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46 st / September 2015 www.sea-technology.com "This is a major step forward in allowing these frag- ile reefs to recover from decades of destructive bottom trawling," said Reed. "The Oculina coral banks are essen- tial habitat for not only the coral, but to various grouper and snapper species, which use these reefs as spawning grounds." OPENS Act Passes In Senate Committee The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Commit- tee passed the OPENS Act, which would open new areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to energy exploration and development, extend revenue sharing to participating coastal states, and lift the ban on U.S. oil exports. "Oil and natural gas are not just reliable and afford- able sources of energy today, but are also predicted to still provide about 80 percent of the energy the world needs through 2040," said NOIA President Randall Luthi. "We [the U.S.] could be a source of that energy, not only for the U.S., but for our allies around the world," Luthi added. The passing of the OPENS Act in committee is a result of the U.S. Senate Energy Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) seeing through a commitment to move forward on legislation to open new offshore areas to energy explo- ration and development, provide expanded revenue shar- ing to coastal energy-producing states, and repeal the '70s- era crude oil export ban, NOIA reported. The offshore legislation, which includes bills introduced earlier this year by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Sen. Mark War- ner (D-Va.) and Murkowski, would require offshore lease sales in the Eastern Gulf, Atlantic and Alaska. Research Alliance to Map North Atlantic Seabed The Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance launched an ex- pedition to map the North Atlantic Ocean seabed between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Tromsø, Norway, aboard the Ca- nadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent. This is the second project by the Atlantic Ocean Re- search Alliance and the continuation of science collabora- tion between Canada, the U.S. and the European Union. It further demonstrates their commitment to the implemen- tation of the Galway Statement, which unites the parties around a shared commitment to the stewardship of the At- lantic Ocean. Members from Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Canadian Hydrographic Service, NOAA, INFOMAR (the Marine In- stitute of Ireland and Geological Survey of Ireland), and the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University will use deepwater multibeam echosounder technology to cre- ate high-resolution images of the seabed and gather infor- mation on the physical characteristics of the seafoor, such as depth, hardness and sediment cover, while also acquir- ing valuable oceanographic data. The project will further understanding of the Atlantic Ocean's dynamic environment through collaboration and shared resources. The information collected by the scien- tifc team will contribute to the sustainable management of Atlantic Ocean resources, a more comprehensive suite of maps of the seabed foor, and an increased understanding of this complex ecosystem. ST N EW Mini Rosette ® /CTD Water Sampler 1018 M with Model 316 or 320 Idronaut CTD Improved Electronics Low Power Consumption • Light-weight, small, compact • Allows operation from a small boat • Conducting cable or battery-powered • Programmable timed operations • Pressure activated bottle closing (optional) • Deep & shallow water models available • Optional Teflon ® coated Water Sampler • CTD compatible • Flag Pulse to CTD A/D input General Oceanics Inc. 1295 N.W. 163 St., Miami, FL 33169 Tel: (305) 621-2882, Fax: (305) 621-1710 E-mail: Sales@GeneralOceanics.com http://www.GeneralOceanics.com