact.

Steel Tariff Could Hurt US Shipbuilders
And Increase Taxpayer Dollars for Navy

The Maritime Executive reported a growing debate around U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on steel imports, noting that the tariff may have negative effects for defense shipyards like Newport News. The report quoted lawmakers expressing concern about steel tariffs that increase the cost of building Navy ships and, therefore, taxpayer costs. Of note is a warning from the director of the Center for American Seapower, Seth Cropsey, who says “protectionism” that affects the cost of American defense goods is a “matter of concern.” Canada’s minister of foreign affairs said trade restrictions are “unacceptable” between NATO and NORAD allies.

Global Diving Leaders Earn
Roles in Global Associations

Global Diving and Salvage Vice President of Operations Daniel Pierson has been re-elected to the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) board for a new three-year term. In addition, Global Vice President of Casualty and Emergency Response David DeVilbiss has been elected as the new American Salvage Association (ASA) vice president.

MARCH

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Jensen’s First Hybrid Tug to Enter Construction

Jensen Maritime, Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm, was selected to design Baydelta Maritime’s new 100-ft., Z-Drive hybrid tugboat. It will use Rolls-Royce hybrid technology and represents the first installation of a hybrid system for Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB), and it is the first hybrid tug designed by Jensen to enter the construction phase. The tug will feature the same ship assist and tanker escort capabilities of existing Valor-class harbor tugs, but with multiple operational modes. The Rolls-Royce hybrid system will allow the vessel to operate direct-diesel, diesel-electric or fully electric. It is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2019.

LNG-Powered ConRo Ships Will Move
Cargo Between US and Puerto Rico

Furuno outfitted the two newest LNG-powered Commitment-class ConRo (combination container and roll-on/roll-off) vessels, the El Coquí and Taíno. The two purpose-built vessels are among the first to be powered by liquefied natural gas. These 219.5-m ships, built by VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula, Mississippi, each have a capacity of 26,500-dwt and are designed to transport containers ranging from 20-ft. standard to 53-ft. high-capacity units, as well as hundreds of cars and other vehicles.

Ocean Infinity Expands Its AUV Fleet with
New Unit Configured for Under-Ice Surveys

Ocean Infinity added a 6,000-m-rated Kongsberg HUGIN AUV system to its existing fleet. This ninth AUV has been configured to conduct under-ice surveys and has Kongsberg’s synthetic aperture sonar (HISAS) and a Kongsberg EM 2040 multibeam echosounder installed in an upward-facing modular payload section that is designed to facilitate surveys of the underside of the ice. An upward-looking Doppler velocity log (DVL) is also installed to aid under-ice navigation. Ocean Infinity is scheduled to take delivery of this new HUGIN AUV system December 2018. The system will be immediately put to work on a scientific research project scheduled for the beginning of 2019.

Oceaneering’s Technology for Offshore Wind
Wins the Carbon Trust Accelerator Competition

Oceaneering International Services Ltd. was named a winner in the Carbon Trust Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) competition, which is geared to find new or adaptable techniques that provide innovative and low-risk subsea inspection solutions for the industry’s challenges.

Oceaneering was selected as a winner for its techniques to address the inspection of welds on monopiles and jacket foundations. The company will receive tailored support from the Carbon Trust and OWA partners, including the potential to test the techniques at operational offshore wind farms.

Phoenix Divers and Hardsuit Pilots
Demonstrate Zero-Incident Abandonment Test

Phoenix completed an abandonment campaign in the Gulf of Mexico utilizing its atmospheric diving system (ADS) hardsuit. In phase one of the project, Phoenix cut, plugged and abandoned a 6-in. pipeline and umbilical exiting a J-tube at a depth of 530 ft. Phase two consisted of removing two 6-in. risers and riser clamps, two 3-in. umbilicals, two umbilical I-tubes and all I-tube clamps to a depth of 430 ft.

In total, 20 ADS missions were completed with 61 hours in the water and divers performed 38 dives with 33 hours of total bottom time. The entire project was performed over 18 days using 3,964 man hours without a lost-time incident.

Torqeedo Now Offers
Smart Power Generation Systems

Torqeedo has integrated Sentinel Boat Monitors and WhisperPower smart power generation systems into its electric boat propulsion products. The Sentinel app allows remote monitoring of the vessel’s location and onboard systems and provides automatic alerts of any malfunctions and alarms. If the boat strays from its location, the automatic geofencing and GPS tracking function helps locate the boat. When integrated with the Torqeedo system, the boat’s electric motor and battery data are displayed in the app, including state of charge, voltage, temperature and remaining range.

