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The NAFC Marine Centre has just taken delivery of a sub-bottom profiler, a high end technology that can produce a detailed picture of sediment layers beneath the seabed surface in shallow waters.
The profiler uses an acoustic transmitter that pulses signals into the seabed to determine the types and depths of geological sediment layers for many metres below. The equipment is used to plan the siting and deployment of marine infrastructure such as pilings, pipes, cables, mooring or any other installation that penetrates the seabed surface.
The profiler will be added to the side scan sonar equipment, used to survey seabed surface habitats and profile, which was added to the NAFC Marine Centre’s surveying vessel Moder Dy last year. This ‘always on’ equipment will be utilised to make detailed maps of the seabed around Shetland, and the data added to the Shetland Marine Spatial Plan, which the Centre’s Marine Planning Section also develops and maintains.
Alan Bourhill, the Marine Science and Technology Department’s Senior Development Manager, stated: “The side scan sonar that we added to our capabilities last year has been utilised almost constantly since, validating the careful scoping that we conducted first to ensure that the equipment was of value to Shetland. The profiler is the second part of a wider strategy of technology upgrading that we feel is warranted in Shetland to remove bottlenecks to developers that cause them to seek expertise from south.”
Head of Marine Science and Technology, Dr. Martin Robinson commented: “This acquisition has been made as part of a progressive strategy to develop detailed surveying capabilities within Shetland, not only to support the correct siting of future developments, but also to link to the Marine Spatial Plan. Our emerging ‘Marine Development Section’ will be charged with making sure that we respond to the needs of clients to support rationale development of industry in Shetland waters. We now have a dedicated team to service this need and will be trying to remain flexible, responsive and up to date; it is important to work at industries’ pace.”
The Marine Development team and the profiler will be at the Dynamic Shetland-Renewable Energy Exhibition and Conference on November 16/17 at the Clickimin Centre.
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