News from the Marine Technology Society

News from the Marine Technology Society

W h a t ’ s n e W

Mts LaunchesMember savings

ProgramPage 3

teachers Get ROV trainingPage 16

Marine technology society, Inc.5565 Sterrett Place, Suite 108

Columbia, MD 21044410-884-5330

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I n t h I s I s s u e : MTS Conference News 2

Society News 3

Members & Others in the News 5

Section News 6

Business News 7

Election 2009 10

Science and Technology News 14

Education News 16

Professional Committees 17

Resources News 18

Ocean Community Calendar 19

Board to Send 11 Students to OCEANS’09One student from each of

the 10 student sections and an at-large student from the MTS student membership will have airfare, hotel and most meals picked up by the board. One goal of the new program is to support student participation in MTS-related conferences and workshops, so students See Board on page 16

M TS student members will have an opportunity to rub elbows with professionals thanks to a new “travelship” program sponsored with $12,000 from the MTS Board of Directors. The proposal came from MTS Vice President of Education and Research Jill Zande.

can learn the advantages of networking and enhance their understanding of marine tech-nology fields.

“This is a fantastic oppor-tunity for our students, but it is a real plus for the board and the membership, because we’ll be educating a new gen-

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9 ■ V O L U M E 3 2 , N O . 5

OCEANS Exhibitors: Sign up for a free booth at the Career Fair! Page 2

MTS Boosts Education with 29 Scholarshipsan additional 25 scholarships. Some scholarships are open only to MTS members. [In this article, MTS members’ names are in bold.] In addition, the board is giving all the stu-dents memberships in the society or, if they are already members, a year extension on their membership.

Nineteen judges examined applications from 175 stu-dents (about 100 more applied

but were disqualified for various reasons) in a process made much easier thanks to a rubric developed by committee member Gary Bosworth, which strives to achieve an equi-table, impartial weighing of applications.

Among the awardees was Catherine Caruso, a senior at Wellesley College majoring in marine biology, who earned her

O nce again MTS gave a boost to marine education with the awarding of 29 schol-arships for the 2009–2010 academic year. The winning students are seniors in high school, and undergraduates and graduate students at four-year institutions. Four of the scholarships come from endow-ments that provide $8,000 a year, and the MTS Board of Directors budgeted $50,000 for See Marine Education on page 17

Board CandidatesEight members are vying for four positions on the Board of Directors. From top left: Justin Manley, Bauke “Bob” Houtman, Karin Lynn, Richard Crout;Bottom left: Jill Zande, John Bomba, Jerry Wilson, Lisa Medeiros. Read their biographies and position statements on page 10.

Vote!

see Who’s

Running

Page 10

Currents S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 92

Currents, published bimonthly, is a membership benefit of the Marine Technology Society, the leading multidisciplinary society for marine professionals. Individual membership is $75. Life membership is a one-time $1,000.

To join MTS, visit the Web site at www.mtsociety.org or e-mail [email protected].

Send information for Currents to [email protected].

the deadline to get items in the next issue of Currents is October 16.

Send address changes to [email protected]

O F F I C E R SPresidentElizabeth [email protected]

President-electJerry [email protected]

Immediate Past PresidentBruce C. Gilman, [email protected]

VP – section affairsKevin [email protected]

VP – education and ResearchJill [email protected]

VP – Industry and technologyJerry C. [email protected]

VP – PublicationsKarin [email protected]

treasurer and VP – Budget and FinanceDebra [email protected]

VP – Government and Public affairsKaren [email protected]

executive DirectorRichard [email protected]

editor-in-ChiefSusan [email protected]

Dynamic Positioning ConferenceOctober 13–14 Houston, Texas www.dynamic-positioning.com

Don’t miss the new session on using dynamic positioning in Arctic conditions; a leading-edge session on new applications; and sessions on design, operations, risk, sensors and thrusters at this important conference. Robert Patterson, Shell’s vice president of Projects Upstream, will deliver the keynote address at the luncheon on the first day. Over 25 papers will be presented.

OCEANS’09 MTS/IEEE BiloxiOctober 26–29 Biloxi, Mississippi www.oceans09mtsieeebiloxi.org

OCEANS’09 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting, technically diverse and innovative OCEANS conferences in memory. Technical sessions on area-specific issues, an interesting round-up of technical papers, a Career Fair (FREE to exhibitors) for job seekers and companies, and new educational programs for area students and teachers promise to make this conference an out-standing knowledge bonanza and marketing opportunity. Exhibition and patron opportunities are still available.

2009 MTS International Rope Technology WorkshopDecember 3–4 Galveston, Texas rtm.marine-technology.org/2009workshop.html

Organized by the MTS Rope and Tension Members Professional Committee, the Offshore Technology Research Center and Texas A&M’s Ocean Engineering Program, the workshop will be held at the historic Tremont House. Rooms have been negotiated for the excellent rate of $85 per night. Sponsorship opportunities are still available; for more information, contact Evan Zimmerman at [email protected].

Underwater Intervention 2010February 9–11, 2010 New Orleans, La. www.underwaterintervention.com

The next conference will be headquartered in the Marriott New Orleans Convention Center Hotel, conveniently located by the Convention Center. Sponsored by the MTS ROV Professional Committee and the Association of Diving Contractors International, this conference is a hotbed of interesting technology well beyond ROVs and diving: submersibles, shipwreck exploration, mining, acoustics, salvage, and much more. You will not want to miss it!

ONR/MTS Buoy WorkshopMarch 9–11, 2010 Monterey, Calif. www.whoi.edu/buoyworkshop/index.html

The biennial Buoy Workshop is jointly sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and the Marine Technology Society. Abstracts of between 200 and 500 words are due by January 28, 2010. An electronic copy of each speaker’s presentation material should be e-mailed to Rick Cole ([email protected]) by February 25, 2010. The presentation material will be included in the

Currents S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9 �

Society News

Capitol Hill UpdateBefore Congress’ August recess, MTS Executive Director Rich Lawson met with several Congressional staff members who oversee MTS-related issue areas, including energy, the environment, and science and technology. The focus con-tinues to be an overview of MTS, its history and a rundown of the many resources available to Congress.

This is part of the MTS gov-ernment relations strategy to introduce MTS to Capitol Hill in a methodical manner, focusing on congressmen and senators who represent locations where MTS has active sections. MTS members planning trips to Washington for professional purposes can contact the home office (phone 410-884-5330) if they wish to meet with their Congressional delegation to convey the importance of MTS. In August, Lawson met with staff from the offices of Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL),Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rep. Robert J. Wittman (R-VA),Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Senator David Vitter (R-LA), Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), Rep David Wu (D-OR), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Rick Larson (D-WA), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS).

MTS in the NewsA recent article in Wired mag-azine featured several MTS members, including the chair of the Manned Underwater Vehicles Professional Com-mittee, Will Kohnen. Kohnen mentioned his affiliation with MTS, and the society was men-tioned twice in the article. This

See Society News on page 6

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Currents S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9�

D R I l l D O W N

Jerry WilsonVP of Industry andTechnology

M TS launched our initial special workshop at the end of June with the topic of Marine Technology for Offshore Wind Power. This was a very successful first effort by MTS at organizing a special workshop on a timely topic for our com-munity, and we intend this to be an inauguration of a series of special workshops under the name TechSurge. This one focused on European experiences, with several participants noting that Europe is 15 to 20 years ahead of the U.S. in offshore wind development.

Marine Technology for Offshore Wind Power was held in Arlington, VA., near Washington, D.C., because it was in part designed to inform federal agencies about successful offshore wind farm developments. This location helped encourage the newly tapped offshore wind agency, Minerals Management Service, to be a participant and sponsor. The acting director of MMS, Dr. Walter Cruickshank, gave a keynote address informing the participants that MMS now has full permitting authority for Outer Continental Shelf wind projects and would provide a regulatory “cradle-to-grave” framework. Cruick-shank said that MMS’s priority is to be prepared to start commercial leasing by next year.

With the workshop in the D.C. area, we were benefited by another keynote speaker, Rick Spinrad of NOAA, who talked about the need to develop a robust ocean observing system. U.S. OOS development is crucial to obtaining the infor-mation necessary for locating the best offshore sites for wind energy projects. Spinrad also illustrated the potential value of NOAA’s accurate forecasts in the future operation of wind energy fields.

In addition to policy perspectives in the U.S., exceed-ingly valuable policy and technology contributions came from the European speakers. These experts gave presentations on some of the impressive accomplishments in Europe for off-shore wind farm installations. Equally remarkable was their detailing of the onshore infrastructure needed to make these huge ocean energy projects possible.

U.S. engineering companies and offshore wind propo-nents added their concepts and capabilities for the future of domestic offshore wind technology and development.

I want to thank the co-chairs who generously gave their time and ideas to make this first TechSurge workshop so successful: Tom McNeilan, Hank Lobe and Bob McClure, interim chair of MTS’s Renewable Energy Committee. Special thanks are due Sally McNeilan of Fugro for identifying the European experts, and arranging for their presentations.

Society News

Keeping track of Federal Business Opportunities?

MTS e-News is.Get the latest FedBizOps in your e-mailbox monthly.

Call (410) 884-5330 if you’re not receiving it.

