Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Geographic Information System News

12 Oct 2020

Port Security: Autonomous ANTX

Graphic representation of the exercise; met-ocean data collection operations running concurrently with simulated threats, detection and mitigation assets. Image from ION.

Geophysical seismic surveys and port security may appear to have little in-common. However, it turns out that managing complex marine seismic operations, where 10km-long seismic streamers have to be deployed harmoniously alongside other offshore marine assets, isn’t that dissimilar to managing – and protecting – port facilities.It's an area that ION Geophysical, more known for seismic data acquisition technology, has recently been proving its expertise in, using its Marlin system for marine operations management.

10 May 2019

AIS Data: History & Future

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) was developed with the sole goal of improving maritime safety by allowing ships in proximity to one another to automatically exchange information regarding their name, course, speed, type, cargo, etc. The exchange of this information would allow conning officers on each ship to make better decisions regarding the possibility of close encounters and the need to change course and/or speed. It would also make it easier for one ship to contact the other by radio-telephone to hopefully remove any doubt. To that extent, AIS has largely worked as intended, although collisions continue to occur.It did not take long, though, for governments to get involved.

31 Jul 2017

Software Solutions: Monitor & Track

(Image: GateHouse)

As the maritime industry embraces the digital revolution, companies like GateHouse are poised to prosper. GateHouse in developing software solutions to support optimization, flexibility and mission critical operations for vehicle and vessel tracking, monitoring and satellite communications. We caught up with Michael Bondo Andersen, CEO and founder of GateHouse, for insights on his strategy moving the company forward. Looking at your maritime unit, Big Data is having a transformational impact on global maritime. Please detail your offering.

14 Dec 2016

ABS Presents Guidance for Subsea Pipeline Routes

ABS, provider of classification and technical services to the offshore industry, has published the ABS Guidance Notes on Subsea Pipeline Route Determination. This document, the first of its kind for the offshore industry, presents a method for route determination that combines risk assessment techniques with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. “ABS looks for opportunities to break new ground by developing safety guidance for the offshore sector,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. Methods for surveying, data collection and interpretation, data assessment, routing techniques and risk assessment are constantly evolving.

08 Oct 2016

Marine Biogeographic Assessment of Hawaiian Islands

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) have released a new report and interactive map and data sets that highlight what is known about the marine environment of the main Hawaiian Islands. The report, titled Marine Biogeographic Assessment of the Main Hawaiian Islands, and its products make available information about marine life and the physical environment offshore Hawaii. Topics include: an overview of the physical environment, benthic habitats and corals, fishes, sea turtles, marine mammals and sea birds. An interactive Geographic Information System (GIS) map complements the report to describe marine biogeographic patterns around the islands.

20 Jul 2015

HHI’s New Weather System Helps Plan Sea Trials

Sea Weather Forecasting System Concept Diagram (Image: HHI)

A new system has been developed by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to help better manage sea trial schedules for vessels built at its Ulsan yard. The new Sea Weather Forecasting System, developed by HHI in collaboration with Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST), analyzes sea weather information such as wave height, wind speed and current patterns on an hourly basis in seven offshore areas including Ulsan, Gunsan and Jeju Island to manage the shipbuilder’s sea trials schedules up to 72 hours in advance.

08 Jun 2015

Offshore Wind Zone Core Samples Donated to Science

Core samples from Dogger Bank will be donated to the National Geological Repository

The wider scientific community is set to benefit from offshore wind developer Forewind’s years of surveys and research, as the organization donates all the core samples collected on Dogger Bank to a national science facility Monday, June 8, 2015. The core samples, cylindrical soil sections extracted from the seabed, will be entrusted to the National Geological Repository (NGR), located at the British Geological Survey headquarters in Nottinghamshire, for use by anyone with an interest, from consultants and contractors to academics and students researching within a wide range of earth sciences.

31 Jul 2014

Port Manatee's 3 projects to get underway

Port Manatee has been awarded a $1,837,500 security grant, allowing the port to proceed with three significant projects. The award, the second-highest for any Florida port in the latest round of grants offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, facilitates full funding for each of the three projects named in the request of the port, which is putting forth a required 25 percent match. Purchase of new geographic information system, or GIS, software to actively manage traffic patterns, as well as better identify and plan critical infrastructure. “We are thankful to receive full funding to enhance security at Port Manatee as it is crucial in continuing the growth of the port,” said David St. Pierre, Port Manatee’s director of seaport security.

