OCEANS '13 MTS/IEEE San Diego Preview

Heeding the call to join “An Ocean in Common,” authors flooded the OCEANS ’13 MTS/IEEE San Diego technical program committee with a record number of abstracts in a single day.

“We expected a good turn-out,” said Barbara Fletcher, technical program chair, “but this shows we’re on the right track with the technical and scientific program.”

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is the academic host of OCEANS ’13.

Special topics include an ultra-deep track discussing current and prospective robotic technologies, plus a panel of scientists addressing research questions.

OCEANS ’13 Chair Bob Wernli and Co-Chair Kevin Hardy, developer of the unmanned “landers” for James Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition, will be the session conveners.

“James’ intention is to be certain the door remains open to other explorers,” said Hardy. “This track will help facilitate that vision. We’ve barely imagined the possibilities.” Cameron will co-author a paper in the track.

Dr. Sylvia Earle, legendary oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer, joins other notables on the plenary session. Fondly called “Her Deepness,” Dr. Earle has been at the frontier of deep-ocean exploration for four decades. She's led more than 50 undersea expeditions and has been a tireless advocate for the oceans and creatures that live there.

Special tours are being arranged, including exhibitor equipment demos from a ship, and a tour of the new NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center laboratory located on the north end of Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Tutorials will attract a large audience, with a dozen programs from fiberoptics to free vehicles, and a first ever “TOURtorial” program on “Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing.”

Tutorials Chair Bill Porto, working his fifth conference, is delighted with the range of subjects.

“We’ve added several new topics to a few perennial favorites, all with a high degree of relevance to the ocean engineering community,” said Porto. “Instructors are drawn from industry and academia to provide improvement in design skills and process knowledge to attendees and their companies.”

Commercial exhibit contracts are booming.

“Good spaces are still available,” said Exhibits Chairman Brock Rosenthal, “but interested companies should contact us soon as one hall has sold out already, and the second will as well.”

The exhibit hall will also host the student poster competition and an “Academic Row” of local and regional institutions of higher education.

The number of co-participating societies and non-profit foundations is still growing with the recent addition of the AAUS (American Academy of Underwater Sciences) and the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). Over a dozen professional and scientific societies will join the conference sponsors, MTS and IEEE/OES, to focus on all matters aquatic.

“The fusion of perspectives is going to make this a very exciting and productive conference,” said John Scanlon, OCEANS ’13 co-participating society chair.

With the help of the OCEANS ’13 Academic Host, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Chairman of Academic Outreach Kevin Delaney, and Academic Row coordinator Jim Fahey are inviting institutions of higher learning from around Southern California and across North America.

The conference website has added a few new features, including a media button where print ads, web banners, and press releases are available for magazines, eNews, and web pages for cross-promotion by exhibitors, co-participating Societies, and academic institutions.

Student participation is encouraged with discounted registration fees, a student poster competition, volunteer opportunities, and as understudy session co-chairs.
Other pluses for this conference include the Marine Technology Society 50th Anniversary, a number of subject-specific town hall meetings, a Saturday teachers’ workshop, Sunday golf tournament, a raffle for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a Wednesday evening gala onboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway, a two-night underwater film festival open to attendees and the public, and a host of local ground tours in and around San Diego. A new iPhone app will be unveiled that allows attendees to plan their daily sessions around their greatest interests.

On-line registration for OCEANS ‘13 MTS/IEEE San Diego is coming soon. Find more information at the OCEANS ‘13 MTS/IEEE San Diego conference website.