Scientists beginning a new four-and-a-half year study of deep-sea coral, canyon, and gas seep ecosystems in the mid- and south Atlantic depart from Norfolk, Va., on September 12. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are collaborating on the study, which will shed light on little-known natural resources of the deep ocean off the United States' Southeast coast.

Hurricane Harvey dropped a record-breaking 50-plus inches of rain across parts of Texas and left behind widespread, devastating floods. Following in Harvey's wake, Hurricane Irma has spun another path of destruction.

S. 1425, the Coordinated Ocean Monitoring and Research Act would reauthorize the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has invited 101 experts from 41 countries to begin work on the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors. The Special Report outline was agreed in March 2017 and the report is scheduled to be finalized in September 2019.

Arctic research is necessary, and Russia will not yield in studying it, Special Presidential Representative for International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic Artur Chilingarov said, according to RIA Novosti.

New research has uncovered an added dimension to the decision to inject large amounts of chemical dispersants above the crippled seafloor oil well during the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010.

In July, the House passed amendments from Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL) to add more than $1 million in funding to combat harmful algal blooms, but Mast was not done. On 14 September 2017, 9 of new amendments from Mast were passed, adding more than $20 million toward cost-effective solutions to this problem that has caused incalculable damage to Florida communities.

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma were, and continue to be, life-changing events for millions of Americans. These coastal storms brought devastation far beyond waterfront homes, reminding us that the coastal flood zone can range miles inland.

When the Colorado-based oil company Venoco, Inc. — founded in Carpinteria, California, more than two decades ago — declared bankruptcy last spring and ceded its offshore lease, the state of California “inherited” 50-year-old Platform Holly off the coast of Santa Barbara.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program has announced the 11 recipients of its 2017 removal awards, totaling $1,238,358 of funding toward marine debris removal efforts.

According to the Washington Post, Hurricane Harvey has damaged two ExxonMobil refineries, causing the release of hazardous pollutants. First noticed as a chemical smell in parts of Houston, the Post reports that regulatory filings with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality state that “a floating roof covering a tank at ExxonMobil’s Baytown oil refinery sank in heavy rains, dipping below the surface of oil or other material stored there and causing unusually high emissions, especially of volatile organic compounds, a category of regulated chemicals.”

In an effort to ensure their recovery, NOAA Fisheries has designated critical habitat for Atlantic sturgeon.

California State University at Monterey Bay (CSUMB) seeks a Science Education and Outreach Coordinator.

Do you know a colleague, client, or company that deserves to be celebrated? Nominations are being accepted through 3 October for the 2018 IAIA awards. Award winners will be recognized at IAIA18 in Durban, South Africa, and online throughout the year. Check out the six categories below and consider making a nomination today!

NOAA seeks an Attorney Advisor to join their national team of civil prosecutors charged with protecting the oceans, marine resources, and marine sanctuaries. The work of the Attorney Advisor will be diverse and complex.

Three key Senior Executive positions were posted on usajobs.gov on 7 August 2017.

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) seeks qualified candidates to serve as National Policy Director, Mexico Oceans, Environmental Defense Fund de Mexico Oceans Program, Sustainable Fisheries Project in Mexico City, Mexico.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced a solicitation for Proposed Safety and Technology Verification Research Projects on July 26, 2017. The projects are related to renewable energy in the Outer Continental Shelf.

The killer whales around Vancouver Island need our help to protect them from the effects of human activity. Ocean Sonics has stepped up to the challenge with its novel hydrophone network.

Cortland, global designer and manufacturer of engineered synthetic ropes, has won a significant new order from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to supply a single 12,000-meter length of 9/16” Plasma^® HiCo synthetic rope.

MacArtney’s offshore cable handling equipment named CEMAC is designed for power and telecommunication cables and for cable handling operations within the renewable energy industry, in particular the offshore wind sector.

TCarta Marine has made the world’s most dynamic environments easier to monitor and manage with the introduction of its new multi-scale shoreline products. Offered in GIS-ready vector format, shoreline data sets are derived from satellite imagery and accurately delineate mean sea level for the land-water interface at coastal areas around the world.

SeaRobotics Corporation (SeaRobotics) has delivered two complete autonomous 2.5 m unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to a government hydrographic service. These USVs, built by SeaRobotics, are complete hydrographic systems, including multibeam echo sounders, support sensors, a cast winch, deployment carts, and road trailers.

Environmental conditions are changing leading to significant shifts in algal populations. An example of this is the noticeable worldwide increase in Harmful Algal Blooms, primarily cyanobacteria. Identifying algal groups within a total phytoplankton population is critical as some groups can be toxic, affecting public health and economies. Turner Designs is excited to introduce products facilitating increased understanding of the composition of algae populations.

In response to an increasing number of individuals seeking to participate in the World Ocean Council, the WOC has launched an “Affiliate Member” category. This enables individuals to become part of the only global multi-industry leadership alliance dedicated to ocean sustainable development, science and stewardship.

Filling a needed niche in the oceans science and technology space, a new international industry association launched 6 September 2017 to provide programs, services, and a unified voice on Capitol Hill and in the regulatory agencies to companies that sustainably and commercially utilize the oceans.

A consortium of organizations has set out to tackle one of the most enduring challenges in the North Sea: the non-destructive testing (NDT) of corroded pipes under insulation and engineered temporary pipe wraps.

Cohort plc company SEA has teamed with research and technology organization Fraunhofer, the Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre test centre (EMEC), and optical fiber sensor specialists Synaptec on a new project looking at developing multi-functional monitoring solutions to existing power transmission cables used in the offshore energy industry.

The 2018 Offshore Achievement Awards (OAA) is off to a promising start following its launch at Offshore Europe 2017 in Aberdeen.

Xodus Group has delivered a decommissioning ‘trend survey’ to JOGMEC (Japan Oil & Gas and Metals National Corporation) to provide Japanese oil and gas companies with a better understanding of the decommissioning process and how to manage their global asset and abandonment liabilities.