SUT was there at the start of All-Energy’s history 21 years ago having been its Learned Society Patron since before the first show was held in Aberdeen in 2001. We’d welcome your early (or later) All-Energy memories. View our anniversary page here. SUT’s then newly formed Marine Renewable Energies Committee played, and continues to play, a key role at the UK’s wide-ranging and largest renewable and low carbon energy exhibition and conference.

This year’s show (SEC Glasgow, 11-12 May) continues to focus on SUT topics of interest

There’s a day-long conference stream on Marine Renewables (tidal stream and wave) and a full day’s show floor theatre programme to relish too. At the end of the first marine renewables session (11:00-12:30, 11 May), the SUT Lennard-Senior Award will be presented to the European Marine Energy Centre’s (EMEC) Managing Director, Neil Kermode.

Offshore wind features heavily with five sessions over the two days, including two on Floating Wind, plus a day of back-to-back presentations in its own show floor theatre, including an insight into the work of the SUT UXO SIG. Catch Marine Scotland’s session on Day 2 too.

Click here to register today and join us there! Make a point of visiting the SUT’s stand (Q03) as well as attending conference sessions. Engineering a Net Zero future.

Photo: Andrew Scott of Orbital Marine Power won the 2019 Lennard-Senior Award (left to right): John Sharp, Chair of SUT’s MREC; Stephen Hall (previous SUT CEO); and recent Lennard-Senior award winners Sue Barr (UK Marine Energy Council) and Tim Cornelius (then CEO, SIMEC Atlantis) flanking winner Andrew.

• Captain Don Walsh at Oi 2022 to present the SUT/MTS Award made in his name to Victor Vescovo and Patrick Lahey in recognition of their contribution to ocean exploration
• Presentation by Vescovo and Lahey – 2021 winners of the SUT/MTS Captain Don Walsh Award
• SUT-moderated session on Women in Industry
• A chance to find out more about making nomination for the 2022 Captain Don Walsh Ocean Exploration Award on the SUT and MTS stands

SUT Contact: Cheryl Burgess Cheryl.burgess@sut.org

MTS Contact: Kristina Norman Kristina.Norman@mtsociety.org

LONDON, UK — Since it launched Oceanology International (Oi) in 1969, the Society for Underwater Technology has always played a key part in the exhibition and conference. This year is no exception with OI’s partner, the SUT and its members, playing a particularly active role in the conference on opening day (Tuesday, 15 March) at ExCeL London.

Dr Ralph Rayner, Oceanology Conference Chair, a past President of the SUT and a Fellow of the Learned Society, will introduce the Oi opening conference session ‘Ocean Futures – The New Blue Economy’ (10:00-12:15).

As SUT’s Chief Executive, Cheryl Burgess explains:

“The New Blue Economy is a knowledge-based economy, looking to the sea not just for extraction of material goods, but for data and information to address societal challenges and inspire their solution”’.

“The New Blue Economy session Ralph is introducing, with a truly stellar line-up (see https://tinyurl.com/ycku899z) explores how emerging capabilities for acquiring ocean data and delivering actionable ocean information can enable a growing Blue Economy that balances delivering the vast economic potential of the ocean with protecting ocean health and ensuring social equity.

“As the session comes to a close, it will feature a very special moment when the Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration, will be presented by Captain Don Walsh, Moya Crawford, President of the SUT and Zdenka Willis, President MTS to Victor Vescovo and Patrick Lahey.

“The Award is made annually by SUT and MTS and it is a great honour to have Don Walsh with us at Oi this year during the presentations.

Full information on the nomination process for the 2022 Captain Don Walsh Ocean Exploration Award, with its deadline of 31 May 2022, will be on the SUT stand (R550) at Oi; along with information on other awards such as the Gwyn Griffiths Underwater Robotics Award with its submission deadline of 31 March.

Presentation by the winners of the 2021 Don Walsh Award + Women in Industry

The next presentation in the Ocean Futures Theatre at Oi 2022 will be ‘Into the Abyss: Exploring the Deepest Realms of the World’s Oceans’ when delegates will be invited to join undersea explorer Victor Vescovo and submarine engineer Patrick Lahey, winners of the captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration, as they recount their experiences of making possible dives to the deepest points in each of the world’s oceans.

