Global ocean insights specialist Miros has integrated a weather forecast layer into its maritime division’s Miros Cloud Home solution. The new version of the solution uses Windy’s weather forecast conditions along with instant wave, current and weather measurements to give maritime professionals a comprehensive view of current and future weather conditions. The platform offers 17 interactive map layers that allow users to visualize factors such as wind, waves and ocean currents, and access short- or long-term forecasts of future conditions up to 10 days. This integration enables maritime professionals to make informed decisions, optimize maritime activities, improve safety and increase project efficiency.

Marine robotics software company Greensea IQ has partnered with BUVI Scandinavia to expand its international sales team. This follows the recent signing of Spanish sales representative Uniformidad Y Suminstros De Proteccion (USP). The new business relationship will represent Greensea IQ and its Bayonet autonomous underwater vehicle (AUGV). Founded in 2011, BUVI Scandinavia provides consulting, training and support for subsea solutions and technologies. USP has 40 years of experience specializing in providing superior solutions for police and military needs.

Malaysian offshore services company Sapura Energy has been awarded a five-year contract to provide subsea services to Shell’s Malaysian units Sarawak Shell Bhd and Sabah Shell Petroleum Bhd. The contract, which includes diving support vessels, air and saturation diving systems and remotely operated vehicles, will cover subsea inspections, repairs, maintenance, scrapping and decommissioning.

New research from CSIRO and the University of Toronto has found up to 11 million tonnes of plastic pollution on the seafloor. With plastic use expected to double by 2040, understanding how and where plastic is spread is critical to protecting marine ecosystems and wildlife. The seafloor has become the repository for most plastic pollution, with an estimated 3 to 11 million tons of plastic sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The study used data from remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and seafloor trawls to estimate the amount and distribution of plastic on the ocean floor. Research also shows that plastic mass clusters around continents, with about half of the world's seafloor plastic mass estimated to be located above 200 meters.

GeoAcoustic has launched the GeoPulse 2 seafloor profiler, a versatile tool designed for pipeline inspections, geological surveys, dredging surveys, environmental assessments and buried object detection. The tool can reach deeper waters for data collection at offshore wind farms and is a drop-in replacement for the GeoPulse Pinger. GeoPulse 2 is available in 4, 9 or 16 sensor configurations and has an operating depth range of 5,000 m. It can achieve resolutions up to 6 cm and penetration depths of up to 80 m in fine clays and 20 m in sand. GeoAcoustics also integrates GeoPulse Compact with Geo-Suite seismic acquisition software, launching a new GIS-based data collection, processing, interpretation and 3D visualization solution.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers won a 2023 Innovation Award for its 6.5-foot drone, the SURVEYOR AMY. Designed by a team of 36 employees, the vessel can travel at 16 knots and collect hydrographic survey data, including water depth and seafloor structure. This information is critical to New York and New Jersey's coastal storm risk management program. The vessel can collect data for dam safety, levee and bridge inspections, and remote shallow water locations that are inaccessible to ships. It can also help in emergency situations by being up and running within hours. The spacecraft's multi-beam system can collect up to 20,000 high-resolution, three-dimensional detail points per second along the seafloor. The ship is unique in that it is able to right itself when ocean conditions cause it to tip over. The project was led by Francis Postiglione, a long-time Army Corps employee and chief of the survey and mapping department.

French subsea power cable manufacturer Nexans and transmission system operator TenneT have signed cancellation contracts for the BalWin3 and LanWin4 offshore grid connection projects to connect North Sea offshore wind farms to the German grid. The contracts, worth a total of €5.5 billion, will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. Nergesen will use its new 525 kV HVDC XLPE cable technology and innovative "quad-bundle" cabling method on the project.

Research from Plymouth Marine Laboratory identified five high-risk areas where floating plastic waste poses the greatest risk to North Atlantic marine life. Plastic waste entered the world's aquatic ecosystems in 2016 and is expected to triple by 2030. Land-based plastic sources account for approximately 80% of plastic pollution in the marine environment, including disposable items such as plastic bags, bottles, wrapping paper, and food. Containers and cutlery are common. More than 4,000 marine and coastal species are affected by marine plastic debris, with some species more sensitive to pollution. The study assessed the risks of terrestrial plastic litter to key marine megafauna and selected productive and biodiverse habitats. The identified high risk zones (HRZ) include British waters, the Azores, the French and US Atlantic coasts, and the US Gulf of Mexico. The most dangerous marine megafauna are seabirds, cetaceans, turtles and cartilaginous fishes. Mangroves and coral reefs are the most dangerous habitats, with entanglement and suffocation causing coral and mangrove branches to break and become diseased.

Kongsberg Discovery launches Seapath® 385, a system that combines inertial technology with advanced hydrographic navigation algorithms. The system integrates raw inertial sensor data from Kongsberg Discovery’s MGC® or MRU along with GNSS data and corrections. The system offers unique capabilities, with dead reckoning performance second to none. Kongsberg Discovery further enhances robustness by innovatively using GNSS antennas for positioning and heading determination. This modular system is easy to install, operates continuously, and offers high measurement accuracy with data rates up to 200Hz for multiple monitoring points.

