NOC News Round Up - 27 October 2017

Nippon Foundation GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project team holds inaugural meeting at NOC A working group met for the first time this week at the NOC to kickstart the Seabed 2030 project, which aims to map the entire ocean floor by 2030.  The long term project is a collaboration between GEBCO and the Nippon Foundation and was announced by the chairman of the Nippon Foundation at the UN Ocean Conference on SDG-14 earlier this year. The aspiration is for Seabed 2030 to compile all available and newly collected bathymetric data into a high-quality, high-resolution digital model of the ocean floor and to promote international efforts to collect new data. Mini 'robots' used to help create an environmental map in Vanuatu This week the NOC's Dr Tim Le Bas and David Price have returned from Vanuatu, where they were using a small ROV (in the photo to the left) and UAV to help create an environmental map in an area. The team completed 277 dives with the mini ROV and acquired underwater photography of the marine habitats in high resolution, which are being used alongside aerial photography mosaics from the UAV for the shallower water areas, in addition to bathymetry and backscatter data collected by the UKHO earlier this year. This will create a full environmental map, with a specific focus on seagrass and coral reef health, to aid planning. For example, a bay in the mapped area may become a marine protected area but the local government also hopes to build a jetty for large cruise ships there, to enable people to easily visit the nearby volcano, Mt Yasur. This could become a major source of income for the area but requires a basic understanding of the marine habitats and environment. This work forms part of the Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme. Autonomy and Technology Showcase line-up announced The line-up for this year's Marine Autonomy and Technology Showcase (MATS) which runs from 13-18 November at the NOC's Southampton waterfront site has been announced. The three day programme of workshops, talks, demonstrations and networking offers a unique opportunity to find out about the latest developments in ocean technology and how organisations can engage with the NOC to explore opportunities to secure funding, share ideas and get those ideas in front of influential users from the marine and maritime industries. See NOC at:   This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: National Oceanography Centre · Waterfront Campus · European Way · Southampton · SO14 3ZH · United Kingdom