NOC Working with Business - January 2018

Improving coastal resilience for developing nations Storm surges - large scale increases in sea levels due to a storm - pose a major threat to life and property along the coast. The NOC is working to create a prototype cost-effective storm surge forecast system which will enable vulnerable communities to access high quality forecast information, helping avoid and mitigate hazards arising from these phenomena, allowing appropriate action to be taken by communities and response services.  The system builds upon existing high resolution shelf modelling capabilities which include tides and wind-driven free surface variation. It will be demonstrated in a high vulnerability coastal region of Madagascar. We are working in partnership with Sea Level Research Ltd, METEO Madagascar, and the Centre National de Recherches Océanographiques toward a solution which stakeholder organisations such as meteorological agencies can take up and run themselves. This project, Coastal Resilience to flooding Impact through relocatable Storm surge forecasting Capability for developing nations (C-RISC), is funded through NERC's Innovation follow-on fund. For more information please contact Christine Sams chrams@noc.ac.uk Marine robot mission demonstrates new acoustic monitoring capability In autumn 2017 NOC co-ordinated the fourth annual MASSMO (Marine Autonomous Systems in Support of Marine Observations) mission. One of the primary objectives was to test new acoustic monitoring devices mounted on marine robots, in order to detect marine mammals and man-made noises in the ocean. The marine robot fleet ventured up to 200 km from Orkney out to the Faroe-Shetland Channel, where water depths exceeded 1000 m. Several industry partners contributed to the mission, with acoustic data collected using the C-Enduro and Autonaut unmanned surface vehicles, and submarine gliders provided by the NOC, University of East Anglia and Blue Ocean Monitoring; the passive acoustic sensors on these vehicles were provided by Seiche, RS Aqua, Jasco and Kongsberg. Initial results indicate that the robots detected at least four species of marine mammal, including sperm whales, pilot whales, dolphins and porpoises. Sources of noise pollution included ship engines and seismic surveys. Further details can be found on the NOC website, and the story also featured on regional ITV News. Further acoustic trials are planned during MASSMO5 off Norway in summer 2018. MASSMO4 was sponsored by Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and co-ordinated by the NOC. Project partners included University of East Anglia, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Royal Navy, NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation, Marine Scotland Science, UK Met Office, UK Hydrographic Office, Blue Ocean Monitoring, ASV Global, Liquid Robotics, RS Aqua, Autonaut and Seiche. The NOC and RRS Discovery build links in Chile Master Antonio Gatti and NOC Associate Director, Innovation and Enterprise, Kevin Forshaw hosted a reception on RRS Discovery, supported by Fiona Clouder (UK Ambassador) and Gp Capt Paul Warwick (UK Defence Attaché) to over 60 delegates from industry, government and research organisations in Chile. Key projects already taking place between the UK and Chile were presented to the audience, along with details of the funding mechanisms used to support these and any future collaborative projects that can be established. Separately, a meeting was held with Chilean Navy representatives to feedback on UK Marine Autonomous Systems (MAS) developments, with outputs from this being fed back to the next Society of Maritime Industries MAS Council in February. This reception on board was part of a programme of events in collaboration with the FCO to promote UK marine science and industry in countries where the UK is seeking to establish improved links in the future. The speech made by by HM Ambassador Fiona Clouder on board RRS Discovery, where she talks about the NOC's leading role on the world stage, is available here. Low Cost Tide and Sea Level Measurement for Intertidal Public Safety Through NERC innovation grant funding, the NOC is working with the RNLI to demonstrate a viable, low cost, real time sea level measurement system based on remote sensing GNSS technology. This system has the potential to reduce tidal cut-off incidents, assist safe operation of vessels and enable measurement in regions of the world where these are sparse. Site visits to engage with lifeboat station crew and deploy measurement kit are planned for this quarter. Sea level information is widely used to help understand local and regional changes in sea level and the frequency and magnitude of storm events, as well as for day-to-day coastal activities. For more information on LoCTIPS project please contact Christine Sams chrams@noc.ac.uk See us at: 7-9 February - SubSea Expo 2018, Aberdeen See us on Stand 62 and Dr Thomas Prime, Applied Ocean Modeller, speaking at 14:00 on 7 February. More info. 15 February - NOC Marine Business Breakfast Club, Southampton 1 March - 'Year of Autonomy' workshop, NOC Southampton  13-15 March - Oceanology International, London The NOC is returning to OI with two exhibition stands and will be participating in a number of conference sessions the details of which are here. To arrange a meeting prior to the show please email NOCBusiness@noc.ac.uk or visit stands A209 or R390 at the event.   This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: National Oceanography Centre · Waterfront Campus · European Way · Southampton · SO14 3ZH · United Kingdom