Egypt: NIOF Chooses Saab Seaeye’s Tiger ROV for Mediterranean Studies

Egypt’s National Institute of Oceanology and Fisheries (NIOF) has chosen a Tiger ROV from Saab Seaeye as their preferred vehicle to undertake a range of studies in the Mediterranean.

The NIOF chose the Tiger over other makes of ROV as it can handle the strong currents of the Mediterranean and dive to 1000 metres.

They like its small, easily handled size that needs little deck space on a small vessel.

Yet despite its compact size, a range of sonars, cameras and tools can be added as needed to undertake the wide scope of tasks planned by the Institute.

For instance a four-function manipulator has been included that will manoeuvre a specially designed Saab Seaeye scoop for collecting seabed samples.

For detailed observation work, the Tiger also comes equipped with a wide-angle low light B&W camera and a colour zoom camera.

The overall mission of the NIOF is to seek accurate information on the different Egyptian aquatic environments, including typographical features, to improve knowledge of the economic resources in seas, lagoons and fresh water bodies, along with gaining an understanding of their interactions and influencing factors. This will include studying and monitoring the physical, chemical and biological changes in Egyptian waters.

These studies will seek to achieve the sustainable development of marine and fresh water resources and increase their potential for food by introducing new techniques in fisheries and aquaculture.

This will include exploiting the natural resources, discovering new fishing grounds and developing methods for mid and deep-water fisheries management to protect the fish stocks.

They aim to increase fish productivity through developing and introducing new methods of fish culture in marine floating aquaculture cages along with intensifying research on protecting fish against fish diseases, and keeping a high rate of fish production.

In addition, the Tiger ROV will help the NIOF understand hazardous phenomena such as storm surges, coastal erosion and the sudden increase of the sea water level.

Saab Seaeye underwater vehicles are widely used in marine science across the world because along with handling a wide variety of instruments and tooling, their powerful thrusters can hold the ROVs steady in strong currents whilst undertaking delicate sampling and gathering tasks, and detailed filming and observation missions.

ROVs have been used to gather information on conditions for coral colonization and growth where sensors on the ROV acquired data on temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, turbidity and fluorescence. Also, the under-ice Antarctic krill population has been filmed by an ROV to help understand the relationships between the krill, the sea ice and ice algae.

The ability of an ROV to work tirelessly and with precise manoeuvrability in demanding and restricted conditions has made these vehicles ideally suited for working in and around fish farming cages where they are used to monitor the health of stocks, as well as routinely inspect the integrity of the cage structures.

The NIOF, in undertaking their studies using the Tiger ROV, will be collaborating with a wide range of national and international scientific and educational institutions.

[mappress]
Press Release, November 01, 2012