Big Blue World
The Global Newsletter of the Society for Underwater Technology
Issue 1, September/October 2021
In this issue
Messages from: the CEO,
SUT President &
Chair of SUT Council
What is innovation?
Winners of the Gwyn
Griffiths Underwater
Robotics Award and
Captain Don Walsh Award
for Ocean Exploration
SUT Global Branch News
Updates from our
Special Interest Groups
Young Professionals
International
News from SUT Members
New SUT Member
benefit! - Join the Marine
Technologist Register
SUT Event reports
The Underwater
Technology Podcast
UT2 and UV2 Magazines
Contents
Welcome from the SUT CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A Message from the Chair of SUT Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A Message from the SUT President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Welcome to our new Corporate Members! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SUT News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
A Focus on Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Last issue of the SUT Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
What is innovation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
SUT Member news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Forthcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Gwyn Griffiths Underwater Robotics Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Educational Support Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
UT2/UV2 Magazines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Marine Technologist and Marine Science Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Global Branch updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Special Interest Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Young Professionals International - SUT+, YES! and SUT-SES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Reports of Recent SUT Events and Photo Galleries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
The Underwater Technology Podcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Next Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Introducing
Laura Meyer
Joining the team at SUT HQ from
August through to October will
be Laura Meyer as our SUT intern
from Germany.
She will be helping the team with
business development and member
outreach. You can contact Laura at
laura.meyer@sut.org.
Editor
Emily Boddy
emily.boddy@sut.org
Contact Emily to submit an
article, send in Corporate
Member news, or member
updates and photos, or to fnd
out about advertising and
sponsorship opportunities in
Big Blue World.
Big Blue World
Welcome from the SUT CEO
Cheryl Burgess, SUT CEO
Since joining the SUT at the beginning of 2021 it has
been my pleasure to get to know the staf, the Exec,
Council and members as well as become familiar with
the administration of the Society and the interest and
activities of the Branches and Special Interest Groups
(SIG).
I have met members virtually at the SUT-organised
webinars and committee meetings, and face-to-face at
Ocean Business, and look forward to more in-person
meetings in the future as vaccination programmes and
changing Covid-19 restrictions enable us to meet in
person.
I would like to say thank you to SUT members for choosing to retain their membership to the
Society. I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage all members, corporate and
individuals, to get actively involved in their Branch or SIG. And if you strongly feel that the
SUT needs new and additional Special Interest Groups, I look forward to hearing from you.
Te Energy in Transition and the Impacts for Site Investigation and Characterisation
conference held in September 2021 was the return to SUT live events in the UK. Te SUT had
a stand at Ocean Business in October, W9, as well as speakers at this event. We look forward
to seeing you at other events where the SUT will be present as speakers and exhibitors.
You will have taken note that training courses have become virtual online events from the
UK and USA in order to meet the continued training interest. Te Perth Branch has been
able to ofer face-to-face meetings, training and events. We are delighted with the interest in
the new introductory ofshore wind course. Our thanks to the SUT industry experts who are
presenters on these courses.
Members now have the opportunity to enhance their professional accreditation on the
Marine Technologist and Marine Science Registers via the SUT and route to being globally
recognised certifcation as Chartered, Registered or MarTech. Following the pilot programme
in 2020, you can now dive into the application process on www.sut.org/marine-technology-
registration/. Please contact us if you have any questions. I hope you check it out.
Listening to the both the membership and online conferences and webinars that have taken
place over recent months and during the pandemic lockdown, it is clear there is much for
the members to discuss and contribute in the SUT’s role as a learned society: climate change,
meeting net zero targets, marine renewables and ofshore wind, decarbonisation, carbon
capture, transportation and storage, decommissioning & salvage, deep sea mining, reduction
of our carbon footprint, the need for innovation, the role of subsea education, engineering
and technology, delivering training for a sustainable skilled workforce in the future.
We live in interesting times, with challenges to be sure, but also with a role for the SUT and its
members now and in the future.
Cheryl Burgess
Society for Underwater Technology
A Message from the Chair of Council
David Saul, Chair of Council
Welcome to issue one of the new SUT newsletter, Big Blue World.
I would like to start by paying tribute to Bil Loth who passed away in
July this year. Until recently Bil was part of Council as a past President
but had occupied numerous roles in the society over the last four
decades. Bil also supported the IMarEST serving as their President
in the early 2000s. Workwise, Bil was a founding subsea engineer
working on both the industry-changing Exxon SPS and Shell UMC
developments, before moving on to set up his own consultancy. Many
will remember his training style as always thought-provoking but
rounded of with amusing anecdotes. Te Loth family have requested
that any donations can be made to the SUT’s Educational Support
Fund in Bil’s honour. If you would like to make a donation, the details are below.
Tis year saw a signifcant change to the Society with us relinquishing the Aberdeen and
London ofces to move to a fully remote working model. I would like to thank all the efort
from CEO Cheryl and the other SUT staf to ensure this has taken place in an orderly
manner. Going forward we will be using the HQS Wellington as a business address.
