Meeting

The UNOLS 2025 Spring FIC Meeting will be held virtually this year. 

More information will be provided as it becomes available. 

2025 UNOLS RVTEC Meeting

November 3–7, 2025 | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA

The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) invites you to the annual Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee (RVTEC) Meeting, hosted at the esteemed Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. This key gathering will take place Monday, November 3 through Friday, November 7, 2025 .

Purpose & Highlights

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 other agencies to share knowledge, advance best practices, and collaborate on technical solutions. The meeting focuses on vessel operations, instrumentation, troubleshooting, and innovation, providing workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities to support safe and efficient oceanographic research.

This week-long event will likely include:

• Plenary sessions presenting updates on UNOLS and affiliated programs, facilities, committees and initiatives.
• Technical breakout sessions, panels, workshops and trainings focused on areas such as instrumenttion troubleshooting, vessel cybersecurity, multibeam systems, deployment reliability and so much more.
• Opportunities to engage in hands-on training, peer networking, and exchange operational insights and strategies.

Held at Scripps, the meeting will benefit from the venue’s world-leading marine research infrastructure, facilitating both formal sessions and informal collaboration in a scenic research environment.

Audience

This meeting is ideal for:

• Marine technicians, engineers, and technical staff supporting research vessels and oceanographic platforms.
• Fleet operations managers and policy-makers within UNOLS and associated institutions.
• Researchers and technical leads interested in vessel operations, instrumentation, and emerging best practices.

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Registration

RVTEC Registration is live and ready to go! Please click on this link to register: RVTEC Registration. In person registration will be $460 and virtual registration will be $50. The deadline to register is Oct. 15, 2025.

Networking dinner tickets are included in your registration. If you would like to buy a guest ticket please make sure you click on the small shopping cart on the guest ticket page. 

If you have any questions about registration please contact Bridget Harrell-Donze at bridget@unols.org. 

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Jump to:

• Meeting Overview
• Nimitz Marine Facility Tours
• Training Options
• Hotel Information
• Meeting Locations
• Transportation

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Meeting Overview

Monday (Nov 3) – Kickoff with “Cyber Monday” or  Multibeam Training (Optional)
Launch the week with your choice of two deep-dive tracks: a full day of dynamic sessions on cybersecurity across the UNOLS fleet, or a hands-on multibeam training workshop (limited to 35 participants).
 

Tuesday–Thursday (Nov 4 - 6) – Core RVTEC Program
Immerse yourself in the heart of RVTEC with plenary sessions, technical breakouts, and interactive discussions designed to spark collaboration and share best practices.

Special Highlights:

• Tuesday Evening (Nov 4, 6:00-8:00PM) – Icebreaker Reception - Birch Aquarium at Scripps
• Wednesday Evening (Nov 5, 6:00-9:00PM) – Networking Dinner - Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club
• Thursday Afternoon (Nov 6, 2:00-5:00PM) – Exclusive Tour of the Scripps Nimitz Facility

 

Friday (Nov 7) – Hands-On Training Opportunities (Optional)
Close out the week by sharpening your skills through one of three specialized training sessions:

1. Rigging Gear Inspection & Basic Rigging Training (Full Day) – Learn practical techniques to ensure safe, efficient operations at sea (limited to 35 participants).
2. Kongsberg SIS Workshop (Half Day) – Gain expert instruction on advanced Kongsberg systems.
3. Fortigate Workshop (Half Day) – Build confidence in Constructing a Secure SD-WAN Architecture.

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Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility Tours

Date: Thursday, November 6th, 2025
Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Join us for an afternoon of tours and demonstrations at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Nimitz Marine Facility or Scripps at UC San Diego Campus. Participants will break into small groups (15–20 people) and rotate through a series of stations highlighting Scripps’ research vessels, facilities, and technical capabilities.

Planned tour stops and demonstrations at Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility may include:

• R/V Sally Ride – Guided vessel tours (staggered across groups)
• Walking Tour of Nimitz Marine Facility Pier and Wharf
  • Shipboard Technical Support Staging Area – Overview of Shared Use Equipment and a summary of recent developments
  • Shipboard Geophysical Equipment – The portable compressors and select portable MCS equipment will be available.  Technical staff will describe how this equipment is used and supported
  • R/V Bob and Betty Beyster – Tour, operated by SIO Small Boating Program
• Facility Tours and Demonstrations
  • West Coast Winch Pool - Winch demonstration with Aaron Davis
  • Shipboard Technical Support Calibration Lab - Overview of facility capabilities
  • Marine Facility Laboratory Machine Shop - Tour of shop and overview of capabilities

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Training Options

Monday November 3, 2025

Title: Crash Course on Multibeam Echosounders (limited to 35 participants; 8 hours)

 

Presenter: Jonathan Beaudoin (HydroOctave) 

 

Description: Join Dr. Jonathan “JB” Beaudoin for a day-long Crash Course about Multibeam Echosounders. This course is tailored directly towards the needs of UNOLS Marine Technicians, focusing on the knowledge and skills necessary for you to be the best multibeam operator you can be. The course is intended for those that have had field experience with multibeam systems already.