25 Oct 2013

The Importance and Value of Marine Industry Training

Figure 1

The Coast Guard Marine Industry Training Program offers incredible opportunities for Coast Guard employees to intimately learn specific facets of the marine industry. Participants of the program work directly for industry partners for up to 1 year. In addition to building superior government/industry working relationships, the program affords industry sponsors an opportunity to share detailed business considerations and limitations, so that Coast Guard regulatory activities most effectively promote safety, while limiting undue burden on the maritime industry.

10 Oct 2013

New Synergi Pipeline Software Enables GIS Integration

Synergi Pipeline for efficient pipeline operations.

DNV GL Software’s new release of Synergi Pipeline software includes Geographic Information System (GIS) integration, providing pipeline operators better analyses and decision-making based on geographically referenced and visualized data via the web interface. Obtaining and managing correct and valid information about a pipeline’s risk and condition, including linked geographic information, is a constant challenge in integrity management. Synergi Pipeline, DNV GL’s pipeline integrity management and risk assessment software solution…

15 Aug 2013

Senergy Marks Major Business First Agreement

Phil Edwards

Fast-growing global energy services company Senergy has marked a business first after being awarded a framework agreement to provide geotechnical representatives on behalf of a client and its site investigation work. The agreement, which has been secured through Senergy’s survey and geo-engineering division, is with Statoil ASA for its projects in the Norwegian Continental Shelf. It will involve the supply of Senergy geotechnical personnel acting as a client representative for site investigations to underpin Statoil procedures, ensuring technical and HSE assurance.

24 Apr 2012

"The Future of Our Oceans"

Dr. Stephen M. Coan (Courtesy of the Sea Research Foundation)

On April 23, 2012, Dr. Stephen M. Coan delivered remarks entitled “The Future of Our Ocean”, part of the Open VISIONS Forum Lecture Series and presented at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, Fairfield, Conn. Following is the text of his speech. Water sustains life on Earth, and the health of our oceans, lakes, rivers, streams and marshlands, which cover 70% of the planet’s surface, is critically important to global economic and human health. Imagine this vast environment and what it could mean for us if we were able to better harvest food…

06 Jul 2011

OMM Launches New Business

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has launched a new survey and subsea business this week, which will focus on surveying, cable and structural subsea inspection and subsea engineering. Recently appointed Director of Survey and Subsea, Arron Burrows said this new business offers clients an all-inclusive “one stop shop” for cable solutions - with survey, inspection and final deliverables - and will mean an overall better service. The new business offers data analysis and management using the latest hardware and software technology to support cable-related works both onshore and offshore. This includes a geographic information system (GIS) suite complete with digital video data integration for annual inspection data integrity and remedial activity monitoring.

18 Aug 2010

Smiths Detection Installation at Port of Providence

Smiths Detection announced the award of a contract for its FirstView early warning chemical threat detection and video management system to be installed at the Port of Providence, R.I. Funded through a competitive Department of Homeland Security grant, the system will alert authorities to chemical hazards in the port area and provide real-time video and sensor data to first responders and emergency personnel. It combines Smiths Detection’s chemical detection capabilities (Centurion II) and FirstView video and sensor management software with Raytheon’s Athena command and control system to monitor traffic in Narragansett Bay. Using radar…

08 Sep 2008

NOAA Site Helps Users Prepare for Big Storms

As the coastal population continues to grow, so do the hazards when big storms approach. Now, an on-line tool, Historical Hurricane Tracks, helps users get a quick picture of coastal areas with the greatest frequency of hurricanes and tropical storms—and that historical “snapshot” can help community members and local emergency managers develop better plans for storm preparation and recovery. NOAA’s Historical Hurricane Tracks Web site, includes data on storm strikes through 2007. Current hurricane activity can be followed at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov. The Web site allows users to generate customized maps showing the path of storms that have made landfall in the United States in years past. Users can search by U.S. ZIP code, state or county, latitude and longitude, or a storm’s name or year.

