Coming Events
To list your event, or for details on `08 events, visit SeaDiscovery.com
OI 08 Again Looks to Make Waves
When the leading lights of the world's ocean science and technology businesses gather in London in March, it is expected that they will generate some heat. For many years Oceanology International has functioned as a cozy biennial gathering that has traditionally brought together exponents of what is to many, to be honest, a pretty esoteric area. Global warming is likely to change all that. As a community that is bringing much of the bad news about climate change, many eyes will be turned towards ocean science and technology in the hope that it can now come up with some good news. Three days of conference presentations will introduce some of the latest thinking on how the ocean science and marine technology community can help to bring forward solutions in areas of pressing global concern. At OI 08 it has, for the first time, been possible to bring together roles and responsibilities of the ocean science and technology industry across three crucial areas. With a conference program with sessions dedicated to; energy from the oceans, the oceans and climate change and environmental and civil security the event seeks to address closely related areas of global concern. In the two years since the last Oceanology, each of these areas of work has gained a new significance for the well-being of the planet. The event is consequently expected to attract the presence of many serious players from within the industry. It is also expected to attract the attention of many observers from outside it. Dr. Ralph Rayner, vice president of
What: OI `08 When: March 11-13, 2008 Where: London ExCel Center For more Information, visit www.oceanologyinternational.com
IMarEST ( Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology ), chairs the technical committee responsible for the three day conference and he explained the thinking behind it to Marine Technology Reporter. "The themes of climate change, meeting future demands for energy and ensuring environmental and civil security are closely interconnected," he said. "They have been selected to allow the international marine science and technology community to showcase how it is contributing to the pressing global challenges of meeting future demands for energy at the same time as mitigating and adapting to climate change and ensuring protection of the environment and civil society." We can expect the opening Plenary to provide those attending Oceanology with a comprehensive overview of some of the most pressing issues for the future - issues that will be the predominant drivers for marine science and that will shape future markets for marine technology" said Dr. Rayner. Several conference papers will highlight new developments in environmental monitoring and the provision of the data needed to measure the effects of climate change. Changes to ocean currents and ice thickness are acknowledged as vital indicators of
global health and the new technologies developed to monitor them will play an important role in the global campaign to preserve our environment. The conference will also include papers on the increasingly important role of AUV technologies in supporting deepwater oil and gas exploration and production. Other papers will explore the analysis and interpretation of marine information is support of offshore design and operations. "Many of the technologies developed to support the offshore oil and gas industry are finding application in the rapidly growing offshore renewables sector," explained Dr Rayner. "The session "Renewable Energy from the Oceans" includes papers describing the types of renewable energy systems being implemented and the ways in which marine science and technology is being applied to the support of this increasingly important sector." In addition to its role in monitoring the global environment as affected by climate change, the industry also has responsibilities towards more local issues. "There is a growing awareness of the vulnerability of the offshore and coastal environment to both natural events and human pressures," said Dr Rayner. "The "Marine Environmental Security" session focuses on the latest developments in monitoring and forecasting natural events such as tsunamis as well as papers covering aspects of the protection of the coastal environment."
56 MTR
January 2008
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