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www.sea-technology.com October 2017 / st 9 soundings )) World's First Hydrogen Gas Produced from Tidal Energy. The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has produced hydrogen gas using electricity generated from tidal energy in Orkney, Scotland. This is the first time that hydrogen has been created from tidal energy anywhere in the world. Prototype tidal energy converters—Scotrenewables' SR2000 and Tocardo's TFS and T2 turbine—fed power into an electrolyzer situated next to EMEC's onshore substation. Supplied by ITM Power, the electrolyzer uses the electricity to split water into its component parts of hydrogen (H 2 ) and oxygen (O 2 ). The electrolyzer has hydrogen generation capacity of up to 220 kg per 24 hours. EMEC's investment in hydrogen production capability has been made possible by funding of £3 million from the Scottish government. )) Unmanned Vessels on the Rise. Maritime activity over the next decade will be dominated by unmanned surface and underwater vessels, according to a report on the future of autonomous maritime systems by Lloyd's Register, QinetiQ and the University of Southampton. The report is a follow-up to "Global Marine Technology Trends 2030," looking at how technology trends will impact the regulatory and social aspects of maritime operations. Developments are happening with greater pace than expected as little as two years ago, providing new opportunities and potential for disruptive business models. The principal challenges will be the integration of autonomous systems into current maritime operations, legal and regulatory requirements, and the impact upon seafarers. )) ICS Supports Implementation of BWM Convention. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention entered into force September 8, 2017. The industry may collectively need to spend around $100 billion to install the new ballast water treatment systems that will be required by law, said Esben Poulsson, chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). Poulsson has called on shipowners, equipment manufacturers and governments to cooperate to ensure that proper implementation of the new regulatory regime will deliver maximum environmental benefit. ICS has welcomed the important decision, made by the IMO in July, to adjust the implementation dates of the convention so that existing ships (constructed before September 8) will not be required to install treatment systems until the date of their first International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) renewal survey after September 8, 2019. )) Historic Avro Arrow Model Found in Lake Ontario. Kraken Sonar Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Kraken Sonar Sys- tems Inc., working with the program organizers OEX Recovery Group, has discovered a free-flight Avro Arrow model on the floor of Lake Ontario. The sonar images were captured using Kraken's AquaPix Synthetic Aperture Sonar deployed on board Kraken's ThunderFish AUV. The sonar and underwater camera images showcase a free-flight Avro Arrow model that was launched over Lake Ontario in the 1950s as part of the Avro Arrow design test program. When the Avro Arrow program was cancelled in 1959, all materials related to the project were ordered destroyed. The only known artifacts from the program remaining to be found are the free-flight models that were launched over Lake Ontario in a series of flight tests conducted in the 1950s as engineers developed the revolutionary Arrow, which featured a radical delta wing and a Canadian-made jet engine that pushed it past the speed of sound. )) Buoys to Monitor Arctic Conditions. The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) participated in a joint mission to de- ploy three specialized buoys with sensors into the Arctic Ocean, in the vicinity of the North Pole. The mission stemmed from the International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research (ICE-PPR). This partnership between the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden is part of ONR's answer to the challenge of the U.S. Navy Arctic Roadmap 2014-2030, which directs the service to "expand cooperative partnerships with Arctic nations and Arctic states, and international, interagency, and private sector stakeholders that enhance Arctic security." During the deployment, the ice-resistant buoys (Air-Deployable Expendable Ice Beacons, AXIBs) were dropped from a Royal Danish Air Force C-130 aircraft operating out of Thule Air Force Base in Greenland. The buoys will spend the next three to five years providing data about Arctic air pressure and temperature, winds, upper-ocean temperature, ice temperatures and movement of ice to develop more accurate computer models and forecasts for ice, ocean and weather conditions. )) Maple Arrives After Successful Voyage through NW Passage. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Maple arrived at Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland, after completing their voyage through the Northwest Passage. The Maple departed from its homeport in Sitka, Alaska, July 12 and transited above the Arctic Circle for 27 days. It will undergo scheduled maintenance for repairs and upgrades. This summer marked the 60th anniversary of three Coast Guard cutters and one Canadian ship that convoyed through the Northwest Passage, which are several passageways through the complex archi- pelago of the Canadian Arctic. )) Mussels Material Could Lead to Better Dental Implants. Inspired by the mechanisms mussels use to adhere to inhospi- table surfaces, UC Santa Barbara researchers have developed a new type of dental composite that provides an extra layer of durability to treated teeth. The potential payoff is longer lasting fillings, crowns, implants and other dental work. On average, a dental restoration lasts five to 10 years before needing replacement. ST