SMMI BULLETIN - MARCH 2021
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SMMI Rising Star Dr Wassim Dbouk joins COP26
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Later this year in Glasgow, one message will take centre stage at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26): to safeguard our planet, we must work together across borders, industries, and academic disciplines. With universities round the world playing an essential role in the success of the planet’s collective climate agenda, the Commonwealth, the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and the British Council have partnered to establish the Commonwealth Futures Climate Research Cohort, supporting 26 rising-star researchers from 16 countries to bring their expertise to a global stage. Amongst those named is University of Southampton alumnus and Policy Research Fellow in SMMI, Dr Wassim Dbouk. Director of SMMI, Prof Damon Teagle said “Dr Dbouk’s maritime law background, experience with influencing and guiding policymakers and regulators, and his growing technical knowledge of many of the challenges facing the oceans, its life and the large populations who live by and rely on the oceans, make him well placed to both benefit from this opportunity as well as make extremely valuable contributions to the Commonwealth Climate Research Cohort.” Read more here.
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Southampton welcomes Richard Westgarth to the SMMI team
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Richard Westgarth of BMT has recently joined the Southampton Marine & Maritime Institute as an Adjunct Professor. Richard has over 40 years of experience in the defence and maritime sectors as an innovation strategist and business adviser. His wealth of experience in naval and defence domains builds on his earlier work in research, innovation, change management and consultancy. Richard has a horizon-scanning role across the BMT organisation, looking at medium to long term trends. This embraces emergent and disruptive technologies including autonomous systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). He has been extensively involved with Maritime UK, working in a number of their working groups and leading their futures programme. He sits on the UK Maritime Enterprise Working Group leading on shipbuilding skills related aspects. He has been active developing the MarRI-UK initiative for a number of years and chairs their working group. Read more here.
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SMMI Adjunct Professor Grahaeme Henderson reflects on his industry-transforming career
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Alumnus Dr Grahaeme Henderson OBE (BSc First Class Honours Civil Engineering, 1976; PhD Civil Engineering, 1980) is a leading world advocate for safety and the environment – causes that he’s advanced significantly during four decades of work at Shell and through partnerships with the University. As Global Head of the company’s Shipping and Maritime group, Grahaeme reflects with Hartley News Online on his extraordinary and industry-transforming career since graduating from Southampton. During the last 10 years at Shell, Grahaeme has led shipping industry efforts in safety, efficiency, and decarbonisation. Cited as one of the top 15 most influential people in the global shipping industry, Grahaeme has been committed to delivering significant reductions in serious incidents and greenhouse gas emissions from shipping – making strides through new technologies and more collaborative working. These achievements have been widely recognised, not least with an OBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours. Grahaeme has also maintained a strong relationship working with the University to tackle safety and environmental challenges. In 2015, Dr Henderson was appointed Adjunct Professor to the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute. In recognition of this and other valuable contributions to Southampton and society, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree in 2018. Read the full article here.
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Suez Canal blockage: what it takes to unwedge a megaship
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Credit: Suez Canal/AFP/Getty Images
In an article published for The Conversation, SMMI member Stephen Turnock, Professor of Maritime Fluid Dynamics and Head of the Department of Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering discusses how one of the world’s largest container ships, named Ever Given struck ground in the Suez Canal and how engineers will endeavour to unwedge the mega-ship. The incident has created a logjam of hundreds of tankers, the operators of which are now weighing up whether to wait for the stranded container ship to be cleared, or whether rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, at the southernmost point of Africa, will hasten their arrival at port.
Stephen explains the methods they’ll use to do this will be roughly the same as past examples. A grounded ship of any size requires additional buoyancy to help salvage crews ease it from where it’s stuck. And, in the case of the Ever Given, horizontal force – applied by tug boats – will be required to heave the ship from both banks of the Suez Canal. The precise way in which the Ever Given struck ground will be important for salvage teams to understand because, when refloating a grounded ship, it’s usually easiest to extract it the way it went in – as with a splinter. Read the full article here.
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Subsea robotic mapping and recovery of radioactive particles from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant
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A robotic submersible equipped with a in situ gamma-ray spectrometer being deployed near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
An article recently published by University of Southampton SMMI academic, Professor Blair Thornton (Maritime Engineering group; Co-director of the In Situ and Remote Intelligent Sensing (IRIS) Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science Centre of Excellence), describes the development of a robotic submersible that was used to map and recover high-concentration radio cesium enriched particles that had been released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant as a result of the 2011 Great Eastern Earthquake, Tsunami and nuclear disaster. The project was driven by the previous finding of Blair Thornton and his team, who deployed a towed gamma-ray scintillation spectrometer to map the fine-scale distribution of radioactive material in marine sediments within a 25 km radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. Read more here.
