Page 78: of Marine Technology Magazine (September 2024)

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FUGRO www.fugro.com

Fugro completed the survey work for the 2024 MAREANO seabed mapping program, including an innovative environ- mental DNA (eDNA) service, as part of a hydrographic sur- vey contract awarded by the Norwegian Hydrographic Service (NHS). Supported by the Central Government of Norway,

MAREANO is a multidisciplinary initiative aimed at mapping the seabed to generate scienti? c information for the responsible management and preservation of Norway’s marine resources. In a ? rst for the program, Fugro included environmental DNA

This year’s survey covered an extensive 2,823 km² region in (eDNA) sampling as part of the survey datasets. eDNA enhanc- the North Sea, with water depths ranging from 146 to 337 me- es existing environmental sampling programs to gain deeper ters. Using the Fugro Discovery, equipped with high-resolution ecological insights, complementing other survey activities such multibeam echo sounders and sub-bottom data acquisition sys- as metocean, geophysical, and geotechnical surveys. tems, the primary goal is to gather seamless datasets, integrat- Furthermore, Fugro collected transit data for NHS to share ing bathymetry, water column, and acoustic backscatter data. with the European Marine Observation and Data Network

Fugro employed cutting-edge sensors and advanced cali- (EMODnet). This data will contribute to The Nippon Foun- bration techniques tailored to these challenging conditions. dation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project. Fugro has a track re-

The survey was completed in September and work is now cord of conducting successful surveys for the program since progressing on the ? nal reports and data that will be avail- 2006. To date Fugro has acquired more than 140,000 km2 of able via VirGeo, Fugro’s web-based Geo-data platform. data under the program.

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