University Of Miami News

The latest report from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation finds Palau’s reefs had the highest coral cover observed on the Global Reef Expedition—the largest coral reef survey and mapping expedition in history.Scientists at the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) have released their findings on the state of coral reefs in Palau. Their research, based on extensive underwater surveys, found Palau’s reefs had the highest live coral cover of all the reefs studied on the Global Reef Expedition…

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Friday Rear Adm. Melissa Bert has been invested as judge advocate general and chief counsel of the Coast Guard. Bert is the service’s first woman to hold that office.Bert was most recently the director of Governmental and Public Affairs for the Coast Guard, where she was responsible for external engagement with Congress, the media and other inter-governmental entities.As judge advocate general and chief counsel, Bert will lead a group of legal professionals who are responsible for the delivery of all legal services in support of the Coast Guard's missions…

Unmanned Vehicles Collect Data for Improving Storm ForecastsThe influences of ocean conditions and currents on living environments are now more widely appreciated—from the Earth’s climate and severe weather conditions to fisheries and biodiversity. Sustained and widespread measurements are needed to provide essential clues for understanding the oceans, for effective monitoring of environmental changes, and for helping to clarify the long-term effects of global warming.To meet this challenge, ocean researchers have invented various types of unmanned observing platforms.

As the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season unfolds, millions of people along the Eastern seaboard of the USA are keeping a careful watch on the weather forecast. What are researchers doing to improve the prediction of hurricane intensity – and ultimately help save lives?While experts are able to predict the track a hurricane will take with increasing accuracy, predicting their intensity is much more of a challenge.“We saw several times in this last hurricane season where storms just intensified really rapidly…

University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science scientist Mark Donelan and his Norwegian Meteorological Institute colleague captured new information about extreme waves, as one of the steepest ever recorded passed by the North Sea Ekofisk platforms in the early morning hours of Nov. 9 2007. Within the first hour of the day, the Andrea wave passed by a four-point square array of ocean sensors designed by the researchers to measure the wavelength, direction, amplitude and frequency of waves at the ocean surface. Using the information from the wave set—a total of 13,535 individual waves—collected by the system installed on a bridge between two offshore platforms…

RSC Bio Solutions recently announced the addition of several key team members in the business development and sales departments in a continuing drive to support its growing client base. The company also announced a new market-oriented organizational structure with two focused teams around the marine and land markets. “Deeper segment experience and knowledge will support our growth objectives and our goal to be recognized as the go-to resource for biochemical solutions in markets where protecting equipment and protecting the environment are both essential…

A research team led by University of South Florida College of Marine Science professor Dr. Steven Murawski has been awarded a $1 million grant to explore how oil spills, such as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) in 2010, impact the economic, ecological and social system aspects of fishing communities. The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced Thursday a total of $2.1 million in grants. Murawski’s team, which also includes Dr.

Shipping industry veteran Dan Gardner is director of Mobileweight, which helps to streamline processes and create efficiencies for the container shipping industry. The firm’s first-of-its-kind mobile application and online portal Mobileweight aims to offer a reliable, fast and easy way to comply with SOLAS and electronically file the VGM with ocean carriers. Gardner weighs in on the latest SOLAS VGM requirements which entered force on July 1, and discusses their potential impact across the container shipping sector.

Charles D. Michel, vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, was promoted to the rank of admiral at Coast Guard Headquarters Wednesday. Following passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, the president nominated Michel for promotion to the rank of admiral to align the leadership structure of the Coast Guard to that of the other armed services and recognize the important role of the vice service chief at the national level. “I am humbled to be the first Coast Guard vice commandant promoted to the rank of four-star admiral,” Michel said.

The Great Lakes Towing Company announces the addition of Nikita Skeeter, a maritime professional with over 25 years of experience in shipbuilding and production management, as General Manager of Great Lakes Shipyard. Skeeter’s management experience includes multiple, simultaneous shipyard projects with budgets up to $1 billion, as well as responsibilities for more than 400 maritime professionals and production tradesmen including: Design, engineering, welding and pipefitting, electrical, painting, carpentry and more.

Fathom has engaged 44-year cruise industry veteran Maurice Zarmati to work with the burgeoning company. Fathom, which provides a different kind of cruise that combines travelers’ love of travel with their desire to make a difference, will tap Zarmati’s extensive knowledge of the cruise industry to augment its already robust tools designed to support travel professionals in marketing this one-of-a-kind travel experience. “Maurice has been a trusted advisor to Carnival Corporation and me for more than four decades, beginning in 1972 when my father invited Maurice to be among the small group of founding members of the Carnival Cruise Lines team,” said Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation.

