There are two very prevalent and corelated themes that will continue to define ocean technology over the coming decade: automation and remote operations. 21st century advances in ocean technology, more specifically complex subsea systems and custom oceanographic equipment, have forever transformed the way we work at sea, and many of the future plans of offshore developers and oceanic researchers alike hinge on the concept of subsea residency. That is, the ability to deploy automated marine assets—be them unmanned vehicles, sensors, or critical infrastructure—underwater for sustained periods, remotely.

Okeanus today announced that it has expanded its geographical footprint to include offices and equipment storage facilities in the state of Rhode Island, to support the sharp growth in demand from the offshore energy sector amid increasing offshore wind activity in the northeastern United States. Okeanus’ new waterfront facility is located at Prime Marina, in East Greenwich.

Okeanus today announced details of a new framework agreement with MMT for the provision of critical marine survey and deck handling equipment to support the global survey company’s plans to expand their hydrographic and geophysical survey efforts in the United States in 2021.

This decade, we will rewrite the ocean exploration playbook. Much like the early 1960s—when Trieste made its record-breaking dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench (1960); Scripps began developing the first Deep Tow System (1961); the USNS Compass Island became the first vessel to operate a multibeam echosounder (1963); and WHOI’s Alvin became a household name (1964)—offshore professionals stand on the precipice of a new, game-changing era. Those pioneering days paved the way for unprecedented advances in ocean technology—including ROV development and deep-sea drilling capabilities—and pivotal scientific discovery. Once again, it is technology that will facilitate our progress, but today we are less concerned with transporting people to new frontiers and more minded to send machines on our behalf.

As state-led contractors carry out their environmental due diligence and test their subsea technologies in the Pacific’s Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ), signs suggest that ocean mining extraction could become a reality within the next few years.

ON&T recently caught up with Ted Brockett, one of the pioneers of seabed mining technology, to take a look back at the early days of ocean exploration