Welcome New Members Germany Alexander Busch

California Julie HarrisGraham HineRoger Hine Stan LoganTim OngMark PageTim RichardsonBrian SmallwoodEddie VillalobosDavid WalkerScott Willcox

Colorado Shawn D. Larkin

Florida David C. English

Louisiana Jonah Fuselier

Michigan Marie Colton

Mississippi Sharon M. MesickRobert W. Pope

north CarolinaJoe Dyer Tom Frost Edison HudsonJonathan LesserJim RymarscukPaco SantanaJoe SuprickRick Vosburgh Tom WagnerJeremy WallaceTom White

new Jersey Danielle B. Holden

Oregon Trevor J. DiMartino

texas Jenny D. AmalfiRichard Cody Kevin DavisLawrence A. DeSpainMarcel LandwehrRandy F. MonsonSimon ReevesRobert P. RichmondMichael Shedd

Virginia Robert EadieEdmond M. FrostCheryl Schroeder

Washington Ron BarkDon BrockettSteve A. McLaughlin

hawaii Oscar R. Lozano

The Link Foundation

Predoctoral Research Fellowships in

Ocean Engineering andInstrumentation

The Link Foundation will award several $25,000 predoctoral research fellowships per year to candidates enrolled in academic institutions in either the United States or Canada. The application, in the form of a research proposal, must be received by January 15, 2010.

For additional information, please contact:Dr. George A. Maul, AdministratorOcean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellowship

Florida Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Marine and Environmental Systems150 West University BoulevardMelbourne, Florida 32901 USA(321) 674-7453

Web site: http://coe.fit.edu/dmes/linkE-mail: [email protected]

EN-494-809

See Drilldown on page 6


Members and Others in the News

McNutt NominatedMTS member Marcia McNutt was nominated by President Barack Obama to be director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). If confirmed, McNutt, who is president and CEO of MTS member Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, would become the first female director since USGS was established in 1879.

Moran AppointedMTS member Kate Moran, associate dean of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, has been appointed to a two-year term as senior policy analyst to provide guidance to President Obama on issues related to oceans, the Arctic and climate change. Her appointment is in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President. “I’ll be doing a lot of putting out fires,” said Moran. “When the executive office needs feedback or information about legislation, policy or science on these topics—often on very short notice—they’ll turn to our team to provide those answers. I’m passionate about doing something about climate change, and I know that the way the world changes is through policy.”

PSS in HoustonWith the move by MTS member Perry Slingsby Systems to Houston, MTS member Rory Satterfield, formerly vice president of opera-tions at the PSS’ Jupiter, Fla., facility and general manager of the Houston branch, will oversee the restructuring of the company as it moves to Houston to a more regional approach.

Manley MovesMTS Journal Editor Justin Manley has moved from Battelle to a position as director of scien-tific and commercial business for MTS member Liquid Robotics, manufacturer of the Wave Glider, an autonomous, self-sustaining vehicle that uses solar panels to power payloads and wave action for movement.

Horizon ExpandsMTS member Horizon Marine has promoted one employee and hired four new ones at its Marion office in response to an expansion of services and increase in the number of regions covered by Eddy Watchtm. MTS member Matt Cadwallader has been promoted to Eddy Watch operations manager. The new hires include Chief Scientist Peter Brickley, Ph.D., formerly with the University of Maine and the teaching faculty at Maine Maritime Academy; and physical oceanographer and Eddy Watch analyst Carl Wolfteich, most recently at the University of Rhode Island. Carolina Nobre, an M.S. graduate from the School of Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts, recently joined Horizon as physical oceanographer and Eddy Watch analyst. And Nancy Owen is Horizon Marine’s new office assistant/receptionist.

Members FeaturedAn article on innovative submersible technology in Wired magazine in July featured several MTS members. Life member Dr. Phil Nuytten, submersible designer and pilot who worked on the Super Aviator submersible for Sub Aviator Systems, and Will Kohnen, chair of the Manned Underwater Vehicle Professional Committee and president and CEO of SEAmagine Hydrospace, were both interviewed for the extensive article. Emeritus member Don Walsh also got a mention in the article as a “record-setting” mariner. He was described in the article as “among the luminaries enjoying the ‘flight’.” MTS and the MUV Committee were mentioned twice.

Nelson in RussiaThe U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia, sponsored a reception for MTS member Stewart B. Nelson, Ph.D, during which he gave an illustrated presentation about the Explorers Club Flag expedition he led in 2005, using the submersible JAGO that re-discovered the world’s first Arctic submarine, Nautilus, scuttled off Bergen, Norway in 1931. Among the invitees to the St. Petersburg event, which was hosted by the Russian Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and co-sponsored by the St. Petersburgh Krassin Museum, was the Russian Polar Convoy Association. Nelson is the author of the book Sabotage in the Arctic: Fate of the Submarine Nautilus, upon which his presentation is based.

Fugro Team AwardThe Bathymetric Lidar Team at MTS member Fugro Pelagos received the inaugural Lt. Cmdr. Peter Johnson Best Practices Award, presented to the company in recognition of its efforts to deliver a challenging IHO Order 1b survey of the Torres Straits for the Royal Australian Navy. The award was pre-sented at the recent Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) annual confe-rence in Portland, Ore. The international award’s citation required the recipient “...to have accomplished a com-plicated, demanding airborne lidar survey within the past two years. A clearly defined challenge will have been overcome, leading to a notable success or advancement in best practices.”

Justin Manley

Horizon Marine’s new employees (from left), Carolina Nobre, Carl Wolfteich, Peter Brickley and Nancy Owen.

Stewart Nelson inside the JAGO

The winning Fugro Pelagos team, standing from left: Nicholas Johnson, Derek Johnson, Don Ventura and Michael Broadbent; seated from left: Jeffrey Croucher, Jose Martinez, Norma Clark. (Not shown: Mark McDonald, Robert Pritts, Dennis Tobin, Stephanie Mills and Trisha Mouton.)

See Members on page 6


publicity prompted the home office to launch a new Web page: MTS in the News. If you’re interviewed by the media, be sure to mention your affili-ation with MTS, then send a link or information about the article to [email protected]. We’ll add your article to the roster. Look for MTS in the News at www.mtsociety.org/about/MTSinNews.aspx

Currents ArchivesIf your company has been mentioned in Currents, you can toot your horn now by linking to the archived copy on the Web. PDF copies of Currents are archived in the Publication section of the MTS Web site. Go to www.mtsociety.org/pub-lications/newsletter/newslet-terarchive.aspx. ■

Society Newscontinued from page 3

Abadie PromotedA member company, Deep Marine Technology, has promoted MTS member Wade Abadie to president and chief operating officer. Abadie joined the company in 2005 and has been a key member of the executive team. He has been involved in the subsea deepwater industry for over 34 years and has held senior executive positions at several companies.

Change at SchillingIn July, MTS member Schilling Robotics announced the res-ignation of Philip F. Otto as chief executive officer and the appointment of MTS member Tyler Schilling, the company’s founder and chair, as president and chief executive officer. During Otto’s tenure, the company made key additions to the management team, improved the company’s infrastructure, and secured a substantial investment by FMC Technologies. ■

Memberscontinued from page 5

Section News

HawaiiThe section’s June dinner drew about 15 people to hear three presentations on maritime/ocean technologies and issues. Ron Seiple, Creative Technology Applications, presented on CTA’s current project, the Soft Rail Launch and Recovery System. Mark Ott, Harbor Wing Technologies, presented an overview of the company and its products. And Bill Friedl, Sanctuary Advisory Council, gave an overview of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. These and presen-tations from earlier meetings are available in PDF form at www.mtsociety.org/communities/sections/hawaii.aspx. Interim Chair: Philomene Verlaan, [email protected]

HoustonThe section continued its generous donations to education with $5,000 to its endowed scholarship at Texas A&M University. The section also threw its support to the Maroon Harpoon Submarine Team at Texas A&M and recently received a plaque of appreciation.The submarine team placed third at the 10th International Sub-marine Races in Bethesda, Md., where they set an Aggie record of 5.445 knots.

The section raised another $20,000 for scholarships at its annual golf tournament, held at Wild Cat Golf Club in July. Thirty-seven teams took a swing at the prizes. Oil States Inter-national came out for the seventh year to serve its famous—among golf tournament regulars—barbecue lunch. Among the 30 sponsors was Wartsila, which sponsored a hole-in-one contest for a chance to win a BMW or $40,000 cash. Audubon Engi-neering provided refreshing margaritas for the event. Unfortu-

nately, thanks to the typical July Houston weather (i.e., rain), the golfers completed just nine holes before the tournament was called off. Nevertheless, first-, second- and third-place trophies were awarded. First place went to the Scana Oil and Gas team. The second place team was Rotech Subsea and third place went to Geospace Offshore Cables.

Thanks for all her hard work to Sarah Hargrove, Rotech Subsea USA, who is stepping down as the golf tournament’s chair. She served as co-chair in 2006, then chair from 2007-2009. Mike Conroy with Whitefield Plastics, who has played a major role in the tournament by taking care of all signage requirements, has accepted the role as chair for the 2010 tournament. He will be assisted by Co-Chairs Terry Dahlke with Geospace Offshore Cables and Wendy Post, Ashtead Technologies.

Don’t miss the section’s annual Barbecue and Silent Auction on October 22. This year’s event is hosted by The Triton Group. Get the details, including sponsorship and exhibiting opportu-nities, at www.mtshouston.org/bbq.cfm#auction. Chair: Marcy Whites, [email protected] ■

TechSurge is now focusing on other current themes in marine technology and the environment to convene marine technology experts with non-technical partici-pants such as from business and government. One topic now under evaluation is Ocean Observing Systems and which non-marine technologies might bolster our traditional marine technology tool chest. We encourage ideas for future TechSurge workshops from all MTS committees and members.

NOTE: The presentations given at Marine Technology for Offshore Wind Power are available to all MTS members on our web site. [See “Confer-ences,” then “TechSurge Work-shops.”] ■

Drilldowncontinued from page 4

Support your industry!

