Oregon State University News

The first of three new oceanographic research vessels dedicated to advancing marine science along U.S. coasts was successfully launched Thursday.The ship, R/V Taani, is being constructed as part of a project, led by Oregon State University (OSU) and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), to provide scientists with valuable new tools to study critical issues such as rapidly changing ocean conditions and human impacts on the marine environment.The Regional Class Research Vessel project…

Lockport, La. based Bollinger Shipyards announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder VT Halter Marine, Inc. and neighboring repair yard ST Engineering Halter Marine Offshore (STEHMO) from parent company ST Engineering North America, the U.S. subsidiary of Singaporean multinational technology, defense and engineering group ST Engineering.The transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022, is said to be worth $15 million, according to ST Engineering.

The research vessel Sikuliaq navigated among and around the chunks and slabs of Arctic sea ice above Alaska for several weeks on two voyages this fall, breaking through frozen slabs when it had to, just as its sturdy hull is designed to do. It's now on a third trip.The Sikuliaq, a 261-ft. ice-capable research vessel operated by UAF, pauses in the Arctic Ocean in June 2021 during its fifth year of operation. A few months later, it traveled farther north than ever before — almost 500 miles beyond Point Barrow.Satellite imagery produced at the Geographic Information Network of Alaska…

Richard “Rick” W. Spinrad, Ph.D., an internationally renowned scientist with four decades of ocean, atmosphere, and climate science and policy expertise, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and the 11th NOAA administrator.“As an accomplished and respected scientist, educator, communicator and executive, Rick has dedicated his career to the science that is at the core of NOAA’s mission,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo.

Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards has acquired Gulf Island Fabrication’s shipyard facilities in nearby Houma for approximately $28.6 million.The purchased site encompasses 437 acres on the west bank of the Houma Navigation Canal, of which 283 acres is unimproved land that is available for expansion. The facility includes 18,000 square feet of administrative and operations facilities, 160,000 square feet of covered fabrication facilities and 20,000 square feet of warehouse facilities. It also has 6,750 linear feet of water frontage, including 2,350 feet of steel bulkheads.

In Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare coined the phrase “salad days” to mean a youthful time filled with unbridled enthusiasm and idealism. Indeed, youth, much like salad, is often raw, flavorful and most of all… green. Therefore, it is fitting to think of our present time as the salad days of offshore energy in the United States. Let’s dig in.Executive Order appetizersOn January 27, President Biden took early steps to implement his campaign promise to transition the United States away from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy…

Ocean science is in high demand by scientists studying ocean acidification, wave energy, seabed composition, changing water temperatures, fish populations and dozens of other research projects. The Oregon State University (OSU) has a proud history in the field. The wide variety of research project require a variety of vessels.One boat that has made large contributions to research is the 54 by 16.5-foot Elakha which was built in 2001 at Rozema Boat Works of Mount Vernon Washington.

Ocean science is in high demand by scientists studying ocean acidification, wave energy, seabed composition, changing water temperatures, fish populations and dozens of other research projects. The Oregon State University (OSU) has a proud history in the field. The wide variety of research project require a variety of vessels.One boat that has made large contributions to research is the 54- by 16.5-foot Elakha which was built in 2001 at Rozema Boat Works of Mount Vernon, Wash.

Scientists have discovered an active methane seep from Antarctica's sea bed that could shed light on the potent greenhouse gas trapped beneath the frozen continent.Marine ecologist Andrew Thurber first glimpsed what a colleague described as a "microbial waterfall" during a dive in the icy waters of the Ross Sea in 2012. What looked like a superhighway of white patches on the ocean floor were clusters of tiny organisms drawn to the methane leak."My first thought was 'wow,' and I was immediately enamored with what this means for science…

Jennifer Allen is a U.S. military veteran who lives with PTSD. She is also a recent MERTS graduate pursuing a career in the maritime industry.MERTS (Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station) is a small campus situated just east of Astoria on the banks of the Columbia River. It is part of Clatsop Community College and houses a variety of programs including a robust maritime curriculum offering U.S. Coast Guard certifications and associate degrees.“Before coming to MERTS I was going through a rough patch,” Jennifer said.

American manufacturer of specialized structures and marine vessels used in the energy sector Gulf Island Fabrication announced that it received an award for the construction of a third Regional Class Research Vessel for Oregon State University (OSU).The fabricator of marine vessels, this represents OSU’s execution of its third option for Gulf Island’s construction of three Regional Class Research Vessels. All three vessels will be built in the Company’s shipyard in Houma, Louisiana. Each vessel will be ABS Ice-Class CO and DPS-1, Green-Marine Certified, acoustically quiet, and carry up to 29 crew and embarked scientists."I am pleased that OSU has exercised its third contract option…

Construction of a new Oregon State University (OSU) bound research ship that will advance the science of coastal environments, and support research on topics such as ocean acidification, hypoxia, and sea level rise, officially began today at Gulf Island Shipyards in Louisiana.Officials from OSU the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Gulf Island Shipyards LLC gathered at the shipyard in Houma, La. for the keel-laying ceremony, marking the start of fabrication of the state-of-the art ship.

