College Of Earth 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…

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.

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) announced the support for the Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunities Act.NOIA President Randall Luthi submitted a letter in support Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunities Act, ahead of House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources hearing,  Building a 21st Century American Offshore Wind Workforce.“I want to share the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) support for the Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunities Act. We agree with the sponsors of this legislation that the coming offshore wind energy boom in the U.S. will need a skilled workforce trained and capable of operating in the unique offshore environment…

America's burgeoning offshore wind industry, which is projected to generate nearly 20 gigawatts (GW) of clean, cost-competitive power in seven East Coast states by 2030, presents a nearly $70 billion CAPEX revenue opportunity to businesses in the U.S. offshore wind supply chain.The Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW), in conjunction with the Renewables Consulting Group (RCG) has announced the publication of a new report detailing the opportunities businesses in the U.S. offshore wind supply chain, which projected the United States’ offshore wind is projected to generate nearly 20 GW of clean, cost-competitive power in seven East Coast states by 2030.Among key industry components required for such a utility-scale build-out of U.S.

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.

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.

A sample of albacore tuna caught off the shores of Oregon and Washington state have small levels of radioactivity from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, researchers said on Tuesday. But authors of the Oregon State University study say the levels are so small you would have to consume more than 700,000 pounds of the fish with the highest radioactive level to match the amount of radiation the average person is annually exposed to in everyday life through cosmic rays, the air, the ground, X-rays and other sources. Still, the findings shed some light about the impact of the meltdown on the Pacific Ocean following the March 2011 tsunami and subsequent power plant disaster, said Delvan Neville, a graduate research assistant at OSU and lead author of the study.

Experts explore future of wind energy research in two-day symposium at the University of Delaware Energy Institute (UDEI). How would wind turbines in the ocean alter the wind flow? Is wind energy a practical solution for powering electrical grids? Forward-looking questions such as those were addressed by experts in the field of wind energy at a recent symposium sponsored by the University of Delaware Energy Institute (UDEI). The two-day event, titled “The Importance of Meteorology to Wind Energy: Research Needs for the Next 10 Years…

There are now only ten days left to cast your vote for the Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Shipping Award to be presented at the Radisson Blu Hotel in London on July 7th. With only four shortlisted nominees for the prestigious award for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Shipping, there is still time to cast your vote. As voting continues apace, the Sustainable Shipping website has seen a significant increase in activity. One of the judges, Peter Hinchliffe, OBE, Secretary General for the International Chamber of Shipping, commented, “The Sustainable Shipping Awards form a central part in the initiative to drive the industry toward a sustainable future. To cast your vote simply go to the Sustainable Shipping website, register for free and vote by July 1st.