OCEANS13 MTS/IEEE TECHNICAL PROGRAM

TUTORIAL 1 ( Half-Day Tutorial  - Morning )
TECHNOLOGIES FOR MONITORING MARINE ORGANISMS AND HAZARDS
Jaume Piera  
Venue: Grieghallen. Room: Klokkeklang. ( max Capacity 120 participants)
Date:  Monday June 10^th2013. Timing: 0900-1200
 
This tutorial will address technologies for monitoring marine organisms and hazards. Marine environments are influenced by a wide diversity of plankton organisms and substances suspended in the water column. Real-time measurements of such organisms and substances, across a range of spatial scales are required to understand adequately ecosystem dynamics or monitor those components that may have adverse effects on human health and ecosystems. Many aspects of how plankton communities, nutrients or harmful substances are distributed in the water body, and how they modify their distribution due transport processes remain poorly understood, in large part because we lack critical observational tools. Traditional organism-level sampling strategies are not amenable to high-frequency, long duration implementations. Methods such as conventional microscopic or chemical analysis, for instance, are prohibitively labour intensive and time consuming. In recent years, significant technological advancements have been made for the detection and analysis of organisms and marine hazards. In particular, sensors deployed on a variety of mobile and fixed-point observing platforms provide a valuable means to characterize plankton dynamics and assess hazards. Progress in sensor technology is expected to depend on the development of small-scale sensor technologies with a high sensitivity and specificity towards target compounds or organisms. A variety of platforms are needed to support sensing systems in the ocean, including multiplex and integrated observational technologies. Instruments on satellites, airborne or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can yield broad spatial synoptic measurements of the surface ocean (with different resolution in each case), but are of limited use in the vertical dimension. Underwater sensor networks with profiling moorings are essential to resolve different physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur between the sea surface and the sea floor and cover a wide range of temporal variability (from short-lived episodic events to climatic trends).
The tutorial is directed mainly toward specialists on observational technologies and marine scientists that are interested on marine technologies applied to marine biological research, but can be also useful for different users involved in environmental monitoring and also modelers interested on assimilating marine biological data.

Short CV: Jaume Piera is B.S. in Telecommunications Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia (1991); B.S. in Biology, University of Barcelona (1998); Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences University of Girona (2002). From 2001 to 2004, he was Lecturer in the Department of Signal Theory and Communications at the Technical University of Catalonia. Since 2005 he is a Scientist of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) working in the Marine Technology Unit in Barcelona (Spain).Over 20 years of experience in multidisciplinary research programs his research interests are focused on Information Technologies applied to Marine Biology and particularly on Hyperspectral Technologies, Autonomous Platforms, Signal Processing and Bio-optical based Pattern Recognition Techniques.At present he is involved in different projects related to underwater sensors networks, and autonomous based platforms (AUV, UAV) for characterization of coastal processes. Currently he is also leading the development of a new profiling system for concurrent characterization of physical and biological processes at small scale (ANERIS).
 
 
 
TUTORIAL 2 (Half-day tutorial Afternoon)
Underwater Acoustic Communications: Channel Modelling and Signal Processing
Milica Stojanovic
Venue: Grieghallen. Room: Klokkeklang. ( max Capacity 120 participants)
Date: Monday June 10^th2013. Timing: 1300-1600
 
Summary: This half-day tutorial focuses on the fundamental concepts of underwater acoustic communication system design. Beginning with the basic propagation characteristics, it builds a statistical model of a time-varying multipath acoustic channel. The notions of large-scale and small-scale random variations are introduced. The channel distortions are discussed in light of a wideband acoustic communication signal (frequency-selectivity, Doppler shifting and spreading).  Two types of modulation methods are considered: single-carrier linear modulation and multi-carrier (OFDM) methods.  The basic signal processing techniques for each type of modulation are then analyzed: synchronization (initial acquisition and fine tracking), adaptive channel estimation / equalization, and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processing for spatial diversity or spatial multiplexing. Throughout the lecture, the emphasis is on fundamental differences between acoustic and radio systems, and various signal processing concepts are illustrated through experimental data examples, including transmission over shallow and deep water channels at highest bit-rates demonstrated to date.

Purpose: Underwater acoustic communications are an essential part of many autonomous systems with applications to search and survey, environmental monitoring, equipment inspection, etc. As the demands on acoustic modem technology grow (higher bit rates, improved reliability), so do the research challenges in signal processing for communications. In this tutorial, communication methods used in the existing acoustic modems are explained, followed by an introduction into the modern research concepts (many of which are addressed in conference presentations). The tutorial is intended for graduate students and engineers who are either beginning a career  in underwater acoustic communications, or who wish to expand or re-visit system design issues in a systematic manner. A general background in wireless communications and signal processing is assumed. The treatment is of a scholarly nature, with focus on mathematical details and their link to the practical issues.

Milica Stojanovic(SM’08,F’10) graduated from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, in 1988, and received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Northeastern University, Boston, MA, in 1991 and 1993. After a number of years with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she was a Principal Scientist, she joined the faculty of Northeastern University in 2008, where she is currently a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She is also a Guest Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and a Visiting Scientist at MIT. Her research interests include digital communications theory, statistical signal processing and wireless networks, and their applications to underwater acoustic communication systems. Milica is an Associate Editor for the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, and an Advisory Board Member of the IEEE Communication Letters. She also serves as the Chair of the IEEE Ocean Engineering Society's Technical Committee for Underwater Communications.