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EU EMERGE project holds first Stakeholder Workshop on ‘Abatement of the emissions and discharges of shipping’
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Maritime transport is a major source of marine and atmospheric pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, which are projected to increase significantly, if effective measures would not be taken. To address this issue, the EU-funded EMERGE project aims to study the effects of different emission reduction solutions for shipping in Europe and to develop effective strategies to decrease the environmental and climatic impacts of shipping. This will involve measurements and modelling on actual vessels, along main shipping routes and in sensitive European marine regions. The project will provide stakeholders and decision makers with guidance and recommendations to promote sustainable shipping in the medium and the long term. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The consortium with 17 members includes the University of Southampton which is being led by SMMI member Ian Williams, Professor of Applied Environmental Science and Associate Dean (Enterprise) in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and SMMI partner, Maritime Institute of Eastern Mediterranean, formerly CMMI. Read more here.
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Thames Estuary report highlights changes over the last decade
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Dr Ivan Haigh, a staff member in SMMI, has contributed to a new report just released by the Environment Agency. The report, looks at how flooding in the Thames Estuary has changed over the past 10 years, and marks the first key milestone in the 10-Year Review of the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan. The Thames Estuary 2100 Plan was the first UK flood risk management strategy to put climate adaptation at its core. It is a trailblazer of the adaptive approach set out in the Environment Agency’s National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Strategy published last year. Read more here.
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Ambitions to reduce shipping emissions charged by future technology research
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New research into the viability of battery technologies for maritime operations informs the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as part of their on-going assessment of future technologies. Benjamin Craig, a PhD researcher in Energy Storage and Applications at the University of Southampton (UoS) and Chartered Engineer with the IMechE, has recently completed a three-month placement with the MCA’s Maritime Future Technology Team, as part of growing collaborations between the MCA and the University of Southampton. During his placement he prepared a comprehensive review of the use of high-density batteries and hybrid drive systems in the maritime sector. Benjamin’s report, 'The Future of Batteries in the Marine Sector: What Lies Beyond the Horizon?’, investigated the viability of different battery technologies as well as providing insights into the Government’s ambitions to reduce emissions from shipping. The report also considers technical limitations as well as environmental and financial costs of the move towards the widespread uptake of battery technology across the UK Flagged fleet. Read more here.
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Southampton graduates at the heart of America’s Cup final
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The finals of the 36th America’s Cup saw defending champion Emirates Team New Zealand defeat the contending crew of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli from Italy, 7-3. The battle of the high-tech yachts, sailed in waters off the coast of Auckland, saw University of Southampton Ship Science graduates go head-to-head as alumni featured in both teams. Luna Rossa’s Construction Manager is Julian Meunier who completed his MSc in Maritime Engineering, Yacht and Small Craft in 2007 at Southampton and one of the team’s Aerodynamic Analysts is Nicholas Carabelli who graduated with the same degree in 2018. Read more here.
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International project to understand drivers of global flood hazard and risk supported by major NERC funding
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Photo credit: US EPA
Experts at the universities of Southampton and Hull are leading a new £3.7m project which aims to revolutionise our understanding of the drivers of flood hazard and risk globally. The new project, titled EvoFlood, aims to improve the capability of Global Flood Models (GFMs) – state-of-the-art computer models used to simulate the probability of flooding across the Earth - and then apply them to understand how flooding will change in the coming decades. Professor Steve Darby, who is based in Southampton’s School of Geography and Environmental Science and Professor Dan Parsons at the University of Hull are the co-Principal Investigators on the project. Read more here.
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Whale Sharks show remarkable capacity to recover from injuries
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Copyright Clare Prebble, Marine Megafauna Foundation and University of Southampton
A new study has for the first time explored the extraordinary rate at which the world’s largest fish, the endangered whale shark, can recover from its injuries. The findings reveal that lacerations and abrasions, increasingly caused through collisions with boats, can heal in a matter of weeks and researchers found evidence of partially removed dorsal fins re-growing. This research, published in the journal Conservation Physiology, comes at a critical time for these large sharks, that can reach lengths of up to 18m. Lead author, Freya Womersley, a PhD student with the University of Southampton based at the Marine Biological Association, said “These baseline findings provide us with a preliminary understanding of wound healing in this species”. Read more here.
