Institute Of Oceanography News

Rare video footage showing the Titanic ocean liner on the floor of the Atlantic is being released on Wednesday, decades after the discovery of the wreckage and more than a century after the ship hit an iceberg and sunk.The footage from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) was shot about 2 miles (3 km) below the ocean's surface, just months after explorers found the wreckage in 1985. Most of it has not been previously released to the public.Since the discovery, several documentaries about the Titanic have showed footage of the wreckage scene.

An Italian ice-breaker carrying scientists researching in the Antarctic has sailed further south than any ship has done before, the organizers of the voyage said on Tuesday, a further sign of how ice is retreating around the poles.The Laura Bassi vessel reached a point with the coordinates of 78° 44.280 S in the Bay of Whales in the Ross Sea, according to Italy’s National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics.The voyage was made possible by an unusual lack of ice in the area, it said.

MBARI revealed plans to grant its 25-year-old research vessel Western Flyer to the University of South Florida where the vessel will begin a new life as a sailing classroom for the university's Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO).“We’re thrilled the Western Flyer will be sailing on to an exciting new chapter at the Florida Institute of Oceanography,” said MBARI President and CEO Chris Scholin. “The ocean plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth. With the Western Flyer…

The research vessel Roger Revelle is currently going through an extensive mid-life refit. One of the upgrades to the vessel is the installation of telescoping thruster technology from ZF Marine.The R/V Roger Revelle is a globally capable oceanographic research vessel, designed as a platform to support many different facets of ocean-based scientific research. The vessel is owned by the US Navy and operated by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography under a charter agreement with the Office of Naval Research.

In the 1870 Jules Verne classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", underwater explorer Captain Nemo predicted the mining of the ocean floor's mineral bounty - zinc, iron, silver and gold.India is catching up with that only now, as it prepares to unearth treasures down below, aiming to boost its economy.The floor of the world's seas is scattered with vast beds of black potato-shaped polymetallic nodules comprising copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, iron and rare earth elements.These natural goodies are key to making modern gadgets…

Boys are coaxed into cleanliness at bath time playing with boats. But it was never a game for Joseph Farrell, III, instinctively realizing he was ballasting and salvaging ships, unlike the typical Mr. Bubbles kid. The scion of Resolve Marine Group may have been born to lead the global emergency response company founded by his father with a single tug 38 years ago, but he’s never taken dangerous wreck removal lightly.Before turning 15, Joey had two close calls on and around ships that guide him today, at 34.

Marine News showcases the best of North America’s 2017 workboat deliveries. There is something for everyone. Notwithstanding the lingering offshore energy downturn, there were plenty of bright spots for North American shipyards in 2017. If a hull was delivered in 2017, we took a look at it, with several areas as a focus for inclusion into this edition. For starters, it is always exciting when a domestic yard delivers a vessel – or multiple vessels, for that matter – to foreign buyers. We can compete in a foreign arena; on price, quality and on-time delivery. This year was no different. No less important is the environmental footprint of a vessel, and there was plenty to report on from that angle in the past 12 months. The domestic waterfront is indeed getting greener and cleaner.

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stressed the need for concerted and collaborative efforts of all stakeholders toward the conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources for the protection of the environment and indeed the entire ecosystem. The Director General who made this appeal while speaking at a 2-day Regional Conference on Marine Safety and Fisheries Protection organized by the United Nations…

The 78’ research vessel designed and engineered by Boksa Marine Design (BMD) in 2015 is headed to the building phase beginning in June. BMD contracted with the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) in February 2015 for the design of a new vessel to replace its current research vessel, the 71’ R/V Bellows. Originally built in 1968, FIO has operated the research boat since 1979 as a floating laboratory for scientists and students studying in the waterways of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas.

Purpose-built oceanographic research and survey vessel New Horizon has been sold from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography to private interests, announced ship broker Marcon International, Inc. New Horizon will continue to work under her new ownership as a U.S. flag research and survey vessel. The 170' loa x 36' beam x 15' depth / 12.76' draft New Horizon was specially built as a dedicated oceanographic research ship for Scripps, whose research vessels and research platform make up one of the largest academic fleets in the world.