It will be a workshop style event with time for Q&A and knowledge sharing and we will be gathering input from registrants on topics they’d like to have covered. Examples of possible topics from previous training from Dr. Beaudoin ranges from acoustics theory, calibration, real-time QA best-practices, survey planning, sonar optimization and even an intro to post-processing. 

Friday November 7, 2025

Option 1:

Title: Rigging Gear Inspection & Basic Rigging Training – National Rigging and Crane Training LLC (limited to 35 participants; 8 hours)

Presenter: Peter Cooke

Description: RVTEC is pleased to offer an on-site Rigging Training Workshop led by Peter Cooke, owner of National Rigging and Crane Training LLC. With over 20 years of industry experience as an engineer, trainer, and certification program developer, Peter brings first-hand expertise in rigging, hoist and crane operations, and equipment inspection. He currently serves on the ASME B30.9 Slings subcommittee and is a recognized leader in rigging certification development.

This full-day training will combine classroom instruction with hands-on practice to prepare participants to meet OSHA and ASME requirements for rigging gear use and inspection.

Course Highlights:

• Rigging Gear Inspection: Learn OSHA and ASME requirements for inspection and documentation of shackles, turnbuckles, swivel rings, lift points, and various sling types (chain, wire rope, synthetics, metal mesh). Hands-on inspection exercises will be included.
   
• Basic Rigging: Understand proper sling and rigging equipment selection and use in compliance with OSHA 1926.1400, OSHA 1910.184, ASME B30.9, and ASME B30.26. Topics include hitches, working load limits, rigging limitations, sling tension calculations, chart interpretation, and case studies of actual research vessel lifts.

Participants will leave with practical knowledge, a certificate, and applied skills to be deemed “competent” by their employers for rigging gear inspection and safe rigging practices. 

Option 2:

Title: Constructing a Secure SD-WAN Architecture  (3.5 hours)

Presenter: Ajinkya Joshi, Systems Engineer (Fortinet)

Objective: Provide a compelling hands-on learning experience about SD-WAN and teach participants to understand an agile and cost-effective architectural network solution.

Description: As businesses rely more on cloud-based applications, organizations with remote offices and distributed workforces must adapt their network infrastructure. Traditional WANs, often using costly MPLS or leased lines, route all traffic through centralized data centers, creating latency, performance bottlenecks, and operational complexity. Managing multiple point products adds to the challenge, increasing visibility gaps and troubleshooting difficulties.

This workshop explores how SD-WAN offers a dynamic, cost-effective alternative to static WAN architectures. Participants will learn how Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN enhances performance, reduces costs, and integrates security directly into the network. Through centralized management and advanced traffic optimization, organizations can improve cloud application access, streamline operations, and maintain robust security across their distributed environments.

Participants who attend this workshop will learn how to:

• Apply software-defined networking (SDN) to wide-area networks in an enterprise environment.
• Implement ADVPN v1.0 using FortiManager SD-WAN Overlay Orchestration for failover, failback, and packet duplication scenarios.
• Take control of critical DIA and measure voice quality with Mean Opinion Score (MOS).
• Employ FortiAI Assistant.

Option 3: 

Title: Kongsberg SIS Workshop (3.5 hours)

 

Presenter: Colleen Peters (Kongsberg)

 

Description: This session will be used to review the latest release of SIS, a new product called Kongsberg Record Viewer and to review best practices when conducting mapping surveys with Kongsberg multibeam echosounders.  

 

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Hotel Information

Hotel blocks have been arranged at the per diem rate ($199 per night) at two local hotels. 

If you only plan to attend on November 4, 5, and 6, PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. They have many rooms open. 

If you plan to attend additional days, please make your reservations at The La Jolla Shores Hotel.   

If you want to extend your reservation outside the meeting dates CALL the hotel! They have extra dates available that are not listed on the website. 

Please ensure that the room you choose is listed at the per diem rate! The website will show you other rates. 

The cut-off date is Oct. 3, 2025. Please do not hesitate to make your reservations!!!