Donate to Mts scholarships.

www.mtsociety.org/shop

Students, We’re Connected!MTS is online and connected. You can find us on Facebook and on LinkedIn. Search for “Marine Technology Society” under Groups.

Professional members have already joined—why don’t you? These are great places to connect with possible mentors and hear the pros’ “chatter.”


See Business News on page 8

Business News

liquid Robotics JoinsWelcome to new business member Liquid Robotics. The company, located in Palo Alto, Calif., and Kamuela, Hawaii, produces an auton-omous platform designed to hold sensors. Its two-part architecture and wing system directly convert wave motion into thrust. Solar panels provide electricity for sensor payloads. By continu-ously harvesting energy from the environment, Wave Gliders can travel long distances, hold station and patrol vast areas without ever needing to refuel. Web link: www.liquidr.com

ABCO Subsea JoinsMTS is pleased to welcome new corporate member ABCO Subsea. ABCO provides both products and engineering con-sulting expertise services to the offshore energy industry. The company designs and manufactures a line of bend limiters, clamps, multi-input shuttle valves and other solu-tions for deep-sea appli-cations. Web link: www.abcosubsea.com

iRobot JoinsMTS welcomes new corporate member iRobot. Headquar-tered in Bedford, Mass., the company’s Maritime Systems office is located in Durham, N.C. iRobot designs and manufactures unmanned underwater vehicles for maritime researchers, ocean-ographers and military planners. Its family of maritime systems includes the Seaglider and Ranger.

Impulse Name ChangeImpulse Enterprise, an MTS business member, has changed its name to Teledyne Impulse. MTS member Teledyne Instru-ments purchased Impulse Enterprise in January. The

company is located in San Diego, Calif. Web link: www.teledyneimpulse.com

Fluor OffshoreFluor Offshore Solutions, a subsidiary of MTS member Fluor Corp., has joined forces on an exclusive basis with Global Industries in the Middle East and North Africa region for engineering, project man-agement, procurement, con-struction, construction management, transportation, and installation and commis-sioning services for offshore oil and gas projects. Web link: www.fluor.com

Kongsberg WirelessWireless Fibre Systems has joined MTS member Kongsberg Maritime to develop a wireless system for location of and communication with the com-pany’s unmanned underwater vehicles in ice conditions. The EUR1.8m TILACSys project (Through-Ice Location and Communication System) will run for 24 months and deliver a demonstrator system. It is being supported with invest-ments from the U.K.’s Tech-nology Strategy Board and the Research Council of Norway. Web link: www.km.kongsberg.com

Umbilical SupplyMTS member Oceaneering International has secured an umbilical supply contract from Petrobras Netherlands B.V., a subsidiary of Petroleo Brasileiro. The contract, with an estimated value of $44 million to $64 million, is for up to 52 electro-hydraulic thermoplastic control umbil-icals totaling approximately 165 kilometers in length. The umbilicals will be used to supply power to and perform chemical injection for various subsea wells offshore Brazil. The maximum water depth is

1,981 meters. The company has secured a contract from Esso Exploration Angola for electro-hydraulic steel tube control umbilicals totaling approxi-mately 34 kilometers and a hardwired communication link umbilical about 15 kilometers in length for the Kizomba Sat-ellites development offshore Angola. The control umbil-icals will be used to transmit hydraulic control fluids, chem-icals and electrical power signals to operate and monitor subsea wells and manifolds. Web link: www.oceaneering.com

PSS MovesAberdeen-based Triton Group is expanding its presence in Houston, making it the center of its production of specialist subsea equipment for the Americas. The group’s sub-sidiary, MTS member Perry Slingsby Systems (PSS), which manufactures ROVs, is moving its production capability from Florida to its Houston facil-ities. The Triton Group has expanded its accommodation on West Little York, Houston, from 5,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet in the last 18 months. Marine diving and construction specialist Sistac has chosen PSS to provide a Triton XLX 39 system capable of operating in water depths of up to 3,050 meters to support subsea activities in Brazil for Petrobras. Web link: www.per-ryslingsbysystems.com

$�0m for SurveysCommerce Secretary Gary Locke announced a $40 million NOAA program that will hire contractors to conduct 39 surveys in the Chesapeake Bay and the coastal waters of Alabama, Alaska, Cali-fornia, Florida, Louisiana, Vir-ginia and Washington. The program is part of the federal stimulus package. The surveys

will measure the water depth, search for debris and record coastal seabeds’ natural fea-tures and aquatic life, to update nautical charts and to aid in maritime planning.

DMT VentureDolphin Offshore Enterprises India’s board of directors has approved a memorandum of understanding with MTS member Deep Marine Tech-nology to set up a joint venture company in India. Web link: www.deepmari-netech.com

InterMoor ExpandsActeon Group has com-pleted the integration of the moorings-related products and services provided by three of the group’s oper-ating companies: MTS member InterMoor, based in Houston, Texas; and International Mooring Systems and Trident Offshore, based in Aberdeen, Scotland. All three companies will now operate under a single brand, InterMoor. Acteon said that bringing the companies together creates the world’s largest inventory of mooring equipment. It also produces an all-inclusive resource for mooring design, engineering, fabrication and installation, as well as the overall man-agement of rig moves and floating production, storage and offloading vessel mooring projects. Web link: www.intermoor.com

Subsea � SuccessMTS member Subsea 7 has opened its new pipeline fab-rication spoolbase in Port Isabel, Texas, to expand its presence in North America and Mexico. The spoolbase covers 58 acres and is 2 kil-ometers long. It will fabricate and store oil and gas pipelines


of up to 20 inches in diameter (16 inches of steel plus 2 inches of insulation coatings) in lengths of up to 1.2 kilom-eters. The company, through its i-Tech division, has been awarded $20 million by Tullow Ghana for the provision of ROV services onboard a client-pro-vided vessel to support pro-duction from the Jubilee field offshore Ghana in water depths of up to 1,400 meters. The company has been awarded a pipeline engineering, con-struction and installation con-tract in Angola, offshore west Africa. The project is valued in excess of $150 million. It has also been awarded a con-tract from BP Norway for engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning of the Valhall Flank Gas Lift Pipelines and Wellhead Platform Riser Caisson project in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The contract has an approximate value of $40 million. Subsea 7 has become the first company to gain OPITO approval to deliver the new oil and gas industry Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST) program to its personnel. Approval involved an in-depth review of Subsea 7’s management systems, physical systems, staff resources, and training and assessment processes, including a two-day obser-vation of the delivery of the program at Subsea 7’s training facilities at Westhill. Web link: www.subsea7.com

Kenny ContractSubsea and riser technology consultancy MCS, a Wood Group company, has secured a contract from MTS member J P Kenny to carry out com-prehensive umbilical and riser design verification analysis for BP’s deepwater development

activities offshore Angola. The deal will see MCS provide services for the Plutao, Saturno, Venus and Marte fields in the Block 31 deep-water project. It is anticipated that up to 10 MCS staff will work on the activity, the first phase of which runs for three to four months. Web link: www.jpkenny.com

Technip SignsShell Gas & Power Develop-ments BV has signed a master agreement with a consortium comprising MTS member Technip and Samsung Heavy Industries for the design, construction and installation of multiple floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facil-ities over a period of up to 15 years. Shell and Technip-Samsung also signed a con-tract for execution of the front-end engineering and design for Shell’s 3.5-million-tonne-per-annum FLNG solution. Web link: www.technip.com

Fugro Chance WorkOffshore survey company Fugro Chance, an MTS business member, recently completed work in the Gulf of Mexico on Shell’s Perdido Development, which set a water-depth world record in drilling and completing a subsea well 9,356 feet (1.77 miles) below the water’s surface. Once completed, the Perdido spar, located approx-imately 200 miles south of Freeport, Texas, will be nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower. Web link: www.fugrochance.com

Tyco InstallationsSEACOM, Ltd, and its supplier, MTS member Tyco Telecommu-nications, have completed the installation, testing and com-missioning of Phase 1 of the SEA Cable System. This mile-stone marks the conclusion of

a comprehensive test program, which verified connectivity and compliance with all trans-mission requirements, while moving South and East Africa a significant step closer toward achieving increased interna-tional connectivity. Tata Com-munications, and its supplier Tyco Telecommunications have completed the installation, testing and commissioning of the TGN-Intra Asia (TGN-IA) Cable System.

The fully operational 6,700-kilometer TGN-IA system links Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Vietnam and the Philippines, providing route diversity throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Web link: www.tyco-telecom.com

Funding GuidelinesThe U.S. Treasury and Energy departments announced guide-lines in July, offering $3 billion in government funds to companies developing renewable energy projects, including some hydropower and ocean energy projects. The funds, from the eco-nomic stimulus package passed by Congress in February, are to help meet the White House goal of doubling U.S. renewable energy production over the next three years.