In the last annual report, I talked a little about the progress of our ofer of professional
recognition to members. I am pleased to say this is now live for people wanting to become
accredited marine technologists, with marine scientists coming soon. Information on the
application process can be found on the website under ‘education’.
From the UK there are new training courses for subsea awareness and ofshore wind being ofered
online, together with the training courses run by SUT Branches in Houston and Perth. I would
like to thank Jacqui Adams for her work keeping SUT events running in the virtual world.
With the second season of the SUT Underwater Technology Podcast complete, and the third
season now underway, I would like to thank Emily Boddy and SUT Council member Andrew
Connelly for all their work on this. At the time of writing, we had 16,954 downloads but most
importantly we are building up an audio record of key people in the industry.
David Saul
As the global subsea and marine community join Bil’s family in
mourning his passing, the Loth family have requested donations to
the SUT Education Fund.
Always an innovator in subsea engineering, the last stage of Bil’s
career took him into an academic life at the National University
of Singapore, then Newcastle, Robert Gordon and Cranfeld
Universities lecturing and inspiring generations of subsea engineers
internationally.
Your donations will continue Bil’s legacy and contribute to
supporting students in the felds of subsea engineering, science and
marine technology.
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bil-loth
Bil Loth
Bil Loth
Big Blue World
A Message from the SUT President
Judith Pa�en MBE, SUT President
What a great introduction this newsletter is, enabling the sharing of
information at every level throughout the SUT and hopefully stirring
up discussion and debate. Enjoy reading this frst issue and don’t hold
back. Let us know what you’re up to; what you’d like to share; what,
where and how you’d like SUT to become more active... Use it as your
own. It’s designed for two-way trafc.
Invited to become President last December mine has been a highly
enjoyable and interesting baptism of fre. I’ve been a member of SUT’s
Marine Renewable Energies Committee (MREC) since its creation
early in the century; being on Council and in the presidential ‘hot seat’
has certainly provided insight into its aims and objectives.
Highlights? Tere have been (and continue to be) many:
• Seeing professional accreditation get of the ground afer last year’s pilot scheme and working
jointly with MTS on this important step is a major milestone. Spread the word far and wide to
those you work with and encourage them to dive into the online application process (and do it
yourself if you are not already Chartered)!.
• Introducing the inaugural virtual courses – the introductory ofshore wind course and the subsea
awareness one (good to see so many women speaking) then staying online to soak up as much of
the content as possible
• As a long-time admirer of that indefatigable ocean explorer Don Walsh, being involved with the
judging process for the Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration (again jointly with
MTS) has been illuminating. Who has won? All is revealed later in this issue. Look out for the
nomination process for the next iteration, it is an award for those who not only have achieved
great things but are doing it currently (rather than a lifetime achievement award). It is intended to
capture the ‘Walsh spirit’.
• Marvelling at the time that very busy people give voluntarily
to our learned society is humbling; and working alongside the
four talented women Cheryl, Jane, Jacqui and Emily who work
tirelessly for SUT is uplifing. I thank them for their patience
with me as I ask ofen daf questions. Tere is no ‘how to be a
president’ guidebook!
Regrets? Yes. I’d love to have met more members face-to-face
but that of course just hasn’t yet been possible... Most of all I
would have enjoyed meeting up with other Presidents for a ‘how
to do it’ crash course. I have a copy of “Can a Lobster be an
Archaeologist?” [you can buy the book here!] by my side as I write
this (ready to give to my grandson with more copies on their way
to me for children too young to appreciate it when it was frst
published) and remember Bil Loth, its champion and President
at the time of its publication, telling me he’d been a fip-book fan
when young and so insisted on a fip-book diver providing an
element of fun in this fascinating book. Tank you, Bil. You are
much missed, your fip-book diver is a constant reminder of you.
Judith Patten
Can a Lobster be an
Archaeologist?
Society for Underwater Technology
Welcome to our new Members
Welcome to our newest Corporate Members!
Click to find out how your organisation can join the SUT as a Corporate Member.
Big Blue World
SUT News
SUT HQ has a new location!
Following the implementation of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in the UK in March 2020, the
SUT HQ staf adapted to working from home. Te SUT has taken the decision to enable all HQ
staf to continue to be home-based as the SUT ofce leases in Aberdeen and London have come to
term. SUT staf have provided continuous valuable services to members throughout the pandemic:
engaging with members directly and through the Branches and Special Interest Groups, running
webinars, and online training courses.
Like many organisations we have adjusted to working in the new normal. We have adapted with our
online ofering and virtual meetings, planning for the future and return to face-to-face meetings and
events including international conferences and exhibitions. SUT’s new address, HQS Wellington,
will be a postal address only. Please update our contact details. You can still write to us and send
hard-copy communications to:
Society for Underwater Technology, HQS Wellington, Victoria Embankment, London WC2R 2PN
HQ Staf and other branch contact details can be found at www.sut.org/contact
HQS Wellington, London
New Marketing and Events
Coordinator joins Perth branch
Welcome to Kym Shepherd!
