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www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 53

President & CEO. “We have made an important acquisition, invested in new products, secured new financing and implemented successful manu- facturing, innovation and strategic restructuring processes. As a result we are well-positioned for the future.” “We are pleased with the emergence of Marine Robotics Inc. as an inde- pendent developer of Unmanned

Maritime Vehicles and Systems. Our innovative efforts in developing award-winning underwater robotics technology have resulted in the devel- opment of a highly motivated and talented organization. We expect that this new company will be better able to focus on the needs of its own cus- tomers and markets. This should lead to robust growth, enhanced prof- itability and increased value for our shareholders.”

Satlantic Joins Sea-Bird,

WET Labs

The Sea-Bird Ocean Measurement

Group and Satlantic Inc. announced that Satlantic is joining Sea-Bird

Electronics and WET Labs in the

Sea-Bird Ocean Measurement

Group. “Satlantic’s technology and products are a natural fit and will allow us to better offer complete solu- tions to our customers’ measurement needs” Sea-Bird’s President Norge

Larson stated in making the announcement. “Satlantic joining

Sea-Bird and WET Labs is combin- ing the best in biogeochemical and physical oceanographic sensors.” “We have worked closely with the

Satlantic team for many years,” said

Casey Moore, President of WET

Labs. “Our common customer base uses optics to measure and under- stand the ocean. That commonality has grown over the years as we have worked together in developing instru- ments and long-term monitoring sys- tems. Our clients have seen the fruits of our joint efforts and we look for- ward to continuing, enhancing, and expanding those relationships.”

Aker Solutions Splits into 3 Separate Companies

International oil services, engineer- ing and construction company Aker

Solutions has decided to cultivate its core businesses by creating three sep- arate companies. The new strategic direction, which will be announced at the company's capital markets day in

Oslo today, is the conclusion of a strategy process initiated by the

Board in second quarter 2009. "We have listened carefully to feedback from our customers and investors and analyzed how we should position our- selves to meet their expectations," says Øyvind Eriksen, executive chair- man of Aker Solutions. "Their feed- back is consistent. Our company enjoys strong positions in several market segments. However, to further accelerate our growth, we should be more focused, more flexible in our approach to customer specific requirements, and much more trans- parent," he said.

Leading on from this, the next step is to cultivate the current Aker

Solutions business into three separate companies:

YSI EcoMapper AUVs

The University of Southern

California (USC) in Los Angeles, CA, recently placed an order for a YSI

EcoMapper Autonomous

Underwater Vehicle (AUV). USC will use the vehicle’s water quality sensors, 6-beam Doppler Velocity

Log (DVL), side-scan sonar, and acoustic modem to help its team research the roles of behavioral and physiological processes in algal bloom initiation and maintenance. The

University of California, Davis has also purchased an EcoMapper equipped with an Extended Payload (EP) package, side-scan sonar, water

Marport Secures Private Equity Financing

Marport Deep Sea Technologies secured an equity investment led by Hasting Equity Partners, LLC and Admiralty

Partners, Inc. Boenning & Scattergood, Inc., a U.S. based investment banking firm, served as financial advisor to

Marport. “This capital raise, at a time of great challenge and uncertainty in the financial markets, is a true testament to the tremendous potential of our Software Defined Sonar technology and products,” said Karl Kenny, Marport’s

President and CEO. “This new equity provides Marport with the financial resources it needs to execute its growth strategy and continue to deliver innovative sonar products. Having the support of Hastings and Admiralty combined with their extensive network in the United States defense market will allow us the opportunity to accelerate our expansion efforts in that area.” In connection with the financing, MacRae will join Marport’s Board of Directors as

Chairman, replacing Derrick Rowe who will remain on the Board.