October Newsletter | Marine Technology Society
IN THIS ISSUE

  • Global OCEANS 2020: Singapore – U.S. Gulf Coast
  • MTS News & Updates
  • Industry News & Features
  • Upcoming Events
Eddies is a free, public digest featuring marine tech industry news and opportunities.
GLOBAL OCEANS 2020
GLOBAL OCEANS 2020: SINGAPORE – U.S. GULF COAST

The MTS and the IEEE-OES are co-hosting a virtual conference, “Global OCEANS 2020: Singapore – U.S. Gulf Coast," is going on now (October 5 -14, 2020) and registration remains open..
 
Global thought leaders and innovators are gathering together to learn and experience cutting-edge technologies in the field of marine science, hear from industry experts and engineers regarding the latest research and innovations, discuss current environmental issues and policies affecting the field, and collaboratively work together to move the fields of marine technology and engineering forward.
 
FEATURING
 
  • Plenary Presentations
  • Special Panels
  • Town Halls
  •  Annual MTS and IEEE-OES Meetings
  • Young Professionals Program
  • Student Poster Competition
  • And more

FIND MORE INFO AND REGISTER HERE
MTS NEWS & UPDATES
DR. EDIE WIDDER TO RECEIVE INAUGRURAL CAPTAIN DON WALSH AWARD FOR OCEAN EXPLORATON

The Marine Technology Society and The Society for Underwater Technology are proud to announce that Dr. Edie Widder is the inaugural recipient of the Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration. Dr. Widder is an MTS member, MacArthur Fellow, a deep-sea explorer, and conservationist who combines expertise in oceanographic research and technological innovation with a commitment to reversing the worldwide trend of marine ecosystem degradation.

A specialist in bioluminescence, Dr. Widder has been a leader in helping to design and invent new submersible instrumentation, and equipment to enable unobtrusive deep-sea observations. She helped found the Ocean Research & Conservation Association in 2005 – an organization dedicated to the study and protection of marine ecosystems, and the species they sustain through development of innovative technologies, science-based conservation action, and public education. In the summer of 2012 Dr. Widder, along with several other scientists, filmed the giant squid in its natural habitat for the first time ever. Her innovative work earned her the 2018 Explorers Club Citation of Merit; she became one of just six women to earn this honor.

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE
OTC 2021 ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM

OTC is now accepting nominations for the OTC 2021 Emerging Leaders program. The inaugural OTC Emerging Leaders program will recognize one young professional from each of OTC’s sponsoring, endorsing, and supporting organizations at OTC.
 
SUBMIT your nomination by Tuesday, 2 February 2021.
 
Questions: Contact Jamie Zarda, OTC Program Manager, at jzarda@otcnet.org or 713-457-6834
INDUSTRY NEWS & FEATURES
Underwater Robots to Autonomously Dock Mid-Mission to Recharge and Transfer Data

Posted by: Purdue University

Robots can be amazing tools for search-and-rescue missions and environmental studies, but eventually they must return to a base to recharge their batteries and upload their data. That can be a challenge if your robot is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) exploring deep ocean waters.

Now, a Purdue University team has created a mobile docking system for AUVs, enabling them to perform longer tasks without the need for human intervention. The team also has published papers on ways to adapt this docking system for AUVs that will explore extraterrestrial lakes, such as those of Jupiter and Saturn's moons.
Tracking Sea Turtle Egg Traffickers with GPS-Enabled Decoy Eggs

Posted by: Cell Press

By placing 3D-printed and GPS-enabled decoy sea turtle eggs into nests on the beach, it's possible to gather key evidence needed to expose rampant illegal trade of the eggs, suggests a study publishing in the journal Current Biology on October 5. The researchers specifically tested how well the decoy eggs work and their safety for the endangered turtles.