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Autonomous Ships: Policy, Regulation and Liability
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The Institute of Maritime Law (IML) at the University of Southampton recently hosted a special event on autonomous ships. Hosted by IML's Robert Veal, 231 attendees logged-in from the legal, maritime and MASS communities, from all over the world. The first guest speaker was Dr Katrina Kemp, Autonomy Technical Specialist at the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency who focused on the important policy considerations and work underway, both domestic and IMO. Robert then discussed autonomous regulation and this was followed by the second guest speaker, James Turner QC, Barrister & Arbitrator at Quadrant Chambers in London, who presented a practitioner's take on some important liability issues on autonomy.
Watch the webinar recording here.
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Marine Autonomy Challenge (MAChallenge)
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This exciting challenge is open to teams of students studying at UK universities. The first phase involves a video submission and the finals take place in November this year. Each qualifying team will be provided with an industry simulator to enable them to build the autonomous behaviours required to achieve a series of challenges. These will be carried out using a 2m catamaran that has been specially designed, built and equipped for MAChallenge – a cash prize of £2000 awaits the winning team. The aim is to bring on the next generation of marine technologists and to encourage development and take-up of marine autonomous systems technologies in the UK. The expressions of interest need to be submitted by 12 noon on 9 April 2021. Read more here.
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NOTE: CALLS COMING SOON AND WITH NO DEADLINE, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS SECTION.
UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems programme: responsibility - DEADLINE 13 MAY 2021
This opportunity is part of the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) programme which supports research on the technical, social and ethical challenges surrounding trustworthy autonomous systems. Apply for funding to support novel and creative multidisciplinary research on responsibility for autonomous systems. Your proposed project should integrate researchers from different disciplines, particularly from social sciences, arts and humanities. Further details here.
Royal Academy of Engineering - Safer End of Engineered Life Champions - DEADLINE 19 MAY 2021
Safer End of Engineered Life (SEEL) Champions will become part of an exciting global network of experts and will receive a tailored package of support including networking, communication and potentially resource support. This call is open to all disciplines, industries, and sectors, and we welcomes applicants from all countries. Further details here.
Department of Transport with Innovate UK - Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition – Strand 1 - DEADLINE 2 JUNE 2021
The aim of this competition is to support the design and development of technologies for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by the UK’s maritime sector as set out in the Clean Maritime Plan and support the transition to Net Zero by 2050. This one-year ‘springboard programme’ will lay the foundation for a network of real-world projects, gearing up maritime decarbonisation in the UK ahead of COP26. Further details here.
NO DEADLINE CALLS:
EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowship - NO DEADLINE
Apply for a fellowship focusing on either: Energy or Mathematical Sciences. You must have either a PhD or at least four years’ experience in a relevant field by the start of your fellowship. An eligible UK research organisation must host and support you during your fellowship. Your fellowship can be up to three years long. This is prorated for part-time fellows, at a minimum of 50% FTE. The project can use one or a combination of discovery science, innovation, instrumentation and technique development or software engineering. Further details here.
NERC - International ocean discovery programme – workshop funding support scheme - NO DEADLINE
This supports UK scientists in the organisation of, or participation in, IODP-related workshops, sandpits, training, outreach or other events. Eligible workshops must make use of IODP samples, data or results, or involve planning for the collection of such materials. Further details here.
NERC-NSF joint funding - NO DEADLINE
This enables UK and US environmental scientists to collaborate on discovery science projects and tackle global environmental challenges. Proposals must be an integrated UK-US effort to address a research topic of interest to both NERC and a relevant NSF division that would benefit from a collaborative approach. Further details here.
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1 April 2021 - Ocean Decade Virtual Series - Blue Foods: Science for a Sustainable Future - Webinar
The event will explore how to generate knowledge that provides the basis for innovation and solutions to optimize the role of the ocean in sustainably feeding the world’s population under changing environmental, social and climate conditions to achieve a productive ocean supporting sustainable food supply and a sustainable ocean economy. Read more here.
5-6 April 2021 - Climate Change and Maritime Heritage: Interdisciplinary Perspectives - Virtual Event
Practitioners from multiple fields of study working in diverse regions will discuss the impacts of climate change on submerged archaeological resources through an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach and provide recommendations for future action. Read more here.
7 April 2021 - Data-Centric Engineering Webinar Series - Online event
The new DCE Webinar series is a programme of monthly virtual events about data-centric engineering: the use of data science methods and models for improving the reliability, resilience, safety, efficiency and usability of engineered systems. The speaker will be George Em Karniadakis (Brown University) and the topic will be 'Approximating functions, functionals, and operators using deep neural networks for diverse applications'. Read more here.
