Tuesday, July 18, 2006

MEMORANDUM

TO: Area Media

FROM: Marybeth Bianchi, UNCW Marketing and Communications

DATE: July 17, 2006

RE: Unique underwater mapping vehicle to be unveiled

You are invited to the unveiling of a one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at UNCW's Center for Marine Science, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane (see directions below).

This one-ton, $1.5 million bright yellow torpedo-like vessel is owned by the University of Southern Mississippi and will be operated by the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The AUV, which will be christened Eagle Ray, is an unmanned and untethered deep sea robot that incorporates an on-board computer, advanced navigation systems, and acoustic communications that allow the tending ship to track the AUV's survey. The primary science payload is a multi-beam mapping system that will give scientists unprecedented images of the ocean floor. Unlike surface mapping done aboard a ship which uses one acoustic beam, the multi-beam system echo sounder uses over 100 beams that allow it to map a swath across the bottom. By putting the system on an AUV that flies close to the bottom, survey resolution can be up to 50 times better than deep surveys done by a surface vessel.

While there are a few AUVs in existence, "NOAA doesn't have anything like it," said Andrew Shepard, director of the NOAA Undersea Research Center at UNCW. "Oil and gas companies who can afford them have used them for five or six years, but they are rarely used for oceanography. The only other comparable vehicle in the U.S. is operated by a commercial company in the Gulf of Mexico, and its day rate cost is more than $90,000 a day," Shepard said. "With the Eagle Ray, we are trying to get the rate down to where scientists can afford it."

The Eagle Ray's first of three test missions will occur later this month off the Carolinas on an unmapped proposed marine protected area. The last of the test missions in 2006 will be on the Oculina Bank deep water coral reef ecosystem off the coast of Florida. Scientists will be testing the vessel's endurances, components and communications, Lance Horn, UNCW's operations manager, explained. In October, Horn piloted the Phantom S2 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to survey the coral reef habitat at Oculina www.atsea.org/missions/oculinabanks/preview.html.

The Eagle Ray will complete the first complete habitat map of the Oculina Experimental Closed Area.

Friday's program begins at 5:30 p.m. Ray Highsmith, director of the National Institute of Undersea Science and Technology based at the University of Mississippi, will unveil the Eagle Ray. Mary Erickson, associate director, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey, will be the keynote speaker at 6:45, discussing the new age of seafloor mapping and emerging technologies.

On Friday, a more in-depth program describing the vehicle capabilities and plans will begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue until noon at CMS. Please see the schedule below for more detailed information.

THURSDAY, JULY 20
5:30 p.m. - Introductions, Welcome - Provost Paul Hosier, UNCW

6 p.m. - Unveiling: Ray Highsmith, director of the National Institute of Undersea Science and Technology at the University of Southern Mississippi

7 p.m. - Keynote Speaker: Mary Erickson, associate director, NOAA Office of Coast Survey

FRIDAY, JULY 21
8:30 a.m. - Welcome and Introductions: Andrew Shepard, director of NURC/UNCW

8:45 a.m. NOAA/NURP and AUVs: Barbara Moore, director of NOAA's Undersea Research Program

9 a.m. - National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology/ Undersea Vehicles Technology Center Program: Vernon Asper, professor of marine science at the University of Southern Mississippi

9:20 a.m. - Eagle Ray history and concept: Andrew Shepard, NURC/UNCW

9:45 a.m. - Eagle Ray system description and capabilities: Jeff Williams of USM, AUV team member

10:45 a.m. - Eagle Ray operations and future plans: Lance Horn, AUV team leader and NURC at UNCW operations director

11:15 a.m. - AUV Facility Tour: Glenn Taylor, AUV team and NURC at UNCW field operations manager

Directions to UNCW's Center for Marine Science: Travel 132 South (College Road) to the traffic light at Mohican Trail. Turn LEFT onto Mohican, continuing straight until it ends at Masonboro Loop Road. Turn RIGHT onto Masonboro Loop Road. Marvin K. Moss Lane is about 1/2 mile on the LEFT. CMS is at the end of the lane. A map is available at www.uncw.edu/cmsr/maps/index.html.

For additional information contact Marybeth Bianchi at 910.962.4164, bianchim@uncw.edu or Andy Shepard at sheparda@uncw.edu, 910.962.2446.