"Our research showed that placing a decoy into a turtle nest did not damage the incubating embryos and that the decoys work," says lead author Helen Pheasey of the University of Kent. "We showed that it was possible to track illegally removed eggs from beach to end consumer as shown by our longest track, which identified the entire trade chain covering 137 kilometers."
Saab Seaeye Leopards Integrated in Ocean Infinity Fleet


Ocean Infinity have selected the Saab Seaeye Leopard to complement its 'Armada' fleet of unmanned surface robot vessels. The Leopard work-class underwater vehicles will be deployed from Ocean Infinity’s initial 13 environmentally sustainable unmanned vessels for a variety of offshore and coastal services.

"The 3000 m Seaeye Leopard was chosen not only because it is well suited to USV applications but more specifically because of its comparable capabilities to a conventional hydraulic work class vehicle, but with considerably less input power, meaning materially reduced carbon emissions," said Dan Hook, Ocean Infinity.
NMC and Michigan Tech Partner Up to Expand Research on Great Lakes, Marine Studies 

Posted by: 9 and 10 News

Two powerhouses of Northern Michigan higher education are teaming up to focus on Great Lakes research. Northwestern Michigan College will work with Michigan Tech to develop, expand and promote freshwater technology and scientific advancements.

NMC already has some of the most advanced marine technology in the country, while Michigan Tech brings a thorough approach to research. Together, they hope to partner on projects which will expand the capacity for jobs and research region.
High-tech UK-US Ship Launched on 400th Mayflower Anniversary

Posted by: Star Herald

 With a splash of Plymouth gin, the U.S. ambassador to Britain officially launched a ship named Mayflower on Wednesday, 400 years to the day after a wooden vessel with that name sailed from an English port and changed the history of two continents.

Unlike the merchant ship that carried a group of European Puritan settlers to a new life across the Atlantic Ocean in 1620, the Mayflower christened by U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood Johnson has no crew or passengers. It will cross the sea powered by sun and wind, and steered by artificial intelligence.
Johnson said the high-tech ship, developed jointly by U.K.-based marine research organization ProMare and U.S. tech giant IBM, showed that “the pioneering spirit of the Mayflower really lives on” in the trans-Atlantic partnership.
This New Technology Can Save Whales from Ship Collisions


Whale-ship collisions are occurring at increasing rates. The North Atlantic right whale is a distressing sentinel for the potential fate of whale populations globally if we fail to quickly implement solutions to prevent fatal strikes from occurring; it has been deemed ‘critically endangered’ by the IUCN, and some die every year from ship collisions. With only 400 members of this species remaining, every whale counts.

A team of leading ocean scientists has developed Whale Safe, which incorporates an AI-powered underwater sound recording system that detects whale calls; a mobile app used by community scientists to record whale sightings; and big data models that provide near real-time forecasts of whale feeding grounds based on data like ocean temperature and circulation. Data delivered by the new technology will let ships know when whales are nearby, so they can slow down to protect whales while safely transporting goods around the world.

Powering the World's First Fleet of Robot Ships


The maritime and scientific community have set themselves the ambitious target to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. Volvo Penta and Danfoss Editron will play a role by powering a novel fleet of unmanned surface robots for subsea exploration.

The companies have been commissioned for the unique venture by Grovfjord Mek. Verksted (GMV) shipyard, to power the world’s first fleet of autonomous robot exploration vessels for commercial use. The seafloor analysis and oceanography company Ocean Infinity has invested in the ‘Armada’ fleet of super-advanced unmanned vessels. The fleet will be made up of two sizes of vessels both of which will be 100% diesel-electric
Upcoming Events
The Underwater Technology Podcast

Check out these weekly short podcasts from the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) featuring news and an interview with an expert on underwater technology, engineering, science, history, and policy from across the international subsea world.

Recent episodes include:

  • Alastair McKie, Fugro, on transition towards remote offshore operations
  • Moya Crawford on her life in salvage, decommissioning, & more
  • Imagining autonomous micro-naval warfare & future underwater conflict with Strikepod Systems
SHARE YOUR NEWS
Send scientific, industry and company news or stories ideas and feedback to news@mtsociety.org for consideration for publication in Eddies.
ADVERTISE WITH MTS
We have advertising opportunities on our website, in Currents, the MTS Journal, and in our new eNewsletter Eddies. View rate cards or contact our partner arasor@associationrevenuepartners.com for more information.