SPECTRUM SCIENCES
MariTEL Wins Nine FCC Maritime Licenses
MariTEL, a nationwide provider of VHF marine wireless telecommunications, has won all nine Federal Communications Commission maritime licenses for an aggregate cost of $6.8 million. After eight days and 44 rounds of competitive bidding, MariTEL won sole rights to 20 channels in the spectrum range 156-162 mHz. The nine territories cover 43 states and 100 percent of U.S. navigable waterways. The licenses will enable the company to create a single nationwide system. Expanded channel coverage, the newly acquired spectrum and amended regulations also allow MariTEL to offer land mobile systems on a secondary basis to approximately 235 million people. In conjunction with its acquisition of VHF licenses, MariTEL will begin construction of MariNET, the marine wireless local loop. The MariNET system will provide fully encrypted and automated dax, email and voice transmission capability. MariNET's seamless coverage will be fully integrated with the Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN), as well as the Global Marine Distress Safety System (GMDSS). Through the network, a user can place a call to any phone in the world.
ICCL and CI Launch Project to Protect Sensitive Marine Areas
The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) and Conservation International (CI) announced a joint initiative to develop a global map that integrates additional sensitive marine areas into cruise line navigational charts where wastewater discharge should be avoided. This global mapping project comes as a result of a series of recommendations on wastewater management for the cruise industry developed by an independent science panel comprised of leading marine experts
NOAA Launches New Marine Science Portal
View of the USS Monitor wreck, which sank on Dec. 31, 1862, and now teams with marine life. Photo Credit: NOAA NOAA and Immersion Presents launched oceanslive.org, a marine science portal that offers live video and special content to educate people of all ages about the ocean, including national marine sanctuaries. Immersion Presents is an after-school science education program founded by ocean explorer Robert Ballard
Ingall Shipbuilding Awards Grants to Local Schools
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has awarded $70,500 in grants to 19 school districts and organizations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The grants will be used by the districts for various science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects. "These STEM grants provide school districts with resources that math and science teachers can use to get students excited about solving hard problems," said Irwin F
Citizen Science Volunteers Needed to Transcribe Ship's Logs
NOAA and the National Archives seek citizen science volunteers to transcribe weather data from historic ship logs. NOAA and the National Archives and Records Administration are turning to citizen science volunteers to make a wealth of weather data recorded in old ship logs available to climate scientists worldwide. NOAA, National Archives, and Zooniverse an alliance of scientific organizations that hosts citizen science projects such as Old Weather (www.oldweather
UNOLS Call for Nominations
The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) seeks nominations & applications to fill Council and Committee vacancies in 2013. The open positions include: • UNOLS Council - 1 position • Deep Submergence Science Committee - 3 positions • Fleet Improvement Committee - 1 position
Deep-Sea Drilling Ship Delivered to Marine Agency
The deep-sea vessel Chikyu, which will be used to drill to the deepest depths ever to shed light on the mysteries beneath the planet's crust, was delivered to the marine science agency Friday, the Japan Times reported. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., which built the research vessel, held a delivery ceremony at its dockyard in Nagasaki. The 210-meter, 57,087-ton ship is theoretically capable of drilling 7,000 meters below the seabed.
Polar Star returns to Seattle
The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star will be returning to Seattle Tuesday afternoon. The 399-ft., Seattle-based cutter is returning after a five-month deployment where the icebreaker participated in Operation Deep Freeze 2004. Operation Deep Freeze supports the U.S. Antarctic Program and the National Science Foundation by transporting scientists and breaking through ice in order to re-supply the world’s southern-most science stations
RALion Contract For Australian Research Vessel
RALion, a Joint Venture between Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C., Alion Science and Technology Corporation of McLean, Virginia, and Alion Science and Technology (Canada) Corporation of Kanata, Ontario, has just been awarded a contract to design a new Research Vessel for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an agency of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The contract has been awarded by Sembawang Shipyard Pte. Ltd
U.S. Navy Names Research Vessel to Honor Sally Ride
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the nation's newest research vessel will be named R/V Sally Ride, in honor of the former UC San Diego faculty member who was the first American female astronaut and the youngest American to fly in space. The ship is owned by the U.S. Navy, will be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, and will have its home port at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility in Point Loma on San Diego Bay.