This will be followed by ’Women in Industry’ chaired by SUT’s Chair, Sue John with a panel of women engineers, scientists, and technologists from the subsea, underwater, and wider marine sector each sharing insights from their career progression, successes, and challenges. A moderated panel discussion will follow the presentations, including audience Q&A where attendees are encouraged to engage with panellists and their peers.

---

Further information

Further information on SUT its global branches; corporate, individual and student membership; special interest groups; and activities is at www.sut.org and on Oceanology International at www.oceanologyinternational.com/

About the MTS
The Marine Technology Society (MTS) promotes awareness, understanding, and the advancement and application of marine technology. Incorporated in 1963, the international society brings together businesses, institutions, professionals, academics, and students who are ocean engineers, technologists, policy makers, and educators. The Society publishes a peer-reviewed journal — The Marine Technology Society Journal. It has three technical divisions and 31 Professional Committees (technical interest groups). The society hosts several conferences yearly. And, it supports 13 Sections, which focus on events and programs unique to their geographic areas, enhancing networking among local colleagues, businesses, universities and government/military offices. www.mtsociety.org

Feedback on the Society for Underwater Technology’s (SUT) Virtual Subsea Awareness Course and their Virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Course proved so positive that third iterations of both are to be held in March 2022.

As SUT’s Chief Executive, Cheryl Burgess explained:

“Delegates attending from around the world, combined with very positive feedback from them, has led to us planning our third version of both of these online courses

“VSAC is the virtual version of SUT’s highly successful in-person course which has been running for over 20 years and attracted in excess of a thousand delegates. The offshore wind course, developed in association with Cranfield University, was developed specifically for the virtual world and really hit the proverbial spot.

“Both are introductory courses taking delegates back to basics, something that has been greatly appreciated by all who have joined us.

“Presenter names will be announced early in 2022.”

Virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Course

The Virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Course will take place on 2nd and 3rd March over two online interactive 4-hour morning sessions from 09:00-13:00GMT. It will be delivered by Industry and academic experts, with an emphasis on the practical applications and cover:

• Wind and the Net Zero Challenge inc Deepwater Floating Potential
• Planning, Environmental Studies, and Approvals
• MetOcean/Weather: UK and NW Europe Focus including Deepwater for Floating Technology
• Fixed Bottom Offshore Structure Design and Integrity
• Offshore Site Investigation and Seabed Site Foundations
• Construction
• Cables
• Floating Wind Structures
• Completion, Post Installation, and Ongoing Operation
• As well as an Introduction to SUT.

The course is designed for professional non-engineers who would benefit from understanding the offshore wind energy industry; and engineers and technical staff who are new to this sector or making the transition from another industry as part of the energy transition.

Click here for more information and to regsiter.

Virtual Subsea Awareness Course (VSAC)

VSAC, being held over five mornings (15 hours in total) from 28th March to 1st April from 10:00-13:00GMT, is similarly aimed for specific individuals such as new entrants who are already technically qualified but just entering the offshore energy industry and/or the subsea sector; technically qualified experienced personnel undergoing a technology transfer and conversion process into the subsea sector; and non-technical personnel from legal or finance sectors who regularly deal with the subsea sector.

Sessions delivered by industry experts will cover:

• Subsea Production Equipment & Systems
• Flow Assurance
• Pipeline & Risers
• Constructions & Installation
• Metocean
• Renewables and Future Technology Trends
• Operation, Maintenance & Decommissioning

Click here for more information and to register.

Course fees – excluding VAT where applicable

The fee for the Virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Course is £325 for SUT members; and £415 for non-members.

The fee for the Virtual Subsea awareness course is £715 for members and £845 for non-members

Members of EEEGR, OES, IMCA and EIC can enrol for either course at the SUT membership fee.

SUT Individual membership is £76 per year. To join, visit www.sut.org or e-mail jane.hinton@sut.org.

Further information

Further information on both courses will be posted in the New Year on the training pages of the SUT website at www.sut.org. Both courses are CPD approved.

