Held the day before the 2026 UNOLS Annual Meeting
UNOLS is pleased to announce that we will be holding a MSROC Community Meeting the Sunday before AGU, 06 Dec 2026.
The meeting will take place in San Francisco, CA. More information will be posted as it becomes available.
UNOLS is pleased to announce that we will be holding a DeSSC New User Program and Community Meeting the weekend before AGU, 05 & 06 Dec 2026.
The meeting will take place in San Francisco, CA. More information will be posted as it becomes available.
Here is the link to register for the zoom meeting and to receive the link to the virtual meeting: Zoom Link
We look forward to connecting with everyone this spring!
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| 2026 MSROC Spring Virtual Meeting - Minutes | 238.675 KB |
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| 2026 Spring MSROC Meeting Agenda_2.pdf | 363.091 KB |
The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) invites you to the annual Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee (RVTEC) Meeting, hosted at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. This key gathering will take place Monday, November 16 through Friday, November 20, 2026.
The RVTEC (Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee) Meeting brings together marine technicians, engineers, and vessel operators from the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF) and partner agencies to share knowledge, advance best practices, and collaborate on technical solutions. The meeting focuses on vessel operations, instrumentation, troubleshooting, and innovation, and provides workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities that support safe, efficient, and high-quality oceanographic research.
This week-long event typically includes:
Held at the University of Miami, the meeting will benefit from a dynamic oceanographic research environment and strong regional marine science community, fostering both formal sessions and informal collaboration.
This meeting is ideal for:
Most RVTEC sessions will be held at the University of Miami’s Lakeside Village, with a special session and facility tours hosted at the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science (Marine Campus) on Wednesday, November 18.
University of Miami Campus Resources
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Thesis Hotel Miami. You can make reservations using the link: RVTEC or by calling the Reservations Department at 305-667-5611. The last day to make reservations is September 29, 2026. Please make your reservations before this date. If you have any questions about the hotel please contact Bridget at bridget@unols.org.
Kick off the meeting with early registration (5-7pm) and reconnect with colleagues before the week's activities begin.
Kick off RVTEC 2026 with Cyber Monday and optional pre-conference training and workshop opportunities designed to build technical knowledge and connect with colleagues across the fleet.
A full day of sessions focused on cybersecurity challenges, best practices, and practical solutions across the UNOLS fleet.
Presenters - Paul Johnson*, Vicki Ferrini, Anand Hiroji, Kevin Jerram
The Multibeam Advisory Committee (MAC) will host a half-day session focused on practical multibeam operations and priorities for maintaining high data quality. Topics will include identifying science goals, survey planning to meet those goals, system setup and readiness checks, underway data quality assessment, and post-cruise data management. Participants are invited to submit questions and challenges to the MAC via mac-help@unols.org or raise them during the session for open discussion.
Presenter - Shawn Smith
The FAIR Working Group will host an in-person meeting of the WG to review progress to date, plan activities for the next year, review membership, and to move forward with ongoing tasks and actions.
The core RVTEC program includes three days of technical presentations, panel discussions, breakout sessions, and collaborative discussions focused on the latest advancements in marine technology and research vessel operations. The program covers a wide range of topics, including sonar and acoustic systems, CTD operations, coring systems, oceanographic instrumentation, ADCPs, flow-through systems, meteorological sensors, data acquisition and management, cyberinfrastructure, emerging technologies, and fleet best practices. Throughout the week, attendees will participate in plenary sessions, concurrent breakouts, hands-on technical demonstrations, and numerous networking opportunities to exchange knowledge and strengthen connections within the marine technician community.
Show off your vessel, institute, or program! Wear your favorite vessel or institution T-shirt, hat, gear, or other swag and represent your crew and community.
Reconnect with colleagues and meet new members of the RVTEC community during the conference welcome reception at Mamey Miami Restaurant. A great opportunity to reconnect, meet new faces, and kick off the week together!
Wednesday's program will be held at the University of Miami's renowned Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, providing attendees the opportunity to experience one of the nation's premier marine science campuses.
In addition to plenary sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in guided tours of several Rosenstiel facilities, including:
Join colleagues for a special evening of networking, great food, and celebration as the RVTEC community comes together for our conference dinner. We’ll gather at Salt Waterfront Restaurant, a beautiful waterfront setting in Miami, for an evening of good conversation, camaraderie, and celebration with colleagues from across the community.
Thursday continues with technical breakout sessions, working groups, vendor presentations, and collaborative discussions before concluding with a meeting wrap-up highlighting key outcomes and future initiatives.
Wrap up the week with one of several focused technical workshops designed to provide hands-on learning, build practical skills, and offer in-depth instruction from subject matter experts. These optional workshops provide an opportunity to dive deeper into specialized topics and gain valuable knowledge that can be applied directly to your work. Workshop registration information will be available during conference registration.
Please note: Workshops are optional; however, participants who register for a workshop are expected to attend. Workshop registration information will be available during conference registration.