Unique Group has secured orders for Kongsberg Digital’s cNODE transponders, μPAP SSBL systems and EM2042 multi-beam echo sounders (MBES), enabling the company to expand its subsea equipment rental pool. The order will expand Unique’s Singapore base to provide customers in Southeast Asia with the calibration-free µPAP SSBL system and the lightweight EM2042, due in September 2023.

Kraken Robotics surađuje s Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) na provođenju istraživanja naprednih tehnika obrade signala za senzorsku tehnologiju sonara sa sintetičkom aperturom (SAS). Sporazum uključuje istraživanje poboljšanih tehnika obrade slike kao što su spajanje podataka, registracija slike, multispektralno poboljšanje slike i automatsko prepoznavanje ciljeva. Kraken Robotics je pod sličnim ugovorima o istraživanju i razvoju s američkim vladinim agencijama od 2012., pružajući vrijedno testiranje i procjenu svojih podvodnih tehnoloških rješenja.

TDI-Brooks has completed a six-month retrofit of its dynamically positioned vessel RV Nautilus to support offshore wind projects and subsea needs. The 75-meter vessel is equipped with advanced technology, including Geomil Manta-200 CPT, which can penetrate soil up to 40-50 meters. This data is critical in determining the optimal location and design of offshore developments such as wind farms. The RV Nautilus is equipped with a North American MCK-1240 upper forecastle deck, large deck and Teledyne RESON full-ocean depth multi-beam echosounder for marine hydrography, surface geochemical surveys and seafloor heat flow surveys.

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) has successfully conducted the first remotely controlled completion operation in the Bonga field offshore Nigeria. This operation was performed using a Remote Operations Control System (ROCS) provided by Norwegian technology company Optime Subsea. ROCS eliminates the need for umbilicals and upper hydraulic control units, reducing costs and required deck space. The operation also reduces operating time and HSE risks on the drill floor, thereby reducing capital and operating expenses for the operator.

Swedish marine energy company Minesto has successfully commissioned its 1.2MW utility-scale Dragon 12 tidal energy installation, which has delivered its first electricity to the Faroe Island grid. The 12-meter-wide, 28-ton undersea kite is powered by tidal currents and began generating electricity during its first phase of operation. This marks the most important milestone in the company's history.

Norwegian company Reach Subsea has secured charter agreements for the Northern Maria and Olympic Taurus vessels to meet growing demand in the subsea services market. Northern Maria is a survey vessel equipped with a 20 ton crane suitable for the renewable energy and oil and gas sectors. The Olympic Taurus is a multi-purpose offshore vessel with diesel-electric propulsion, a versatile choice in the IMR/LCV sector. Both charters are subject to final approval by the lender. Reach Subsea's comprehensive service portfolio addresses the needs of both the renewable energy and oil and gas industries.

UK-based Silicon Sensing Systems, a joint venture between Sumitomo Precision Products and Collins Aerospace, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with sales growth of more than 65% over the past five years. The company has provided inertial sensors and systems for high-profile projects, including the Segway personal transportation device and the Mayflower autonomous ship. Silicon Sensing's technology has expanded as demand for precise motion sensing data continues to grow in various markets including surveying, mapping and marine. The company’s patented microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology addresses a range of inertial requirements, including single sensors and full 6-axis IMUs. The latest inertial measurement unit, the DMU41, redefines the capabilities of MEMS technology, delivering navigation-grade inertial sensing performance in a compact, rugged and cost-effective package.

Ulstein Verft has engaged Norwegian offshore crane supplier Red Rock to supply an upgraded crane package for the updated Nexans Aurora cable-laying vessel. Measuring 31 meters wide and 149.9 meters long, the vessel can accommodate a crew of 90 and has a detached carousel on deck and a carousel below deck capable of carrying 3,500 tonnes of cable. Products will be delivered in 2025.

McDermott and Baker Hughes have completed the installation of subsea infrastructure at the Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) field in northern Australia. The work was carried out for Inpex under a 2019 contract. The scope includes the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of umbilicals, risers and flowlines, subsea production systems and subsea well gathering systems. The consortium's responsibilities also include filling the URF EPCI, involving the development of new subsea wells. The Ichthys LNG field is a joint venture between INPEX, TotalEnergies and its Australian subsidiary.

Brazilian oil and gas company Enauta has delivered the first multiphase subsea pumping system (MPP) from Norway to support oil and gas production at the Atalanta field in Brazil’s Santos Basin. The equipment, manufactured by OneSubsea, was loaded in Norway on January 21, 2024 and then shipped to Brazil. Enauta’s FPSO Atalanta, supplied by Malaysia’s Yinson Production, is expected to be installed starting in mid-2024 and will have a total of six production wells. The unit has a production capacity of 50,000 barrels per day and a maximum storage capacity of 1.251 million barrels.

Marlink has upgraded its smart hybrid VSAT installation on PGS Ramform Hyperion to provide higher uplink speeds for offshore geophysical data transmission. The upgrade allows for GEO VSAT in excess of 250 Mbps, enabling instant data transfer from the ship to its landside headquarters. The upgrade reflects the high value of survey 3D, high-density 3D or 4D seafloor imaging generated by the vessel. Instant data transfer is transformative for PGS’s ability to quickly move large amounts of seismic data to the cloud.