This week’s AGM of the Society for Underwater Technology marked the official hand over to new elected officers in all senior posts – President, Chair, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer; the announcement of three new Fellows of the Learned Society; and of winners of three Awards, The President’s Award, the Lennard-Senior Award; and the Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics. Once all the formalities were concluded SUT members were treated to a fascinating talk on ‘eDNA: The future of ocean biodiversity monitoring’ by Dr Katie Cruickshanks of NatureMetrics.

The new officers

SUT’s Cheryl Burgess explained:

“By coincidence our Chair, David Saul; our Hon Secretary, Dave Brookes; and our Hon Treasurer Mick Cook had all reached the end of their permitted terms of office at the same time; and our President Judith Patten MBE has also stepped down after her year in office. We thank them all for their sterling service during unprecedented times. Both David Saul and Judith Patten will remain on SUT’s Council

“Moya Crawford is our new President; Sue John our first female Chair; Iain Knight takes on the role of Hon Secretary and Nigel Carey becomes Hon Treasurer – what a team!”

New Fellows of the SUT

Three new SUT Fellows have been elected:

• Simon Hems for services to the London and South of England Branch
• Steve Duffield for services to the Perth (Australia) Branch and SUT’s International Committee
• Rex Hubbard for services to the Perth Branch

Awards

The President’s Award 2021 was presented to John Howes, publisher and editor of UT2, and UV2 at an auspicious time. UT2 has recently reached a major milestone – 75 issues have been published since 2006. As the citation states:

“The President’s Award is made to John Howes, a great friend of the Society, the respected journalist, publisher and expert in the field of underwater technology in recognition of the years of service he has performed with, and for the SUT, its members and the wider industry.”

UT2 was one of the first magazines in the world to be produced for online publication and: “is not only a ‘go-to’ publication for its content, but visually is in a class of its own”. UV2 focuses on underwater vehicles and increasingly has video embedded which can also be found on the Subsea Video YouTube channel. John Howes also publishes old underwater-related photos on LinkedIn a service that has attracted over 17,000 followers and a host of comments which may in time lead to history qualification looking at ‘Subsea 1960 to the present’.

The Lennard-Senior Memorial Prize is awarded annually in memory of two of the original members of SUT’s Marine Renewable Energies Committee (MREC) – Don Lennard and Gordon Senior. This year’s winner (nominated by and voted for by members of MREC) is Neil Kermode, Managing Director of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.

Neil won the inaugural award ten years ago in 2011 and “still – perhaps more than ever- deserves this accolade today… EMEC has marine renewables at its core and has extended its reach, to great effect, to encompass hydrogen and energy systems….. Neil is a true champion of enabling the marine energy sector”. His Award will be officially presented at All-Energy 2022 in Glasgow in May 2022.

Attendees at the AGM were also made aware of the winner of the inaugural Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics – Aleksandra Tomaszek, co-founder of 1CSI Ltd (see press release issued 8 November https://tinyurl.com/42y5t8wb)

Full information on the SUT is available at www.sut.org. The Learned Society has both individual, corporate and student members. SUT Individual membership is £76 per year. To join visit www.sut.org/sut-membership/application-for-membership/ or e-mail jane.hinton@sut.org.

---

The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) has launched a virtual introductory course on offshore site investigation and geotechnical engineering in the offshore environment. This is the online equivalent of the face-to-face course successfully run by the Society’s Offshore Site Investigation Group (OSIG) for a number of years. The online course is spread over four half days for two weeks (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) on 16, 18, 23 and 25 November.

Aimed at non-specialists, it aims to provide a broad overview of the offshore market, and how the data acquired is applied to maximise the value of offshore projects in both the offshore oil and gas and offshore renewable energy sectors.

The face-to-face course has built a formidable reputation explained Chery Burgess, CEO of the SUT:

“The face-to-face course has been running for 25, or so, years and has attracted well in excess of 500 delegates. We are delighted to add an OSIG course to our virtual offerings which also include our Virtual Subsea Awareness Course and an Introduction to Offshore Wind Energy Course, both of which have attracted delegates from around the world.