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering company Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) announced that the christening ceremony for the Oceanographic Research Vessel AGOR 27, named in honor of the famed Neil Armstrong, was held at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) in Anacortes, Wash., on March 29, 2014. Kali Armstrong, granddaughter of the late astronaut and the Maid of Honor, sang the National Anthem and Carol Knight Armstrong, Neil Armstrong’s wife, served as the ship’s sponsor, performing the honor of breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow.

The buoys measure ocean currents up to 15 meters in depth, and were  launched during 'Pacific Partnership 2013' to measure sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure. All are important elements in creating an observation network, allowing for more accurate weather forecasts. "The mission of Pacific Partnership is disaster relief preparedness," said Lt.j.g. Jeffrey S. Grabon, Pacific Partnership Mobile Environment Team division officer. The buoys were deployed at specific coordinates while USS Pearl Harbor transited the Pacific Ocean to Samoa…

Many marine service companies are acquiring boat-towed metal detectors and magnetometers to assist in salvage operations and geophysical surveys. These devices can locate a variety of targets including sunken vessels, ship anchors and propellers, pipelines, cables and metal debris which must be removed from an area before dredging. The two primary pieces of equipment used in these operations are a magnetometer and the pulse induction (PI) metal detector. Magnetometers are super sensitive instruments that can detect iron and steel objects at hundreds of feet away.

A number of archaeological groups and marine service companies are acquiring boat-towed metal detectors to assist in locating shipwrecks and to perform geophysical surveys. These devices can locate a variety of targets including the piles of magnetic ballast stones found on many old wrecks, gold and silver bars, cannons, anchors, pipelines, cables, and various metal debris which must be removed from an area before dredging. The two primary pieces of equipment used in these operations are a magnetometer and pulse induction (PI) metal detectors.

On August 17, 2012, the keel laying and dedication ceremony for AGOR-27 and 28, the first two of a new class of advanced Oceanographic Research Vessels, took place at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) in Anacortes, WA. Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering firm Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) designed this vessel during a Phase I design competition. GPA is now providing detail and production engineering for DCI throughout the construction phase. The $145 million Navy-owned vessels…

Chelsea Technologies Group (CTG) is pleased to announce delivery of a new SeaSoar Towed Undulating system to the CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Barcelona for their new vessel, RV Sarmiento de Gamboa. This SeaSoar has been fitted with a Seabird Electronics SBE911 CTD, with dual CT heads fitted externally on either side of the SeaSoar body. The SeaSoar will provide the CSIC with the capability to gather oceanographic data from near surface to depths of 500 metres whilst underway at speeds up to 12 knots.

Last week Croatian maritime authorities restricted navigation off the Adriatic coast to allow two stray whales to find their way out to deep water, Reuters reported. An operation was mounted near the port of Split to rescue the finback whales, a 30-m (100 ft) long female and her calf, which are rarely found in shallow coastal waters. The whales were first spotted near the resort of Makarska, south of Split, some 10 days ago and appeared unable to make their way out because of intense maritime traffic, including tourists trying to approach them in speedboats. The Ministry of Environment warned holidaymakers to keep at least 400 m (0.25 miles) away. Rescue coordinator Melita Peharda of the Institute of Oceanography said the whales' natural sonar could be disturbed by ships' radars.

Bid4Assets, Inc., a full-service asset disposition and advisory services company, announced that it will auction a research vessel for the state of Georgia. The online auction will be held through Sept. 27 on the Bid4Assets Web site, http://www.bid4assets.com. Bidding begins at $90,000. Bid4Assets has been working with the state of Georgia to sell their surplus and retired assets since July 2000, conducting auction sales of construction equipment, highway patrol cars and computer equipment. The research vessel Blue Fin is owned by the university system of Georgia and operated by the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. The 72-foot boat was built in 1972, and is located in Savannah, Ga.