Science & Technology

In situ characterization of droplets and particles in the marine environment is an important component of Environmental Baseline Surveys (EBSs) and spill response activities. CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) has extensive experience using Laser In Situ Scanning and Transmissometry (LISST) instruments manufactured by Sequoia Scientific, including deep water LISST instruments designed for monitoring oil droplet size during accidental discharges for which subsea dispersants are a potential response tactic.

Marine habitat characterization is crucial for assessing resources at risk, identifying ecological services, and developing mitigation measures for the offshore energy industry. In deep water, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) equipped with high-resolution digital cameras and lighting are often used to accomplish the collection of imagery that can be used to examine and interpret seafloor features, including the identification of sensitive benthic habitats (e.g., hard grounds and seeps).

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is organizing multiple sessions during the biannual Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) in New Orleans, Louisiana February 18-23, 2024. OSM is a biannual flagship conference for the ocean sciences, attended by a diverse community of scientists, students, journalists, policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders.

Norwegian RoRo shipping company Höegh Autoliners has selected Kongsberg Digital’s solution to digitalize its fleet and the new Aurora-class pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs).

An international drilling expedition off the Norwegian coast led by Christian Berndt, Professor of Marine Geophysics at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, and Sverre Planke, Professor of Marine Geophysics at the University of Oslo, confirms the theory that methane emissions from hydrothermal vents were responsible for global warming about 55 million years ago.

With a rapid transition towards renewable energy, the Energy sector has an increased reliance on technology.

Sanmar Shipyards has delivered a second revolutionary electric-powered Tug of the Future to HaiSea Marine in Canada to work alongside its sister as a key member of the most environmentally friendly tugboat operation in the world.

Wintershall Dea is intensifying its carbon capture and storage (CCS) activities in the Southern North Sea. The company has been awarded a new license by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) to store CO2 under the seabed.

Underwater Contracting (UCO), a leading provider of underwater services to the offshore energy, inspection, construction, and aquaculture markets has developed a unique ROV-deployed system to repair small holes in fish farm nets.

The 2nd Gulf of Mexico Coral Reef Symposium takes place on November 2-3, 2023 to discuss the current state of Gulf of Mexico reefs and identify research needs for Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). Experts in coral reef science and management will gather information on current and past research on the northern Gulf of Mexico reefs, establish region-wide research goals (especially at FGBNMS), and facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations.

Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) have manufactured a large number of oil spill buoy systems that are now installed in multiple locations to protect the water intake systems of desalinization plants.

Scientists at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center—a division of the National Weather Service—have increased their prediction for the ongoing 2023 Atlantic hurricane season from a near-normal level of activity to an above-normal level of activity with the August 10, 2023 update.