Hydroid ContractMTS member Hydroid has received a contract from the Netherlands Ministry of Defence to acquire three additional Hydroid Remus 100 unmanned underwater vehicles for the Royal Nether-lands Navy (RNLN). The acqui-sition also includes upgrades to the RNLN’s current fleet of two Remus 100 vehicles with Marine Sonics’ latest generation dual-frequency 900/1,800 kilohertz side-scan sonar and Kearfott Inertial Navigation, as well as training, spares and routine factory

maintenance. Web link: www.hydroidinc.com

SmartBay FundingThe provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, has given MTS member Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University $330,000 for its ocean observing project SmartBay. This marks the initial amount under the recently released Oceans of Opportunity—a five-year, $28-million strategy focused on stimulating growth in the province’s ocean tech-nology sector. The new grant will allow for the purchase of WatchKeeper buoys to help theproject become fully operational and allow for greater weather and environmental monitoring. Web link: smartbay.ca

Sidus MovesSidus Solutions, which designs, manufactures and sells haz-ardous-area and underwater video products, has recently moved its manufacturing facil-ities to 5555 Magnatron Blvd., Suite G, San Diego, Calif. The move gives Sidus 1,000 more square feet of manufacturing area. The company plans to add two business development personnel and two more engi-neers, along with technical assembly workers. Web link: www.sidus-solutions.com

SeaKeepers’ AdvocateMTS member The Interna-tional SeaKeepers Society has launched a new com-munications tool, the Ocean Advocate. These briefs will be e-mailed monthly as a sup-plement to the society’s quarterly newsletter, the Sea-Keepers Report. The society also has come out with a new edition of the booklet Critical Ocean Issues: With Action Items for Concerned Citizens, a non-

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Currents S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9 9

technical description of the important issues facing the oceans with practical advice about how every global citizen can help. Web link: www.sea-keepers.com/index.html

Odyssey’s 2nd QuarterOdyssey Marine Explora-tion’s second quarter 2009 saw revenues of $0.4 million, compared to $1.1 million in the second quarter 2008. The company also reported a net loss of $5 million, compared to a net loss of $5.4 million in 2008. The net loss per share for the first quarter was $0.09, compared to a net loss of $0.11 per share in the first quarter 2008. Web link: www.shipwreck.net

Deepest Hot TapStatoilHydro reports that the world’s deepest hot tap opera-tions on a pressurized pipeline have been performed on the Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea during early August. Hot tapping operationsinvolve doing repairs, replace-ments or tie-ins on pipelines that remain pressurized. That makes it possible to avoid expensive shutdowns and simplifies the tie-in of new pipeline systems to existing infrastructure.

Innovator AwardsAquamarine Power has won the Innovator Award 2009 for its Oyster wave energy con-verter at this year’s British Renewable Energy Awards. Oyster is currently in the first stage of deployment. The installation jack-up barge Deep Diver is on site at Billia Croo, Orkney, and the base of the device, known as the Pile Con-nector Frame (PCF), has been placed on the seabed. Drilling operations are now under way to attach the PCF to the seabed. Marine Current Tur-

bines took the REA Developer Award 2009 for its SeaGen tidal turbine, the world’s first and so far only commercial-scale tidal current energy system, which was installed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in 2008 and is now gen-erating power into the local grid. Web links: www.aqua-marinepower.com, www.mari-neturbines.com

Imaging SaleThe U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract valued at almost $93 million for engineering services and support of the AN/BVY-1 Inte-grated Submarine Imaging System (ISIS) and for pro-duction of related hardware. ISIS improves Navy submarine surveillance capabilities by integrating digital video and still images from devices on a submarine’s exterior and pre-senting real-time imagery and analysis on crews’ existing control room tactical dis-plays. With ISIS, a submarine operator can manipulate a photonics mast with a joy-stick while looking at digital video on a computer monitor, and share that video real-time with the entire combat team on various displays aboard the vessel. Web link: www.lock-heedmartin.com

Stennis Buys SonarInternational Industries and EdgeTech Marine have delivered 22 heavy-duty stainless steel side-scan sonars to the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office in Stennis, Miss., in mid July. These sonars are a mixture of single-frequency 600 kilo-hertz dynamically focused and dual simultaneous frequency; 300/900 kilohertz with two software selectable modes of operation: high definition mode or high-speed mode. Web link: www.edgetech.com

IOOS GrantNOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is awarding over $1.39 million in competitive grant funding to the Seward Association for the Advancement of Marine Science for the Alaska Ocean Observing System. Funding will be used to better manage regional ocean and coastal data, and continue devel-opment of a comprehensive ocean observing system in Alaska using Prince William Sound as a test bed.

Russia in CubaAccording to reports in the Cuban government-owned news-paper Granma, Russia and Cuba have signed four contracts that will allow a Russian company to begin oil and gas exploration in Cuban waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The agreements set the basis for Cuban company Cubapetroleo (Cupet) and Russian company Zarubzhnieft to work together in Cuba’s exclusive economic zone, par-ticularly on the extraction of oil from deepwater areas.

Energy BoostSouth West England’s ambition to be a global center for har-nessing energy from the sea received a major boost with the announcement of a £10.3 million investment in marine energy research. The Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy was set up two years ago by the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth with funding from the South West Regional Development Agency.

Mass. Oceans ActAs part of the Massachusetts Oceans Act signed last year by Governor Deval Patrick, a map was devised to regulate activ-ities within state-controlled waters extending three miles from the state’s coast. This ocean management plan is the

first of its kind in the country, exercising a comprehensive science-based regulatory system. The map delegates areas for recreational and commercial use, while largely limiting development and com-mercial activities in other areas. Under the act, parties interested in acting within the designated territory must adhere to strict environmental compliances pertaining to their environmental effect on the area. The system attempts to balance economic activity with environmental sensitiv-ities to address the growing issue of competing interests and overcrowding. Massa-chusetts will hold five public hearings in the fall before releasing a final draft of the map in January. It does not require legislative approval before taking effect.

WHOI AgreementMarport Deep Sea Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The parties will work together to develop hardware and software products, or enhancements to existing products, in the areas of underwater acoustic sensor technology development and applications, environmental monitoring and control instru-mentation, and education and training in the application and use of such technologies. Web link: www.marport.com

FPOS DrillingIn August, Murphy Oil Corpo-ration said it had used the oil and gas industry’s first floating production and offloading facility with drilling capacity when it began production at its Azurite field in about 4,500 feet of water in the Atlantic Ocean off the Republic of Congo.■

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Vice President, Government and Public AffairsPosition dates: January 1, 2010 through December �1, 2011

1. Co-chair the Professional Committee Board2. Serve on the Publications Committee 3. Serve on the Budget and Finance Committee 4. Have direct responsibility for these Professional Committees: Marine Law and Policy, Marine Mineral Resources, Marine Security, Ocean Economic Potential, Ocean Observing Systems, Ocean Pollution 5. Pursue opportunities for the society to develop and maintain positive and productive relationships with news media, governmental entities, the military services, and other relevant organizations with an interest in marine affairs and technology6. Oversee policy and review public releases by society officers and spokespersons on behalf of MTS as related to government and public affairs7. Enhance communications and membership within the government sector and the military; oversee issues as they relate to marine technology and government/public affairs 8. With the president, represent the organization to the media, on governmental or nongovernmental organizations and committees 9. Provide timely and appropriate reporting of board decisions and actions to members regarding government and public affairs

Justin Manley I have worked with marine technology since 1990: for my family marine salvage business, as a principal in the development of auton-omous marine robots at MIT and as a marine technology consultant to the federal gov-ernment, notably NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. I founded the

NOAA-wide AUV Working Group, aiming to increase awareness and application of AUVs in the agency. I was also a member of the team that converted and outfitted the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. In July 2009 I joined Liquid Robotics as director of scientific and commercial business where I am responsible for developing new commercial and scientific programs based around our energy-harvesting USV. I have developed and deployed marine technology in academic, public and private sectors and published widely on marine technology topics, especially those that cross technology/policy lines. I earned my degrees (S.M. and S.B. ocean engineering, S.B. history) at MIT.

Election 2009 Board of Directors Candidates

1. I have extensive experience contributing to MTS as chair of the UMV/AUV Committee, editor of the MTS Journal and in con-ference leadership. This provides a strong foundation to join the board and advance the interests of our members. In the area of government and public affairs, MTS can benefit from collaboration with other societies, and I am well connected with our peer organizations. I have personal and professional ties to both U.S. and international government agencies that will be fundamental to my success in this position. I am com-mitted to effective interaction between the government/public sphere and marine science and technology.

2. My primary goal is to ensure strong, and direct, connections between MTS government and public affairs activities and our individual members. As we execute our government relations strategy I will ensure that staff/leadership interaction with government (agencies/legislators) is guided by the knowledge and experience of working marine professionals. “Face time” with government leaders is limited and I will strive to make it serve all MTS members. In the broader public arena I aim to increase MTS exposure to media outlets and educate the public about the vital contributions of marine science and tech-nology, again relying upon individual members for input.

Bauke “Bob” HoutmanI am head of the Integrative Programs Section in the Division of Ocean Sciences at the National Science Foundation, with responsibilities for managing ocean facil-ities infrastructure programs, including the U.S. National Academic Research Fleet. I completed 29 years of active naval service,

the majority as a meteorology and oceanography (METOC) spe-cialist, serving in a variety of technical and leadership positions, including commanding officer, Naval METOC Facility Brunswick, Maine, and deputy, Ocean Atmosphere and Space Science and Technology Department at the Office of Naval Research. After retirement, I became chief of staff and deputy director for operations and finance at the national Integrated Ocean Obser-vation System (Ocean.US) office and then the program officer for Research Facilities at the Office of Naval Research. Education: B.S. in geology, UCLA; M.S. in meteorology and physical ocea-nography, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School; MBA, Southern New Hampshire University.

andidates for four positions on the MTS Board of Directors are listed below along with their biographies and the answers to two questions. The election opened September 14 and will close October 16. The winners will be announced at the OCEANS’09 MTS/IEEE Biloxi Conference Awards Luncheon on October 28.

MTS members with e-mail addresses on record at the society were sent an invitation to vote electronically. Those without e-mail addresses were mailed paper ballots. All MTS members may vote electronically by going to the home page of the MTS Web site (www.mtsociety.org) and selecting the “Vote” button. The infor-mation below is included in all voting material.