“The first two days have a geophysical theme, and then in week two the attention turns to the geotechnical side of things. We have an impressive list of industry and academic experts covering a wide range of topics, from planning an offshore site investigation through technical and operational aspects of data acquisition and reporting, to the practical use of the data in geohazard assessment and foundation design.

“Our speakers are drawn from Vysus, MCL Consultancy, RPS, Bangor University, RWE, BP, University of Southampton, Gardline, Ørsted, NGI, University of Bristol, Atkins, Subsea 7, and Lloyd’s Register. Our thanks are extended to Francesca Ciavaglia of Lloyd’s Register who has co-ordinated preparation of this course.“

Each half-day session will include a set of oral presentations, followed by small-group practical activities with the scope to reinforce the knowledge and get further insight on the topics presented. Small-group activities will also provide an opportunity to discuss with experts in the field, while creating an engaging and interactive environment. Alongside knowledge sharing, the course provides an excellent opportunity to network within the offshore industry.

Information on the CPD approved course is at www.sut.org/event/an-introduction-to-offshore-geophysics-and-geotechnical-engineering-3/

The course fee is £300 for SUT members and £395 for non-members. (excluding VAT where chargeable).

SUT individual membership is £76 per year. To join, visit www.sut.org www.sut.org/sut-membership or e-mail jane.hinton@sut.org.

---

Registration is now open for the joint 3-day ‘Smart Operations: Driving a Lower Carbon Future’ virtual seminar organised by the Society for Underwater Technology, The Hydrographic Society in Scotland (THSiS) and the international Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) and taking place on the afternoons of Tuesday 2-Thursday 4 November.

As Cheryl Burgess, CEO of the SUT explained:

“Our businesses continue to operate in mature regions – stable, predictable environments that can generate significant revenue. How we maximise profitability today is a significant contributor to funding lower carbon initiatives.

“Mature regions expect a reduction of large greenfield projects – with operator focus shifting toward smart operations: efficient exploration methods, short-cycle projects and lower OPEX. This promotes lower development costs, standardised infrastructure and increased utilisation during production costs down. Our challenge is to deliver development in the most efficient and sustainable way possible, maximising value today, tomorrow and in the future and this is just what our expert speakers will be talking about.”

Day 1 concentrates on ‘Subsea to Shore’ with Ross Dornan of OGUK delivering a keynote address followed by speakers from IMCA, TP Group, and XOCEAN addressing ‘Uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) are a fact, not science fiction, they are here and now!’; Mimicking Insect behaviour to optimise vessel operations’; and ‘Asset inspection using uncrewed surface vessels – Delivering tomorrow’s and future challenges today’.

On Day 2 attention turns to ‘A Potential Difference – Subsea Power’ with a keynote address by Gael Chouchelamane of EC-OG and speakers drawn from Teledyne, University of Houston; and EC-OG talking about ‘Power for subsea applications’; ‘Subsea power generation and storage using ionized static electricity’; and Driving a low carbon future – today, tomorrow & future’.

‘Addressing the Big Issues – Decarbonisation’ is the topic for the final afternoon of the seminar with speakers from Versatec, Houlder and OMV Petrom in the spotlight covering ‘You have the information for data driven decisions, but you are not seeing it!’; ‘Pathways to fleet decarbonisation for the offshore support sector’; and ‘Normally uncrewed installations’.

The full programme and registration can be found online at www.sut.org/event/smart-operations-driving-a-lower-carbon-future-2021/. A 3-Day pass costs £30 for members and £50 for non-members (excluding VAT where chargeable). SUT Individual membership is £76 per year. To join, visit www.sut.org/sut-membership/ or e-mail jane.hinton@sut.org.

Winners carried out the Five Deeps Expedition described by a distinguished member of The Explorer’s Club as “The most ambitious exploration expedition of the century”

London UK, and Washington, DC, US  — The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) and The Marine Technology Society (MTS) are proud to announce that the 2021 Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration has been won jointly by Commander Victor Vescovo, USN, Retired and Patrick Lahey for the 2019 Five Deeps Expedition and further dives of scientific or historical interest in subsequent years.

