NOC News Round Up - 16 March 2018

'Boaty' completes first under-ice Antarctic mission One of the NOC's Autosub Long Rang AUV's, known affectionately around the world as 'Boaty McBoatface', was successfully recovered last week following its first under-ice mission beneath the Filchner Ice Shelf in West Antarctica. This success marks a significant milestone in proving the vehicle's capability. During January and February 2018, the AUV was deployed in the southern Weddell Sea during RV Polarstern cruise PS111 as part of the Filchner Ice Shelf System (FISS) Project. 'Boaty' spent a total of 51 hours under the Antarctic ice, travelling 108km over the duration of the deployment. The vehicle reached water depths of 944m, and spent 20 hours exploring beneath a section of the ice shelf that was 550m thick. Read the full story on our website. Science Minister visits the NOC This week the Science Minister, Sam Gyimah MP, visited the National Oceanography Centre to learn about the value of global-scale oceanography, as well as meeting Boaty McBoatface in the Marine Robotics Innovation Centre.   In response to the visit the Executive Director of the NOC, Professor Ed Hill, said: "We provided the Minster with overviews of our world-leading capabilities in satellite remote sensing, ocean modelling, and marine autonomous systems. We were able to give him a very good picture of the strategic importance of NOC and the research that we do, as well as the enthusiasm and commitment of the people here."  NOC at Oceanology International 2018 Oceanology International 2018 took place at London Excel this week, and it was the biggest year yet for the NOC at the exhibition. In addition to two stands - showcasing the NOC's marine data products and business development services, we chaired and contributed to a wide range of high-profile conference sessions. The event also saw a strong presence from our partners and members, demonstrating their latest innovative products and services to a global audience.  We're now looking ahead to this year's next big event when we host the Marine Autonomy and Technology Showcase in November. Developing a new tool to optimise sea wall design A new NERC-funded research project aims to take a low-cost instrument previously used to measure waves in the open ocean, and convert it into a system that can more accurately assess coastal overtopping hazards. The new WireWall tool will initially be used to assess overtopping at vulnerable locations on the 900-metre-long sea wall at Crosby in the North West of England, to inform its new design. The NOC is working with partners including HR Wallingford, Marlan Maritime Technologies and Channel Coast Observatories to develop the new system which will ultimately help protect communities vulnerable to coastal hazards. Image courtesy of Sefton Council   This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: National Oceanography Centre · Waterfront Campus · European Way · Southampton · SO14 3ZH · United Kingdom