Okeanus Science & Technology, LLC (Okeanus), an established provider of oceanographic rental equipment, turnkey survey systems, and engineered oceanographic equipment, today announced that it has expanded into an additional facility in Houma, LA adjacent to its existing rental and corporate headquarters. The new facility located at 245 Redmond Rd. will provide Okeanus with the room necessary for maintenance and storage of its rapidly growing fleet of oceanographic deck equipment and will also house a fleet of autonomous surface vessels (ASV’s) which Okeanus is making available to the global rental market.

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.

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.