To vote either electronically or on paper, you will need to enter your MTS member ID, a number that was sent to you when you joined the society. If you do not remember your ID number, either go online to www.mtsociety.org/sendpassword .aspx?r=%2fhome.aspx or call (410) 884-5330.

Position Questions1. What qualities and experience do you possess that make you a strong candidate for this position?2. What are one or two key goals you hope to accomplish in this board position over the next two years?


1. I bring to this position a very broad range of experiences resulting from a career in the federal government focused on conducting or supporting military and scientific research operations in or on the sea. I have been fortunate to lead or manage numerous programs focused on designing and con-structing oceanographic vehicles or sensors needed to achieve specific goals. These responsibilities have given me hands-on training in the full spectrum of interactions between the marine technology community and federal government cus-tomers, including policy overlay, requirements definition, assessment of technology readiness, project scope/timeline development and public relations.

2. One of my primary goals will be to review the policies in place for the professional committees to ensure they strongly support the objective of disseminating information on the extremely high level of technical expertise resident in the MTS membership. In addition, I will focus on the review of public releases related to the government and military sector with a view towards enhanced support of the society’s objectives and increasing the opportunities for improving existing or devel-oping new relationships within the sector.

Vice President, PublicationsPosition dates: January 1, 2010 through December �1, 2011

1. Responsible for ensuring that Society publications meet the highest professional standards 2. Develop and promulgate policy regarding advertising for the journal and newsletter 3. Oversee marketing plans for publications 4. Oversee development, policy and direction of new publication venues—online journals, other newsletters, student publications, website(s) 5. Chair Publications Committee 6. Participate in all Editorial Board functions 7. Chair ad-hoc committees as they relate to publications: website development, student/children publications 8. Serve on the Budget and Finance Committee 9. Oversee issues as they relate to publications 10. Provide timely and appropriate reporting of board decisions and actions to the membership publications

Karin lynnI joined the U.S. Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps in 1977. In 1983 I graduated from the Navy’s deep-sea diving school and went on to spe-cialize in diving and underwater systems. I have an M.S. in ocean engineering and from 1997-2000 was the head of the Navy’s Ocean Facilities Program, where I oversaw about

250 professional military divers and ocean engineers worldwide. I retired with 30 years’ service from the Navy as a captain in July 2007, having gained marine science credentials from work ranging from development of underwater tools and diver training to development of undersea vehicles and management of

ocean engineering professionals. I remain active in other tech-nical fields as a member of the Society of American Military Engineers, the Women Divers’ Hall of Fame and other related pro-fessional associations.

1. Having served as VP for Publications for the past two years, I’ve learned much about this component of the society and its importance both to the membership and to MTS as a whole. Working with MTS staff and the Journal editor, I have had the opportunity to advocate with the Board of Directors for changes and improvements to both Currents and the well-respected Journal, ensuring that they continue to meet the highest professional standards. In particular, we have under-taken significant initiatives in marketing the Journal, including a push for increased institutional distribution and an emphasis on electronic distribution and archiving.

2. MTS leadership’s emphasis in the past several years has been to concentrate on the society’s well-developed strategic initiatives in support of our stated mission objectives. Publications play a significant role in achieving these objectives, specifically in broadening understanding of the relevance of marine technology and reaching out to the public through dissemination of infor-mation and education. My goal over the next two years is to continue to focus with other VPs on our stated initiatives to enhance the value of MTS to both members and the public.

Richard CroutI am a physical oceanographer at NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and am responsible for the quality control of all data that flows through NDBC. I received my graduate degrees from the Coastal Studies Institute at Louisiana State University in marine science with a minor in electrical engineering.

Prior to joining NDBC in 2005, I worked for the federal gov-ernment at the Naval Oceanographic Office, in private industry at Planning Systems Incorporated and in academia at the University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM’s) Center for Higher Learning. I remain an adjunct faculty member at USM and continue to lecture in the Hydrographic Sciences Program. I have been an active member of the Gulf Coast Section of MTS since 1999 and am currently the chair of the Physical Oceanography and Meteor-ology Professional Committee and serve on the MTS Council.

1. The position of VP of Publications requires experience and organizational and motivating skills. I have written technical reports and scientific papers and articles for a number of pub-lications, including the MTS Journal. I serve as a reviewer for several publications and was a co-guest editor for a special issue of the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering. As head of the Technical Program Committee for OCEANS’09 MTS/IEEE Biloxi, I have dealt with deadlines and encouraged abstract submis-sions, reviewers, and paper submissions from more than 450 authors. I also chaired the Student Poster Competition at the OCEANS’02 MTS/IEEE Biloxi Conference.

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2. Insure the publication of six issues of the MTS Journal each year by supporting the editor and Editorial Board and encour-aging the Professional Committee chairs to solicit papers from their committees and identify superior papers at conferences. Support the MTS staff as they continue to produce quality publications, such as e-News, Currents and the MTS Club News-letter. Because the bimonthly newsletter is becoming lengthy (at 20 pages), investigate publishing Currents more often. Investigate ways of publicizing the large holdings of educa-tional and scientific materials held by MTS to members and non-members.

Vice President, Education and ResearchPosition dates: January 1, 2010 through December �1, 2011

1. Co-chair the Professional Committee Board2. Serve on the Publications Committee 3. Serve on the Budget and Finance Committee 4. Have direct responsibility for these Professional Committees: Marine Archaeology, Marine Education, Marine Geodetic Information Systems, Marine Materials, Ocean Exploration, Physical Oceanography/Meteorology, Remote Sensing 5. Ensure that the Society develops and maintains positive and productive relationships with academic institutions, laboratories—both public and private—and research institutes. Enhance communications and membership with universities and university-affiliated professionals, and with national and privately funded laboratories and institutes; seek out opportunities to excite the next generation with regard to ocean science and technology through outreach with K through 12 educators and the general public. 6. Participate in the development of student sections and develop policy as it relates to MTS student programs and scholarships 7. Oversee issues as they relate to marine technology research 8. Provide timely and appropriate reporting of board decisions and actions to the membership as they relate to education and research.

Jill ZandeI am the associate director and ROV Compe-tition coordinator for the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center and the current VP of Education and Research for MTS. At the MATE Center, my role is to work closely with industry to ensure that educa-tional programs are aligned with work-force needs and to facilitate partnerships

among educators, students, employers and working professionals. I maintain relationships with well over 100 businesses, research institutions, government agencies and professional societies, and with the 400+ middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities that participate in MATE ROV competitions each year. I received my undergraduate degree in biology/minor in marine science from Penn State University and my master’s degree in oceanography and coastal sciences from Louisiana State University.

I have been with MATE since 1998 and through my position have actively promoted the inclusion of ocean science and technology in formal and informal educational arenas.

1. MTS’s commitment to students has flourished under my lead-ership. Changes in policy resulted in two new student sections at community colleges, and student membership increased by 150 percent. Guided by student representatives to the Council, we created a program to support students’ participation in conferences. This “travelship” program will be piloted at OCEANS’09. Working with the Education Committee, we created an educator professional development program, co-supported by MTS and IEEE OES, that will become an annual fixture at OCEANS. In addition to serving on the Board, I currently serve on the Journal’s Editorial Board and as chair of the Monterey Bay Section.

2. First, continue to grow the number of student members and sections, which includes strengthening student-member benefits, facilitating student leadership opportunities and building substantive relationships between students and local MTS Sections. Second, working closely with the Education Committee, continue to build strong linkages between MTS and the K-12 educational community. Third, effectively engage the academic research community so that MTS can better represent and support their interests. The future health of the marine economy depends on the next generation of people and tech-nology; MTS and its collective resources are and can continue to have a profound influence in both these areas.

John BombaI developed an early appreciation for the marine environment growing up in Port Lavaca on the Texas Gulf Coast, first working offshore in 1948, while in high school. I attended St. Mary’s U, San Antonio, and obtained a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M in 1954. After two years in the Army Signal Corps, my pipeline engi-

neering career began, surveying, designing and installing water, sewer, and oil and gas pipelines on all continents, except Ant-arctica, with Collins Construction, Williams Brothers, RJ Brown & Associates, Coflexip and Technip. I became an at-large MTS member in July 1969, joining the Houston Section (MTSH) in 1988. One early assignment was amending the MTS by-laws to incorporate granting continuing education credits. Later, elected secretary, vice-chair and chair. My current effort is continuing education for MTSH and Technip. Professional memberships include ASCE (Life Fellow), ASME, MTS. Professional Engineer registration Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma

1. Firmly believing in education, particularly continuing edu-cation I re-wrote the bylaws for MTS (Houston and national) to incorporate authority for crediting professional devel-opment hours for attendance at luncheons, including tech-nical programs and other MTS technical functions. Currently responsible for continuing education programs for Professional

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Engineers at MTS Houston and Technip USA. Research—mainly related to offshore through employers and American Society of Civil Engineer—Lifting Manganese Nodules from the Seabed, Stresses in Steel Catenary Risers (JIP). Contributor to ASCE projects on pipeline research. Chair, ASCE Pipeline Research Committee. Editor, several research-related Proceedings. Advisory Board member, Weather Research Center, Houston.

2. My key goal is to broaden the perception of ALL MTS members of what MTS is supposed to be, where it is “at” and where it will be in two years. MTS Houston, the largest MTS Section, is outstanding. I will acquaint other sections with some of the “winning techniques” used in Houston in an effort to advance MTS, the individuals that make up MTS and all the MTS Sec-tions. Having been around the longest, half as an at-large member, I feel that I know what MTS is supposed to be.

I want it to BE that.

