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32 st / November 2016 www.sea-technology.com uses an AGM lead-acid battery with total power capacity of 28 kWh and charging time of 5 to 7 hr. The submersible is a robust, safe and practical two-person (one pilot and one passenger) under- water vehicle with excellent fields of view for the occupants. The submersible cabin opens fully in half as a clamshell and allows for easy entry and exit. In surface mode, the patented flotation sys- tems permit the submersible to float high above the water line with a high freeboard and low draft when docked to a ship. When submerged, the submersible is positively buoyant at all times and, should the thrusters stop, this submersible will gen- tly rise back to the surface. Underwater, the sub- mersible has high stability, remains horizontal at all times and does not roll or pitch. When the sub- mersible is near the surface at the end of the dive, the flotation bladders are reinflated such that the craft floats back on the water's surface and is then docked back to the surface boat or onto its trailer. Testing and Delivery The Ocean Pearl submersible was constructed by SEAmagine over a 10-month period in 2015 and 2016 under ABS engineering reviews and ABS surveys. The pressure testing of the submersible's main hull and all its pressure vessels was performed under ABS survey at test laboratories on each individual unit prior to final assembly on the vessel. Sea trials of the submersible were performed in California off the coast of Redondo and completed with a final ABS-surveyed test dive to the submersible's maxi- mum depth rating of 350 m. The submersible was delivered in Buenos Aires in May 2016 and was unveiled during a ceremony for the com- memoration of the 206th anniversary of PNA, which was established on June 30, 1810. The setup of the submers- ible and the training of officers from Prefectura, as well as support personnel will be performed by SEAmagine in- structors in southern Argentina in the months ahead. Future Outlook Marine operations increasingly use high-end technolo- gies. Since Cousteau's first dives, many mysteries of the ocean have been unveiled. Nevertheless, most oceanic areas are unknown and unstudied. With the increasing de- velopment of burgeoning economies around the world and the necessity of resources, the interest in the blue economy has become one of the main issues on the agenda of many governments. Chile and Argentina will play a central role in the development of marine research, operations and econ- omy in the South Atlantic and South Pacific, paving the way for marine technologies to reach new dimensions. ST communication with topside, which constantly tracks the submersible's GPS position that is then relayed to the pilot's navigation screen. The pilot uses the dual-frequency sonar for target detection, then visually identifies the right target. The HD video system records the found target, and the sal- vage effort is performed with the submersible's robotic ma- nipulator. The submersible's high payload capability gives the whole operation powerful underwater salvage abilities in deepwater with substantial bottom time. Furthermore, the fact that the submersible can perform multiple dives a day without being hoisted back on a ship's deck enhances the productivity of the operation. All of this is performed with cost structures and simplicity that, depending on the circumstances, challenge more conventional methods. Aquaculture, Scientific Studies The growing aquaculture industry and scientific interest in the South Atlantic and South Pacific increases the ne- cessity of new technologies. In Chile, Patagonian salmon farming yielded 1.4 million tons of production in 2014, showing evidence of a fast-expanding marine industry. In 1999, the first ROV was sold to operate in this industry, and Mariscope was a pioneer in this area, offering these new technologies. Now, ROVs are a common tool in marine harvesting sites. The SEAmagine submersible represents a new underwa- ter vehicle for Argentina's scientific community. Much of the advantages the submersible offers salvage and search and rescue operations for the Prefectura applies to effec- tive scientific operations. The ability for in-situ observa- tions complemented with an array of subsea tools is an important asset for any nation's scientific community. HOV operations are typically costly, the availability of assets is sparse, and this type of operation is often performed with submersibles with extreme depth ratings even when the scientific objectives do not require full depth-rated ves- sels. The Ocean Pearl submersible's ability to perform shallow and deepwater operations in lakes and nearshore with minimal infrastructure or in the open ocean with a research ship provides an important new tool to the scien- tific community of the region. Sub Design The Ocean Pearl is 4.53 m long, 2.44 m wide and 2.25 m high. Dry weight is 3,250 to 5,000 kg (depending on depth rating), and the cabin payload is 227 kg. For pro- pulsion, the sub has four brushless DC thrusters, with a maximum speed of 3 kt. Max mission time is 6 hr., with an additional reserve capacity of 96 hr. For power, the sub The sub is readily transported with its custom road trailer. Charles Kohnen is co-founder and president of SEAmagine Hydrospace Corp., which was estab- lished in 1995. Prior to SEAmagine, he worked over- seas in the offshore oil industry with Schlumberger International. Kohnen has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from McGill University, Can- ada. Christian Haag is a physical oceanographer who founded Mariscope Meerestechnik in Kiel, Germa- ny, in 1994. He also founded Mariscope Ingenieria in Chile in 2001 and Mariscope Argentina in 2013.