14 April 2021 - Stanley Gray Lecture - Online event
The lecture, titled ‘Seakeeping Behaviour of a Surfaced Underwater Vehicle’ will be given by Mathieu Courdier of the Australian Maritime College. It will be followed by a digital networking session, and registrants will also be sent a CPD certificate. Read more here.
26-28 April 2021 Nobel Prize Summit - Our Planet, Our Future - Virtual Event
The first Nobel Prize Summit brings together Nobel Prize laureates, scientists, policymakers, business leaders, and youth leaders to explore the question: What can be achieved in this decade to put the world on a path to a more sustainable, more prosperous future for all of humanity? Across three days, the virtual event will combine keynotes and lively discussion with live performance and theatre. Speakers will explore solutions to some of humanity’s greatest challenges: climate change and biodiversity loss, increasing inequality, and technological innovation in support of societal goals. Read more here.
17-21 May 2021 - COP26 Universities Network virtual conference - Climate Exp0
Six months prior to the COP26 meeting in November 2021, the COP26 Universities Network is hosting a virtual conference - Climate Exp0 - to showcase UK and international research on aspects of climate change and climate mitigation in the run-up to COP26. The conference is taking place virtually between the 17th and 21st May 2021, with each day dedicated to one of five conference themes: Green Recovery; Mitigation Solutions; Adaptation & Resilience; Finance; and Nature & Nature-based Solutions. Read more here.
15-17 June 2021 - Seawork International - Southampton
Seawork is Europe’s leading commercial marine and workboat exhibition, providing businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and services to an international audience. Read more here.
16 June 2021 - Protect our oceans: the challenge of Europe’s global leadership - Conference - Brussels
Sustained and innovative ocean science will set the base for informed policy design and in monitoring the progress of EU initiatives. In the wake of the 2021 World Oceans Day, this conference will be a contribution to the attainment of EU Goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14. This conference will be one the first contributions to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Read more here.
21-25 June 2021 - 13th ACM Web Science Conference - Delivered online
The 13th International ACM Conference on Web Science in 2021 (WebSci’21) is an interdisciplinary conference where a multitude of research disciplines converge with the purpose of creating a greater insight into a complex global Web than the sum of their individual parts. We invite participation from diverse fields including computer and information sciences, communication, economics, informatics, law, linguistics, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology. Read more here.
22-24 June 2021 - Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium - The Netherlands
The symposium brings together ship designers, fleet owners, naval architects, classification societies, equipment manufacturers and maritime research organizations. Leading experts from around the world will present their views and current findings, leading to a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and network with this pioneering community of maritime engineers. Read more here.
13-17 September 2021 - London International Shipping Week - London
LISW21 will be the ‘must attend’ event of 2021, offering up to 250 industry functions and unique networking opportunities for leaders across all sectors of the international shipping industry. The sell-out one-day LISW21 Conference and Gala Dinner will attract the very highest-level government and shipping industry leaders from the UK and around the world to crown what promises to be another amazing week. Read more here.
12-14 October 2021 - Ocean Business - NOC Southampton
Postponed from April 2021 due to COVID-19. Read more here.
26-27 October 2021 - IMarEST Oceans of Knowledge 2021:
Climate change and the ocean - London
Oceans of Knowledge 2021 will provide an important opportunity to meet and network with delegates from government, academia and industry, representing multiple disciplines and sectors concerned with understanding, mitigating and adapting to a changing climate. 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. Read more here.
9-11 November 2021 - Marine Autonomy Technology Showcase (MATS) - Southampton
During MATS 2021, our aim is to explore the information needs of users of Marine Autonomous Systems (MAS), review the current technologies available to enable the data gathering for MAS users and explore the methods of taking that data and making it exploitable information for the user need. Presentations may focus on work undertaken or planned to be undertaken in the 12 months since MATS 2020, be a forward look along your organisation's technology roadmap or include information on novel ways of maintaining operations throughout the global challenges of Covid in 2020 /2021. Abstract submission is now open and will close on 14 July 2021. Read more here.
22-24 February 2022 - Subsea Expo - Aberdeen
Subsea Expo will celebrate its 16th anniversary next year and already has over 40% of the exhibition space booked. The theme for the event will still be Oceans of Opportunity – harnessing the Blue Economy, and will explore how the UK’s underwater engineering industry can capitalise on the global blue economy, estimated to be worth $3 trillion by 2030. Read more here.
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