In 2015 Commander Victor Vescovo proposed a goal of finding and diving into the five deepest spots in the world’s ocean with dives taking place in the Atlantic, Southern, Indian, Pacific and Arctic oceans. This feat required not only a unique diving submersible but also fielding a specially equipped survey and support ship.

Patrick Lahey and the team at Triton Submarines responded to Commander Vescovo’s project by creating a revolution in deep submergence capabilities. Patrick led a team of marine architects, designers, engineers and technicians to produce the Triton 36000/2, the first – and to date, only fully accredited (DNV/GL certified) human occupied deep submersible capable of routine exploration at full ocean depth. Commander Vescovo’s submersible of that design is the ‘Limiting Factor’. Lahey and the Triton Submarines team took the design from concept to build, testing, trials, shakedown, initial deployment and through to the successful completion of the Five Deeps Expedition.

Awarded jointly by the SUT and MTS, this esteemed award is named after American oceanographer, explorer, retired naval officer, and marine policy specialist Captain Don Walsh. Walsh and co-pilot Jacques Piccard were aboard the bathyscaph Trieste when it made its daunting record descent on January 23, 1960 into the deepest point of the world’s oceans – the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. The award recognises outstanding, sustained, international contribution to the development, application, and propagation of marine technology toward the advancement of ocean exploration.

“It is a true honor to be recognized by the experts of the SUT and MTS, alongside my friend and colleague Patrick. I would have to emphasize that he and I were simply the leaders of an extraordinary team that enabled our success – and we certainly stood on the shoulders of giants like Captain Walsh and James Cameron who developed extraordinary, full ocean depth technologies before us,”

said Commander Vescovo.

“I am honored and humbled to have been chosen as a co-recipient of this prestigious award by the MTS and SUT together with my client and friend Victor. Developing the Triton 36000/2 was the most challenging and rewarding undertaking of my professional life so far. I was incredibly fortunate to work with a remarkably diverse team of talented, creative, and resourceful people who pioneered a revolutionary new submersible that enabled the successful completion of the Five Deeps Expedition. To receive the award from Captain Don Walsh personally is particularly meaningful because Don is a friend, mentor and living legend,”

said Lahey.

“The contributions of Commander Vescovo and Lahey to the advancement of ocean exploration are significant, and collectively SUT and MTS are honored to present them with this award in the name and legacy of Captain Don Walsh. It is exceptionally fitting to honor them both as a team as it is a true demonstration to how exploration and technology work in tandem to create ingenuity and progress,”

said Zdenka Willis, MTS President.

“What excited the judging panel was that this brought together the perfect combination – an explorer with a zest for life and discovery and superb technology. Indeed, it would be unbalanced to nominate Commander Vescovo without acknowledging the revolutionary application of modern marine technology achieved by Lahey and the team at Triton. Technology lies not only at the heart of the names of both societies but is key to our ethos and our membership,”

said Judith Patten MBE, President of the SUT.

Diving for historical and scientific purposes

Following the well-documented Five Deeps Expedition dives https://fivedeeps.com/ in 2019, further dives have taken place. In 2020, Commander Vescovo partnered with the French Navy to dive on the wreck of the submarine Minerve, and with the International Hydrographic Bureau and the Monaco Blue Initiative to explore the deepest spot in the Mediterranean. He then partnered with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia to conduct scientific dives to the unique brine lakes at the bottom of the Red Sea.

Commander Vescovo has mapped over 1 million square kilometres of ocean floor and donated all his data to the Nippon Foundation General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) Seabed 2030 project.

After a second year of dives into the Challenger Deep, which included the first women to dive to the deepest depths, former astronaut Kathy Sullivan, the Pressure Drop surveyed the entire northern “Ring of Fire” from Guam to Alaska, discovering, mapping, and naming over 70 new underwater features. During the 2021 dives, Commander Vescovo marked a personal 12th dive into the Challenger Deep, and discovered the deepest wreck in history, the U.S. World War II destroyer Johnston off the Philippine Island of Samar.

SUT Contact: Cheryl Burgess Cheryl.burgess@sut.org

MTS Contact: Amanda Johnston Amanda.Johnston@mtsociety.org

 

---

The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) is a proud supporter of the pre-COP26 Oceans of Knowledge 2021: Climate Change and the Ocean Conference, the fourth biennial conference in the series. The hybrid event is being held at the Institute of Physics in London with global remote participation.