Current training opportunities include:
Presenters Drummond Wengrove, Paige FitzPatrick and Cedric Guigand
Advances in computer-aided design (CAD) and additive manufacturing have made it easier than ever to develop custom solutions for ocean science, marine technology, and coastal engineering. This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the complete workflow for designing and fabricating systems. Participants will learn the fundamentals of solid modeling, 3D printing, laser cutting and learn from real world examples of implementing prototype parts in the ocean. They will put this knowledge to the test as they design and fabricate an ocean drifter. The second half of the workshop will introduce participants to a development space on campus. Participants will have the opportunity of getting hands-on experience with 3D printers and laser cutters, while they work to bring their design to life and into the water!
Presenters - Duncan Rigg and Stuart Slade
Join Sonardyne for a half-day crash course on Sonardyne Ranger 2 USBL. Topics covered will include:
The session is tailored towards the marine technicians who operate USBL systems, focusing on the knowledge and skills necessary to make the very best out of the Ranger 2 USBL system, including focus on the use of Ranger 2 for robotics operations. The course is intended for all levels of experience, from those brand new to Ranger 2, all the way through to seasoned technicians. It will be a hands-on workshop with time allocated for knowledge sharing and Q&A with Sonardyne technicians.
Sonardyne will also host a follow-up session at their trials and demos facility in Plymouth, UK, where you can see a Ranger 2 USBL system working in the real world. Dial in to the session to witness and understand Ranger 2 scenarios submitted by you! Keep an eye out for more details!
Presenter TBD
A practical session designed for anyone in the RVTEC community who has responsibility for managing or supporting a team. Whether you are a Marine Technical Manager, Facility Manager, Instrumentation or Instrument Manager, Lab Manager, or in a similar leadership role, this session will explore effective approaches to navigating the everyday conversations that come with managing people.
Through real-world scenarios and interactive discussion, participants will have an opportunity to build confidence in handling challenging conversations, providing meaningful feedback, addressing performance concerns, and supporting their teams through change and difficult situations.
Presenter - Jules Hummon
UHDAS overview, directory structure, how calibrations and errors are related. We will highlight some new capabilities and remind users of Standard Operating Procedures, and how to deal with some unusual situations.
Presenters - Shawn R. Smith, Kristen Briggs, Julia O’Neill, and David Moroni
An introduction to making marine meteorological observations on RVs, including describing common sensors, sensor location and exposure, adjusting observations for sensor height, and the importance of metadata and quality assurance. This course is intended for technicians new to or less familiar with the world of meteorological instrumentation and observation. The training is interactive and attendees will be prompted to contribute to the discussions and to complete hands-on exercises.
Presenter - Colleen Peters, Product Manager, Mapping Software
This workshop, for users of SIS 5, will provide training on the latest enhancements in SIS 5.16 and a look ahead at the future of Kongsberg's Seafloor Information System. Through demonstrations and discussion, attendees will learn how to take advantage of the latest functionality and gain a better understanding of how these changes can benefit vessel operations.
Presenter Rachel Simon
This two-part training course will be offered as two half-day sessions, with one session on Monday and one on Friday. This second Friday session will focus in greater detail on Proxmox and Ceph.
The Friday training session will focus in greater detail on Proxmox and Ceph. These technologies are increasingly common amongst the fleet and are used to a substantial degree on the Ocean Explorer, including two field seasons of experience with high-tech hyper-converged systems.
The session will focus on Proxmox and Ceph in greater detail, drawing on this experience and practical use in the field.
UNOLS 2026 Summer AICC Meeting will be held virtually on June 25th, 2026 from 10:00 to 1:00 Pacific Time.
Zoom link here: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/Dd3RYYyMTUuweIiz0f5oxg
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| 2026 AICC Summer Meeting Agenda | 327.392 KB |
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| AMRCC Update | 8466.386 KB |
| HEALY 2026 Operations Overview | 33679.598 KB |
| STARC Report | 20722.129 KB |
| Arctic Surface Capability Update | 3901.969 KB |
| 2027 HEALY Potential Projects | 66.941 KB |
| UNOLS Report | 5511.57 KB |
| STARC – Coriolix data presence | 9971.757 KB |
| SIKULIAQ Tech Update | 827.701 KB |
OBSIC-OS will be holding the annual meeting at University of Texas Institute for Geophysics in Austin, Texas on June 10 & 11, 2026.
A block of hotel rooms has been arranged for the per diem rate ($173.00 per night). Please use this link to make your reservations: Lone Star Court Hotel.
Meeting Location: Meeting Room 2.201
Institute for Geophysics
J.J. Pickle Research Campus
10601 Exploration Way, Bldg. 196 (ROC)
Austin, TX 78758-4445
If you have any questions please reach out to Tara Clemente at tara@unols.org.
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| 2026 Meeting Minutes OBSIC-OS.pdf | 113.658 KB |
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| OBSIC-OS Spring 2026 Meeting Agenda.pdf | 61.261 KB |
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| OBSIC-OS Fall 2024 Summary Minutes.pdf | 106.802 KB |