28 Aug 2008

ESRI to Offer Consulting Services Through SeaPort-e

The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren has named ESRI an approved prime contractor on the SeaPort Enhanced (SeaPort-e) online portal. By being listed on SeaPort-e, ESRI can make available a broad range of engineering, technical, and programmatic services related to geographic information system (GIS) and information technology. ESRI can provide these services to the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). SeaPort-e offers these defense organizations a fast, cost-effective, electronic procurement procedure for providing tasking orders for professional support services from commercial firms. The contracting office for SeaPort-e is NSWC Dahlgren.

19 Mar 2004

New Company to Enhance Marine Safety

The Hudson Group announced its agreement with Morris Environmental Inc., a Texas-based company engaged in emergency management, oil spill resource, tracking, crisis management solutions and cutting-edge response software. Morris Environmental is well known in the maritime industry for its ability to support a client’s Incident Management Team with staff and equipment to assist with incident information management through the development of computerized contingency plans. Morris builds and maintains high-resolution maps and detailed incident response planning information in high-risk areas around the world. The maps and data are maintained in a computer-based geographic information system (GIS)…

15 Nov 2007

Trimble Awarded USCG Contract

Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB) announced that it has received a contract from the U.S. Guard (USCG) to provide up to 400 reference station receivers over the next three years for its Maritime Differential GPS (DGPS) Service modernization program. The USCG's Maritime DGPS Service provides navigation information for coastal areas, harbors and waterways in the continental U.S., the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, portions of Alaska, Hawaii, and a greater part of the Mississippi River Basin free-of-charge. As part of the DGPS system, the Trimble(R) NetRS(R) reference station receivers will provide accurate navigation correction messages that are broadcast to recreational boaters, commercial shipping and fishing fleets, workboats and cruise ships.

06 Sep 2007

Horizon Marine adds Web Mapping Service to Eddy Watch

Horizon Marine has added a new Web Mapping Service (WMS) to its suite of web-based mapping products available to Eddy Watch subscribers. This new product allows clients to import Horizon Marine’s proprietary data into their own Geographic Information System (GIS). These data layers include tropical storm tracks, GPS drifter data, Loop Current and eddy fronts, satellite imagery, and forecast charts. Once the Horizon Marine WMS has been added to an end user’s GIS, the layers continually update, eliminating the need for clients to add new layers just to update their maps. This new WMS seamlessly integrates into GIS applications such as ESRI’s ArcGIS and is compliant with the standards for Web Map Services as laid out by Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc.

26 Feb 2007

Washington State – Coastal Oil Spill Response Plans

The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and U.S. Coast Guard are looking for interested parties to help update the state's oil spill response strategies tailored for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and for Washington's outer coast. The existing site-specific strategies, also known as "geographic response plans," identify sensitive natural and cultural resources. The plans also help prioritize how equipment and cleanup crews should be deployed during an oil spill response. Geographic response plans for oil spills are usually carried out during the first several hours following a spill. The plans are tailored to a specific beach, shore, or waterway and designed to minimize harm to sensitive areas threatened by the spill.

27 Sep 2006

NOAA Awards Grants for Community-Based Debris Projects

$1,029,368 in grants for 12 community-based marine debris prevention and removal projects. These projects are funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program and administered by the NOAA Restoration Center. The program provides financial and technical assistance to local groups to clean-up marine debris, and prevent its introduction into coastal environments. The Marine Debris Program awarded $333,868 in the northeast region to support marine debris removal, research and education. (GIS) analysis to target the source of marine debris in New Hampshire and will investigate the effectiveness of marine debris removal activities. The State of Rhode Island, Clean the Bay, and other local partners will remove more than 500 tons of debris from Narragansett Bay.

04 Dec 2002

C-MAP Plots Its Course On Both Sides

Beginning in the mid-1980's via a brainstorm session for an innovative electronic charting system, by partners, Fosco Bianchetti and Giuseppe Carnevali, C-MAP has become a force in electronic charting. MR/EN recently traveled to the company's U.S. division, in the heart of historic Cape Cod in Mashpee, Mass. for a firsthand account of how C-MAP compiles its real-time, up-to-the minute charting information. While the advent of electronic charts is a historic shift in marine navigation — C-MAP has grown since those first years in the mid-80s as a leading provider of vector-based electronic charts and charting systems to recreational boaters.