Ship & Shore Environmental to Work with
UC Irvine on Air Pollution Capture and Control

Ship & Shore Environmental Inc. (S&SE) joined forces with UC Irvine (UCI) in a program of collaboration, research, professional engagements and exchange of best practices. In addition, S&SE’s CEO Anoosheh Oskouian is now a member of UC Irvine’s School of Physical Sciences Dean’s Leadership Council as well as UCI’s executive roundtable, a gateway to mutually beneficial cooperation and knowledge transfer between the business community and the university.

S&SE is a Long Beach, California-based company specializing in air pollution capture and control for industrial applications, including volatile organic compound (VOC) abatement systems.

Wing Inflatables Acquires Pioneering
Life-Saving Inflatable Technology Company

Wing Inflatables Inc. acquired the stock of The Patten Companies located in Lake Worth, Florida, which manufactures inflatable life-saving products used by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and NASA. Specifically, Patten manufactures high-performance collars for rigid inflatable boats and inflatable watercraft designed for challenging marine environments. The company is a pioneer in the use of polyurethane-coated fabric and thermo-welded air-holding seams. Patten maintains its primary manufacturing facility in Arcata, California, a sales and administration office in Lafayette, California, and a sales and service office in Centreville, Maryland.

FEBRUARY

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Canadian Coast Guard Icebreakers
Undergo Upgrade and Modernization

ABB concluded the first modernization on a Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) icebreaker, the 38-year-old CCGS Pierre Radisson, including installation of 12 new DC drives and a complete propulsion control system.

ABB fitted twin AC/DC diesel-electric propulsion systems for greater redundancy, with each featuring a DC electric motor connected directly to the vessel’s propeller. ABB also attached digital sensors to a variety of onboard equipment to provide its shore-based engineers with a virtual presence on board the ship.

The project kicked off an upgrade program that will ultimately cover 10 ships in the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, to be completed by 2020.

Art Anderson Has $3 Million Contract
To Construct Detroit Floating Screen Structure

Bremerton–based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Art Anderson Associates is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Portland to provide architectural and engineering services for the design of a downstream fish passage floating screen structure (FSS) in the Detroit Reservoir. The FSS has an estimated maximum cubic feet per second (cfs) between 1,000 and 4,500 cfs and is intended to attract and collect juvenile fish in the reservoir and expected to increase outmigration.

The USACE Portland District (CENWP) is simultaneously designing a selective withdrawal structure (SWS) with a weir box to provide temperature control in the North Santiam River, intending for the flow to pass through the FSS, screen out the fish, pass through the SWS and ultimately pass through the turbines and further down river. The fish that were separated from the flow and collected will be passed further downstream. The project is one of seven floating fish collectors in the Pacific Northwest.

Oil Seepage Mapping Collaboration
Wins Environmental Leadership Award

Fugro received an Environmental Leadership Award from The Maritime Alliance, a California-based nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable, science-based ocean and water industries.

The recognition was received in San Diego during the organization’s BlueTech Week, an international gathering of more than 485 marine professionals from academia, government and industry.

Sharing the award was Planck Aerosystems, a drone intelligence company specializing in highly autonomous unmanned aerial systems with whom Fugro collaborated on a project to identify and map oil seepage from abandoned offshore well sites in Santa Barbara County.

Results from this project prompted the California State Assembly to pass legislation SB-44 funding a legacy oil and gas well removal and remediation program through 2028.

C-Innovation Forms Subsea Projects Group

C-Innovation LLC (C-I) announced the formation of a turnkey subsea projects group based in Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO)’s Houston, Texas, office. C-I provides engineering support, procedure development and review, project execution and final reporting requirements and offers ECO’s various port facilities, logistics company, tank cleaning services, shipyards and dry docks located throughout the U.S. Gulf Coast and Brazil. With corporate headquarters in Mandeville, Louisiana, C-I’s ROV capabilities provide support to subsea construction projects, as well as drilling, intervention, maintenance and heavy-lift assignments.

New Woods Hole Group Will Provide
Environmental Monitoring and Planning

Representatives from CLS America Inc., Horizon Marine Inc. and The Woods Hole Group Inc. announced the merging of the three companies, effective January 1, 2018 and resulting in the new company: The Woods Hole Group Inc.

CLS America specializes in satellite technology and enhancing security through direct operational support to government, institutions and industries in the environmental field, while Horizon Marine’s expertise lies in offshore oceanography for the energy industry. The merger with Woods Hole Group provides services including: environmental assessment, fisheries and wildlife satellite tracking, ocean current forecasting, coastal engineering, ocean monitoring systems, habitat restoration and climate change planning projects.

Metal Shark Offers Next-Generation
Damen Fast Crew Supplier

As an extension of its existing relationship with Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards, Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark announced the availability of the new Damen FCS 7011 for the U.S. market.

The all-aluminum monohull FCS 7011 incorporates Damen’s “Sea Axe” bow and a ride control system for roll and pitch reduction in offshore sea states. Steerable skegs allow for highly accurate course corrections, while a gyroscope maintains stability during crew transfer via a motion-compensating gangway.

