University to showcase research expertise at OCEANS '17

The University of Aberdeen will showcase research which aims to better understand the nature of extreme deep-sea environments at next week's MTS/IEEE OCEANS '17 conference.

The conference takes place at the AECC from Monday to Thursday (June 19-22) and is recognised as the premier forum for the international marine engineering community to present new technologies and discuss their work.

The University has played a leading role in bringing the conference to Aberdeen, and will have a dedicated stand at the event which will showcase the best of the University’s marine research capabilities.

This will include information on the University’s Subsea Digital Holographic Camera (eHoloCam), an innovative technology developed by Professor John Watson and his team that is currently deployed in the Okinawa Trough off the coast of Japan, an area of high volcanic activity.

The camera - a key component of international research collaboration - is currently being used to record holograms of microscopic marine organisms which live close to hydrothermal vents, at depths of almost 800 metres.

Professor Watson said: “The collaboration with the University of Tokyo is taking place under the Japanese government’s Strategic Innovation Program, in which eHoloCAM is being used to analyse organisms living in these extreme environments. 

“Making measurements on site is critical since there is no other way to accurately capture what happens in these high-temperature, high-pressure environments.

“Holography is uniquely placed to record such interactions because of its very short recording duration of a few nanoseconds, and the results of the study are expected to provide valuable information to help us understand how living in such an extreme environment affects how these organisms behave.”

Professor Watson added: “This research is just one of a number of items that the University will showcase at OCEANS 17, which is expected to bring thousands of visitors to Aberdeen.

“We are confident we will have a great conference with some excellent content, some of which will be of particular interest to those working in the oil and gas sector, as well as the renewables industry. 

“Not only this, but delegates will have the opportunity to see the latest ocean technology showcased at the associated exhibition.”