Vice President, Industry and TechnologyPosition dates: January 1, 2010 through December �1, 2011

1. Co-chair the Professional Committee Board2. Serve on the Publications Committee 3. Serve on the Budget and Finance Committee 4. Have direct responsibility for these Professional Committees: Buoy Technology, Cables and Connectors, Deepwater Field Development Technology, Diving, Dynamic Positioning, Manned Underwater Vehicles, Moorings, Oceanographic Instrumentation, Offshore Structures, Remotely Operated Vehicles, Renewable Energy, Ropes and Tension Members, Seafloor Engineering, Underwater Imaging, Unmanned Maritime Vehicles5. Pursue opportunities for the society to develop and maintain positive and productive relationships with businesses, companies, corporations, trade associations and other industry organizations with an interest in marine affairs and technology6. Enhance communications and membership within the business and for-profit sector 7. Oversee issues as they relate to marine technology and industry affairs

Jerry WilsonI served as GeoSciences manager at Fugro Pelagos for many years before taking on my current business role based in San Diego. I have been involved professionally with marine technologies and operations in the offshore and coastal engineering com-munity since 1968. I earned my Doctorate

in 1983. During my professional career in marine technology, I have served clients in DoD, the oil and gas industry, mining com-panies, nuclear and conventional power-generation utilities, as well as private development and local, state and federal gov-ernment programs. This diverse background makes the Marine Technology Society my professional society of choice. I first became a member of MTS in Los Angeles in 1970 and value my continuing participation in our society. A major aspect of MTS

that I relish is bringing together the full range of players in the marine environment: private, entrepreneur and government; resource extractors and protectors; scientist, engineer, adminis-trator and manager.

1. I have been an enthusiastic supporter of MTS for decades and was proud to serve as Western Regional and publications vice president. A second term as VP industry and technology would be an opportunity to follow through with MTS’s rebranding program. I was on the committee that helped develop our new logo, which was great fun. However, this rebranding involves more than a symbol graphic: it enhances the value of MTS to membership and advances its contributions to our community. My broadly diverse career and interests mirror the range of the membership and objectives of the Marine Technology Society.

2. I look forward to continuing to develop the new MTS TechSurge workshop concept, an initiative that I sponsored. This year we completed our first workshop, which was on Offshore Wind Tech- nology. It was a resounding technical success and earned high praise from the participants. However, this first workshop showed us a myriad of challenges that we will need to address to move the workshop concept forward. My goal for our future workshops is to select marine technology themes that have issues of timely relevance to our community and bring together experts to address solutions and create broader understanding.

lisa MedeirosI have been the director of the Geospace Offshore Division of OYO Geospace in Houston for over seven years. I have worked over 15 years with companies in the defense, seismic, oceanographic and offshore indus-tries. I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in marketing, with a

minor in journalism, and spent the first 10 years of my career as a writer and publisher for several magazines and publications.

1. I have been an active member of MTS for many years. I have served on the board for MTS Houston Section for eight years, holding the positions of chair, vice chair, secretary and mem-bership. I have served on the Executive Committee for the Hydrographic Society, Energy Council, AoPMA, and have been a contributing author for numerous publications.

2. My primary goal is to develop strategies and policies that serve to advance our professional committee work and help develop better member access to provide more up-to-date information and enhance communications for members on projects, programs and services offered. As our industry is beginning to view MTS as a resource for information, I would like to continue the momentum of helping expand this area beyond our industry for solutions and problem-solving. I am committed to making MTS the “Go-To Society,” providing quality information and bringing together our members’ expe-rience and knowledge with governments and companies that are currently seeking knowledgeable information.


Inflatable WatchA Taiwanese inventor has embedded an airbag in a wrist-watch as a lightweight alter-native to lifejackets. The invention, Fixblessing, dis-plays time like a normal watch but also has a small bottle of carbon dioxide attached to the wrist piece which, when trig-gered, inflates the airbag.

Arctic MethaneThe warming of an Arctic current over the last 30 years has triggered the release of methane from methane hydrate stored in the sed-iment beneath the seabed. The bubble plumes were detected using sonar and then sampled with a water-bottle sampling system over a range of depths.

Drilling TechnologyThe Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), in collabo-ration with industry partner AGR Drilling Services, has engineered an ultra-deep-water drilling technology for use by IODP drilling vessels in scientific research. Originally developed for shallow-water oil and gas exploration, the “riserless mud recovery” tech-nology (RMR™) holds great promise for scientists striving to reach the long-held goal of Project Mohole in the 1950s: drilling all the way through ocean crust into the Earth’s mantle, a frontier not yet explored today. Drilled cores from the mantle could provide scientists with answers to questions about the structure, composition, mineralogy and in situ physical properties of oceanic crust and the geolog-ical nature of the seismic Moho.

Remote Sensing FilterEngineers at Queen’s Uni-versity Belfast’s Institute of Electronics, Communica-tions and Information Tech-nology have developed a new

Science & Technology News

high-performance electronic device that, according to one, resolves the problem of air-borne remote sensing instru-ments only being capable of separating either the vertically or horizontally polarized com-ponents of naturally occurring thermal emissions from gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. The invention, known as a dual polarized Frequency Selective Surface filter, resolves this problem by allowing both at the same time, which “will enable complex imaging of clouds to be undertaken for the first time at very short wavelengths.” The filter, 30 millimeters in diameter and 1/100 millimeter thick, will be used in future European Space Agency missions.

Investigating GarbageA group of scientists, sailors, journalists and government officials sailed to the large floating garbage patch caught in the North Pacific Gyre 1,000 miles north of Hawaii to evaluate potential for recy-cling the debris, particularly the decomposing plastics. Another ship from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography helped with the project, focusing on the garbage patch’s effect on wildlife and how the decomposing plastic has mixed with plankton species. Experts claim cleanup efforts would not only be extensive and expensive, but logistically difficult due to the ultraviolet rays breaking the plastic into molecular strains difficult to detect with satel-lites or the naked eye. Scien-tists propose focusing efforts on recently amassed garbage within the last three or four years. While NOAA supports the mission, the agency is worried that the large-scale clean-up efforts would pose jurisdictional conflicts among countries.

When Waves CollideResearchers have discovered that waves are the cause of the low-frequency humming noise that Earth produces. First dis-covered in 1998, the sound has a frequency of around 10 millihertz, far outside the hearing range of humans. The sound is produced as two waves, of similar frequencies but opposite directions, meet. Waves colliding with each other generate a special type of pressure wave that travels downward towards the ocean floor at fairly high speeds. When it reaches the bottom, it slams into the rocks, causing it to vibrate, and give off the mysterious, low-frequency sound. The hum sounds appear to humans to be generated non-stop because it happens in many places around the world, and because waves of opposite directions always interact with each other. The Pacific Coast of North America is the strongest source for the hum. Using the USArray EarthScope, the science team inferred that the west coast of Europe also generates a significant hum of its own. Little of the recorded noise came from the deep sea, which seems to indicate that the humming occurs mostly near coastal areas.

Going, Going …A new satellite study revealed the Arctic Ocean’s ice blanket around the North Pole has thinned by more than 40 percent since 2004. Such findings have prompted many scientists to reevaluate their predications for the rate of disappearing sea ice, attrib-uting the accelerated pro-gression to global warming and record high summer tem-peratures. The study is among the first to estimate thickness rather than just surface area, reporting a 67-centimeter thinning over the last four

winters. Further conversions divulge a decline in upwards of 40 percent of multiyear ice (ice persisting through the summer) since 2005. As the thickness of the icecaps fluc-tuates with the seasons, the loss in multiyear ice accumu-lates over the years, contrib-uting to such large net losses.

Taller ReefsA five-year study of oyster-res-toration techniques in Chesa-peake Bay shows that taller reefs in an extensive network of large sanctuaries is critical for re-establishing self-sus-taining populations of native oysters. Researchers compared oyster abundance and growth on reefs built to stand 10–18 inches above the seafloor with reefs that rise only 3–5 inches. The taller reef areas held the highest densities of oysters ever recorded on a restored oyster reef in the Bay.

Curbing OverfishingA two-year study shows that steps taken to curb overfishing are beginning to succeed in five of the 10 large marine ecosystems that the study examined. According to a lead author, Ray Hilborn of the University of Washington, highly managed ecosystems in several regions in the U.S., Iceland and New Zealand are improving, “Yet there is still a long way to go: of all fish stocks that we examined, 63 percent remained below target and still needed to be rebuilt.”

Slow CurrentsBased on the longest exper-iment of its kind, run on a “general circulation model” that simulated the Earth’s climate for 21,000 years back to the height of the last Ice Age, a recent study reveals major changes in important

See Science & Tech on page 15


ocean current systems occur more gradually than had been suggested. These findings are concurrent with other recent studies disputing the notion of a rapid change in ocean circulation in as little as 50 years. Furthermore, scien-tists predict that the gradual change will allow affected ecosystems more time to adapt and respond to their changing environment.

Twisted CircuitsTwo engineering professors have developed a process for producing circuits that can stretch, bend and even twist. Because most electronic com-ponents are made of brittle, inflexible silicon, they have been flat and unbendable. The process increases the stretching range by as much as 140 percent, allowing users to subject circuits to extreme twisting. Potential uses include flexible sensors, trans-mitters and new photovoltaic and microfluidic devices.

Mixing It UpUnderwater creatures, including small swimming animals like jellyfish, play a crucial role in the mixing of ocean waters, scientists reported in the journal Nature. John Dabiri, a Caltech bioen-gineer said, “The perspective we usually take is how the ocean—by its currents, tem-perature and chemistry—is affecting animals, but there have been increasing sugges-tions that the inverse is also important, how the animals themselves, via swimming, might impact the ocean environment.”

