Global Experts Gather at UNH to Explore the Undersea Infrastructure Connecting the World
Experts from countries around the world recently converged at the University of New Hampshire to discuss a global topic: undersea cables.
Undersea cables are a crucial infrastructure that connects people across the world through telecommunication, transmits offshore energy to demand on land, and gives researchers access to crucial ocean data.
Visiting guests of the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire from Australia, Fiji, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Palau, The Philippines, The Solomon Islands, and Taiwan, experienced a showcase of University of New Hampshire’s ocean observing systems and related research in the Gulf of Maine. The visit was facilitated by the UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering.
Oceanographic, acoustic, and environmental data are critical for the planning and deployment of ocean infrastructure.
The group, including experts from governments and industries, witnessed ocean mapping data brought to life in the Data Visualization Research Lab before hearing presentations on research at UNH to better understand our ocean with near real-time data. As Larry Mayer, director of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping explained during the tour, “The technologies we develop are in high demand across many applications.”
The group closed out the tour at Morse Hall, where Ian Jones, research assistant professor with the Center for Acoustics Research and Education, described the recent deployment of UNH’s cabled ocean observing system off the Isles of Shoals, a platform of acoustic and oceanographic sensors that can transmit data in real time for the first time in the region.
Guests from the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire visit the Data Visualization Research Lab.
Afterward, James Pringle, professor at the Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory, painted a picture of how the data collected by these new technologies can be put directly to practical use in ways that improve lives, protect the ocean ecosystems, and benefit businesses.
A through line of connectivity was evident as the group moved across campus. Erik Champman, director of the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering and New Hampshire Sea Grant, noted “These undersea cables can act as bridges between countries.”
Access real-time data from the UNH cabled ocean observing system: https://cabledarray.unh.edu/