You can make reservations as the hotels using these links or by following the telephone instructions. 

• Beach & Tennis Club Link https://bit.ly/UNOLS_RVTEC_BeachClub
• La Jolla Shores Link https://bit.ly/UNOLS_RVTEC_ShoresHotel

Telephone Instructions: 

The telephone number is (866-976-6659). When calling reference “UNOLS RVTEC 2025 Meeting” and the hotel will tell you what is available.

It is important to call during the designate hours as the people that answer then are the only ones who can access the per diem rate:

Monday-Friday 7 AM-7 PM PST

Sat and Sun 8 AM-5:30 PM PST

If you have any questions or problems please contact Bridget Harrell-Donze at bridget@unols.org or 425-772-9159. 

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Meals

• Monday, 11/3 – Thursday, 11/6: Light continental breakfast with coffee, lunch, and snacks will be served through out the day

• Tuesday, 11/4 Evening: Light appetizers at the Icebreaker Reception

• Wednesday, 11/5 Evening: Dinner

• Friday, 11/7: No meals provided, except for Rigging Training participants, a Taco Truck will be available

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Meeting Locations 

SIO Campus Map

Scripps Seaside Forum 

Date(s): Monday, Nov 3 – Wednesday, Nov 6; 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Address: 8610 Kennel Way, La Jolla, CA 92037
Notes: Located right on the beach next to Scripps Pier. About a 15-minute walk or 5-minute drive from La Jolla Shores hotels.

Icebreaker Reception - Birch Aquarium at Scripps 

Date: Tuesday, Nov 4; 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Address: 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, CA 92037

Notes: The Birch Aquarium is approximately 1.5 miles from the La Jolla Shores Hotel. Walking takes about 25–30 minutes, mostly uphill on the way to the Aquarium. By car or ride share, it’s about a 5-minute drive. The SIO Campus Shuttle is also available for transport, but please note that shuttle service ends at 6:00 PM.

 

Networking Dinner and Gala - Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club 

Date: Wednesday, Nov 5; 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Address: 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0121, 3035 Muir Ln, La Jolla, CA 92093

Notes: The Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club at UC San Diego is about 2 miles from the La Jolla Shores Hotel. Driving or taking a ride share takes roughly 7–10 minutes: head south on El Paseo Grande, turn left onto La Jolla Shores Drive, then right onto Expedition Way, and follow signs onto the UCSD campus to 9500 Gilman Drive. Walking takes about 35–40 minutes, mostly uphill, and campus shuttles are also available for those who prefer not to walk, but please note that shuttle service ends at 6:00 PM.

 

Sumner Auditorium 

Date: Thursday Morning, Nov 6; 8:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Address: 8625 Kennel Way, La Jolla, CA 92037
Notes: About a 15-minute walk or 5-minute drive from La Jolla Shores hotels.

 

Scripps Nimitz Facility    

Date: Thursday Afternoon, Nov 6; 2:00 - 5:00 PM                                     

Address: 8297 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA 92106
Notes: Buses will be provided for the 30-minute ride from Sumner Auditorium to the Scripps Nimitz Facility. Return buses will depart the Nimitz Facility at 5:00 PM, heading back to the La Jolla Shores Hotel.

 

TBD 

Date: Friday, Nov 7

Address: TBD

Notes: Self transportation, please coordinate taxi rides and car pools.

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Transportation

Getting to San Diego, California

Nearest Airport: San Diego International Airport (SAN) (~13 miles / 20–30 minutes by car to La Jolla).

From Airport to La Jolla Hotels

Easiest Options:

• Rideshare (Uber/Lyft): ~$40–60, 25–35 minutes. Pick-up zones are clearly marked at SAN.
• Taxi: Similar cost, stands available at both terminals.

Budget Option:

• San Diego Flyer Shuttle (Free) → UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley → short rideshare/taxi to La Jolla or SIO Campus Shuttle.
  • Flyer connects SAN → Old Town Transit Center (every 20–30 min)
  • Blue Line Trolley goes to UC San Diego Central Campus. From there, rideshare/taxi (~10 minutes) to La Jolla or take the SIO Campus Shuttle.

Getting around locally

• Trolley & buses: UC San Diego is directly served by the Blue Line extension; good for trips to/from downtown. San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
• Rideshare/Taxis: Easiest for hops between campus, hotels, and La Jolla sites.
• SIO Campus Shuttle:

Service area: Connects the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Birch Aquarium and the beach at Scripps Seaside Forum to the Central Campus at the Gilman Transit Center with a walking connection to the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley at the Central Campus Station

Operates (excluding university holidays):

Every 30 minutes weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Times in red indicate weekdays only.)