No-Carbon YachtZero CO2 is the world’s first hydrogen-powered yacht with a fully integrated laboratory to

study pollution in the Mediter-ranean using a clean, carbon-free auxiliary motor. The yacht will be equipped with an electric motor driven by a hydrogen fuel cell.

Storm DetectingA NOAA-led team of scientists has found that the apparent increase in the number of tropical storms and hurri-canes since the late 19th and early 20th centuries is likely attributable to improvements in observational tools and analysis techniques that better detect short-lived storms.

Cloud ShipsA project manned by United States and United Kingdom scientists would employ 1,900 wind-powered ships, sucking up ocean water to be later expelled as tiny droplets through fan funnels, creating clouds. Scientists predict the clouds would reflect roughly one to two percent of the sun-light otherwise warming the ocean, subsequently canceling out the effect of CO2 emis-sions. The fleet of unmanned ships, directed by satellites, would operate in the Pacific, far from land so as not to alter normal rainfall pat-terns. Several leading bodies, including The Royal Society and the Copenhagen Con-sensus Centre, have expressed interest and support for the cloud ships as cost-effective, carbon-mitigation tools.

Sea Surface SeenFor the first time, NOAA scien-tists have demonstrated that tsunamis in the open ocean can change sea surface texture in a way that can be measured by satellite-borne radars. “We’ve found that roughness of the surface water provides a good measure of the true strength of the tsunami along its entire leading edge. This is

the first time that we can see tsunami propagation in this way across the open ocean,” said lead author Oleg Godin of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory and the Cooper-ative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences in Boulder, Colo.

Clean Energy DocksAn architecture professor and an architecture student have designed a network of modular floating docks to harness clean energy for New York City. Three vertical turbines fastened to the underside of modular floating dock units would harness river currents. Each module could generate up to 24 kilowatts of con-stant energy created by the bi-directional, 4-mile-per-hour current, supporting 350 LED streetlamps, thus alleviating the need for conventional power to light city streets.

Mineral SearchThe Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has developed two unmanned probes for a full-scale survey of the Japanese coastal seafloor to hunt for mineral deposits, such as man-ganese, cobalt, lead and zinc. The project is set to begin in fiscal year 2010. JAMSTEC plans to invest $42.55 million in the probes and in upgrading the ships used to haul the probes.

Smart DesalinationResearchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineeringand Applied Science are workingto help alleviate California’s water deficit with a new mini-mobile-modular (M3) “smart” water desalination and fil-tration system. Its mobility helps cut both costs and time traditionally spent testing new desalination plants. The system provides an all-in-one

Science & Technology News

continued from page 14 mobile testing plant that can be used to test almost any water source, saving the cost of building small yet very expen-sive stationary pilot plants.

Chikyu Drills DeepThe deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu, for the first time in the history of scientific ocean drilling, conducted riser-drilling operations to success-fully drill down to a depth of 1,603.7 meters beneath the seafloor. The drill site was Kumano Basin off Kii Peninsula, approximately 58 kilometers southeast of Japan.

little Helps a lotA reduction of as little as 5 percent in fisheries catch could result in as much as 30 percent of the British Columbia coastal ecosystems being protected from overfishing, according to a new study from the UBC Fisheries Centre in Canada. The study proposes modest reduc-tions in areas where fisheries take place, rather than the current system of marine pro-tected areas which only safe-guard several commercially significant species.

Hottest HotspotThe hottest hotspot in the world for at-risk coastal marine ecosystems is the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to a study published in the Journal of Conservation Letters. The authors performed the first integrated analysis of all coastal areas of the world. Ten other top hotspots were in Asia and the Mediterranean. Nutrient runoff from upstream farms has caused a persistent dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oregon MappingOver the next two years, sur-veyors and scientists from NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey

See Science & Tech on page 18


Education News

Teachers Get ROV Insights at MATE Summer Instituteprevious experience in MATE’s underwater robot compe-tition—an annual event that challenges student teams from all over the world to compete with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

MTS member Scott Fraser led the institute. Fraser is not only department chair of the Electrical Technology Department at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, Calif., he also mentors the

college’s student ROV team and the MTS Long Beach City College Student Section. The team won overall first place in the Explorer class of MATE’s ROV competition this summer. (The competition classes vary according to the sophisti-cation of the ROVs and the mission requirements—Explorer class is for the more experi-enced teams.) In addition to classroom training, faculty participants took field trips to

E ighteen college and high school educators attended the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center’s annual Summer Institute for Faculty Development in July at Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, Calif. Each summer, MATE hosts professional devel-opment institutes for college, high school and university educators.

This year, the Institute was designed for teachers with

the Monterey Aquarium and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, an MTS member, where they learned about current research projects and met with ROV pilots and engineers. Helping out at the last minute was MTS member Robert Keith with Phoenix International Holdings, who spoke to the teachers about the evolution of ROV technol-ogies. ■

Grad Enrollment UpU.S. enrollment in science and engineering graduate pro-grams in 2007 increased by 3.3 percent over comparable data for 2006. This is the highest annual growth rate since 2002 and is nearly double the 1.7 percent growth rate seen in 2006. First-time, full-time enrollment of foreign students eclipsed its previous high, set in 2001, and total enrollment of tem-porary visa holders topped its 2003 high. Web Link: www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf09314

Program SavedCape Fear Community College in North Carolina can rest a little easier. The state has included funding for the Marine Technology offshore training program in the new budget. Funding for a new research vessel is not a possibility at this time, but as of now, all funding to operate the program’s current training vessels, including the RV Dan Moore, has been restored.

New ScholarshipsThe Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has teamed up with College of the Redwoods Mendocino Coast Center in Fort Bragg, Calif. to offer four $2,500 scholarships to new CRMC students enrolling in CR’s Marine Science Technology Program.

Robot WinnersFor the second year running, a Heriot-Watt University (Edin-burgh, Scotland) team has won the annual Student Autonomous Underwater Challenge-Europe—an underwater robot champi-onship organized by the Defence Science and Technology Labo-ratory—scooping a £3,000 prize from sponsor BAE Systems. Heriot-Watt’s robot, Nessie, performed consistently throughout the two days of competition, scoring higher than the other seven competing teams. French team ENSIETA (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Ingénieurs des Etudes et Techniques d’Armement) from Brest, Brittany, came in second, and the judges praised the team’s use of sonar.

New Center PlannedThe University of North Carolina-Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science has been awarded a $15 million matching grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the construction of a new Marine Biotechnology in North Carolina facility at UNCW. The new facility will house MARBIONC, a program that focuses on the application of marine biotechnology for health, food and energy. ■

Boardcontinued from page 1

eration toward MTS leadership and showcasing the advantages of membership in the society,” Zande said.

Students will attend the Career Fair, the Welcome and Exhibitors’ receptions, tech-nical sessions of their choice and the Awards Luncheon. In addition, they will tour the

exhibit area with MTS members and attend a student lead-ership meeting before the con-ference begins. The leadership meeting will introduce them to best practices for enhancing their student sections, as well as how to connect with a pro-fessional section in their area and the benefits of the society

and membership.By the time this article

is printed, all MTS student members should have received an e-mail with details about this opportunity. For more information, contact Member Groups Manager Mike Hall at [email protected] or (410) 884-5330. ■

Post your company’s logo!

MTS member companies, your main contact can

post your company’s logo and brochure in your “Company Profile”

at www.mtsociety.org. Select the

Logo/Brochure tab. Call (410) 884-5330

with questions.


Gregory BarilleauxGary BosworthStu BurleyFred ByusTom ConsiSue CookVictoria JonesPaul JukesPaula Keener-Chavis

fourth scholarship, this year a $2,000 MTS Scholarship.

Four students attending the Florida Institute of Technology garnered scholarships, the most of any institution. They are Mallory Bond and Howard “Chip” Lovejoy IV, both ocean engineering majors; Katelyn Leban, a marine biology major; and Aaron Macy, an oceanog-raphy major. All of them won $2,000 MTS Scholarships.

Coming in next for the number of scholarship winners is the University of California-San Diego. Megan Bettilyon, working toward an M.A.S. in marine biodiversity and con-servation, won the $2,500 Charles H. Bussmann Graduate Scholarship. The $1,000 John C. Bajus Scholarship was awarded to Giovanni Hanna, who is pursuing a bachelor’s in ecology, behavior and evolution with a minor in marine science. And Timothy Ray, working on a Ph.D. in oceanography, won a $2,000 MTS Scholarship. Two awardees are pursuing master’s degrees in marine

science at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. Kristin Hunter-Thomson was awarded the $2,000 Paros-Digiquartz Scholarship and Julia Burrows received a $2,000 MTS Scholarship.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the institution of choice for two scholarship winners: Matthew Gildner, B.S., mechanical and ocean engineering, and Robin Rose, M.S. computation for design and optimization.

Undergraduates in ocean engineering Brandon Watson and Christina Zarrilli both attend Florida Atlantic Uni-versity and won $2,000 MTS Scholarships. At the University of Hawaii-Manoa, Roman Kalinowski, marine biology undergraduate, and Hollie Putnam, pursuing a Ph.D. in zoology with a marine biology focus, both won $2,000 MTS Scholarships.

The $2,500 Charles H. Bussmann Undergraduate Scholarship was awarded to Simmy Willemann, a Webb Institute student majoring in naval architecture and marine engineering.