U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Charles Michel formally assumed the role of vice commandant of the Coast Guard during a ceremony at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters Monday. As vice commandant, Michel will oversee the Coast Guard’s operations, strategic development, organizational governance and management of the service’s more than 58,000 employees and 30,000 volunteers. "I am humbled and honored to be given this important opportunity to further serve the American people and the men and women of the United States Coast Guard,” said Michel. Michel became the 30th vice commandant of the Coast Guard after serving as the service's deputy commandant for operations…

Global surface warming has slowed since the start of the twenty-first century, while Pacific heat uptake was enhanced. Analyses of ocean heat content suggest that the warm water was transferred to the Indian Ocean, through the Indonesian straits, reports "Natue". Scientists reported that the Indian Ocean heat content has risen sharply, accounting for more than 70% of the global ocean heat gain in the upper 700 metres of the Indian Ocean over the past decade. The scientists conclude the Indian Ocean has become increasingly important in altering global climate variability. A team led by University of Miami and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) researcher Sang-Ki Lee experimented with a global climate model.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq:NCLH) announced today that Jason Montague has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Prestige Cruise Holdings, Inc. effective today, following the resignation of Kunal S. Kamlani. Montague was instrumental in launching Oceania Cruises in 2002 and is widely regarded as one of the original co-founders of the company. "As we continue to refine the future organization, Jason stands out as a leader who is knowledgeable about the brands and is so passionate about them," said Kevin Sheehan, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Prestige Cruise Holdings, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Frank Del Rio noted that Montague had played a key part in creating the great brands that have been built at Prestige.

If you operate a vessel, its machinery, without a doubt, will require alignment many times during the course if its life. When misalignment is present components will be worn, efficiency will be lost, and, if left uncorrected, mechanical failures are imminent. This translates into a strain on mechanical systems, your budget, and your peace of mind. When speaking of alignment in marine applications, it is usually shaft alignment that is being referenced. Shaft alignment is defined as the positioning of two or more machines which so that at the point of power transfer from one shaft to another…

Stevens Institute of Technology has been selected as the lead institution for a new Center of Excellence for Maritime Research (CMR). The selection, announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate will provide Stevens with $2 million per year for 5 years. The Center will also include the following partner institutions: MIT, University of Miami, Rutgers University, University of Puerto Rico and Elizabeth City State University. Stevens also has new partners with which it will collaborate on research projects, including LSU, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Connecticut.

Stevens Institute of Technology announced it has been selected as the lead institution for a new Center of Excellence for Maritime Research (CMR). The selection, announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate will provide Stevens with $2 million per year for five years. The Center will also include the following partner institutions: MIT, University of Miami, Rutgers University, University of Puerto Rico and Elizabeth City State University.

Celebrity Equinox becomes third Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Last week, as Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Equinox completed its scheduled drydock in Cadiz, Spain, it joined Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas in a program that tracks ocean circulation dynamics and measures atmospheric and oceanographic conditions, on repeated journeys. According to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., its ships are known for providing vacationers with innovative experiences, extraordinary service and award-winning cuisine as they cross the world’s oceans.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that results to a new study conducted by a team of NOAA and academic scientists suggest that crude oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster causes severe defects in the developing hearts of bluefin and yellowfin tunas. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on the 25th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, show how the largest marine oil spill in United States history…

All operators, regardless of vessel type, size, location or function, are plagued by the same worries: “When will my next outage happen, and what is it going to cost me?”  In an effort to ease these concerns, millions of dollars are invested every year into commercial/workboat maintenance programs. But how can maintenance be maximized without blowing budgets? What’s the most thorough way to monitor equipment? How can all mechanical components be watched for possible issues and failures?

Organizational announcement -  NAM Marine - Regional Energy Solutions Manager. Energy efficiency is recognized as a global mandate by governments, maritime organizations & business, and has become a key driver of growth for ABB Marine & Cranes. Opportunities in energy efficiency increasingly require that we offer our clients innovative solutions combining ABB products and other elements from across the marine industry. ABB Marine & Cranes BU has organized a worldwide Marine Energy Services group and as part of this global initiative, they have announced that Eric W.

After nearly 43 years in the cruise business, Maurice M. Zarmati is retiring as president and CEO of Costa Cruises North America, effective November 30, 2011. He will remain with the line as a senior consultant on Costa’s worldwide sales, marketing and passenger-traffic initiatives. Zarmati, 65, became president and CEO of Costa Cruises North America in March 2008. He is responsible for sales, marketing, guest services, finance, human resources and revenue management for the North American sales and marketing  headquarters of Europe’s leading cruise company, Costa Crociere S.p.A., based in Genoa, Italy. He reports directly to Costa’s home office.

Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Co-Chairs J. David Dykes (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement) and Captain Hung Nguyen (U.S. Coast Guard) announced that U.S. District Judge (Ret.) Wayne R. Andersen and U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mark R. Higgins will be joining the Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Team. The addition of Judge Andersen and Capt. Higgins will increase the depth and diversity of the team, drawing on their vast expertise in managing and facilitating complex proceedings. The public hearings in this matter began on May 11, 2010, and have continued during the weeks of May 26 and July 19. The next hearings are scheduled to take place beginning on August 23, 2010, in Houston, Texas. “The addition of Judge Andersen and Capt.