Kym has over 10 years’ experience in coordinating the
implementation, promotion and evaluation of a wide range
of events, predominantly in Local Government. Highly
skilled in end-to-end Event and Project Management,
Stakeholder Relations and Marketing, Kym’s role focuses on
the administration, coordination, and marketing of all Perth
branch events. Contact Kym at perthevents@sut.org.
Society for Underwater Technology
The SUT & Social Media in Numbers
Individuals
Corporate Members
146
14 Hon. Fellows
107 Fellows
677 Full members
128 Students
691 Corporate Individuals
1617
13 Branches
across 12 countries
Members from
39 different countries
YouTube
65 Videos
357 Subscribers
36,550 Video Views
1,894 Followers
508 Followers
1,414 Followers
1,354 Followers
Podcast
69 Episodes
16,954 Downloads
Follow SUT on social media
Click the icons above to follow SUT HQ on social
media. Join us on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/
company/sutuk/
Many of our branches and special interest groups
also have social media accounts of their own.
Make sure you search for ‘Society for Underwater
Technology’ across LinkedIn to follow accounts
dedicated to these groups too.
If you’d like to particiapte in an episode of the
Underwater Technology Podcast, email podcast@
sut.org to speak to our editor, Emily Boddy.
Big Blue World
A Focus on Finance
Mick Cook, Honorary Treasurer
As the SUT closes its fnancial year-end 2020-2021, I am pleased to report
that SUT Council have set a prudent, balanced budget for 2021-2022.
Despite a difcult year, due to the impact of COVID-19, I am pleased to
report that the work done by SUT Exec, Council, Centre and Branches to
put fnances on a frm footing in recent years means that we are looking
forward to a brighter future.
New members and strong membership retention, the creation of online
training courses and chargeable online events have helped limit the budget
defcit to a minimal sum. In addition to income from the new online training
courses, including Virtual Subsea Awareness and Ofshore Wind, sponsorship
income for webinars and podcasts has also contributed to SUT fnances. Only
the Perth Branch had the luxury of face-face meetings in the fnancial year 2020/21 and this, together
with prudent cost constraints, resulted in a healthy surplus for the year in Australia.
Te programme of membership engagement from Branches and Special Interest Groups has
continued to provide meaningful value to members led to new members joining the Society. We
look forward to face-to-face member events, including training with site visits, returning to the SUT
calendar as Covid restrictions ease globally.
If you are interested in individual or corporate donations or sponsorship of the SUT events please
contact myself (mick@mickcook.com) or Jacqui Adams (Jacqui.adams@sut.org) to discuss further.
Mick Cook
The Final Issue of the SUT Journal
Sadly, our peer-reviwed journal, Underwater Technology is no longer in production and we are not
accepting submissions. Click on the image of the journal below to read
the last published issue 38.1. Back issues of Underwater Technology are
still available to view here. But please watch this space as Underwater
Technology may yet return in the future.
In the meantime, however, we have
joined forces with our friends at the
Marine Technology Society (MTS) and
SUT members will now be able to access
and even submit papers to their journal.
Te Marine Technology Society
Journal publishes the following
categories of submissions:
•
Technical/Scientifc Paper
•
Technical/Scientifc Note
•
Commentary
•
Book Reviews
For more information about the MTS
Journal and the paper submission
process please click here.
Society for Underwater Technology
David Kaye, Fellow SUT,
Director, Rigid Pipeline
and Installa�on
Technologies,
TechnipFMC
What is innovation?
Tere are many
defnitions available
and easily found via
a Google search.
Probably the most widely applicable describes
innovation as the introduction of new ideas or
ways of doing something. Ask any member of the
public about innovation and the frst thought that
come to mind may be the iPhone, an electric car –
a Tesla maybe - or perhaps some Dyson product.
We all recognise innovation and can see it in our
daily lives. However, ask the same member of the
public where innovation comes from, and how
we can obtain it, and the conversation changes
gear. Innovation becomes a much more abstract
concept, difcult to defne, and difcult to access.
Te oil and gas industry is traditionally
conservative, and particularly the subsea sector
in which I work. Subsea developments require
high levels of investment and high risk. A
new, innovative idea can reduce the level of
investment – but also adds to the risk. A multi-
million-dollar investment could be threatened by
trying to save just a small percentage of the cost.
Consequently, our industry is ofen characterised
by the rush to be second: Operators ofen let
someone else take the risk of innovation frst.
We have conficting challenges. Our industry
is mature, proven, with well-defned standards,
and with cut-throat competition to reduce costs
and win each contract. Clients consider widely
available and proven technologies to leverage
more competition from the supply chain. At
the same time, however, each project pushes
the boundaries just a little bit more: Higher
pressure, higher temperature, longer tie-backs,
more corrosion, and more challenging fuid
conditions. We rarely see “run of the mill”
developments, and if we did, the ever-present
competition would make sure that they’re no
longer run of the mill: We will try to do it at
lower cost, faster, more efciently.
Interestingly, the industry challenges of the last
fve years have created a much more enthusiastic
What is innovation?
10
David Kaye
photo by: TechnipFMC
Big Blue World