Marine Educationcontinued from page 1

The following students won $2,000 MTS Scholarships: Brad Beers, naval architecture and marine engineering, University of New Orleans; Jeremy Bender, B.S. marine biology, University of Maine; Alexander Davies, B.S. ocean sciences and coastal studies with an option in physical oceanography, Mill-ersville University; Matthew Glover, B.S. marine engi-neering, Marine Maritime Academy; Baird Ullrey, M.S. historical archaeology-mar-itime tract, University of West Florida; Jessica Andrade, marine science, University of San Diego; Jacob Ng, naval

Scholarship CommitteeA special thank you to the judges who, under the leadership of Chair Cathy Woody, selected the 29 students who received scholarships.

Erica MoultonRebecca NadelJack NicholsonKip PetersonJacob SobinVembu SubramanianLiz TaylorJoAnne WeiseArcher Wright

architecture and marine engineering, University of Michigan; Seth Theurkauf, double major in biology and environmental science, College of William and Mary; Amy Walsh, marine science, Eckerd College; Sarah Epps, Ph.D. physical oceanography/hydro-graphic science, University of Southern Mississippi; Todd Hallenbeck, M.S. coastal and watershed science and policy; California State Uni-versity-Monterey Bay; and Amir Izadparast, Ph.D. ocean engi-neering, Texas A&M University-College Station. ■

Professional Committees

Things Only look Calm …Professional Committee News may seem a bit short, but things are hoppin’ behind the scenes. Chair Evan Zimmerman is putting together another Rope Technology Workshop, scheduled for December 3–4 in Galveston, Texas. Chair Walter Paul, with the help of Judy Rizoli-White, is working on his next Buoy Tech-nology Workshop, slated for March 11, 2010. Preparations for the next Underwater Intervention Conference—February 9–11, 2010— are keeping ROV Chair Drew Michel and his right-hand helper Rebecca Roberts busy. And of course, many of the chairs are busy planning technical sessions at OCEANS’09. For links to all these workshops, see page 2.

Manned Underwater VehiclesThe committee will host its 7th Annual Manned Submersible Program at the February 9–11, 2010, UI Conference. Commercial divers and diving contractors interested in ROVs, HOVs, AUVs, and tools and techniques won’t want to miss this program. Chair: Will Kohnen, [email protected]

Ropes and Tension MembersThe committee is sporting a new look—its Web page has been updated to a sleek, new design. It includes a calendar and info about the next and last workshops. Check it out at rtm.marine-technology.org. Chair: Evan Zimmerman, [email protected]

Remote SensingThe Remote Sensing community within MTS will be well repre-sented at this year’s OCEANS’09 MTS/IEEE Biloxi Conference, with six sessions devoted to the various facets of remote sensing. (Thank you in advance to all the authors who will be presenting.) While an exact location and time had not been set at the time Currents went to print, the committee will meet during the conference. Chair Herb Ripley is hoping for a large turnout to discuss where exactly members want the committee to focus its efforts over the next one to two years. One topic to discuss will be whether to proceed to produce a poster series of airborne- and satellite-based remote sensing systems. Ripley hopes to have examples of what these might look like. Chair: Herb Ripley, [email protected] ■


Resources News

Changing StandardsNOAA is making changes to the certification standards for the transmitters that participate in the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Sat-ellite) Data Collection System. Web link: noaasis.noaa.gov/DCS/docs/DCPR_CS2final.doc

Drilling ResearchA small working group, meeting recently to discuss the role of scientific ocean

drilling in understanding the ocean carbon cycle and ocean acidification, identified past ODP/IODP discoveries that have advanced research, future research directions aimed at investigating the fate of carbon entering the ocean, opportunities for imme-diate progress on the iden-tified research direction, and potential partnerships with other programs and research efforts. Web link:

www.oceanleadership.org/pro-grams-and-partnerships/usssp

New ROV CodeThe International Marine Con-tractors Association “Code of Practice for the Safe and Effi-cient Operation of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)” has been reviewed and updated to reflect technological and operational developments, and includes additional guidance on safe crewing levels for ROVs

Reach the companies and people who care enough about marine technology to be members of MTS.

For rates, please contact Mary Beth Loutinsky at [email protected] or (703) 629-3810.

Let your customers find you.

Advertise in Currents.

Science & Techcontinued from page 15

and Oregon State University will create the most detailed maps ever generated of the seafloor along Oregon’s coast. Using the latest technol-ogies, they will measure water depth, search for navigational hazards, and record the natural features of coastal seabeds and fragile aquatic life.

Offshore Wind“The International Offshore Wind Market to 2020” report

equipped with the growing range of tool packages. Web link: www.imca-int.com

Follow the TwitterFollow the Bering Sea Expedition on Twitter: @Bering Sea and @TheJR! Both co-chiefs, Christina Ravelo from the Univer-sity of California-Santa Cruz and Doug LaVigne, a Teacher at Sea, are twittering updates directly from the ship. Web link: twitter.com ■

predicts that by the end of 2020, global offshore wind farm capacity will have soared to 55 GW, or enough to power almost 37 million European homes. Current installed capacity is under two GW.

Mercury in FishAccording to a U.S. Geo-logical Survey study released this week, scientists detected mercury contamination in every fish sampled in 291 streams across the United States. Approximately a quarter of the fish contained

mercury at levels exceeding the protection criteria estab-lished by the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency for people who consume average amounts of fish and more than two-thirds of the fish exceeded the EPA’s level of concern for fish-eating mammals.

limit longlinesA federal panel recently voted to limit the use of bottom long-lines to catch grouper that inadvertently threatened the lives of loggerhead sea turtles. The council decided to close

areas to longlining from Texas to the west coast of Florida and limit the number of long-line fishing boats, instead per-mitting the use of vertical linesto catch grouper. The ruling is believed to be a step towards improved communication between environmentalists, fishermen and policy makers.

Water-Fueled JetsFaced with global warming and potential oil shortages, the U.S. Navy is experimenting with making jet fuel from seawater. ■


Ocean Community Calendar

OCTOBER 1–32009 Ridge 2000 Integration and Synthesis WorkshopSt. Louis, Mo.www.ridge2000.org/science/meetings/index.php

OCTOBER 4–7Society of Petroleum EngineersAnnual Technical Conference and ExhibitionNew Orleans, La.www.spe.org/atce/2009

OCTOBER 4–9Gulf of Maine Symposium: Advancing Ecosystem Research for the Future of the GulfSt. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canadawww.rargom.org/Symposium2009/index.htm

OCtOBeR 13–14Mts Dynamic Positioning Conferencehouston, texaswww.dynamic-positioning.com/next_conference.html

OCTOBER 15MREC Technical ConferenceFall River, Mass.www.mrec.umassd.edu

OCTOBER 19–21Optical Transmission Vision APACSingaporewww.iir-events.com/IIR-conf/Telecoms/EventView.aspx?EventID=2039

OCTOBER 20–21Maritime Security ExpoLong Beach, Calif.www.maritimesecurityexpo.com

OCTOBER 20–22Ocean Innovation 2009Victoria, British Columbia, Canadawww.oceaninnovation.ca/Themes/2009/content/

OCTOBER 21–23Maritime Systems and TechnologyStockholm, Swedenwww.mastconfex.com

OCTOBER 21–23SNAME’09 Annual Meeting and ExpoProvidence, R.I.www.snameexpo.com

OCTOBER 21–2334th Annual Conference on Deep FoundationsKansas City, Mo.www.dfi.org/conferencedetail.asp?id=128

OCtOBeR 26–29OCeans’09 Mts/Ieee BiloxiBiloxi, Miss.www.oceans09mtsieeebiloxi.org

NOVEMBER 2–5Offshore Communications 2009Houston, Texaswww.offshorecoms.com/2009

NOVEMBER 3–5Europort 2009Rotterdam, The Netherlandswww.europortmaritime.nl

NOVEMBER 10–12HYDRO 09Cape Town, South Africawww.hydro9.co.za

NOVEMBER 17–18Clean Gulf 2009New Orleans, La.www.cleangulf.org

DECEMBER 1–3DeepGulf 2009New Orleans, La.www.deepgulfconference.com

DeCeMBeR 3–42009 Mts International Rope technology WorkshopGalveston, texasrtm.marine-technology.org/2009workshop.html

DECEMBER 14–16Gulf Maritime 2009Sharjah, United Aram Emirateswww.gulfmaritime.ae

JANUARY 25–27, 20106th Annual European Geospatial Intelligence ConferenceWestminster, Londonwww.dgieurope.com

FeBRuaRY 9–11, 2010underwater Interventionnew Orleans, La.www.underwaterintervention.com

March 9–11, 2010OnR/Mts Buoy WorkshopMonterey, Calif.www.whoi.edu/buoyworkshop/index.html

MARCH 13–20, 2010Interdisciplinary Climate Change Research SymposiumSaguaro Lake Ranch, Az.disccrs.org

MAY 11–14, 2010SubOpticYokohama, Japanwww.suboptic.org

NOVEMBER 9–11, 2010Subsea Survey IRMGalveston, Texaswww.subseasurvey.com

Summer 2009 General IssueVolume ��, Number �This diverse collection includes papers on port choice behavior of shippers in a multiple-port region; joint description methods of wind and waves for the design of offshore wind turbines; use of a small AUV to detect annual hypoxia in a fresh-water reservoir in India; animal-borne digital camera use to study habitats of green turtles; and two winning papers from the 2009 MATE ROV competition.

Available in mid-October: Fall 2009, Volume 43, Number 4The Legacy of Underwater Munitions Worldwide: Policy and the Science of Assessment, Impacts and Potential Responses, guest edited by Lisa Symons and Geoff Carton

Future issues …

Into the Trench: Marine Technology Opens the World Below 6 Kilomerters, guest edited by Kevin Hardy – Winter 2009.

Marine Technology for Offshore Wind Power – a special issue of expanded papers from the June 2009 MTS TechSurge workshop (available late 2009).

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