TUTORIAL 3 (half-day, Morning)
Operational Oceanography.
Laurent Bertino, NERSC
Venue: Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center in Bergen  ( max 80 Participants)
Date: Monday June 10^th2013. Timing: 0900-1230
 
The tutorial aims at teaching the basic methods of operational oceanography and make sure the attendees find the online data resources relevant for their operations.  Operational Oceanography can be defined as the activity of systematic and long-term routine measurements of the seas, their rapid interpretation into ocean forecasting systems and dissemination.  Important services derived from operational oceanography are:

• nowcasts providing the most usefully accurate description of the present state of the sea including living resources
• forecasts providing continuous forecasts of the future condition of the sea for as far ahead as possible
• reprocessing and reanalyses assembling long term data sets which will provide data for description of past states, and time series showing trends and changes

 
Operational Oceanography usually proceeds by the rapid transmission of observational data to data assimilation centres. There, powerful computers using numerical forecasting models process the data. The outputs from the models are used to generate data products, often through intermediary value-adding organizations. Examples of final products include warnings (of coastal floods, ice and storm damage, harmful algal blooms and contaminants, etc.), electronic charts, optimum routes for ships, prediction of seasonal or annual primary productivity, ocean currents, ocean climate variability etc. The final products and forecasts must be distributed rapidly to industrial users, government agencies, and regulatory authorities.
 
The tutorial will be cross-cutting to the 6 special topics (marine policy and ocean management; oil and gas; integrated environmental surveillance; Arctic shipping; maritime communication and information technology; and marine renewable energy) and will address:

• the current state-of-the-art in operational oceanography (global observing systems, modelling and data assimilation);
• the significant advances in the science of ocean forecasting in the last few years;
• the online services offered (discovery of datasets, dynamic visualization, downloading, subsetting)
• major challenges ahead

 
Many examples will be taken from the European MyOcean system (http://www.myocean.eu) as well as from its counterparts in the USA, Australia, etc. Prerequisite: The attendees are expected to have an ocean engineering background (MSc or equivalent) and basic use of metocean services (using a GIS, Matlab or equivalent).
 
Short CV: Laurent Bertino holds a PhD in data assimilation from the Ecole des Mines de Paris (2001) and has since then been researcher at the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC) in Bergen, developing the TOPAZ coupled ice-ocean forecasting system which has since then been transferred for exploitation into met.no's operational suite and has become MyOcean's Arctic Marine Forecasting System (http://myocean.met.no). His interests reside in data assimilation, ocean modelling, climate research and applied mathematics problems in the applications of operational oceanography.

Short CV: Pierre Jaccard
Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NIVA
Pierre Jaccard holds a MSc in Physics and BSc in electronics. He is mainly working in the field covering the gap between technology and oceanographic research. Activities are ranging from instrument engineer or field and offshore engineer to data management and quality assessments for industry (oil and gas, mining, waste water) and research programs (ESA, EU, national programs). Since his venue at NIVA he has been additionally involved in Ferrybox systems, ocean optics, chemical and biological sensors. Pierre is currently part of the group gathering in-situ data from pan-European Ferrybox network and developing assessments for biogeochemical measurements for MyOcean and ESA.  

   
TUTORIAL 4 (half-day, Afternoon)
HF-radar operation and application
Dr. Hugh Roarty, Dr. Josh Kohut, Dr. Scott Glenn and Mr. Chad Whelan (Rutgers University)
Venue: Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center in Bergen ( max 80 Participants)
Date: Monday June 10^th2013. Timing: 1300-1700
 
The tutorial course will provide an introduction to the principles and current state of the art technology for High Frequency radar applications.  The course will touch upon the following topics:

• What is an HF Radar?Principles of operation, data products & state-of-the-art.
• Operating an HF Radar Network: What does a network look like and what does it take to manage?  How does one process, analyze and visualize the surface current data? How are the products quality controlled?
• Applications & Case Studies: How are HF data products currently used in operational oceanography?  Case Studies will be shown for recent events including search and rescue operations, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and Hurricanes Irene and Sandy.

Specific Content for the HF Radar Course

• Principles of operation & data products (0.5 hours)
• State-of-the-Art in HF radar technology (0.5 hours)
• Data visualization & QA/QC (0.5 hours)
• Introduction to US National and Global HF Radar Networks (0.5 hours)
• Search and rescue applications (0.5 hours)
• Pollution floatables tracking (0.5 hours)
• Deepwater Horizon, model validation (0.5 hours)
• Storm forecasting (0.5 hours)

Scott Glenn
For 20 years at Rutgers, Prof. S. Glenn has designed, constructed, operated and utilized the world's most advanced Ocean Observatories for integrated research and education. He lead diverse distributed teams that (a) develop new remote and robotic technologies for autonomous surface and undersea sampling, (b) use previously unobtainable observations to investigate ocean processes that improve understanding, and (c) pilot new education programs that prepare our youth for the challenges of a truly global generation. His approach to education is to combine the excitement of ocean exploration with the power of observatory technologies to bring the ocean into the full range of K-20 classrooms and informal learning environments. By enabling students to participate in exploratory ocean science, we can inspire a wider spectrum of students, increase ocean literacy, and broaden the definition of who can be an oceanographer. Nowhere is this transformation more significant than at the undergraduate level.

Hugh Roarty
Dr. Roarty is a Research Project Manager with the Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory, Rutgers University.  His research interests focus on improving the remote sensing and in situ instrumentation used to measure the physical and biological aspects of the ocean.  This instrumentation includes High Frequency radar systems, autonomous under water vehicles (AUVs), and acoustic velocity meters.  High Frequency (HF) radar systems are able to measure ocean surface currents and wave parameters.  Some applications of these measurements are to mitigate oil spills, predict rip current formation, aid in Coast Guard search and rescue exercises, study river discharge plumes and predict coastal inundation during storm events.  He is also interested in exploring the dual use capability of the HF radar for environmental monitoring and target detection.  His graduate research focused on coastal processes and bottom boundary layer dynamics.  Dr. Roarty holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University and a PhD in Ocean Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.