Sonardyne to supply technology to American research institute

Sonardyne, a Yateley-based underwater technology and engineering specialist, has been selected to supply deepwater positioning technology for a new scientific research vessel in the United States.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s (MBARI) David Packard will be a 50-metre research vessel designed to undertake a range of information-gathering missions. Able to accommodate up to 18 researchers, the vessel will allow MBARI to continue exploring the deep sea – from the midnight zone to the abyssal seafloor.

The vessel will be the command centre for MBARI’s remotely-operated deep diving vehicle, Doc Ricketts, with the capability of deploying a number of other autonomous underwater vehicles.

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Sonardyne’s Ranger 2, an underwater tracking, dynamic positioning reference and telemetry system, will support the David Packard’s underwater capabilities, integrated into the ship via a deployment machine.

MBARI director of marine operations, Michael Kelly said, “The ocean is vital to life on Earth. In the face of rising threats like climate change, MBARI’s work is more important than ever. We depend on a suite of diverse research tools to study the ocean. Sonardyne technology will help co-ordinate these instruments to give us valuable insight into a changing ocean.”

This is not the first time the institute has used Sonardyne’s technology, having been an early adopter of the first USBL system on MBARI’s first ever research vessel, Point Lobos, in the early ‘90s.

Geraint West, head of science at Sonardyne, commented, “We’ve had a long-running and close relationship with MBARI, so we’re really proud to be part of the next chapter in their story.

"At Sonardyne, we strongly believe in the critical work that MBARI is engaged in, as a better understanding of our changing oceans is critical to the future well-being of our planet.”

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Featured image: A render of the David Packard. Credit: Sonardyne