Power Dynamics Innovations LLC (PDI) said it has been subcontracted by Gulf Island Shipyards LLC, to design, engineer, construct, install and test the centerboard system for Oregon State University (OSU)'s new Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV).Gulf Island Shipyards is building the vessel under a contract from OSU, with an option for two additional vessels. OSU has engaged with naval architecture and engineering firm Glosten to lead the design contract of the next class of oceangoing research vessels for the National Science Foundation (NSF).These state-of-the-art 193-foot ships will be highly flexible, multimission platforms that maximize energy efficient design concepts. The first vessel will be built in Houma, La., and will be delivered to OSU in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Rapp Marine said it has been selected by Gulf Island Shipyard, LLC, as the Overboard Handling System Single Source Vendor (OHS SSV) for Oregon State University’s (OSU) 193 ft x 41 ft multi-mission Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV), with the option of two additional vessels. Funding for the RCRV project is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the contract design of the RCRV was developed by Glosten. The first vessel is currently under construction at Gulf Island Shipyard in Houma, La.

Glosten is an employee-owned full-service consulting firm of naval architects, marine engineers, electrical engineers, and ocean engineers. Founded in 1958, the firm specializes in commercial and public sector vessels including research vessels, passenger/car ferries, tugs, barges, dredges, and special purpose platforms. Consulting and design services include hull, structural, mechanical, and electrical systems design. Glosten has a staff of 77 associates, including 36 professionally licensed engineers, supported by other engineers, marine designers, and production staff.

Oregon State University (OSU) will issue a request for proposals (RFP) for a project to construct up to three advanced regional class research vessels to help replenish the aging United States academic fleet. OSU will implement a two-stage “best value procurement process” for selecting a single U.S. shipyard to construct the vessels, which allows the university to evaluate proposals on qualitative factors in addition to cost factors. In January 2013, the National Science Foundation (NSF) selected OSU as the lead institution to finalize the design and coordinate the construction of a vessel – and possibly up to two more – a project considered crucial to modernizing the country’s marine science research capabilities.

The design phase for a project to construct a new regional class research vessel to replenish the United States academic fleet is complete, and Oregon State University will issue a request for information (RFI) on Monday, May 2, to shipyards interested in constructing the vessel. In January 2013, the National Science Foundation (NSF) selected Oregon State as the lead institution to finalize the design and coordinate the construction of the vessel – and possibly up to two more – a project considered crucial to maintaining the country’s marine science research capabilities.

Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor returns from the first ever expedition to systematically characterize the rarely explored Mariana Back-Arc. HAGANTA, GUAM – A diverse team of scientists are returning from a 28-day expedition onboard R/V Falkor that has more than doubled the number of known hydrothermal vent sites in the Mariana Back-arc region. This area, west of the Mariana Trench, is where plate spreading and submarine volcanism are concentrated. Several momentous findings were made, including the discovery of one of the deepest vents ever found. Another important outcome was the discovery of an extremely rare recently-erupted underwater lava field that is likely only a few months old.

Debris from Japan's 2011 tsunami will continue to litter the North American coastline over the next three years, with everything from refrigerators to lumber and sports balls still floating offshore in the Pacific, an expert said on Tuesday. About one million tons of debris was still lingering in the Pacific Ocean four years after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, the most powerful ever recorded in Japan, set off a series of massive tsunami waves that devastated a wide swathe of Honshu's Pacific coastline and killed nearly 20,000 people. It also damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, leading to a series of explosions and meltdowns in the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier.

As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, cut carbon pollution and develop domestic energy sources, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced today it has taken an important step toward issuing a research lease for a facility to test utility-scale wave energy devices in federal waters off Oregon. The non-competitive lease would be for the offshore area where the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center at Oregon State University (Center) would site the hydrokinetic energy research project.

It's a career-defining moment for 36 college and university faculty April 30, as the Department of the Navy announces the recipients of its 2015 Young Investigator Program, one of the oldest and most selective scientific research advancement programs in the country. Collectively, awardees will receive $18.8 million in grants to fund research across a range of naval-relevant science and technology areas. This is a banner year for the program, administered by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), which increased funding by 50 percent over last year. "These recipients demonstrate the type of visionary, multidisciplinary thought that helps the U.S. Navy anticipate and adapt to a dynamic battlespace," said Dr. Larry Schuette, ONR's director of research.

Sound Ocean Systems, Inc. (SOSI) announced the delivery of two unique mooring winches, both tested on its newly constructed test pad at its primary manufacturing facility in Sultan, Wash. SOSI recently delivered two all-electric, custom designed, VFD controlled large mooring winches developed for Oregon State University and the University of Washington. Although configured differently, both the 175 HP OSU Heavy Lift winch and the 75 HP UW Medium Lift winch contained SOSI’s continuous position sensing level wind system. The Heavy Lift Winch is capable of deploying or recovering 25,000 lbs.

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners continued to fill key positions in Harbor Department leadership ranks this week with four additional appointments of experienced executives to oversee Port of Long Beach operations. The four professionals all have long and valuable experience in their fields of engineering, maintenance and finance, and come from outside the Port of Long Beach. Two of the positions are newly created and two were vacated earlier this year. Duane Kenagy has been appointed to the newly created position of Capital Programs Executive to oversee the Port’s capital improvement program and will report directly to the Chief Executive.