Every 30 minutes weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Shuttle tracking: Live map – Toggle SIO Shuttle on to view the route map; hover over vehicles and stops to see more information.

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2025 RVTEC Meeting Sponsors

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The 2025 Annual MSROC Meeting will take place in New Orleans, LA the weekend before AGU, December 13 & 14, 2025. More information will be posted as it comes available. 

This year's UNOLS Annual and Council Meetings will be held at the Embassy Suites Old Town Alexandria, 1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA 

A block of rooms has been reserved for the meeting attendees at the Embassy Suites Old Town Alexandria. These rooms are specially priced at the current per diem rate ($196 per night). When you make your reservation, please ensure that you choose a room at the per diem rate. The cut-off to make reservations is October 20, 2025, so please don't hesitate. 

To make your reservations:

• Call the reservations center at (800) 362-2779 and reference the group code, UNO; or
• Book online via the webpage https://book.passkey.com/event/51105906/owner/1731/home. 

More information will be posted as it becomes available. 

The AMRCC held a Town Hall meeting at the 2024 AGU meeting.  The presentation is attached below.

Please join us for the 2025 Annual SCOAR Meeting. This year it will be held at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. 

The meeting will be a full day on February 27, 2025 and a half day on February 28, 2025. Coffee and snacks will be provided. 

Hotel Room Block 

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Marriott's TownPlace Suites Sunnyvale Silicon Valley. The last day to book the rooms is January 27, 2025. Please do not hesitate to make your reservations. Please use this link to book your room: Reservations. 

If you have any questions please reach out to Alice Doyle at alice@unols.org. 

 

Details about the Meeting:

Government ID required - For those attending in person, you must bring a government-issued ID. If you are driving a car on the facility, you must have your drivers license.

Directions - The map gives the best directions but if you can't interpret here is my attempt

1. Head to Visitor Control to pick up your badge (expect this to take 30min so arrive early!)
2. Go through the Moffett Field Main Gate 
3. Head down Clark road
4. Slight right onto South Akron Road
5. Left on McCord Ave
6. Go through the Mark Ave Gate
7. Proceed to King Street
8. Left on King St
9. Left on DeFrance Ave
10. Left into the circle and PARK ANYWHERE

Parking - There are only a few parking places in front of the building so park somewhere around the circle (see map).

Travel Reimbursements - Travel will be reimbursed via the UNOLS Travel Guidelines. The page has a link to the form to complete and information on where to send receipts.

 

Please read the meeting read-ahead, located below, under Other Materials. 

UNOLS 2026 Ship Scheduling Kick-Off Meeting will be held on February 19 & 20, 2025 at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science in Miami, FL. February 19 will be a full day, and February 20 will be a half day, ending around 12:00 pm. The meeting will be in the Science Laboratory and Administration Building (SLAB), room 103. 

A block of hotel rooms has been reserved at The Arya Hotel & Suites. You can make your reservations at this link: RESERVATIONS. The last day to take advantage of this discounted rate is Saturday, January 18, 2025. 

A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided the first day. A continental breakfast will be provided the second day. 

The plan is to carpool to the meeting using rental cars and rideshares. If you need to park on campus, please use the public parking lots outlined in red in the map below. The meeting room and the best route to get there are also on the map. 

If you have any questions, please contact Doug Russell at doug@unols.org or Bridget Harrell-Donze at bridget@unols.org.

 

The UNOLS Arctic Marine Research Capabilities Committee will be hosting an ancillary meeting in conjunction with AGU24 at the Westin Washington, D.C. Downtown. It will take place on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 12:30 to 1:30. Please note that the room in the hotel has changed, the meeting is now being held in Meeting Room 15.  

If you have any questions feel free to contact Doug Russell at doug@unols.org.  

 

The 2024 Council Meeting will take place in Savannah, Georgia

Council Meeting:  November 21, 2024 (1/2 day) 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. 

The meeting will take place at Hotel Indigo Savannah Historic District. 

The meeting hotel is the Hotel Indigo. A block of rooms has been reserved for meeting participants. You can make you hotel reservations at this link: UNOLS Annual & Council Meeting. The cut-off date to make reservations is October 23, 2024. 

Coffee and morning snacks will be provided. 

Please RSVP here:  https://forms.gle/yret2U81SnjHg2wW6

A Zoom link can be found here:  https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcscu2upjojH9xJIpZvAR7MaoOeizqQG6_5

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Bridget at bridget@unols.org