USGS Disaster Relief for Hurricane Sandy
The Department of the Interior recently announced the release of $475.25 million in emergency disaster relief funding to repair, rebuild and restore impacted areas in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This will also provide investments in scientific data and studies to support recovery in the
Tanker Major Chooses G-type Engine
Ultra-long-stroke units play leading role in major Teekay fuel-efficient tanker project. STX Offshore & Shipbuilding announced on April 8, 2013 that it had signed a contract to build four 113,000-dwt Long Range 2 (LR2) product tankers for Teekay Tankers Ltd
New Scripps RV Honors Sally Ride
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said the nation’s newest research vessel will be named R/V Sally Ride, in honor of the former UC San Diego faculty member who was the first American female astronaut and the youngest American to fly in space.
MAN G-Type Engine Achieves Type Approval
At the end of April, 2013 in Korea, MAN Diesel & Turbo’s latest G-type engine passed its Type Approval Test at HHI-EMD, the engine and machinery division of Hyundai Heavy Industries. The ultra-long-stroke G60ME-C9 engine went through its paces under the watchful eye of many interested
L.A. Port Director Receives USC Alumni Award
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D., has been honored by the University of Southern California Alumni Association with the prestigious Alumni Merit Award. Knatz earned a Master of Science degree in environmental engineering and a doctorate in biological science from USC
Gardline and OceanPact Enter Joint Venture
Gardline Marine Sciences, an independently owned survey group, and OceanPact, a Brazilian oil spill response company, have announced the establishment of a joint venture. The new company is to be called Gardline Marine Sciences do Brasil S
Dean James Wins Best Poster Prize at Ocean Business
Chelsea's Technical Director, Dr. John Attridge, presented the prize for best poster to Dean James (University of Oxford) at the Microfluidics and Microsensor Sensor Technology for Oceanographic and Environmental Science Applications Workshop held during Ocean Business at NOC Southampton
Sonardyne Appoints Non-Executive Chairman
Sonardyne International Ltd. appointed Dr. Ralph Rayner as its new Non-Executive Chairman. Ralph is currently a Non-Executive Director of the company and will succeed outgoing Chairman Barry Clutton. Previously Finance Director and then Managing Director prior to his appointment as Chairman in 2009
Great Lakes June 2013 Symposium
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association is to present a public program featuring a range of important issues concerning the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Symposium is a first-of-its- kind public program focusing on timely legal issues impacting the Great Lakes
Singapore's Triyards Introduce New HPHT Jack-up Design
Triyards Holdings now able to design & build its own proprietary drilling jack-up rigs and self-elevating units (SEUs). The new design is for the Premium Class 400 HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) drilling jack-up rig, the TDU-400.
Bahrain Mine Counter-measures Exercise Draws 41 Nations
International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 13 sees a gathering of 35 ships, 18 Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) & over 100 explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) divers. Representatives from 41 nations are assembled in Bahrain to prepare for International Mine Countermeasures
IMO Consultation Aims to Cut Red Tape
IMO begins a 6-month consultation on the administrative burdens that may come with compliance with IMO instruments. The intention is to gather data from a broad spectrum of stakeholders from which recommendations on how to alleviate administrative burdens can be developed.
DNV Release 'Safeti Offshore' Software
DNV Software launches a software solution for offshore risk analysis of offshore structures in challenging environments. Harsher environments, life extension and more demanding regulatory and business requirements are some of the challenges the offshore industry faces
Boston to Host AVEVA World Summit 2013
AVEVA announced that the AVEVA World Summit 2013 is being held from October 30 to November 1 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Customers from across the world’s process plant, power and marine industries are invited to the Summit
Washington Coast Guard Crew Deploys to South Korea
Through chilling winds and choppy seas, five-man crews aboard small, gray security boats worked tirelessly for 10 days patrolling the waters around a massive 348-foot petroleum vessel near the coast of Pohang, South Korea. Boat crews from Port Security Unit (PSU) 313 worked night and day to