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(TTC) as the sole provider of the first undersea communications system connecting the Sakhalin Islands to TTC's digital mainland backbone. The network, to be laid across the Tatarsky Strait, will eliminate the region's dependence on the satellite channels it uses for communications. The 2006 project implementation will deploy 214 km of STM-16 equipment (2.5 Gbps) one meter under the seabed of the Tatarsky Strait. ELSS Pods Delivered to Singapore Navy OceanWorks International announced the delivery of Emergency Life Support Stores (ELSS) transfer pods to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The ELSS pods will be used to support the Navy's submarine rescue operations. This delivery is the result of a follow on order that aug- ments the RSN inventory of ELSS transfer pods. The RSN has been suc- cessfully using OceanWorks transfer pods and pod delivery system since it was delivered in 2003. SBX Acquires Vessel SeaBird Exploration Limited (SBX) has acquired M/V Sentinel, a dynam- ically positioned vessel built in 1979. The vessel will be converted to a Source/Ocean Bottom Seismic ship. Total cost for the vessel, including upgrade and additional equipment, is expected to be up to $20 million. The vessel is expected to be in full opera- tion from early 2007. L-3 Closes Purchase of Nautronix L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. has completed its purchase of Nautronix Defense Group, the mine and anti-submarine weapons systems maker, for $65m in cash plus a possi- ble $6m more, depending on finan- cial performance. Nautronix will be renamed L-3 Communications Nautronix Holdings Inc. (Source: Reuters) ROV Committee Names Scholarship Winners Patrick Hickey, Jason Gillham, David Kunz and Eric Lieb have been selected as recipients of the Marine Technology Society's 2006 ROV Committee Scholarships. In addition Laura Fenton and Tasha Snow received special MATE Center MTS ROV Committee Scholarships. Hickey, who will be a freshman at Penn State University, was awarded $5,000; Gillham who will be a senior at the University of Waterloo was awarded $2,500. Kunz who will be a sophomore at Gonzaga University, and Lieb who will be a sophomore at Texas A&M University in College Station each received $1,250. As winners of the MATE Center (Marine Advanced Technology Education) ROV Committee Scholarships, Fenton who will be 52 MTR July 2006 Institute Awarded $300k Grant The John Adams Innovation Institute has awarded a $300,000 grant to two University of Massachusetts campuses to develop a Center of Excellence in Applied Ocean Observation Systems. UMass Dartmouth and UMass Boston will jointly develop the Center through their respective marine units, the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) and the Department of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences (EEOS). According to the proposal, the Center of Excellence will seek partnerships with ocean-relat- ed companies, government labs, and other academic institutions to develop core technolo- gies and evolve them to commercial applications. The Center will conduct both applied and basic research relevant to the next generation of integrated observation/ modeling systems, platforms and sensors. The Center's initial emphasis will be in the areas of ocean-forecast- ing systems and fisheries applications, according to principal investigator Avijit Gangopadhyay, Associate Dean of SMAST. The grant, he says, is an "excellent opportunity to work together to inte- grate the strengths of the Massachusetts marine technology sectors and stimulate the growth of the region's marine research corridor for the future." Avijit Gangopadhyay people & companies MTR#6 (49-64).qxd 7/11/2006 9:31 AM Page 52