Hydro Purchases Ownership Stake in Corvus

Norwegian aluminum supplier Hydro purchased 25.9 percent of the shares in Corvus Energy, a provider of modular lithium-ion battery systems that is jointly held by BW Group, Statoil Technology Invest and investors affiliated with El Cuervo Holdings Ltd. Partnership.

Rooted in more than a century of renewable energy innovation, Hydro was attracted to Corvus as the commercial viability of battery power technology in all-electric and hybrid marine applications increases.

JANUARY

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Western Marine Electronics Has a New Owner

Founder and President of WESMAR (Western Marine Electronics) Bruce H. Blakey sold his 52-year-old business to a new owner, Roger Fellows. WESMAR started in 1965 to develop sonar for commercial fishing and has since developed the first solid state sonar and the first color radar, along with a broad portfolio of other products for commercial, noncommercial, municipal and government customers in a variety of marine industries.

Canadian Hydrographic Service
Receives Autonomous System

ASV Global converted a 26-ft. hydrographic survey launch to operate autonomously using the ASView control system. The launch, which is part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet dedicated to the survey operations of the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), will be used as a test platform for unmanned survey work.

Delivery to the CHS marks ASV Global’s 10th unmanned conversion of a customer vessel using the ASView system, which interfaces with the launch’s existing engine, steering and navigation systems to enable autonomous operation. The launch is connected to a remote station via IP radios that enable real-time monitoring of survey acquisition data and vessel parameters.

Nova Scotia Company
Develops Arctic Technology

GeoSpectrum Technologies (GTI) announced two contracts from the Department of National Defense to develop technologies suitable for year-round Arctic deployment and capable of providing persistent surveillance and messaging over very long ranges in environmentally hostile and acoustically challenging waters.

Under the first contract, Long-Range Detection and Communications, GTI will build a very low-frequency acoustic source for long-distance underwater detection and potentially basin-scale (1,000 km) communications, as well as supporting, for example, a UUV engaged in under-ice work. Under the second contract, Low-Frequency Towed Array, GTI will develop a passive horizontal thin line array suitable for towing from a UUV.

Ballast Water Testing Approved by Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco announced that all ships calling at its ports and terminals are required to provide ballast water test results to show compliance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Ballast Water Management (BWM) 2004 convention. The Saudi Arabian Oil Co. evaluated Turner Designs’ Ballast-Check 2 Handheld PAM Fluorometer and approved it as a valid ballast water sampling instrument and will accept results from certified technicians using the device.

New LNG Response Training Program Available

KVH Videotel has launched an LNG bunkering training course based on guidelines from the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF). It was developed in response to the increased use of LNG as a bunker fuel by operators to help them meet the low-sulphur targets required by MARPOL Annex VI.

SGMF defined “respond level” awareness as vitally important: Personnel in close proximity to bunkering operations must understand the hazards associated with LNG and respond to emergency situations. KVH Videotel’s course covers composition and usage of LNG and potential bunkering methods, hazards and consequences for the individual and ship and relevant procedures for fighting LNG fires, among other LNG topics.

Jamaica Rejoins IMO Council

Jamaica has reestablished its position at the heart of international maritime rule-making following its election to the International Maritime Organization’s Council, Category C membership to serve until 2019. As the largest English-speaking island state in the Caribbean, Jamaica has had a long history of involvement in maritime affairs as an integral part of the socioeconomic development of the country. Jamaica has been a member of the IMO since 1976.

Coast Guard Seeks Mariner Input
For Pacific Seacoast Study

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is seeking input from mariners for a study of navigation requirements in the Pacific Seacoast System. The Waterways Analysis and Management System (WAMS) study will review the short-range Aids to Navigation system that covers American waterways, from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and around Alaska, Hawaii and the Marianas Islands. In addition to the survey input, the system-wide study will cover international requirements, environmental concerns, user capabilities, available technology and available resources.

Crowley Restructures Business Units

Crowley Maritime Corp. restructured its business units to increase the company’s focus on government-related business and better align vessel operations and fuel distribution services with its customers. Crowley will transition its nonliner and logistics business units into three main service lines: Crowley Shipping, Crowley Fuels and Crowley Solutions.

Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, will oversee Crowley Shipping, which encompasses deep-sea petroleum transportation, ship assist and escort services, offshore vessels and commercial ship management services. Under Rocky Smith, senior vice president, Crowley Fuels will include Crowley’s LNG sales, distribution and engineering unit, and the company’s fuel sales and distribution business in Alaska.

Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager, will lead Crowley Solutions, which includes naval architecture and engineering through subsidiary Jensen Maritime, government vessel management and a unified government business development team.