The two-day conference addresses three key themes: climate change and sustainable use of the ocean and ocean resources; the role of the ocean in natural and engineered climate mitigation; and rising sea levels and coastal vulnerability. It is aimed at government and government agencies; the climate science and ocean observing community; ocean technology businesses; users of the coast and the ocean; coastal and ocean planning bodies; and ocean industries; SUT has individual and corporate members from, and special interest groups aimed at, all of these communities.

Ralph Rayner, immediate past President of the SUT and co-chair of the conference, organised by the Operational Oceanography Special Interest Group of the IMarEST said:

“Taking place immediately ahead of COP26, this is an opportunity to hear from an impressive array of speakers covering the three key conference themes Outputs from the conference will be delivered to COP26 through a side event and exhibition, helping to raise the profile of ocean issues in these all-important negotiations.”

Scene setting keynotes from luminaries including Sir David King, Founder and Chair, Centre for Climate Repair, Cambridge University, Former UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Dr Richard Spinrad, U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, and Emma Howard-Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency will highlight current scientific understanding and responses to ocean-related aspects of climate change. Policy responses at a national and international level will be placed into the context of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable development and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Sessions over the two days look at The Challenge; Use of the Ocean and its Resources; The New Blue Economy; Meeting the Challenge; What We Know; What We Don’t Know; Living with Uncertainty; and Meeting the Challenge. The full programme and registration are at https://tinyurl.com/2fj2ef2x .

Outputs from the conference will be used to generate a summary report drawing together the three themes, informing follow on workshops, and supporting peer-reviewed publications.

Full information on SUT, its events globally, special interest groups, podcasts and webinars, publications, and other activities is at www.sut.org SUT Individual membership is £76 per year; to join, visit www.sut.org/sut-membership/application-for-membership/ or e-mail jane.hinton@sut.org.

The Society for Underwater Technology’s (SUT) second virtual Offshore Wind Renewable Energy course, held in association with Cranfield University, will take place on 19-20 October over two online interactive 4-hour morning sessions.

The introductory offshore wind course featuring acknowledged industry and academic experts as presenters is designed with two specific groups in mind: professional non-engineering staff, who would benefit from understanding the offshore wind energy industry; and for engineers and technical staff new to the sector or making the transition from another industry.

Following an introduction to the SUT, topics being covered over the two days are:

• Wind and the Net Zero Challenge inc Deepwater Floating Potential
• Planning, Environmental Studies, and Approvals
• MetOcean/Weather: UK and NW Europe Focus inc Deepwater for Floating Technology
• Fixed Bottom Offshore Structure Design and Integrity
• Offshore Site Investigation and Seabed Site Foundations
• Construction and Cables
• Floating Wind Structures
• Completion, Post Installation, and Ongoing Operation

Time is set aside for questions and for networking.

As Cheryl Burgess, Chief Executive of SUT explains:

“SUT is an international Learned Society with members in 40 countries. It covers all aspects of marine science and engineering involved in the seabed, the water column and surface piercing structures.

“An increasing number of our corporate and individual members in the UK and overseas are involved with the rapidly expanding global offshore wind industry. We were thrilled by the reaction to our first offshore wind virtual course at which we had delegates from all over the UK and from France and South Korea. Naturally we asked for feedback and were delighted by what we received:

• The course was well balanced, interesting, and enjoyable. Excellent presenters.
• Excellent value
• For me, it was perfect.
• I thought it was brilliant. Fast paced but very understandable. It was pitched at exactly the right level.
• All presenters were very informative and delivered subject matter effortlessly.
• This course is absolutely fantastic!

The full programme, details on the nine presenters, and registration information are online at www.sut.org/event/offshore-wind-renewable-energy-virtual-course/

Course fees are £325 for SUT members; and £415 for non-Members (excluding VAT where chargeable). The course is CPD approved. SUT Individual membership is £76 per year. To join, visit www.sut.org or e-mail jane.hinton@sut.org.